Grace Notes

On Sunday, March 1, I preached on the Baptism and Temptation of Jesus.  For some reason (and yes, I have a few guesses), I was pretty “off my game” during the whole first sub-point of the message.  At one point during my sermon (and yes, I went back to listen), I said that the Jews John was baptizing were saved and, therefore, just needed to have their sins forgiven “like we do.”  Well, I had intended to use a simile there, but I did, indeed, misspeak and use it in the wrong spot. I was trying to distinguish John’s Baptism of Jews looking toward the cross, preparing for the coming Messiah, with ours looking back to the cross, identifying with Christ who died for us.  I’m sorry for any confusion my wrong word choices caused!

Tolkien said in The Hobbit that shortcuts often lead to long delays, and that is also true with trying to find a verbal shortcut!

Please accept my apology!

Pastor Scott  

February 2/26 I preached on the Dual Nature of Christ.  These are the two questions that came into the text line.

Question 1 Since our sins were placed on Christ during the crucifixion, then doesn’t He know what it feels like to be guilty of sin?
I totally agree that He does!  I believe, however, that I was expounding on Hebrews 4:15 which says: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  I imagine that the author of Hebrews was focused on His life and not on His time on the Cross.  Good catch!!!

Question 2 Is it appropriate to say it is impossible to explain how Jesus is God and man?

In terms that satisfy our finite minds, yes it’s impossible.  However, for both this, the Hypostatic Union and the Trinity, the best Theologians can do is come up with a list of statements, positive and negative, that define what each is and isn’t; as we can understand what has been revealed.  Regarding the Hypostatic Union (the God/Man) the Chalcedonian Creed took a shot in 451 at the Fourth Ecumenical Council

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.

Take some time, slowly work through this description and perhaps a better, though still not perfect, understanding can be found! 🙂

Pastor Scott

“Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”

― Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness

Thought to write a soaring treatise on Valentines Day – but I’m not up to it; I’m not physically up to it (got a touch of this crud that’s going around) and I just find myslf so thankful for God’s Grace!  Amen?

PS

George Beverly Shea made famous the hymn “I’d Rather have Jesus than silver and gold.”  I heard it playing just a few minutes ago and realized that, while it expressed a great mind-set for a Christian, it also sort of skipped over an important point.   The truth is, if one doesn’t have Jesus, one has nothing at all.  Let me see if I can illustrate it:

(Fame + Fortune or Poverty + Obscurity) – Jesus = Eternity in Hell                  (Fame + Fortune or Poverty + Obscurity) + Jesus = Eternity in Heaven

He’s the most important thing and transmitting His saving message is one of our greatest privileges!  Consider every opportunity God brings your way this month; including asking your server if you might pray for him or her!

Pastor Scott

On Sunday, February 2, we are going to observe the Lord’s Supper by spending some time celebrating the Lord together!  In our first “Body Life Service” in this new building, we are going to spend the entire service testifying of God’s goodness in our lives.  Of course, this can take the form of something He’s taught you, something He’s done for you, a Scripture He’s laid on your heart, or even a melody ringing in your ears! 🙂

There will be some structure, but for the most part we will be passing the mic around and asking you to share from your hearts.  Our theme for the morning is “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”  ~ Psalm 145:4 

There is a powerful image floating around the internet of a teen staring at a slumped over old man in a wheelchair wearing a Vietnam-era cap.  “Ghosted” behind the vet is that classic image of a bare-chested young Vietnam-era soldier with two ammo belts over his shoulders, holding a .50 caliber machine gun with one hand.  You get the impression that neither the teen nor the vet think much of each other. Beloved, that shouldn’t be within the family of God. That teen needs to know a little about that vet’s story and that vet needs to know that that teen is fighting everyday to love God and make good decisions in a world that has gone crazy.  We can’t do all that in one service, but we can start!

Come prepared to share a snippet of what God is doing in your life or of some way in which you saw Him work.  Come ready to share a testimony of something from which He freed you or a victory He won for you. Come ready to be blessed and encouraged that God is still at work.

Yours, because I’m His,

Pastor Scott

 

Psalm 111 

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,

In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord;

They are studied by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work,

And His righteousness endures forever.

He has made His wonders to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will remember His covenant forever.

