Culture First, Then Laws

Dr. Al Mohler in his book  We Cannot be Silent, spends a chapter chronicling how the homosexual agenda gained traction through the latter part of the 20th century. He begins by noting that in 2004 eleven states voted to ban gay marriage. In all eleven cases the referendums passed with not less than 66% voting in favor of banning gay marriage. Compare this to 2012 where four states voted to ban gay marriage and in all four cases the vote failed. He also notes that in 2008 most polling data indicated a vast majority of Americans were opposed to gay marriage. By 2014 the polling data had changed dramatically with many being open to gay marriage as morally neutral or even a good thing. Add to this the Supreme Court's decision in the summer 2015 and one can see that gay marriage and indeed the whole gay agenda has taken hold in America.

Mohler is not ignorant of the many compromises prior to the gay movement that set the stage for where we are at today. Still, the magnitude of the moral shift along with speed of the shift is striking. In less than fifty years, America moved from a country where sodomy was immoral and where same-sex marriage was unthinkable to a country where many accept sodomy and same-sex marriage as a moral right. How did this happen?

The answer is interesting. Mohler explains how the gay movement decided not to try to change laws, but rather to change the moral landscape and then use laws to stamp their morality with approval:

In After the Ball [a pro-homosexual strategy book published in 1989], Kirk and Madsen [the authors] set out a program that, in retrospect, was likely even more successful than they had dreamed, largely because it focused on changing the culture, rather than just changing the laws...They demanded far more than legal recognition. They demanded that American society embrace homosexuality as a normal sexual experience and view same-sex relationships on par with heterosexual marriage. [Emphasis Mine]

Mohler goes on to recount how homosexuals worked to change public opinion concerning sodomy through what essentially amounts to a massive PR campaign. They did not seek to change laws. Instead they sought to change the minds of professors, movie stars, journalists, psychiatrists, psychologists, students, pastors, and judges. One good example of how drastic this change has been is that in the 1970s same-sex attraction was a form of mental illness. We have now arrived at a place where those who believe same-sex attraction is wrong are mentally ill. In almost any field, from sociology to medicine, from movies to law, from clothing to churches, the gay revolution has been successful. Sodomy has been normalized. To speak against it is to speak against the cultural norm. Most of this happened without the help of the courts. Here is Mohler's summary of the connection between culture and the courts for the gay agenda:

At every point along the way, the approach was to use the courts as a means to extend the cultural gains already occurring in the larger society. 

The reason the gay agenda worked was because culture, or perhaps more clearly, society, changed first, then the laws followed giving a stamp of moral approval to the cultural changes.

I am not opposed to changing laws. The Christian witness must extend to the courts and legislative bodies around the country. We should be speaking prophetically to law makers, judges, and politicians. We should also be raising up Christian men who will work in these places to bring about better laws. But sweeping changes, such as the gay movement has seen over the last fifty years, does not come primarily through courts or laws. It comes from changing the minds of people "on the ground" if you will. How can the church do this? I will address that in a later post.

Calvin's Reason for the Reformation: Worship

Sunday is Reformation Sunday and also All Saints Day.  Throughout this week I will be posting quotes from various reformers in honor of the day.

The Reformation was one of the great events in Western history. It began long before Luther and Calvin with men like Huss and Wycliffe. But it culminated in a large group of Christians leaving the Roman Catholic church because it had left the teaching of Scripture. It is always good to go back to primary sources and get their reasons for doing what they did. What led these men to break with Roman Catholic church?

Calvin in his excellent book The Necessity of Reforming the Church, lists two main reasons for the why the reformation was necessary:

If it be inquired, then, by what things chiefly the Christian religion has a standing existence among us, and maintains it truth, it will be found that the following two not only occupy the principal place, but comprehend under them all the other parts and consequently the whole substance of Christianity: that is, a knowledge, first, of the mode in which God is duly worshiped; and secondly, of the source from which salvation is to be obtained. When these are kept out of view, though we may glory in the name of Christians, our profession is empty and vain. 

At the center of the Christian faith is proper worship of God and proper understanding of justification by faith in Christ alone. Calvin felt reformation was necessary because these two foundations of the faith had been compromised.

Council of Trent

Calvin then goes on to briefly explain how these two areas have been corrupted by the church (Roman Catholics). Regarding worship he touches on public prayers, which he says are "stained with numberless impurities," adoration of and praying to the saints, numerous rites and ceremonies not found in Scripture, and people who "devote their whole attention to abstinences, vigils, and other things, which Paul terms 'beggarly elements' of the world."

He ends with this:

Having observed that the word of God is the test which discriminates between true worship and that which is false and vitiated, we thence readily infer that the whole form of divine worship in general use in the present day is nothing but mere corruption. For men pay no regard to what God has commanded or to what he approves, in order that they  may serve him in a becoming manner, but assume to themselves a license of devising modes of worship, and afterwards obtruding [imposing] them upon him as a substitute for obedience. 

If in what I say I seem to exaggerate, let an examination be made of all the acts by which the generality suppose that they worship God. I dare scarcely except a tenth part as not the random offspring of their own brain...God rejects, condemns, abominates all fictitious worship, and employs his word as a bridle to keep us in unqualified obedience. When shaking off this yoke, we wander after our own fictions, and offer to him a worship, the work of human rashness, how much soever it may delight ourselves, in his sight it is vain trifling, nay, vileness and pollution. The advocates of human traditions paint them in fair and gaudy colors; and Paul certainly admits that they carry with them a show of wisdom; but God values obedience more than all sacrifices, it ought to be sufficient for the rejection of any mode of worship, that it is not sanctioned by the command of God. 

For Calvin the first reason for the Reformation was that God's people had drifted far from the true worship of God as prescribed in the Scriptures.

Later we will look at the other reason Calvin gives for the Reformation: the obscuring of salvation through Christ alone.

Confessions on the Trinity

Tomorrow is Trinity Sunday. I will preaching on the Trinity. Here are the main confessions and their sections on the Trinity. 

Belgic Confession (Continental Reformed)
Article 8: The Trinity

In keeping with this truth and Word of God we believe in one God, who is one single essence, in whom there are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties-- namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause, origin, and source of all things, visible as well as invisible.  The Son is the Word, the Wisdom, and the image of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might, proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, this distinction does not divide God into three, since Scripture teaches us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each has his own subsistence distinguished by characteristics-- yet in such a way that these three persons are only one God.  It is evident then that the Father is not the Son and that the Son is not the Father, and that likewise the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son.  Nevertheless, these persons, thus distinct, are neither divided nor fused or mixed together.  For the Father did not take on flesh, nor did the Spirit, but only the Son.  The Father was never without his Son, nor without his Holy Spirit, since all these are equal from eternity, in one and the same essence.  There is neither a first nor a last, for all three are one in truth and power, in goodness and mercy.

