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Worship

Worship

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

 Singing praises to Jesus is a natural result of being born again to new spiritual life. When we learn the good news of who Jesus is and what He has done upon the cross that our sins might be forgiven, the word of Christ begins to dwell within us. You have to make decisions about what you believe about these things. Do you believe that Jesus really rose from the dead? When you believe what you have learned, knowledge becomes faith. What was once a curiosity becomes a passion. Jesus, who was once far off, becomes more precious to you than anyone. Where you once knew so little about Him, you now seek every day to know Him more through studying the Bible. You want more and more of His words filling your thoughts and shaping your life. This is the point where you begin to understand what Paul wrote about the word of Christ dwelling richly in you! You want to memorize the words of Jesus, write them where you can be reminded of them, and tell them to your friends and children in times of trouble.

 We then enter into the community of the church and, in love, begin to “teach and admonish” each other wisely with the words of the Bible. All this culminates in the congregation being filled by the Holy Spirit to sing praises together – psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – expressing truth in song. Christian congregational singing is a special activity where people joyfully and together turn truth into song and add even more beauty to already beautiful truths. God would have us sing to Him. He has given us this ability and would have us use it, above all, to bring glory to His name. The risen King Jesus is worthy of our praise!

 Part of what motivates us is thankfulness from the heart: an overflowing thankfulness for forgiveness of sin, the removal of the guilt of sin, the unspeakable joy of free grace through Jesus, eternal life, a new identity in Jesus, and peace that passes understanding. This deep thankfulness is not fake, it’s deeply seated in the heart. It makes you want to sing – loudly and joyfully.

 I’m thankful for the gospel-teaching churches I was raised in, but one of their significant weaknesses was worship. One of the first times I remember as a teen being moved by musical worship was at a Promise Keepers rally. These were large events that revolved around calling men to deeper devotion to Christ. Much emphasis was put on men truly singing biblical truth with a full and thankful heart. It was powerful, authentic worship, and I know Jesus was pleased to hear thousands of men sing that were thankful to God for His grace.

But during all that time, I never heard a sermon like Bob preached last week. No one explained to me, from the Bible, how worshipping God can and should involve even more than our voices. We should prepare our hearts for congregational worship through confession, prayer, and time in Scripture. We should seek the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit, and we should engage in worship with our voices and the posture of our body. Our worship should involve our entire person.

I distinctly remember the first time I felt deeply moved to raise my hands to honor the Lord as I sang in church. No one else had their hands raised, and it was going to be weird to have my hand raised when no one else did. But I had reached a point in my Christian life where I was determined to obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit. I raised my hand and sang with a full heart of thankfulness to Jesus. It was like I had been freed from something. I have never felt inhibited again in raising my hands to God as I sing.

There is no specific way that we are commanded to sing, or certain set of things we are to do as we sing, but there are important principles we must not ignore. First, the Lord God is worthy of worship – and He will be worshipped (Psalm 113:2-3, Malachi 1:11). The name of Jesus will be worshipped among the nations. He is God, and He is the Savior. He is worthy to be praised.

Second, singing together at church is about God being worshipped by you being involved in congregational praise. Musical worship on Sunday morning is not about people performing something for you to listen to and experience. They are playing music to lead us all in praising Jesus together. I’m always grieved when my heart is overflowing with joy to Jesus, and I look over the congregation and see people standing stone still, not singing a word. They stand in the midst of worshippers, not worshipping. It’s always shocking to me and turns my joy to sadness. It causes me to pray for these people, that they may come to understand the fullness and glory of who Jesus is.

If you are one of those people that does not sing, I urge you to spend more time prayerfully reading the Bible this week. Fill your heart with more of the words of Christ. Draw near to Jesus in personal relationship. Confess your sins. Pray to Jesus about the things that trouble you. Live out your Christian faith in sacrificial obedience and love. You will find that you have plenty to sing about on Sunday. And it doesn’t matter if you can’t sing well. This is part of God’s plan in singing together as the church. Your voice will blend with others, and the result is always beautiful when the song is from a thankful heart.

Whoever you are, if you think singing is embarrassing and not for you – you’re wrong. When you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit on your heart, obey and sing. You may start timidly, but press to honor God with a full heart. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit concerning the posture of your body, whatever is appropriate for the work the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart at the moment (joy, thankfulness, confession of sin, praying for those in need, etc…).

