What does a Gospel focused church service look like?

A little while back I had a conversation with a friend after he had gone to church with me at Grace Presbyterian. It was his view that the Gospel had not been presented during that service. He even stated that most weeks it is not presented, but occasionally it is. This is a very serious accusation. So I had to ask myself, is the Gospel being faithfully proclaimed at Grace?  In my view, and I believe the view of Scripture, it is.

What my friend was looking for was a specific formula to be presented in the sermon every week. It was Fall -> Sin -> Hell -> Repentance -> Salvation -> Eternal Life -> Victory of Sin -> Live Accordingly.

These are all certainly elements of the Gospel. But I'm not so sure it's a simple formula. All of these things are presented clearly each church service. Every element may not be covered every week in the sermon, but I doubt anyone would want to sit through three hour sermons every week. (Read sermons by the Puritans and see if you could sit still for that long.) And in particular, they are not covered in the exact terminology that my friend wanted to hear. But I have no doubt that they are in every church service.

This is one of the strengths of having liturgy in your church service. It takes a lot of the weight off of the sermon. We publicly express adoration for who God is and what He has done through liturgy and the first hymn. We confess corporately and privately of sins. This is followed by a hymn expressing our sinful nature. Then our worship leader reads a passage of Scripture that tells us that we have forgiveness of our sins in Christ. Following this we sing the Doxology.

We then confess positively what we believe, either the Apostle's or Nicene Creed. This captures all of the elements my friend desires to hear except the victory over sin portion. It goes into greater detail concerning the unique person and funtion of each member of the Trinity, however. After this we sing a hymn of thanksgiving.

With all of these things done every week, and explained why we do them, both in the bulletin and by the worship leader or minister, I feel comfortable in saying that regardless of the sermon, the full Gospel message is presented each and every week.

Tomorrow I will provide my thoughts on the Gospel in the sermon.

What is fair?

People always want to talk about what is fair. They aren't getting what they deserve. Someone else got something that they obviously don't deserve. I have been struggling with this over the last week and a half. I know the Biblical teachings on it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

My problem the last few weeks is that I see people that are at different places in life, and I get jealous. They own a house, have kids, are employed by ministries, or some other thing that I want in my life, and I get jealous. Why is it that I cannot have the same things as them? Some of them are not Christians, and yet they enjoys blessings I can only dream of having. It isn't fair!

Praise the Lord life isn't fair!

It is the height of all arrogance to believe that in all of my infinite wisdom, I know more than the Creator and Sustainer of all life. If He has chosen to not give me a particular blessing in this season of my life, who am I to question or argue?

As far as what is truly fair, I shall never wish to receive what I deserve from God! I deserve nothing but eternal punishment. It is only by His abounding mercy and grace that I have a hope in Jesus Christ. Instead I should be grateful for the many graces I have been given in my life, chiefly among them the eternal salvation of my soul.

After spending a week wrestling with this, it was a welcome relief when I saw the title for today's sermon. We covered this very subject. The Holy Spirit spoke the same message through Pastor Kyle has He has been speaking to me all week.

Oh what a wonderful Lord we serve!

Heidelberg Catechism 3 Lord's Day

3. Lord's Day

Question 6. Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

Answer: By no means; but God created man good, (a) and after his own image, (b) in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. (c)

(a) Gen.1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (b) Gen.1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen.1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (c) Col.3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Col.3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Eph.4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Eph.4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 2 Cor.3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Question 7. Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

Answer: From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; (a) hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. (b)

(a) Genesis 3. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Rom.5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Rom.5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (b) Ps.51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Gen.5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Question 8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Answer: Indeed we are; (a) except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. (b)

(a) Gen.8:21 The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Gen.6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job 15:14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Job 15:16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Job 15:35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. Isa.53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (b) John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 1 Cor.12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor.3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Heidelberg Catechism 2 Lord's Day

The First Part - Of The Misery Of Man

2. Lord's Day

Question 3. Whence knowest thou thy misery?