Thirty Nine Articles (Anglican)
Article I: Of faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Augsburg Confession (Lutheran)
Article I: Of God

Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the term "person" they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.

They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other Evil- also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such. They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that "Word" signifies a spoken word, and "Spirit" signifies motion created in things.

Westminster Confession of Faith (English Reformed)
Article II:Of God and the Holy Trinity 

1. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal, most just, and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.

2. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth. In his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent, or uncertain. He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased to require of them.

3. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Right Worship and Faithful Children

What should our priorities be as we try to raise faithful children? Family worship? Christian education?  Our example? Praying for them? Spanking?

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism says this about the 2nd Commandment

Q50: What is required in the Second Commandment? 

A50: The Second Commandment requires the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in His Word.

Here is the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q: 96. What does God require in the second commandment?

A: That we in no wise represent God by images, nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his word.

Here is a quote from Calvin's Catechism on the same commandment: 

149. Now to what end shall we refer this commandment?

With the first commandment, God declared that He alone, and no one beside Him, should be worshiped: so now He shows us the correct form of worship, in order that He may draw us away from all superstitions, and carnal ceremonies. 

The second commandment is not just about building golden calves. It is about the right worship of God. But what is the promise attached to this commandment? We often separate  "visiting the iniquity of the fathers..." from the 2nd commandment. While the curse in verse 5 and the blessing in 6 apply to all the commandments, we must not forget the immediate context. Here is my own paraphrase based on context:

I am a jealous God, therefore I will not give my glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). I must be worshiped as I have commanded. Fathers who refuse to worship me rightly will find that I curse their children. But fathers who worship me rightly will find I bless their children to a thousand generations.  

There are many questions that follow these verses. However, I want to focus on one fact; when fathers worship God according to his Word their children are blessed by the Lord. There are long books written on what God requires in worship. I can only briefly touch on what that means here. All that I list below is not equally serious nor does failure in one area make a church not a church or a person not a Christian. Everything below is not a direct violation of the 2nd Commandment. However, over time failure in these areas can have significant impact on a child's faith.

Right worship requires weekly gathering with the saints. Worshiping at home or by video is usually a mistake. This also means that if our children are going to learn to worship rightly then they should be in worship. Leaving them out of worship is not a grievous sin, but it is hard to see how children will mature in worship if they are in a separate room.

Right worship requires living in community outside of worship. Showing up for one hour on Sunday and then not seeing a fellow church member for seven days will leave you anemic.

Right worship requires confession of sin and pleading the shed blood of Christ to cover our sins. If worship is primarily about moral improvement then it cannot rightly be called worship. If worship requires something more than the shed blood of Christ to forgive sins then it is not true worship. We do not have to confess our sins every worship service. But it must be clear that the only reason we can worship God the Father is because we have repented of our sins by the power of the Spirit and rest upon Christ's sacrifice and his sacrifice alone to cleanse us.

Right worship requires the giving of tithes and offerings. If we do not give on Sundays then we are probably not giving Monday through Saturday.

Right worship requires congregational singing, which should include singing the Psalms.

Right worship requires the faithful preaching of God's Word.  Faithful preaching means that God's Word is considered the only infallible and authoritative source of faith and practice. The magisterium, the celebrity pastor, the legalistic traditions of the elders, and the local pastor's good ideas will not suffice. Also the pastor must be competent to unfold the meaning of God's Word and to apply that meaning to his congregation.

Right worship requires faithful men to lead in worship and in preaching. There are two components to this. They must be faithful in life and doctrine. Second, they must be men.

Right worship requires that there be no images set up that Christians pray to.

Right worship requires prayer. These prayers must be offered to God through the blood of Christ by the power of the Spirit and not to anyone else.

Right worship requires a joyful awe when we enter his presence. Sloppy worship that downplays the serious joy of entering God's throne room weakens the church. It might be true worship, but it is not strong worship.  Parents, we need to model and teach a Biblical view of worship. That means joy mingled with fear as we enter God's house.

Right worship requires the proper administration of the sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper. There is much I could say here, but I will postpone that for another blog post.

Right worship requires regenerate hearts.  Having all your body parts does not make you alive. You must be breathing. A church with all the right pieces can still be dead.  A man who takes his family to a church with all the right pieces can still be dead. We must have the Holy Spirit.

Do we want faithful children? Do we want children who are blessed by Father, Son, and Spirit? Do we want children who love God and love their neighbor? Do we want children who love the Scriptures and love God's people? Then there may be nothing more important than attending a church where the Lord is worshiped with reverence and awe. No church is perfect. We all have blind spots and flaws. But that does not mean all churches are equal. If the preaching is weak, the pastor is unfaithful, women lead, legalistic traditions trump Scripture, prayers are offered to Mary, sermons are moral improvement lessons, the Lord's Supper is absent, images are set up, or it is hard to tell the difference between your worship service and a movie then you may want to move on. 

Give Me a Fire and a Hammer: The Scriptures in Worship

"Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jer. 23:29)

One of the weaknesses in modern worship is the inadequate treatment of Scripture in the worship service. Despite Protestants paying lip service to the Bible and talking about the Bible the role the Scriptures have in worship is surprisingly minimal. We are like the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:29-30. We decorate the Bible, write papers about it, extol it over other books, but don't read it or obey it. This neglect is seen in our worship services, which are largely void of Scripture, except for the sermon text. For all the faults of our fathers in the faith, they made sure the service was filled with the Bible. Almost all churches read at least one section from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament every week. Many read three or four sections, depending upon the church tradition. The Westminster Directory for Public Worship suggests a chapter from the Old and from the New Testament every week with a Psalm as well.

Besides reading of the Scriptures, there were two other ways the Bible permeated the worship services of our ancestors. First, the psalms were sung. In this way the church was memorizing key parts of Scripture. Second, the prayers from the pulpit were filled with Scripture. So even when the congregants were listening to the prayers, they were hearing God's Word.