Lastly, we are admonished in the Bible to be “doers” of the Word and not merely hearers (James 1:19-27). Singing with a full and thankful heart is an important part of “doing” obedience. Intentionally not singing when you know you should withholds honor from the Lord and is sinful. Be a part of the worshipping congregation of the church. Sing! Obey the leading of the Holy Spirit and may God the Father look down upon us in the field and be pleased by what He hears!

May our voices reach the heavens,

Pastor Vic

Suffered–Part 5

“Everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.” Luke 18:31b-33

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate …

Who was Pontius Pilate and why would his actions be included in an essential expression of Christian faith? Let’s begin with the fact that Pontius Pilate was a real Roman governor and judge. The purpose of noting this is that the record of Christ’s suffering is not one of mythology and legend. The sufferings of Christ were real, and the effect of His real atoning sacrifice will be our real eternal salvation. Through Jesus we are delivered from the penalty of sin and death.

 Jesus’ entire ministry was directed toward the cross. The cross was the cup of suffering and wrath that He would drink to the bottom. It is essential to note that Jesus was innocent in His suffering; he was falsely accused. The gospel accounts of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion record that the Jews pressed for His crucifixion from unbelief in His claim to be the Son of God, and from jealousy of His popularity with the masses. From Pilate’s perspective, crucifying Jesus was the most politically expedient way to calm a riotous crowd and consolidate his political power. Pilate even admitted publicly that Jesus was innocent. However, all these conflicting and sinful motives ultimately worked out the purposes of God that Jesus might be put to death in His innocence as the Lamb of God.

The sufferings of Christ were atoning and substitutional. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions crushed for our sins (Isaiah 53:5). The sufferings of Jesus unto death were more than sufficient to pay the price of justice before God. Jesus suffered according to the will of God, but Jesus was motivated by love – a love for you and me. Obligation and duty were not His motivation. Jesus went to the cross for the “joy” set before Him of accomplishing the salvation of His beloved children (Hebrews 12:2, John 1:12).

However, the sufferings of Christ were not only physical. In His death, the wrath of God toward sin was poured out on Jesus. In His just anger, God the Father turned His favor and face away from Jesus. Jesus was forsaken on the cross because of the sins of the world counted against Him (Matthew 27:45-50). In His resurrection from the dead, Jesus overcame death.

By grace through faith, we are not destined for the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). We are sparred by the substitution of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:11-12)! We will receive the blessing and reward of being counted righteous in Christ! Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate so that we might not have to face death and judgment before God (2 Corinthians 5:21). In Jesus, we will receive eternal life, a place in the Kingdom of God, a place of welcome at His table … but not yet.

It is the will of God, that as we live this life, we take up our cross and join Jesus in His sufferings. By sharing in difficulty and hardship, we do not expect to rise above the station of Jesus Our Savior. We expect in this life we will be poured out for the sake of accomplishing God’s will. Like the Apostle Paul, we count all that the world has to offer as loss in light of the opportunity to have eternal life and personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. “The way of glory comes through the way of the cross” (Mohler). The fullness of the Kingdom of God will not come in this life. His Kingdom is not of this world. Now is a time of sowing, a time of labor, a time to be poured out to accomplish the will of God. Now is a time of dying to self, a time to go into the world making disciples of Jesus Christ, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded.

As we go into a time of the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, consider reading over the words written long ago by Isaac Watts in the hymn “When I Survey the Wonderous Cross.” Consider Jesus who suffered under Pontius Pilate. He suffered for you that you might be forgiven of your sins and have eternal life.

May you believe in Jesus today!

Pastor Vic

Virgin Birth–Part 4

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary …“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” See Luke 1:26-38

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary … –The Apostles’ Creed

              Jesus’ ministry began and ended with dramatic and unprecedented supernatural events. A supernatural event consists of something that cannot be explained except for the action of God upon the world from outside the natural order of things. The ministry of Jesus began with His conception within a virgin young woman and ended with His permanent resurrection from the dead. It is a hallmark of theological liberalism to be embarrassed over these two essential teachings of Scripture. They are embarrassed for the very reason that they cannot be explained by science and they cannot be accounted for by anything other than a divine work of God. They are both included in the ancient Apostles’ Creed because they are both essential to rightly understand who Jesus is. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is essential Christian doctrine.

              The Gospels record that Jesus was conceived by a sovereign act of God and born of a virgin. This is very significant for at least three reasons. First, Jesus was born according to the will and timing of God the Father, not according to the will or action of a man. However, Jesus was born of a woman and did not simply appear or descend from heaven. In this Holy Spirit initiated human birth, we have the beginning of Jesus as truly God and truly man. Jesus was not a man indwelled by the Holy Spirit, or a spirit that appeared to be physical. Jesus was a mysterious fusion of God and man, and this begins at the virgin birth.

