Redeemer Presbyterian Church

 

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I Have Other Sheep

John 10:16

Introduction

Every so often we need a sermon that reminds us why this church exists, how we fit into God’s kingdom plan on the earth.

This verse makes two simple points:

1. This text gives us the reason we exist, and
2. This text gives us the reason to exist.

1. This text gives us the reason we exist.

Jesus said, I have other sheep which are not of this fold, and I must bring them in…

We exist because Jesus did what he said he’d do; people acted on his words.

Jesus ministered in a culture with deep prejudice against the outsiders.

Should not have been that way: God gave lots of indicators he wanted to save the Gentiles all along:

Gen.12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed…

Ps. 67:

Rahab; Jonah preaching to Nineveh; Elijah:The widow of Zarephath (1 kings 17:8f) Elisha: Naaman from Syria.

At Jesus’ birth, wise men for the east (Gentiles) come to celebrate

There are numerous examples in Jesus’ ministry of reaching out to Gentiles:

Matt8:10: The Roman centurion: I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith…”

Samaritan woman John 4

John 12:20-21 Greeks: we wish to see Jesus.

Acts 28:28  Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.

Romans 15:8-12

Gal.3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The ultimate goal of Jesus’ work is one flock with one shepherd.

The ultimate fulfillment of this will be the new heavens and new earth, described in:

Rev.21:24 by its light all the nations will walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it…

Rev.22:2 the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations

The one thing which seems to capture the chief activity of heaven is the worship of the lamb. John Piper reminds us that “missions is not the end goal, worship is.  Missions exists because worship does not.”

2. The text gives us the reason to exist

Now that Jesus is out of sight in heaven, how do the sheep hear his voice?  The shepherd speaks through the sheep.

The shepherd has given us a distinct message designed to draw lost sheep to himself.  That is the good news, the gospel. God has placed in that message power to convert people, to convince them Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Rom.1:16 the gospel is the power of God unto salvation…

Rom.10:14f But how are they to call on him on whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

This is why you often hear us say that we are a sending church.

John 20:21  As the father has sent me, even so I am sending you.

Matt.28:18  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…

Luke 24:47   repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all nations

Acts 1:8  And you will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Why the word witness? That’s what sent people do. They witness, testify, to what they have seen and know.

We exist to continue this verse, to partner with Jesus in the on-going ingathering of his flock.

This raises two important questions:

1) What is the means of this ingathering?

How does Jesus get his sheep into the fold? And they shall hear my voice

What’s the heart of the good news?  The two verses that bracket our sending verse both say: I lay down my life for the sheep

Is.53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us to his own way; but the Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.

1 Peter 2:24-25 and he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his wounds you are healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

2) What is the motivation for the ingathering?

Jesus said, I must bring them in.

I must gets into you. Sentness gets into your DNA.

It’s not naturally there. We are all innately wired for my kingdom. How do we  escape this myopic view of Christ’s kingdom which naturally rules our hearts?

a. Compare kings and kingdoms.

Is there is a cause so great that when you center your entire life around it, you’ll never be disappointed? Are you suffering under the weight of your small ambitions? He gives us the joy of being in sync with what he is doing.

b. Let the glory of Jesus’ sentness consume your heart

Notice the emphatic: I must bring them in.

Why?

1) Jesus’ sentness is righting a wrong

2) He loves them; the father has given them to him.

Jesus made you his cause!  His must trumps your must.  You are either a sender or one sent. You live missionally.

Greetings Redeemer family,

2010-03-07 Bulletin

MNA ShortTerm Missions and Disaster Response at Work for Haiti Earthquake Relief

We invite you to participate with us…

MNA Disaster Response is working to assist PCA Pastors Dony St. Germain and Brian Kelso as they lead ministries among the Haitian people. These men are MNA Senior Staff members and have been working in Haiti for many years. In order to determine how best to help these men and their ministries MNA Disaster Response sent three assessment teams, including MNA Disaster Response Director Arklie Hooten, with pastors St Germain and Kelso into Haiti very soon after the quake.  While in Haiti our teams made contact with various ministry sites to determine how best to stage MNA Disaster Response Volunteers to respond to this terrible disaster.