At Christ Church we try to fill our service with God's Word. We have two Scripture readings, one section from the Old Testament and one section from the New Testament. It would be great to add more, but for now that is sufficient. Besides this we also sing psalms. Many of these we have memorized. The elders fill their prayers with Scriptures, praying God's Word back to him and teaching God's people in the meantime. There are numerous other places where Scripture is read as well. We have a call to worship that is Scripture. We have a call to confession, which is Scripture. We have a promise of forgiveness following the confession of our sins, which is taken from Scripture. Finally, we have a commission and benediction at the end of the service that is also Scripture. Here is how the Scriptures were used this past Sunday.

Call to Worship: Psalm 149
Call to Confession: Romans 6:12-14
Response to Call to Confession: Psalm 32:5
Confession of Sin: Adapted from Daniel 9
Promise of Forgiveness: Romans 6:20-23
Old Testament Reading: I Chronicles 17:1-15
New Testament Reading: Luke 1:26-33
Commission: Isaiah 49:6
Benediction: Psalm 115:14-15
We also sang Psalm 1.

Identifying Your Idols

Christians talk of idols a lot.  Counseling books discuss "idols of heart." Pastors, such as myself, preach on idols from the pulpit. Our favorite reformer, John Calvin, said that our heart is an idol factory.  But idols are not easy to identify in our culture. We have them, but they are not like idols of old, made of gold, sitting on a special table at home or in the temple for us to worship. So how do we know something is an idol in our lives? When do we know we have started worshiping the gift instead of the Giver? Here are two indicators that something or someone has become an idol for us.

First, an idol is something we find an ungodly satisfaction in. Losing it creates an inordinate amount of discouragement. Like the idols of old we look to these things for joy, delight, pleasure, and satisfaction. We feel like we cannot do without them. We are loyal to these things or people to a fault. We live for them instead of seeing them as gifts.

These idols can be almost anything. Our children are often idols. Even phases our go through can be idols. We love them as babies, but as awkward teenagers, not so much. Our spouses can become idols.  Physical abilities, such as walking, hearing, strength can be idols. Money is the great idol of our age. Both the frugal and the wasteful often worship at the same altar. Our reputation can also be an idol. When people think well of us we are happy. If not we are devastated. And of course, there is sex, power, theology, jobs, science, the future, the past, etc. Many of these are good things, which we are supposed find enjoyment in. But they can slowly eclipse our love for God and trust in him.

One way to examine your heart for idols is to ask how you react when God removes it from you. When you are sick for a few days, your car breaks down, or someone slanders your reputation do you become moody, discouraged, irritable?? What about when your child goes through a difficult stage or you lose a job you love or your spouse isn't quite as exciting as she used to be?  Do you justify your sins, such as anger, apathy, bitterness, and laziness, because the Lord took something from you?

On the flip side, what are your greatest joys in life? What do you live for? Do you hunger for righteousness like you hunger for the latest Netflix show? Do you look forward to worship like you look forward to that football game? Do you look forward loving your kids behind closed doors as much as showing them off in public? Do you long to listen as much as you long to speak? Do you praise others as much as you want praise?

If we find ungodly satisfaction in something then we will feel an ungodly pain when it is lost. There is a godly pain, especially when something dear to us is lost. But that pain should be handled with faith and not despair. If the loss of something or someone sends you spiraling or causes you to excuse your sin then that thing or person is an idol.

We all have these idols. Part of our job as Christians is to continue to kill idols and seek our satisfaction in Christ alone. We will only find satisfaction in Christ. He is the one who can truly fill us. If we expect anyone or anything else to do that then we have created an idol.

Second, if you finish this sentence "I am holy because of..." with something other than Jesus then you might have an idol problem. I am holy because I home school or attend a liturgical worship service or eat healthy or read my Bible every day or pray or practice paedocommunion or work hard or send my kids to classical school or pray a lot or was a virgin when I got married or am more theological than other people or am not legalistic or my children are obedient or...[fill in the blank]. We would not say it out loud, but often we believe we are holy because of what we do instead of being in Christ.

Of course, many of these are good things. We should grow in holiness becoming more like Jesus. But that is the danger. We don't make idols out of worthless things. We make idols out of good things. We turn gifts, not trash, into idols.  But none of these make you holy. What makes you holy is Jesus. If you believe you are holy because of something besides Jesus then that something has become your god, the one who makes you righteous and takes away your sins.

We must believe in our bones that only Jesus makes us holy. We are clean because of Him. Nothing we do can wash away our stains. No act of obedience can atone for our sins. We cannot pull ourselves out of the hole Adam dug for us. Any growth in holiness is a gift from God given through the Spirit because of the work of Jesus Christ. To quote Paul, "What do you have that you did not receive?" (I  Cor. 4:7)

Satisfaction and holiness; two things that only Jesus can give. If you expect these from something or someone else then you are worshiping an idol. And idols always disappoint.

Song Notes: February 1st, 2015

Brothers and Sisters, here are the four songs we will be singing in worship on Sunday, along with a brief note about each one.

Entrance Hymn: Psalm 29, p. 52-53
God's word is powerful. When we hear this we think of God's written word, which is all we have access to. But this Psalm celebrates God's spoken word.  In the version we use stanzas, 2, 3, 4, and 5 all begin with "the voice of Jehovah" or the "voice of the Lord." In addition to this God's voice is mentioned in last line of the 2nd stanza and the 3rd line of the 4th stanza. Lining all these up gives quite an impression:

-The voice of Jehovah resounds on the waters
-The Lord's voice in splendor the Lord's voice in might
-The voice of Jehovah is breaking the cedars
-The voice of Jehovah divides flames of lightning
-The voice of the Lord makes the wilderness tremble
-The voice of the Lord makes the deer twist in labor

The overall impression is an OT precursor to Hebrews 1:3 where we are told that Jesus upholds all things by the word of power. The universe runs on the Word of God. He tells all things when to be born, what to do, where to go, and when to die. He tells the seas when to overflow their banks and when they have gone too far. He tells the animals to give birth. He tears down. He builds up. The Psalm emphasizes God's power over the world and all the natural forces in it. King David ends by reminding us that God sat on his throne even during the Flood. Psalm 29:10 is only use of this word outside of Genesis 6-11.

So what should be our response to God's voice governing all things, even something as mighty and terrible as the Flood? We are to give him glory. In verses 1-2 the "mighty ones" are called upon to give God glory. In verse 9, all who are in temple declare "glory." And so too must we. As we consider God's greatness and power we are to offer him praise and glory.