He has made known to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

They are upheld forever and ever;

They are performed in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

Holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;

His praise endures forever.

Sunday I will preach the last of four messages about money/giving.  Somebody in the congregation teased me that if I really wanted to pull on heart strings I should take a note from the Old Southern Preachers…..  believe it or not I’ve been carrying some of their sermon illustrations around; take a peek:

J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”

J.D. Rockefeller said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”

W.A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 154.

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Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.

Peter Marshall.

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W. A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now. The pastor replied, “I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00.”

W. A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 156.

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When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?” If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there’s something wrong, and the doctor will say, “We’d better do some more tests. It’s not supposed to hurt there!” So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there’s something wrong. In that case, I say, “My friend, we’re in need of the Great Physician because it’s not supposed to hurt there.”

Ben Rogers.

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I love these, hope you did too and that maybe, God used one to speak to you too!

Pastor Scott

 

 

In Lead On, John Haggai tells the story of Mrs. Monroe in Darlington, Maryland. The mother of eight children, she came home one afternoon from the grocery store and noticed it was a bit quieter than usual.

She looked in the living room and five of her darlings were sitting in a circle. She put down the groceries, walked over, and saw they were playing with five of the cutest skunks you can imagine.

She was instantly terrified, and she screamed, “Run, children, run!” Each child grabbed a skunk and ran in five different directions. Her screams so scared the children that each one squeezed his skunk!

It’s always too soon to panic.

 

Yours because I’m His,

Pastor Scott

In 2020 at Word of Grace we are going to challenge each other to incorporate one thing each month that will help us share our faith in everyday ways.  The challenge in January is one that strikes me as pretty easy (of course, almost all of my friends are believers). If you have cultivated some contacts from further afield, this challenge may be both more difficult and more potentially fruitful for you!

JANUARY:  Use social media to say one thing about what God has done in your life.

Social media has been used to do a lot of harmful things from bullying to threatening and even blackmail. But as a child of God, you can turn it into an avenue for the encouragement and upliftment and also to share the love of God with them. Post scriptures, video messages, pictures bearing the good news. Using social media should eliminate the fear that comes with sharing your faith in person.

On Sunday, December 29, I preached on Romans 13.  It was an odd choice for a holiday weekend, but I was trying to wrap up our study of Romans before the New Year and had encountered some weather hurdles right before Christmas.  In Romans 13:1, Paul reminds his readers that they are “to be in subjection to governing authorities and there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God.”  I used the subheading God “Chose” Hitler as the title of that paragraph in my outline.  I put quote marks around the word chose because I don’t really know how to explain it, and really wanted to spend some time discussing God’s permissive will vs. His perfect will.  However, that wasn’t the point of the passage and I do prefer to preach the author’s intent!

That said, in the after-service receiving line, more than one person was a little unsettled with the concept, and on Monday, another congregant took the time to message me this:

So Question… On Sunday you said God chose Hitler.  My first thought is I do not agree, but that He allowed Hitler to be in charge.  The reason being if God chose Hitler He was choosing someone who did evil things.  Whereas allowing him to be in charge/rule was just our sinful world playing out in its sinful ways.  Change my mind.  🙂

My short or “gut” answer is, I agree!  I don’t know how to harmonize Romans 13:1 and James 1:13 any better than that.  However, we can’t discount the fact that God wants us to know that He holds these kings and rulers in His hands.  Nebuchadnezzar was probably responsible for killing more Jews than Hitler and yet God said, very specifically, of him: “And let a beast’s mind be given to him…in order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes, and sets over it the lowliest of men.” (Babylon was the world-spanning empire and Nebby was the Emperor to whom the Most High was speaking.)

So while God may indeed “allow” rather than “choose”, He is still sovereign and could just as easily “disallow” as He did when He ended the rule of Nebuchadnezzar’s heir, Belshazzar, in a single night!  (Daniel 5:30). Perhaps we can think of it this way:  God used Cyrus to take out Belshazzar and He used the Allies to take out Hitler.  So a ruler can’t rule one minute longer than God allows and, therefore, they rule at His pleasure.  With that understanding of God’s will we’ll have to content ourselves! (Job 38-40)  

Pastor Scott