• Join us in giving thanks for the answered prayers for the assessment      teams. God graciously provided good health, safe travel, and wisdom in determining how best to respond to this great tragedy.
• Prayerfully consider a financial contribution. Gifts will be used to meet the needs of mission churches in Haiti who are affected, to provide resources for God’s people to serve others in the community, and for the expenses of the relief work.  To give a gift, click here: Contribute. Ormail your check to MNA designated for Haiti 2010 Earthquake Relief. 100% of your donation will go toward relief efforts. We are now collecting needed resources for our response including supplies, equipment, food and tents. Please contact MNA Volunteer Facilitator Sherry Lanier at slanier@pcanet.org for a list of approved items and delivery instructions for these critically needed resources.
• Mobilize medical teams as space allows. This began within days of the earthquake and is continuing. Currently teams are booked to work with El Shaddai through March. If you are a trained medical provider and desire to serve you can register now. To register, see link below.
• Register to Volunteer. We are currently mobilizing teams for food distribution to various ministry sites and anticipate mobilizing disaster response volunteers to our Oasis disaster response headquarters in Carrefour beginning in April. If your team has already registered please be patient as our First Responders prepare Oasis for your arrival. If you desire to bring a team to Haiti please register here now: Register your team for future involvement. In the meantime there are a couple of things you can do to be prepared to serve as a volunteer in Haiti. First, please make sure you have a current passport. Travel to Haiti requires a valid passport. Second, please click here for information on required/requested immunizations for travel and service in Haiti.
• Volunteer for long term service. Do you have the ability to serve longer terms of service? MNA Disaster Response is in need of volunteers who can serve longer periods of time beyond a week or two. We are looking for individuals who are willing to serve as Site Managers and hosts for the work sites that we are setting up in Haiti. If you are interested in serving in one of these capacities, please contact Sherry Lanier, MNA Disaster Response Facilitator at slanier@pcanet.org.

Please note that many phases of the response plan above cannot be fully implemented until consistent flight operations resume into Port-au-Prince and volunteer housing and other facilities are fully developed to provide a base at Carrefour for work with El Shaddai led by PCA Pastor Dony St. Germain, and similar facilities at Mirebalais for work with Great Commission Alliance led by PCA Pastor Brian Kelso.

El Shaddai, led by Dony St. Germain: Working with Church Plants, Schools and Orphanages

Currently MNA staff members are working with 42 church plants which had started prior to the earthquake and are ministering to 16,000 Haitians on a regular basis through these churches. Most of the churches have a Christian school associated with the church. Currently there are 6,000 students enrolled. They are also working with 13 orphanages that house 2,200 orphans as a ministry of mercy and outreach.

Many of the 42 church plants are in cities outside of Port-au-Prince. Because of the intensity of the destruction concentrated in Port-au-Prince the Haitian government has stated that 1,000,000 are now homeless and have fled that city in search of a more stable place to live. This large movement of people has caused many of the outlying cities to more than double in population, with no increases in infrastructure – infrastructure that was also affected by the earthquake. This has caused depletion of almost every type of resource that a city or town would normally afford.

Two Sites are currently under development to provide bases for long term work…

Working with El Shaddai, led by PCA Pastor Dony St. Germain: MNA’s initial assessment is complete and will be assisting as stated below.

MNA Disaster Response First Responders are setting up an earthquake response operation at Carrefour, a city near the epicenter of the quake. We are moving deliberately and as quickly as possible with presbytery teams rotating in and out over the next four weeks. Oasis, the facility in Carrefour being prepared, will become the headquarters for ongoing operations. We are currently gathering and shipping materials and supplies to Carrefour in advance of the arrival of the First Responders, which begins March 10^th.. We expect this phase to take up to four weeks to complete. Once the Oasis volunteer facility is secure and the airport resumes consistent operations in Port-au-Prince, MNA will mobilize teams to assist in the rebuilding efforts, beginning with 30 homes of members of El Shaddai mission church members.

Working with Great Commission Alliance led by PCA Pastor Brian Kelso: MNA’s initial assessment is complete and we will be assisting as stated below.

MNA ShortTerm Missions is mobilizing short term missions teams to Mirebalais to assist with food distribution and to establish a transitional tent village for those who have migrated to the community seeking safety. Pastor Kelso is working jointly with Mirebalais’ Mayor to provide these resources to a community in desperate need. Pre-quake Mirebalais was 125,000 in population and is now approximately 300,000 according to the local government.

Updates:

• MNA Disaster Response Haiti Blog
• MNA Disaster Response on Facebook
• El Shaddai Ministries International - for archived reports click here.
• Great Commission Alliance

Thank you so much for your prayers and support for this ministry.  If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please feel free to contact me.

Blessings,

Arklie Hooten

MNA ShortTerm Missions & Disaster Response Director

Mission to North America

1700 N. Brown Road, Suite 101

Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043-8122

Calls to Arklie:  678-294-3011

Mobilization:       678-294-3012

….seek the welfare of the city…..pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  Jer 29:7

 

 Standard Podcast [31:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

John 10:19-39

Introduction

What do you do with a person who claims to be God?  Investigate!

Christians claim Jesus is God- always has been, always will be.

Questions about Jesus’ identity constantly swirl around his ministry. No doubt that accounts for the question raised in v.24:

How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus finds this question important enough to answer. Here’s how he does it:

1. v. 25 Challenge your expectations or presuppositions that distort your interpretation of the data.

a.             how he should appear

b.            philosophical presuppositions

c.             Jewish expectation of Messiah

2.  What he claimed to do (his works) v.25

Jesus did things ONLY God can do. They fall out into two main categories:

A. The miraculous/supernatural

(unparalleled suspension of the laws of nature)

B. The Authoritative

Jesus claimed to do things that are only to be claimed by God:

Forgive sins (Mk2:1-12; Luke 7:36-50) Bestow life (Jn. 6:47) Teach the truth  (Jn.8:31, 7:15,46) Judge the world  (Matt.25:31-46)  Receive worship  (Jn.9:38; 20:28) Share God’s glory  (Jn.17:5; Is42:8, 48:11) Be the only means of access to life (zoe)