Hymn of Thanksgiving: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, p. 267
This is one of classic hymns from the pen of Isaac Watts. For over 300 years men have sung it. The truths it contains are just as glorious as they were in 1707.  There are two key themes in this hymn.

First, when we survey, that is look at, the cross we are humbled. The longer we stare at Christ, the deeper we look into his work on the cross, the more we consider how unworthy we are of his sacrifice, the more we ponder how little we have to offer, the more humble become. We stop boasting in ourselves and we start boasting in Christ. We "pour contempt" on all our pride.

Second, because of God's great love for us seen in the cross, we abandon all to follow Christ. Watts casts aside "all the vain things" to follow Christ. He ends the hymn by saying that Christ's great sacrifice "demands my soul, my life, my all."  When we look at Christ and His work we do not become lazy in our spiritual walk. The cross is the fire which keeps us pushing forward. If you find that your walk with Christ is lacking zeal maybe you need to go back to the basics. Read something or better yet sing something about Christ's amazing love.

Worship Song #1: Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word, p. 368
Unlike our previous song, most Christians have never heard of this hymn by Martin Luther. That is a shame. It is a rich prayer offered to Father, Son, and Spirit to defend and keep the Church.

Typical of Luther it is a battle hymn. In the first verse he says that forces of darkness want to destroy us by "craft and sword," "wrest the kingdom" from Christ, and "set at naught all he has done." Luther understood the forces that are arrayed against the Church. He knew there were spiritual forces working through physical forces to undermine, deceive, sidetrack, and ultimately destroy God's people. What was his answer to all this? Prayer and the word. He prays that God would help us stay tethered to God's Word.  He prays that Christ would make his power known. He prays that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would send peace and unity and give us strength as we prepare to die. We are no different from Luther. We are beset on every side by principalities and powers. There are men who want to tear the Church down stone by stone. When we take this prayer of Luther upon our lips we asking Christ to keep His Word, that the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.

Worship Song #2: Psalm 1-Bless Now the Man Who Does Not Walk, p. 2
Our final song is one that we know and love. Psalm 1 stands like a gatekeeper as we prepare to enter the sacred ground of the Psalter. It is a wisdom Psalm that explains the path of blessing and the path of destruction.

According to Psalm 1, there are two things the man who wants to be blessed will do. First, he will avoid entering into fellowship with wicked men. He does not listen their counsel. He does not walk in their ways. He does not spend hours in their company. Second, instead of drinking from the well of wicked men, he drinks from the well of God's law. God's law brings him joy and delight. He thinks about God's Word constantly. He considers how his life should change based on God's Word. He does not listen to the world and its counsel. But instead he patiently and thoughtfully allows God's Word to shape his thoughts, words, and deeds. A man who does this will be well-watered. His tree will be strong and mighty. He will bear fruit in God's time. He is blessed by the Lord in all that he does.

The question this Psalm puts before us is, "Who is influencing us more: the men of this world or Word of God?" Do we want God's blessing, but do not want to cut off love of the world? Do we try to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the Word?

What I Pray Before the Bread and Wine

We do weekly communion, which means that there are two prayers that I come up with each week: one before the bread and one before the wine. When I began preaching and leading worship I decided to structure these communion prayers a particular way. Here is how I do it. Before the bread I use a portion of the Old Testament to structure my prayer. Before the wine, I use a corresponding portion of the New Testament. From Advent through 1st Sunday of Trinity these prayers follow the church year. For example during Advent, I use Daniel, John the Baptist, Isaiah, and Revelation (2nd Advent). When the Trinity/Pentecost season begins I start with creation and work through Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah, as well as some others. These prayers are the same every year, though I would like to eventually have a two year set. Here are my prayers for the 2nd Sunday of Trinity.

Bread: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it truly, right and good and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give You thanks and magnify Your Holy Name, therefore with the Angels, the Archangels and all the company of heaven we praise You saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. 

We praise you Father for the world you have made. For the sun, moon and stars which declare your glory. For the winged creatures that soar in the sky.  For the beasts that run upon the ground. For all the creeping things that crawl on the ground and for the fish that swarm the sea. For all these we give you thanks and praise. We know that you have placed these things under our feet that we might use them to your glory.  As we eat this bread strengthen us in Christ that we might go forth and take dominion.  In the name of Christ we pray. Amen!

Wine: O Lord you are worthy of all blessing and honor for you sent your only begotten Son into the world to deliver your people from sin and the Devil. We praise you Almighty God that you did not leave this world to be ravaged by Satan, but instead reconciled us to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Indeed we are new creations in Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new. O Lord as we drink nourish us upon Christ. Help us to be separate from the unbelieving world that we might truly be your sons and daughters. For the sake of Christ and His Kingdom. Amen!

Here are my prayers for Ascension Sunday:

Bread: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it truly, right and good and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give You thanks and magnify Your Holy Name, therefore with the Angels, the Archangels and all the company of heaven we praise You saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. 

Everlasting Father, we praise you for King David for when the uncircumcised Philistine stood up and defied the armies of the Living God, he gather his courage and the stone sank in the giant’s head and David cut off his head with his own sword. We praise you that as you delivered David from the bear and the lion so you delivered him from the giant. For the battle belongs to You O Lord.. We praise you that the one who born of David is the true King. We praise you that his body was broken that Satan’s head might be crushed. We ask now that you would grant us strength as we eat  to fight as David fought. Go before us O Lord as you went before David and scatter your enemies before our faces and that all the kingdoms of the earth might belong to Christ. In His Name we ask all this Amen!

Wine: O Lord you are worthy of all blessing and honor for you sent your Son that he might be our great high priest. He ascended on high where he makes intercession for us.  He promised that we would receive the Holy Spirit and that we would be his messengers to the ends of the earth. We also praise you that one day he will return just as left. As we drink the wine this morning grant us grace through Christ’s shed blood that we may be faithful witnesses to Him and that we might look with joy to the day when our Lord will return on the clouds of heaven. We pray this for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom Amen! 

Here are the prayers for this coming Sunday, the 1st Sunday of Christmas

Bread: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, it truly, right and good and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give You thanks and magnify Your Holy Name, therefore with the Angels, the Archangels and all the company of heaven we praise You saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. 