Answer: Out of the law of God. (a)

(a) Rom.3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Question 4. What does the law of God require of us?

Answer: Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (a)

(a) Deut.6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Lev.19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Question 5. Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

Answer: In no wise; (a) for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbour.(b)

(a) Rom.3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Rom.3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom.3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (b) Rom.8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Eph.2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Tit.3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Gen.6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen.8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Jer.17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Rom.7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Matthew 4

Matthew Henry

Matthew 4:1-11

This is a great illustration for why I am doing this whole read and blog thing this year.  In a moment of temptation, Jesus was able to remember scripture clearly, and used it to fight off temptation.  If it is the weapon of choice for the Son of God, I think I should use it too.

When I find myself in a moment of temptation, I can't say that the first thing to pop into my head is a passage from the Bible.  It is usually my mind trying to justify whatever it is that I am tempted to do.  However, I have noticed that the more I read my Bible and the more I internalize it, the voice in my head trying to justify my actions gets drowned out by what I truly should be doing.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that

 by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

This is what I believe Christ did by quoting scripture.  He was testing what Satan was saying against what He knew scripture to say.  That was how He discerned what God's will was.  Many times we over spiritualize trying to discern God's will.  

I don't think He always gives us a clear cut and dry path that He wants us to take.  Since He is our loving Heavenly Father, it may delight Him to place more than one option that He approves of in front of us.  We should test them against the Bible and then if there is more than one left and God has not given us clear direction, then we should just make the best decision that we know how to make.  

This is not what Satan was doing.  When he puts something in our path that is not right for us, it will contradict the Bible.  That is why we should be ready to test the options before us with scripture.  Not only will it help keep us from sinning, it will also help us discern the will of God.  

Matthew 4:12-17

We see two things that are import in Jesus' life.  First, He again fulfilled prophecy.  The reason this is important is the more prophecies that He fulfills, the harder it will be once He is resurrected.  

Second, we see that John's ministry ends and Jesus' picks up with the same message.  John truly was the forerunner of Christ.  Not only did he come before Jesus, he was preaching the message that Jesus would preach.  He began preparing the hearts of the people for Jesus, and gave Him a ready made following, in a sense.

Matthew 4:18-22

I cannot possibly count the number of sermons that I have heard on this passage.  It is always the same: We should have the faith that they did and not question Jesus, but just follow Him when He calls us.  

And yet, I still do not.  I am guilty of not following His every command and call.  He will call on me to do this or that, and I find and excuse, not obey.  It is quite pathetic.  And yet I continue to do it.  This is one thing that I desperately need to fix.

Matthew 4:23-25

One thing bothers me about this great crowd.  Here we have thousands of people following Jesus and seeing His miracles first hand.  Where did they go?  When He was on trial, where were they?  After the resurrection, why were there only 120 gathered together?  

I think the crowd that followed Him and ran to Him to get healed were the same kind of people that make up the church in America.  We will pack the stadiums to go to "faith healings" or worship with our favorite band.  Or maybe we are listening to our favorite speaker.  However, when it comes down to it, we really aren't following Christ.  We are just in love with the "high" we get from these type of things.  We feel good about ourselves and we go home to live our lives.  We aren't the ones that meet in the upper room to pray.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to not be one of the people in the crowd that follows You like You are just the next big thing, but instead I want to follow You as the Lord of my life.  You are not the new thing in my life, but are my entire life.  I live for You and for You alone.  It is you that I desire to know and love.  It is you that I want to be devoted to.  

Lord, I am not as obedient as I should be.  I should follow Your every command the moment that You give them.  I am disobedient and stubborn.  I repent of not following your path that You have laid before me.  I have not tested the options before me to make sure that they are Your will for my life.  I have fallen into temptation this way.

As I learn to walk in Your ways, Lord, please show me the correct path and direction that You would have me take.  In Jesus' name, Amen.