Jesus so closely identified himself with the Father that to know/see/believe in/love/hate/receive and honor him was to do the same to the father.That’s why the NT throughout equates God and Jesus by attributing the same names, titles or activities to both. Both are called:

redeemer, savior, Lord, one coming again, the one whom we serve,the one whose grace we receive, the one whose word we have, hear and obey, the one in whom we trust, whose fullness we have, who dwells in our hearts, who we are in, who possesses us for himself, whom we love and obey, whose joy is in us, from whose hand we cannot be snatched, who will judge the world, whose way is prepared in the wilderness, who is the good shepherd, who is our light, to whom every knee shall bow, who purchased us with his blood (Acts 20:28), who is coming with his reward with him, the first and the last Is.48:12—Rev.1:17, 2:8, the alpha and omega Rev.1:8, 22;13), whose face we’ll see when he comes.

3. What he claimed to give v.28

Two spiritual blessings in v.28

A. Jesus said he gave eternal life to his sheep.

B. Jesus said he protects or preserves his sheep  v.28-29

And they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

4. What he claimed to be

v.30 Jesus said, I and the Father are one.

The Jews hearing it clearly understood that to be a claim to deity:

v.31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Notice the word again: already tried this before in 8:59:

Therefore they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself.

5:18 For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.

8:58 Before Abraham was, I am. The eternal self-existent one. Yahweh.

Jn.14:7 If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.

Jesus makes claims that can only be attributed to God:

The NT writers, those Jesus commissioned to interpret the meaning of his life and ministry, got the picture:

Jn.1:1 and the word was God

Col.1:15 He is the image of the invisible God…by him all things were created

Col.1:19 for it was the Father’s pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him

Col.2:9 for in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form

Phil.2:6 who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped..

Heb.1:3 And he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature

Heb.1:8 But of the Son God says, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever..

1 Jn.5:20  and we are in Him who is true, in his son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life

5.  What he claimed to fulfill

a. he claimed to fulfill the feasts of Israel

b. he claimed to fulfill the promises and prophesies

Is. 6 Is.9:6  Is.59:20

The end of the matter is, Jesus is no one to be trifled with. He cannot merely be a wonderful moral teacher. Why? His teachings are laced with claims to deity. He irrefutably claimed to be God and to do what only God can do. Therefore, he is either a liar for claiming that if he is not that; a lunatic for thinking it, if he is not it, or he is who he claimed to be, and you must worship him as God.

Greetings Redeemer family,

Before jumping into an introduction to this week’s service, I want to give you all a quick update on my vocal condition. As most of you know, I’ve been suffering from voice problems for the past couple of months, and have sought the counsel of various doctors and therapists.  With their help, my condition has been steadily improving – as I’m now able to reliably talk without losing my voice.  However, it will still be a few more months before I am able to sing and lead through an entire Sunday like I could previously.  In the interim, Greg Yates has graciously stepped in to help with vocal leadership on Sunday mornings, and he is doing a fantastic job.  I truly appreciate your prayers for my continued recovery, as well as for the worship ministry as we navigate this difficult period.

As I prepare for worship this Sunday, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a few weeks ago.  A good friend of mine from seminary is a student at Duke’s divinity school, working on his doctorate in New Testament studies.  We were talking about some of his professors and classes,  and the challenges that come from studying the Bible from teachers that often don’t believe it to be the inspired Word of God.  As we talked about these professors, I couldn’t help but think of all the work they took to get academic credentials for a religion they didn’t believe in.  We kept coming back to the same question: what’s the point?  Why spend all that time and money and energy on something you don’t even believe to be true?  Why bother?

This is a great question for us to wrestle with this week.  As we return to John 10 together, Mike will be teaching us on Jesus’ claims of divinity.  Critical scholars often claim that Jesus never said He was God.  They’ll readily promote Jesus as a revolutionary teacher and a great moral example, yet they just as quickly state that the early church got it wrong to think that Jesus was God.  But if He was just a good teacher, then why all the fuss?  Why have churches and hymns and missions?

So what difference does it make for you?  I’d assume that most of us would readily confess that Jesus was more than a martyr, but rarely do we sit in wonder of the majesty and glory that He is God in flesh.  Like my friend’s professors, we can talk very intelligently about the words of the Bible – but these truths ought to shake us.  They should surprise and scandalize us.  The wonder of Jesus as fully man and fully God ought to move us to worship.

At Redeemer, we often turn to older texts to remind us of the majesty and glory of God.  This week, we pull from many hymns of the church to give words to our worship.  These songs speak loudly about Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – the very God of very God.  My prayer is that the Spirit will use these words to renew in you a sense of awe at the name of Jesus.  May every knee bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord of all.

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Your great Name we praise.

These first two hymns speak of the person of Christ as worthy of praise and honor, for who He is and what He has done.  The words call us to gather together as a community to worship Him.  This is the Church: those that confess these Truths, celebrate His worth, and live lives changed by His gospel.