We praise You for the prophet Isaiah, he saw the glories of the coming Messiah. He knew the virgin would bear a Child and the government would be upon His shoulders and He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and of His Kingdom there would be no end. We are grateful he preached of the great comfort the Messiah would bring by bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows. We pray now as we eat that You would feed us upon this glorious Christ that Isaiah saw and fill our mouths with praise for the work He has done. Amen!

Wine: Blessed are You Lord God for no one can restrain Your hand. Herod the King sought to slay Your Son. Yet you thwarted Him by sending dreams to the wise men and to Joseph. Your Son was then protected in the land where Israel was once in bondage, Egypt. Lord we, like Christ, are plagued on every side by rulers that hate and seek in every way to destroy Your Kingdom. We pray that you would nourish us as we drink and protect us from all our enemies that might live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence. Amen!

The prayers are not perfect. I revise them on a regular basis. Some of them sound too "high" and not like a normal prayer. Some are too long or the sentence structure is awkward. One of the most common revisions is shortening the prayer or shortening sentences within the prayer. There is still work to be done. Having prayed them for several years now, I rarely read them. I often use them as a guide to lead our people to the Lord's Supper. Sometimes I ignore these prayers all together and pray something else the Lord has laid on my heart. Using these prayers for many years has made me more confident in praying off script. 

I am not sure where I came up with idea, but it has worked well for me. We pray through the all the major portions of Scripture as we work through the year. It also forces me to connect the Old Testament with both the Lord's Supper and the New Testament. It also helps me pray through the church year. My private prayer life includes more Scripture due to writing out these prayers.

Song Notes: November 23rd, 2014

Brothers and Sisters, here are the songs we will be singing this coming Lord's Day. Just a reminder we sing four songs outside of our service music (Doxology, etc.) and the Lord's Supper.

I have included links to various people singing the hymns. Sorry about the icon on the first link.

Entrance Hymn: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, p. 241
The same event can call us to different responses. Christmas is one of those events. Christmas is about joy. There should be presents and trees and parties and gifts. There should many good things that we do at this time of year just to remind us that Christ came to save. There should be celebrations and joy that reflect the wonder and delight of the season.

But Christmas also provokes silence as we stand amazed at the mystery of a God who would descend to dwell with us. And not just dwell with us, but come to die and deliver us. Our entrance hymn this week provokes this second mood. It tells us to be silent and stand with fear. It also reminds us that Christ came to bless us. It is hard to imagine that just a few years ago I did not even know this song. Now it has become part of my Christmas memory.

There are so many great truths in this hymn, but my favorite line is "As the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day/that the powers of hell may vanish, As the darkness clears away." Christmas is not about defeat. Christmas is about victory.  Christ came to destroy death, sin, and the devil. Here is why celebration is not just a good thing to do at Christmas. It is absolutely necessary. Without joy and celebration Christmas has been emptied of its meaning. So despite its somber tone the hymn still leads us to rejoicing.

Hymn of Thanksgiving: O Sacred Head Now Wounded, p. 263
The song we sing after the confession of sin can go two directions. It can look forward to a Christian life that has been cleansed of sin focusing on joyful obedience. Or the song can look back to the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross so our sins could be taken away. This old, famous hymn does the second. The tone is somber, but fitting as we think about Christ's death. This hymn reminds us of the horrors of Christ's sacrifice. He was holy, yet God laid on him the iniquity of us all. That sacred head worn no crown of gold, but a crown of thorns as he was crucified.

The line that I enjoy the most is "Mine, mine was the transgression/but thine the deadly pain. Lo here I fall my Savior/Tis I deserve thy place."  There is a wonderful truth expressed in these lines. We deserved the cross, but Christ was our substitute.

This hymn ends where all our meditations on the cross should end; thanksgiving. "What language shall I borrow to thank Thee dearest Friend." The cross is not simply something to study. It is something to glory in and give thanks for. The song also reminds us that Christmas was just the beginning. Should we think about the cross during Christmas season? Yes, a hundred yeses.  The manger was just the one chapter in the story of our great salvation. A story that goes through the cross, but does not end there.

Worship Song #1: Be Thou My Vision, p. 342
Be Thou My Vision call us to wholehearted devotion to God. The author wants God to consume his vision, his thoughts. He wants the Lord to be everything to him. For this man the presence of God is valued above all else. Much like King David, he knows that God with us trumps everything else (Psalm 84:4, 10). The author also realizes that money can draw us away from the Lord. Riches can slowly sap our desire for God. So he prays that he will not give heed to riches. The praise of man can also cause us to abandon God. Our longing for flattery can replace our longing for the Lord. The author asks the Lord to keep him from giving heed to man's empty praises.

In the last verse there is a hint at what else can draw us away from God. The author says "whatever befall, still be my vision."  To paraphrase: No matter what happens good or bad, painful or comforting, pleasant or sad, help me to cling to you Lord. This world is filled with things, experiences, people, that would draw us away from our Lord. But the greatest danger lies within us. Our hearts are prone to wander. If God is our vision then the allure of the world and all its treasures will diminish.

This is a great hymn. But it is also a prayer. Perhaps here is the greatest truth of this hymn. If we want God to be our vision, our treasure, our Father, then we need to cry out to him for aid. Our own efforts, unless they are supported by His Spirit, will fail.

Worship Song #2: Psalm 119 (Before Thee Let My Cry Come Near), p. 158
We love singing this Psalm. It is a delight to sing and hear the different parts. This Lord's Day we sing this just before I preach. It is a perfect hymn for this slot. As I am sure you know Psalm 119 is all about God's Word. The Holy Spirit decided that the longest chapter in Scripture would be devoted to the many glories of God's Word.  Singing this Psalm before we settle in to hear the Word is a perfect combination of three key elements in worship; singing, the Word, and prayer. We sing a prayer about God's Word. It is tough to beat that.

The Psalm uses several different words to describe the Scriptures. Here they are in the order they appear:Word, Promise, Statutes, Word, Commands, Precepts, Holy Law, Ordinances, and Commands.

A tone of joy over God's word pervades the Psalm. Since God teaches David his word, he sings God's praises (vs. 2). David goes on to make sure his tongue is singing the praises of God's word (vs. 2). He rejoices in God's holy law (vs. 3). When God's ordinances help him he praises the Lord (vs. 4). There is no more striking aspect of Psalm 119 than the delight David has in God's Word. We might study God's Word, talk about God's Word, debate about God's Word, but I think most of would be embarrassed by David's kid like joy in God's Word, including the Old Testament law.

Finally, the last two lines remind us that God's Word brings us back when we have strayed. I had a friend once who was having doubts about the Christian faith. He was reading philosophers, theologians, blogs, magazines, and sermons all trying to get a grasp on what was true. I told him, why not read the Bible.  A man who refuses to search the Scriptures to see his own sins is a man who is not truly interested in returning to God. Psalm 119 is personal. The personal pronoun "I" is used over 100 times in the Psalm. For David the Scriptures are for him. They encourage him, teach him, draw him to God, and rebuke him. Do you read for you? Or do you read for others?

Bonus Song: Psalm 98 (O Sing a New Song to the Lord). We are not singing this, but it is still wonderful to listen to.

A Call to Battle

Deuteronomy 31:6 "He will never leave you nor forsake you."
Joshua 1:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
I Chronicles 28:20 "He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

What is interesting about these quotes is that they come all come at a time of great transition in the Israel's history. In the first two, Israel has been wandering in the wilderness and is now coming to the edge of the promise land. Moses promises the people that God will not leave them. Then God himself promises Joshua that he will not leave them.

In I Chronicles David is passing the torch to Solomon. He reminds Solomon that God will not abandon him, especially as he seeks to build the Temple.

Finally, in Hebrews the shadows are passing away. The Temple, the sacrifices, the priesthood are all about to be gone. For the readers of Hebrews there is a great temptation to go back to the shadows and abandon Christ. The writer of Hebrews is urging his readers to not shrink back. Why? God will be with them.

These quotes are not there to put on a poster with a sunset so that we might have warm and fuzzy feelings in our hearts. These verses are there to remind us to press forward. To keep conquering those who oppose the Kingdom as Joshua did. To keep building the house of God as Solomon did. To toss off everything that would keep us from pressing forward to Christ, as the writer of Hebrews urged his readers. These verses are not a sentimental call to ponder God's presence. These verses are a call to battle, a battle we are assured to win because the King of Kings is with us.

Good Friday Service

This Friday at 5:30 pm Christ Church of Morgantown will be having their annual Good Friday Service. It will be located here, at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Morgantown. We read through the Old Testament promises of Christ's coming, as well as the crucifixion account. We also sing many of the best known passion hymns such as "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted" and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."  All told it runs about 30 minutes. Afterwards we will have meal of soup and chili.  If you do not have anywhere to go on Good Friday consider attending our service. It is a wonderful reminder each year of Christ's work upon the cross.

The Session of Christ Church also encourages fasting on that day. You can do it any variety of ways. My family usually eats bread and water for a couple of meals. You can skip a whole meal or a couple of meals. If you are pregnant or nursing you may want to forgo fasting. We also encourage you to spend the time you would normally be eating or preparing food in extra prayer.

From Sabbath to Lord's Day: Part III~The Sabbath in the New Testament

         

As we saw earlier, the Old Testament Sabbath was a sign. We saw that many of the Old Testaments signs were transformed in the New Testament. Is this the case with Sabbath? Or does the New Testament teach that we are to celebrate the Sabbath exactly as it is in the Old Covenant? We will look at two passages to help us understand this, Hebrews 4 and Colossians 2:16.

             In Hebrews 4 the author is comparing the present generation of Christians with the generation that refused to enter the Promise land. Throughout the passage, we are told to not be like the Israelites who did not believe and did not obey (See 3:19 and 4:6).  Instead we are to exercise our faith and enter into the promised rest. The word for “rest” in Hebrews 4:9 is sabbitismos, which means “keeping the Sabbath.”  4:9 can be translated, “There is still a Sabbath-keeping for the people of God.” At first glance, this might appear to be a good case for the continuation of the Sabbath in the New Covenant. However, this passage has nothing to do with worshiping on a specific day or keeping the Old Testament Sabbath regulations. It has to do with faith in Christ. We are told to enter “his rest.” (4:1). Who are the ones who enter the rest? Those who have believed. (4:3) What day is the day to enter God’s rest?  Today. (4:6-7) What happens to those who enter that rest?  They come boldly to the throne of grace. (4:11-16) So here we have the Old Testament Sabbath fulfilled in those who believe upon Christ, rest from their works and obey his commands.  This passage does not teach that we should continue observing the Old Testament Sabbath. In fact, it points us to the reality that the Sabbath was but a shadow of, Jesus Christ.

            Colossians 2:16-17 also shows that the Old Testament Sabbath has been transformed by Christ.  Here are those verses: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

            The phrase, “festival, new moon or Sabbaths” was a common way of referring to the various Jewish holy days. The exact same phrase is used in Ezekiel 45:17 and Hosea 2:11.  They go in descending order from yearly celebrations (festivals) to monthly celebrations (new moon) to weekly celebrations (Sabbaths).  

            Paul says two important things about these holy days. First, no one should be judged as to whether they keep or observe these days. Observance of these holy days is no longer required.  Second, these days belong to the shadow, the Old Covenant ways, which have been fulfilled in Christ.  The shadows are gone. The reality is here.  That is why we no longer celebrate the feast days from the Old Testament. These days can teach us about Christ and his work. But they have been transformed by Christ. Our feast days, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost and Ascension Day revolve around Christ and his work and are not mandatory.  There are obvious parallels with the Old Testament feasts, but we do not celebrate the shadows. We celebrate the reality. 

            Both Hebrews 4 and Colossians 2:16-17 teach that the Old Testament Sabbath has been fulfilled and transformed with coming of Christ.  So from the teaching in the Old Testament and the New Testament we see that the Sabbath was a sign. Like other signs, the outward form (Saturday) was done away with, but the central meaning of rest was not lost.

Lack of Sabbath Observance in the New Testament

            I wanted to add one more point.  This point by itself is not strong.  But when combined with the previous sections it provides additional weight to the idea that the Old Covenant Sabbath has been transformed.

            Despite the great theological weight the Old Testament places on the Sabbath, observance of the Old Testament Sabbath is insignificant for Christians in the New Testament. Following the resurrection of Christ, there is no reference to Christians observing the Sabbath. There are no commands to keep the Sabbath. Paul has numerous lists of sins (See Ephesians 4:17-32, I Timothy 1:8-11, II Timothy 3:1-5).  Sabbath breaking is never mentioned. The Sabbath simply evaporates from the Christian record, except as a day to evangelize the Jews. (See Acts 13:14, 16:13 and 18:4) It is hard to explain this other than that the New Testament Christians knew that the Resurrection of Christ changed the day of worship. 