The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation by water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.

In his classic work, Cur Deus Homo, the early church theologian Anselm set out to answer the question “Why did God become Man?”  His conclusion is amazingly straight-forward: Only a man can die for man’s sins.  To free us from the punishment that our sins deserved, the perfect God came and offered Himself as a substitue.  He took the guilt upon Himself, so that we might be washed clean.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know; Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Having been reminded of the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin, we will take some time to confess our sins before the Holy and Perfect God.  This order is intentional.  Only when we are secure in the pardoning love of Christ will we feel free to confess the depths of our lost estate.   This love also is also what motivates us to resist sin, as we desire to be drawn into closer fellowship with the God who saved us.  Below is the prayer of confession that we will pray together.

Lord Jesus, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, and of neglect to seek you in my daily life. My sins and shortcomings present me with a list of accusations, but I thank you that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Deliver me from every evil habit, every interest of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of your grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in you. Amen.

We close our service with another familiar hymn of Jesus’ kingdom reign over all things.  This expression of His majesty is what motivates us to live for Him every day and to share His Gospel with others.  I love John Piper’s reminder that “Missions is not the end goal, worship is.  Missions exists because worship does not.”  Our lives before the watching world ought to point towards Christ in all of His glory and splendor.  This is not simply that people would think that we are different, or so that they might pray a prayer and attend church.  The goal is that all would be inspired to worship Him as well, joining with us and the company of Heaven singing of Jesus Christ, Lord of all.

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all

Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe on this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all
To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all

O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at His feet may fall
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all

Longing to join that song,

Tim Sharpe
Director of Worship
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Lynchburg VA

2010-02-28 Bulletin

2010-02-21 Bulletin

 

 Standard Podcast [32:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

*Introduction*

Jesus alludes to *pasture* in verse 9. Pasture is a metaphor for spiritual
and physical well-being, the longing of the human heart- both emotional
well-being and physical safety, to go in and out safely, to have security to
graze, to have abundance of life, to enjoy all the benefits of belonging to
God.

The question God raises for you today is, Who is leading you to pasture?

Here is how the text helps you answer those questions:

* *

*1.     **The text tells you that you are a sheep who needs a shepherd.*

In this text Jesus is indicting the false shepherds of Israel for failing to
be the shepherds God called them to be. God called them to care for his
people according to the pattern he cares for them.

Ps.23;1  The Lord is my shepherd

Ps.80:1 O give ear, shepherd of Israel…

Ps.100  we are the people of his flock, the sheep of his pasture

Ps.121:8 The Lord will guard your going out and coming in

Jer. 31:10 The Lord will keep Israel as a shepherd keeps his flock.

Is.40:11 *Like a shepherd he will tend his flock, in his arms he will gather
the lambs, and carry them in his bosom; he will gently lead the nursing
ewes.*

Jesus calls them *thieves and robbers*  (v.8) because they steal from the
sheep the joy and shalom they ought to have as God’s flock. Clearly, then,
Jesus intentionally contrasts Himself with the irresponsible shepherds of
Israel, who just excommunicated an innocent man, as he self-consciously puts
Himself in the role of the true shepherd of Israel. He is the shepherd king
anticipated in the OT.

What might be stealing your joy and peace? False shepherds.  We tend to
think according to one of several different paradigms:

1. *I am my own shepherd*.

That’s why Jesus had compassion on the masses because they were like “sheep
without a shepherd”  (Mt.9:36)

In his compassion:

1) the Spirit  will expose self-protective strategies to find pasture:

2) the Spirit exposes the false shepherds

1. *Just Jesus and me.*

*2.     **The text tells you what Jesus promises as the true shepherd.*

* *

1. *He promises eternal life**. *

* *

*v. 7 I am the door of the sheep, if anyone enters through Me, he shall be
saved and go in and out and find pasture.*

* *

We need a substitute to lay down his life for us. Double meaning:

*Figuratively*, according to v.12-13, he lays down, gives up his own
welfare, puts aside claims to his own shalom, for the safety of his sheep,
rather than fleeing like a coward when the wolf comes to kill and destroy
them.

*Literally*, he was laid down on the cross prior to it being slammed into a
hole in the ground. That’s the place your sins would take you.

1. *He promises intimacy with His sheep*.

When Jesus chose twelve men of all the disciples to train for his on going
ministry, that inner circle of twelve he tended as His little flock
(Mt.16:5). Now that is for any of us. Notice how personal v. 3 is:

*…the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads
them out…*

*For His part*, He calls us by name.

*For our part*, we hear his voice.

c. *He promises pasture*.

*v. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he shall be saved, and go
in and out, and find pasture*.

Greetings Redeemer Family,

We begin our service this week by reading together the 23rd Psalm. This passage of scripture is very familiar to many of us – having heard it at weddings, funerals, Sunday School classes and written on any number of coffee mugs. With familiar passages like this, it is easy to zone out and miss the deep meaning in what we are reading. At the same time, there is also a reason why this passage has become so familiar. It touches on something very common and basic in the human soul. It is the need for rest. The need for provision. The need for loving leadership. It is the need for the Good Shepherd.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

We begin our service with songs of praise up to the One who is both our Good Shepherd and the mighty, sovereign God of all.