From Sabbath to Lord's Day: Part I~Jesus Rose on Sunday

I often get the question, "Why do we worship on Sunday instead of Saturday?" Given the high view of the Sabbath in the Old Testament, one can see why people worry. The Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. You were punished for breaking it. So why all of the sudden it seems have we switched to Sunday? Was it some conspiracy by the early church? Was it a compromise with the ancient pagan religions? In a series of blog posts where I am going to try to map out why we worship on Sunday instead of Saturday. There are numerous questions that I need to be asked and answered as we study this topic. But my first post is pretty simple. I want to show that Jesus rose on Sunday and that the NT saints worshiped on Sunday. This may seem like an odd place to start. Why not start with the Sabbath itself? We will get into the Sabbath more in some subsequent blog posts. But most Christians understand the Old Testament teaching on the Sabbath. The bigger question is how did we get to where Sunday was the accepted day of worship.

            The Bible does not give a specific passage showing the transition from Saturday to Sunday as the day of worship. However, several verses show why this transition was made in the New Testament. The primary evidence is that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday thus marking a new age in God's covenant working with his people.  Here are the verses that show this:

Matthew 28:1

            Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mark 16:1-2

             Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

Luke 23:56-24:1

            Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.

John 20:1

            Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

            The phrase translated “the first day of the week,” in the Greek means, “The first of (or from) the Sabbaths.”  The Jews did not have names for the days of the week. The only days they named were Saturday, which they called the "Sabbath" and Friday, which they called "Preparation Day."  Because they had no name for the days of the week, they used a number to describe how far a day was from the Sabbath. So Sunday was the first day from the Sabbath, Monday was the second day from the Sabbath and so on.

            It is clear from the passages above, especially Luke 23:56-24:1, that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. The greatest event in the history of the world occurred on a Sunday.

            This same phrase “the first day of the week” is used a couple of other times in the Scriptures.  There is no reason to assume that these three verses are referring to anything other than Sunday. Here are those verses:

John 20:19

            Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you.

Acts 20:7

            Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

I Corinthians 16:2

            On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

            The last two passages show that Sunday was the day the Christians gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Supper (break bread), to hear preaching, and to collect money for the poor. Why meet on Sunday instead of Saturday? Why was Paul telling them to collect money on the first day of the week instead of the last? I think part of the answer is that the Resurrection took place on Sunday, thus marking off that day as unique and special. 

  

Here are two more passages that could indicate that the NT Christians worshiped on Sunday.

Acts 2:1

            When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

           

            Pentecost was fifty days after the Sabbath following Passover.  So it was always on a Sunday.

Revelation 1:10

             I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

            The word “Lord’s” is a rare word, used only two times in the New Testament, here and in I Corinthians 11:20 where it refers to the Lord’s Supper.  It is hard to imagine that John had anything else in mind other than Sunday.  He uses the phrase assuming that his readers know what he means.  The Sabbath is not referred to as the Lord’s Day. It is called the Sabbath.  It is possible that this phrase refers to the Sabbath, but not likely. 

None of this evidence makes a water tight case for the transition from Sabbath to Lord's Day, but it gets us leaning a certain direction. In my next post I will look at the Old Testament teaching on the Sabbath. 

Solomon's Great Prayer and the Declaration of Forgiveness

Israel had been waiting for this day since she came out of Egypt.  (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11) God had promised he would dwell with Israel in a permanent house. Now that day had come. After years of preparation by David followed by years of building by Solomon, the temple was finished. All Israel had been called by her great king to dedicate the temple with prayer and feasting.

Solomon’s prayer in II Chronicles 6:12-42 (see also I Kings 8:22-53) is one of the great prayers in Scripture.  Solomon, the great king, the son of David, kneels down on a bronze platform and raises his hands to heaven (II Chronicles 6:13). He then prays to the Lord. As I read this prayer recently it struck me for the first time what the theme of the prayer was: forgiveness of sins.

Solomon begins by repeating by to the Lord that He is merciful and keeps his promises. (II Chronicles 6:14-17) He then add that the Lord is not confined by human hands to this temple. (6:18) Yet this temple is special and Solomon asks the Lord to remember his people which pray toward this place. (6:19-21) You might think that Solomon wants the Lord to hear their prayers so they can be deliver from their enemies or they can prosper as a nation or any other number of reasons. But Solomon wants the Lord to hear their prayers and forgive them. (II Chronicles 6:21b)  Solomon's great concern is that God would forgive and this concern is woven through the entire prayer:

6:22 If anyone sins…

6:24-25 If your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You and return and confess Your name…hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people.

6:26-27 When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you when they pray toward this place and confess your name, and turn from their sin…forgive the sin of your servants.

6:28-30 When there is famine, blight….when each one spreads out his hands to this temple then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive.

6:32-33 This section is interesting because it does not specifically mention the forgiveness of sins. It is talking about when a Gentile prays to the temple. Solomon asks that God “would hear from heaven and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You.” While forgiveness is not mentioned, it could certainly be implied given the context.

6:36-39 When they sin against You…and repent…forgive your people who have sinned against you.

II Chronicles 7:12-17, which contains some of the most famous verses in the entire Old Testament, is God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer. He promises Solomon that he will forgive the sins of his people. (7:14)

There are several items of note to gather from this prayer and the circumstances surrounding it.

First, the forgiveness of sins was a central concern for Israel. Here is the most important event in the history of Israel outside of the exodus and at the center is forgiveness of sins. Here is one of the greatest king in his greatest moment and forgiveness of sins is central. We often think of the Old Testament as preaching forgiveness, but in a hidden, concealed way.  Solomon’s prayer shatters that idea. They knew they needed forgiveness of sins. They knew only God could provide it. 

Second, the temple was about Israel’s sins being forgiven. There are many things Solomon could have emphasized the day the temple was dedicated.  But his prayer centered on the forgiveness of sins.  For Solomon, the temple existed in large part to be a place of prayer, but a specific kind of prayer, confession.  It was huge building reminding Israel that God was the God who forgives. (Psalm 99:8)

Third, Solomon expected Israel to sin (6:36) and also expected Israel to repent of her sins.  The entire prayer is very Gospel oriented. Israel sins. God disciplines her. She repents. God forgives. The life of every Christian body and every individual Christian is summed up in this prayer.  We run through this cycle week in and week out, often day in and day out.  