Throughout the endless ages
You will be crowned with praises
Lord Most High
Exalted in every nation
Sovereign of all creation
Lord Most High be magnified

Who has told ev’ry lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night?
None can fathom

One of my favorite hymn texts is Praise to the Lord the Almighty, written by Joachim Neander (how’s that for a great name!). The writer does a wonderful job of reassuring the reader of God’s fatherly care for His people, alluding both to God’s power and His promises. But the song doesn’t stop there, as though God meeting our needs was an end to itself. Instead, the writer rightfully uses these promises as a catalyst for faithful and thankful worship.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the “Amen” sound from His people again,
Gladly fore’er we adore Him.

This week, Mike will be teaching from John 10, as Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for His sheep. One of the things that stood out to me as I read this passage this week is how John 10 contrasts with our common reading of Psalm 23. So often we see the pastoral phrases of Psalm 23 as promising a life of tranquility and peace – with mention of quiet waters and green pastures. John 10, on the other hand, is filled with rather violent imagry. There is mention of robbers and theives and attacking wolves – and even the death of the Shepherd.

I find something strangely reassuring about this contrast. Jesus is not ignorant to the hardship of the world. It doesn’t take Him by surprise. To the contrary, He faces the brokenness of sin and death and suffering head-on. He gives us promises of His care and provision because this world is a difficult place. It is good to be reminded that – in all of our troubles – He will never leave us, nor forsake us.

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, ’Til the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

These promises of God’s providential care are echoed in our confessional reading this week, from the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism.

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.

I love that promise of eternal life. The hardships of sin and suffering in this world are not the end. Christ took all of that curse upon Himself on the cross, and proved His victory by rising from the grave. The promises of restored souls and dwelling with God forever are more than just tranquil cliches. Rather, it is a deeper reality that Christ has prepared for those whom He loves. So we end our service this week singing of our freedom in Christ and the security of our eternal inheritance with Him.

Mercy speaks by Jesus’ blood;
Hear and sing, ye sons of God;
Justice satisfied indeed;
Christ has full atonement made.

“All her debts were cast on Me,
And she must and shall go free.
All her debts were cast on Me,
And she must and shall go free.”

This text sometimes confuses people, as there are 2 different “voices” being used. The verses are the voices of believers reminding one another of the victory we have in Jesus. The chorus is the voice of Christ speaking over His people, saying again that our debts – the unpaid penalty for our sins – have been paid by His work on the cross. Because we are no longer under that restriction, Christ commands that we live out the freedom that is now ours.

So my prayer for you as you prepare for service this week is that you would be reminded anew that the promises of God are not just cliches on a Hallmark card, but are powerful encouragement in the midst of life’s struggles. May you take comfort knowing that Christ was no stranger to suffering Himself. Yet He took all of the punishment of our sins upon Himself, and we can live celebrating the victory that is ours. God is for us, and we celebrate His goodness together.

Eager to rejoice with you this Sunday,
Tim Sharpe
Director of Worship

 

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Introduction

John 9 focuses on a man, blind from birth, whom Jesus miraculously heals.  And like all of Jesus’ signs, the spiritual reality behind the physical miracle reveals a truth about us and a truth about Jesus.  That is, we need spiritual eyes opened to understand the gospel, and that Jesus is the One who opens them. The Pharisees are those who glance at Jesus and see only an evil man they want to destroy.  In contrast, the man healed from his physical blindness gradually comes to see that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord, the savior!

John makes his point in this one lengthy chapter, using the elements of dramatic storytelling.  It’s all here: suspense, human emotion, irony, conflict, humor, a climactic resolution, even an epilogue that drives home the point.  Let’s work through the drama in its own well-defined scenes.

Scene 1:  The Prelude or occasioning event   (v.1-7)

Scene 2:  Reaction from the Neighbors   (the plot thickens)

Scene 3:  Reaction from the Pharisees

We can only guess that the neighbors brought him to their leaders for religious comment.

They ask the same questions:

How did this happen?

Who are you?

Where is the healer?

What’s the best way to compensate for intellectual dishonesty? Attack the person!

The healed man asked them a very poignant question, and then gave the right answer! They refuse to believe in the miracle because they hate Jesus. Don’t let the evidence get in the way of your presuppositions.

What can we learn from this man? He is a good theologian. But notice also the pressure on Him deepens His convictions. God is pleased to create circumstances that challenge our assumptions, force us back to what we really know, and thus strengthen our deepest convictions. Folks suffer greatly and then say, the incident was terrible but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.)

Scene 4: Epilogue  (Reaction of Jesus)

Good news:

The blind see.  The key word here is believe.  Seeing is believing.  Believing is confessing Jesus, “Lord, I believe.”

Notice the progression in the man’s faith:  a man called Jesus, he is a prophet, a courageous defense before accusers, to worship.  That’s a very happy ending! But it isn’t the whole story.

Bad news:

When the light shines, it also exposes the darkness of unbelief, in this case the steadfast refusal of the Pharisees to admit the obvious.  Jesus is present shocking the world by doing things for which the ONLY explanation is, God is working. In Christ God is healing ands delivering people from everything that is wrong with them, physically and spiritually. His works are greater than the works Moses did, which the Egyptian magicians could not copy.

Jesus: For judgment I came into this world. That statement only makes sense when we see its double meaning.

On the one hand, Jesus judges the condition of man.

On the other hand, I came into this world to bear the judgment of the spiritually blind. The cross was the awful place of God’s judgment, falling on the Son of God for all who want to see spiritually. It is seeing Christ’s glory in the cross that opens eyes to see.

Beloved,

FIRST, it is snowing and it is not Saturday….yippee!

SECOND, there are two ladies representing the PCA’s missions organization, MTW, at Liberty this week for their missions conference.

Barbara and Maya have a booth on the 3^rd floor of DeMoss Hall in the open lobby area of the computer lab.

They will be here Monday – Friday, 8am – 4:30pm. Feel free to go by and say hi and get some info on missions with MTW.

Mike

Dearest Women,

Greetings Redeemer family,

I just looked at the weather report for this upcoming weekend and a smile came to my face. The forecast is overwhelmingly clear. Cold, to be sure, but there’s a happy little sunshine graphic under each of the dates on the weather calender. There’s no sign of the snow and ice we’ve seen the past two weeks. Now, don’t get me wrong – I usually like the snow. I enjoy the time to settle back, visit with friends and family, and curl up with a good book. What I don’t like is missing our time of worship together on Sunday mornings, which has sadly been cancelled these past two weeks.

So I have a great amount of excitement as I look towards our services this Sunday. Do you share this anticipation? Maybe you have a deep longing for Sabbath worship, yet you haven’t identified it yet. Maybe these past two weeks have left you feeling dry, disconnected, disordered. Sabbath worship is meant to remedy this, as a means of God’s grace through Christ’s body. Sunday morning is our opportunity to come and be fed with the Word and Sacrament. As we study His Word, we find our hearts and minds restored. We find our place in community as we reconnect both with God and with our brothers and sisters. We find ourselves back in order with creation as we praise God through songs, prayers, and tithes. We were created to worship as a corporate body, enjoying the blessings of the One who said: “You will be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jer 31:1)

Because of the cancellations these past two weeks, the leadership team simply pushed back the planned order of service from January 31. Below is the original Worship Notes that I prepared for that service. I pray that they will stir up in you a great anticipation for our time together on Sunday!

Most of us know the story of our national anthem. In the middle of the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key was aboard a British ship, watching as the enemy fleet bombarded Fort McHenry. He could do nothing but listen as the cannons fired round after round. He anxiously waited through the night, dreading the surrender of this crucial US stronghold. As the morning light came in, Key strained his eyes amid the smoke and saw that “star-spangled banner” still flying over the fort. There was no surrender. Hope still remained.

This story stuck out to me this morning for two reasons. First, it reminds me the power of an image. Key saw the flag that night and his hopes for our nation were restored. Before he was anxious and afraid. After, he was inspired to write words that would be sung by millions for generations. Second, it gives me a new appreciation of another song text by Key, which opens our worship this Sunday. “Lord, With Glowing Heart” also points to the need to have our hope restored from an outside source. True love and worship of God is not something we can just will from within ourselves. Left to ourselves, we are spritually blind and cold towards God. Yet it is God’s gracious pleasure to open our eyes to the beauty of His gospel, which enables us to love and worship Him rightly.

Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise Thee,
For the bliss Thy love bestows,
For the pardoning grace that saves me,
And the peace that from it flows:
Help, O God, my weak endeavor;
This dull soul to rapture raise:
Thou must light the flame, or never
Can my love be warmed to praise.

Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
Wretched wanderer, far astray;
Found thee lost, and kindly brought thee
From the paths of death away;
Praise, with love’s devoutest feeling,
Him Who saw thy guilt-born fear,
And the light of hope revealing,
Bade the blood-stained cross appear.

Praise thy Savior God that drew thee
To that cross, new life to give,
Held a blood sealed pardon to thee,
Bade thee look to Him and live.
Praise the grace whose threats alarmed thee,
Roused thee from thy fatal ease;
Praise the grace whose promise warmed thee,
Praise the grace that whispered peace.

Lord, this bosom’s ardent feeling
Vainly would my lips express.
Low before Thy footstool kneeling,
Deign Thy suppliant’s prayer to bless:
Let Thy grace, my soul’s chief treasure,
Love’s pure flame within me raise;
And, since words can never measure,
Let my life show forth Thy praise.

As you’ll notice, this song uses some older English forms that we typically use today. While the language is dated, most of it should be accessible if you take a moment to read it carefully. One line, however, uses two words that are seldom used today. In the 4^th verse, Key writes “Low before Thy footstool kneeling, deign Thy suppliant’s prayer to bless.” “Deign” is a formal verb meaning “to condescend to give or grant.” A “suppliant” is a person that is asking for something humbly. So this line is a very formal, humble way of asking God to answer prayer.