Finally, God promises to forgive.  God does not leave Israel wondering.  He tells Solomon in 7:14 that when his people repent and pray he will forgive.  There is no doubt that this promise is behind three other great prayers in the Old Testament, Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9, and Daniel 9.  All of these are confessions of sins.  Isn’t it interesting that four of the greatest prayers in the Old Testament are all about confession and forgiveness?

I want to end with three points.

First, we should be regularly confessing our sins both corporately and privately.  I would hope this was a given, but unfortunately it often is not. When I ask my children to pray after family worship I give them four options: praise, ask for something, pray for someone, or confess a sin. Guess which one never gets taken?  Confessing our sins does not come as naturally as it should. It is easy to talk about confessing our sins. It is much harder to actually confess them. While private confession is often emphasized corporate confession is not. We should be confessing together that we are sinners. 

Second, every church should have a declaration of forgiveness in worship.  Our worship service begins with a call, followed by a time of confessing our sins. When we are done confessing our sins I say, “Almighty God who is rich in mercy has given His only Son to die for us, I therefore declare to you that all of your sins are forgiven in Christ.” Every week my people are reminded that God forgives them. Every week my people are told that they are clean because of Jesus.  We need this every week. We need someone telling us that cross of Christ is still there with mercy for all our sins. The Church, the new temple (I Peter 2:5), is the place where the forgiveness of sins in Christ should be declared regularly and emphatically. (Luke 24:47)

Third, we must believe that God actually does forgive our sins when we repent and confess them. Before we confess our sins in worship our congregation recites I John 1:8-9. Here is that great promise, just like in II Chronicles 7:14, that God can and does forgive. One of Satan’s greatest ploys is to keep bringing up our sins.  We confess them. He sends us a postcard reminding us of how wicked we are. The guilt comes back. I remember as a kid lying in bed confessing sins I had confessed dozens of times before trying to make sure I was “really” forgiven.  Oh, how we need to hear and be reminded that he is faithful and just to forgive all our sins.  Your sins died with Jesus. Let them stay dead.  

Song Notes for November 24, 2013

Here are some brief notes on the songs we will be singing this Lord’s Day at Christ Church. 

Just a reminder we sing four hymns outside of the Lord's Supper: an entrance hymn, one song after the confession of sin, and two songs prior to the sermon. 

Entrance Hymn: Psalm 138 (With All My Heart My Thanks I’ll Bring), p. 182

This is a great song to enter into worship with. First, it has a wonderful tune. The opening song should have some pep to it. This one does.

Second, it is about thanksgiving. The very first line of the song indicates David’s purpose for writing the psalm. He wants to give thanks to God for his truth and grace. Whenever we enter God’s house we should be ready to give him thanks and praise.

Third, there is an emphasis on God’s Word. King David gives praise to God for magnifying his faithful word. Then he declares that all the kings of earth will give thanks and sing when they have heard God’s Word.  Like David we enter into God’s house to hear his word and give thanks to God for the Scriptures.

Finally, David says that God “knoweth” the proud and haughty only from afar.  As we enter worship, humility is needed. We come to bend the knee to God’s Word and His will. The proud are cast down in worship, but the humble repent and grow.

Hymn of Thanksgiving: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, p. 227

Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. During Advent we look back to the time before Christ was born, but we also look forward to the time when he will come again. It is a season of waiting.  This hymn reflects that longing for Christ that was in the heart of every true Israelite before Jesus came and should be in our hearts too as we look for the coming of our Lord.

One cool part of this song is how each verse begins with an Old Testament name of Jesus.

Emmanuel means “God with Us” and is used in Isaiah 7:14 and quoted in Matthew 1:23.

Lord of Might is a paraphrase of one of Isaiah’s favorite names of God “Lord of Hosts.” This phrase is used 50 times in Isaiah. It means Lord of armies and refers to God’s power and might.

Rod of Jesse is found in Isaiah 11:1 in the King James Version where God promises to send a king to rule.

Dayspring means sunrise and probably refers to Jesus as the great coming light, which is mentioned in Isaiah 60:1, 19.

Key of David comes from Isaiah 22:22 where the Lord says he will lay the Key of David on Eliakim who is a type of Christ.  In 22:22 God says he will lay the keys on Eliakim’s shoulder, which points back to Isaiah 9:6 where it is said that the government will be upon Jesus’ shoulder.

The main point of the song is that the coming of Christ brings gladness and joy as all our enemies are put to flight.

Worship Song #1: Psalm 63 (O Lord, My God, Most Earnestly), p. 93

Psalm 63 is a beautiful meditation by King David on his longing for God.  If you look in your Bible you will see that David wrote this psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah fleeing from King Saul.  Two verses sum up David’s love for God and God’s love for David. First, verse 1 declares that apart from God David will die. He will go hungry. He will go thirsty. His flesh will waste away. Second, in verse 3 he says that the lovingkindness of God is better than life to him.  The word in Hebrew is “chesed” or God’s covenant faithfulness or mercy.  God’s love for David is better than breath. He would rather die than be cut off from God’s love.

The tune is a bit melancholy, emphasizing David’s longing for God and his mercy. Notice here that David longs to go into God’s house. While the tabernacle and Temple have been done away with, God’s people should still long to be in God’s presence and worshiping with other saints. God is always with us, as he was with David in the wilderness. However, there is a special presence of God in worship. It is in within his house that we see the “glories of his grace.”

Worship Song #2: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, p. 315

How impoverished our hymn singing would be without Charles Wesley!  Wesley begins this great hymn with praise and then, as usual, fills it with wonderful images of God’s kindness to us in Christ.

My favorite line in the song, and one of the most theologically rich, is the first phrase in verse 4, “He breaks the power of cancelled sin.”  Here, in one short phrase, Wesley speaks of both sanctification (breaking sin’s power) and justification (sin being cancelled).  He reminds us that Jesus forgives, but by His Spirit, he also gives us power to overcome sin.

Wesley also gives us a great picture of salvation when he says that Jesus “speaks and listening to His voice new life the dead receive” (verse 5).   First, Wesley understands that we are dead and need to be raised.  We don’t need more education. We need resurrection.  Second, he understands that Jesus’ voice is what raises us.  Wesley probably has John 10:3 and 16 in view as well as the raising of Lazarus from the dead in John 11:38-44.

Finally, Wesley began his hymn wishing for a thousand tongues to praise God. He ends the hymn with a call to all the redeemed to employ their tongues in praise to God (verse 6).

I encourage you to practice these songs as a family or listen to them online as you prepare to enter God's house.