Francis Scott Key’s prayer is requesting that God would open our eyes and reveal to us again the beauties of His glory and grace in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we see Him in this way, we cannot help but honor and adore Him. It calls us out of our own worries and anxieties and into His presence. It is this working of the Spirit in our hearts that draws us to worship Him. Theologically, we call this “effectual calling”.

Q. 31. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.

We believe that Jesus came to call us to Himself by revealing the glories of God’s Kingdom, and verified in the signs and wonders He performed in His ministry. These things were prophesied in the book of Isaiah, which we use this week as our call to worship:

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35)

We respond to this Word of God with joyful singing, for God has revealed to us His glory and splendor:

We stand and lift up our hands

For the joy of the Lord is our strength

We bow down and worship Him now

How great how awesome is He

Holy is the Lord God Almighty

The earth is filled with His glory

To Christ the Lord let every tongue its noblest tribute bring

When He’s the subject of the song who can refuse to sing?

Survey the beauties of His face and on His glories dwell

Think of the wonder of His grace and all His triumphs tell

Since from His bounty I receive such proofs of love divine

Had I a thousand hearts to give Lord, they should all be Thine

A thousand men could not compose a worthy song to bring

Yet Your love is a melody our hearts can’t help but sing!

This week, Mike will be teaching out of John 9, the story of a blind man healed by Jesus, and the complications that ensue. One of the things I love about this story is that it doesn’t just end with the man’s eyesight being restored. The formerly-blind man finds himself in the middle of a controversy between the Pharisees and Jesus. Many of us have had similar stories: Jesus comes into our lives and brings us to new life, yet instead of tranquil bliss, complex conflict follows. May God grant us faith like that man to confess: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

Let the weak say I am strong

Let the poor say I am rich

Let the blind say I can see

It’s what the Lord has done in me

Hosanna hosanna

To the Lamb that was slain

Hosanna hosanna

Jesus died and rose again

Following the sermon, we will consider how to respond as people who have been changed by God’s grace. One particular avenue of joyful response is through the giving of tithes and offerings. On a broader level, we call our response to God acts of faith and repentance.

Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.

We follow this reading by taking time to practice repentance together through a time of corporate prayer:

O my Savior, help me. I am slow to learn, prone to forget, and weak to climb; I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayerless days, my poverty of love, my sloth in the heavenly race, my sullied conscience, my wasted hours, my unspent opportunities. I am blind while the light shines around me: take the scales from my eyes, grind to dust my heart of unbelief. Make it my highest joy to study you, meditate on you, gaze on you, sit like Mary at your feet, lean like John on your breast, appeal like Peter to your love, count like Paul all things but dung. I believe, help my unbelief. Amen

We will then hear the Word of God, reminding us of our status as His called and forgiven people:

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. (2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 5:8)

We close our service by singing a song of dedication to “live as children of light.” It is my prayer that this anthem would follow you through the week, reminding you that you are washed in the cleansing blood of Jesus, you have the full inheritance as a son or daughter of God, you have the joy of serving the world as one who loves the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God.

Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has brought us nigh to God

Praying to see with new eyes,

Tim Sharpe

Worship Director

Greetings Redeemer Family,

As Mike just announced, the leadership has decided to cancel services for tomorrow.  Like many of you, I am disappointed to miss our time of worship together.

Mike also encouraged us to participate in family worship to commemorate the Lord’s Day – but I’m very aware that many of us don’t know where to start!  My good friend John Bennetch wrote a simple family worship liturgy for his congregation up in Waynesboro.  He graciously agreed for me to send it on to you all, and I highly recommend its use.  Find it attached to this e-mail.

I hope all of you are safe and warm, and I pray to see you in worship next Sunday!

Grace&peace
Tim

TAB HC W Notes 10-02-07

Beloved,

Beloved,

Beloved,

As much as I love the snow, I dislike missing our corporate worship together!  Nonetheless, we need to cancel our services tomorrow in light of the predicted accumulations.  Remember, he makes our sins as white as snow. Praise Jesus for his unfailing grace.

 

 Standard Podcast [32:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Acts 6:1-7

Introduction

I chose this passage because after I preach we are going to do something very similar to what happened in the early church. We will ordain deacons to serve Redeemer. The noun and the verb for servant come from the Greek deaconos.

1. The Biblical basis for servant ministry

Plato asked, “How can a man be happy when he has to serve someone?”

Jesus Christ challenged that way of thinking. When Jesus Christ came to earth to establish his kingdom, he turned the world’s way of thinking upside down. He came as no king ever did or ever has since: King Jesus came as a servant.  Matthew 20:28,  The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Whoever wished to become great among you shall be your servant. The greatest in the kingdom of God shall be least among you. The first shall be last.  (Matt. 20:26-27)

Paul: He humbled himself, taking the form of a bond servant. (Phil.2:6)

Consider the context of Acts 6 for the early church.

How is Jesus’ kingdom manifested? word ministry and deed ministry.

the message of the kingdom, and the corresponding acts of the kingdom, extending the visible ministry of Jesus on earth, as described in  Matt 4:23:

And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every kind of disease and sickness among the people. (Luke 24:19)

Acts 4:34, for there was not a needy person among them…

This is the church in its pristine state? Look again at Acts 6.  People are grumbling.

So the panic turned to a complaint which came to the apostles, the guys Jesus left in charge.

The world is needy: everyone is spiritually needy, while some are physically.

2. The Biblical pattern of servant ministry V.2-4

Notice a few things about this.

a. V.4 The disciples aren’t above this task

b. V.3 They told them to select from among themselves.

c. V.3 These will be in charge of mercy ministry. They don’t do it, they make sure you do it.

d. V.5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation.

e. V.7 lists two results of the plan.

First, because the apostles or elders are freed up to fulfill their ministry, the word kept on spreading, and the word converted people so the number of the disciples continued to increase.

Second, a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

f. V.6 These new leaders, we call them deacons (Phil.1;1, 1 Tim.3 gives qualifications)  were set apart for their service by a special act of the apostles, they prayed and laid hands on.

There is no conflict between what we preach and how we care for others. Word ministry and deed ministry go together. The gospel is living water, good news for a thirsty soul AND concrete help, cold water, for a thirsty body. The Gospel is holistic, both answering the fall and anticipating the future.

Jesus has ordained that in His church two types of leaders or officers are responsible for these spheres of redemption.

The elders are primarily responsible for word ministry,

while the deacons supervise all of us in deed ministry.

3. The Biblical qualifications for deacons

V. 3  Choose seven men (no magic number) of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Why these three things?

Good reputation

Full of the Spirit and wisdom.

Wisdom informs the task.   The Holy Spirit shapes our character.

Unless the Spirit creates the DNA of Jesus in us, servanthood won’t happen.

How do you get that DNA? Not by mere imitation. It flows out of a heart broken by Jesus’ great act of servanthood on the cross. He served you in a way that is unfathomable taking up your sins onto his body, so they would never be held against you.

How do you recognize that DNA in action?

Greetings Redeemer family,

This week we celebrate the ordination and installation of two new deacons.  God has greatly blessed us by continuing to raise up new leaders to aid us in our mission to carry the Gospel to our community and to the world.  The service this week is a celebration of the calling this calling that God has given to His people – the Church, and our dependence on the gift of His Spirit to do this work.

Our service this week begins with a call to worship from Psalm 84.  This passage focuses on the blessing of being welcomed into the presence of the Living God.  To serve Him and dwell in His presence is a joyful honor.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;
No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Those last phrases are quite lofty: “whose walk is blameless”, “the man who trusts in you.”  How do we make claim to the promises of this psalm, when we know that we do not deserve them?  Our first hymn anticipates this tension.  “Come Thou Fount” is a prayer that God would change our hearts.  Only then will we be able us to love and worship Him as He deserves.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

While “Come Thou Fount” is our prayer that God would come into our midst, the song “Satisfied” focuses on how Christ came and rescued us when we were lost in sin.  The verses reflect back on our lost estate, following after every worldly promise that is ultimately empty.  The chorus is a joyful celebration of Jesus who found us and decisively redeemed us.

All my life long, I had panted
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Hallelujah! He has found me,
The one my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.

When we read the life and teachings of Jesus, it is quickly apparent that He desires for more than just to forgive us for past wrongs.  He has called us to follow Him.  As members of His body – the church – we are the chief vessels of the Kingdom in the world.  This high calling is the focus of our Confession of Faith this week.   This reading comes from the Christian Reformed Church document, Our World Belongs to God.

Joining the mission of God, the church is sent with the gospel of the kingdom to call everyone to know and follow Christ and to proclaim to all the assurance that in the name of Jesus there is forgiveness of sin and new life for all who repent and believe.  The Spirit calls all members to embrace God’s mission in their neighborhoods and in the world: to feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and free the prisoner.  We repent of leaving this work to a few, for this mission is central to our being.

This reading ends with a call to repentance – recognizing that we have failed to be faithful in this calling.  It is appropriate then that we take some time to soberly consider our need of God’s grace – both for forgiveness and to live new lives of obedience.

Almighty God, We confess how hard it is to be your people.  You have called us to be the church, to continue the mission of Jesus Christ to our lonely and confused world.  Yet we acknowledge we are more apathetic than active, isolated than involved, callous than compassionate, obstinate than obedient, legalistic than loving.  Gracious Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive our sins.  Remove the obstacles that prevent us from being your representatives to a broken world.  Awaken our hearts to the promised gift of your indwelling Spirit.  This we pray in Jesus’ powerful name.  Amen.

After confessing our need for God’s grace, we close our service this week with a celebration of the sufficiency of that Grace.  His love towards His people is never-ending.  As we read in our call to worship, “no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”  Because of Jesus’ blood and perfect righteousness, we are are made recipients of this great inheritance.  Moreover, we are given the great privilege of serving our brothers, sisters, and the world out of this abundance.

Great is Your faithfulness O God
You wrestle with the sinner’s heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along

Leaning on the everlasting arms of His grace,
Tim Sharpe