              Second, this miraculous conception points to how Jesus is conceived without sin. According to Scripture, all who descend from Adam inherit from him the guilt of humanity. We are born with a corrupt nature, dead in our trespasses and sins (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:18-19). By having no earthly father, the normal pattern of conception and birth is broken. A new line begins with Jesus. He is spoken of as the “second Adam,” come to do perfectly where the first Adam failed (1 Corinthians 15:20-49).

              Third, the virgin birth speaks directly to the miraculous nature of God’s redemption. Carl F. H. Henry writes, “The fact that Jesus is born of the Virgin Mary shows the work of incarnation and reconciliation involves a definite intervening act on the part of God Himself.” Similar to how Jesus was not a man that became enlightened and morally better over a period of time and learning, our salvation is not a gradual plan of learning and self-betterment over time. The redemption of each and every Christian is a work of God to intervene and save. We begin in spiritual death and are made alive by God (Ephesians 2:1-10). From death we are born again to spiritual life (John 3:3-17). Our hearts of stone are made into hearts of living flesh (Ezekiel 11:19-21). We were blind but now we can see (John 1:1-13). We are taken from a kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13-14). All these beautiful analogies point to the work of God that we respond to by faith. However, this intervening saving work of God is ALL of grace, undeserved and brought about by the favor of God (John 1:12-13).

              As mentioned earlier, the modern secular world is often embarrassed by, or rejects, anything that cannot be quantified in a laboratory. Such people lack faith, and for them the virgin birth teaching of Scripture is relegated to myth. The rejection of the supernatural aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry ultimately caused influential liberal theologians like Adolph von Harnack, Rudolph Bultmann, and Wolfhart Pannenberg to only accept Jesus as a moral reformer, or the New Testament as a collection of myths to “save” Christianity from modern embarrassment. In these conclusions they depart from biblical Christianity and depart from the ancient orthodox confessions of faith passed to us from the early church. These questions and definitions matter. It’s not enough to say that “You just believe in Jesus!” with no definition to what that means. You must ask yourself, and you must ask those you interact with, what basic essentials you believe about Jesus.

May we gladly accept that Jesus was born of a virgin, come to save His people from their sins,

Pastor Vic

< This is part four in a series of articles on the Apostles’ Creed. If you have missed previous articles, they can be found on the church blog. To learn more about the Apostles’ Creed read: “The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits” by Albert Mohler. >

Biblical Counter Arguments

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

 As the world continues to press on us LGBTQ+ Pride month, I will continue to press back with biblical counter arguments. Last week’s article can be found at redeemerVA.org on our church blog. Last week I outlined a basic Christian sexual ethic and position against homosexual and transgender lifestyles. This week I want to provide further resources that I hope will be helpful in speaking to your children, friends, and co-workers about these issues.

I would remind you to start where I left off last week – with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not expect people to follow in the ways of Jesus if they do not love Jesus. Begin by introducing people to who Jesus is. You’re wrong to assume that people know who Jesus is or what He taught about anything. Introduce people to the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, but in doing this, don’t skip the hard news about sin and God’s holiness. Tell people your testimony. Tell people how you were once lost in sin and death, until Jesus forgave your sins and gave you new life. Speak of the joy of living according to God’s will!

That said, there is a great divide between the deeply humanistic thinking of so many people today, and the will of God. How are we to bridge this gap in discussion and debate? Below are a few resources I hope will be helpful. First:
 
We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking truth to a culture redefining sex, marriage, and the very meaning of right and wrong by R. Albert Mohler
 
I highly recommend this short and very practical book. The first chapters address how as an American culture we have moved so rapidly from a generally Christian sexual ethic to where we are today. This historical overview is not only vital to understand, but will cause you to stop and consider what ground you may have given up in your own life. He then moves into defining Christian ethics, the place and role of religious liberty, and the role of the local church in our present struggle. The book ends with an extended question and answer section. Mohler directly answers many of the most common and thorny questions related to the LGBTQ+ movement in America.
 
The Gender Spectrum by Sue Bohlin

Raising Gender Healthy Kids by Sue Bohlin
 
I recommend this series of blog posts by Sue Bohlin, writer for Probe Ministries. In this series of posts Sue specifically relates the conversation to raising gender healthy children. It is vital that we not hide from these issues as we raise our kids. Our children are being bombarded by LGBTQ+ propaganda from every side. We need to understand basics of how to affirm our children in the gender God gave them, and help them grow up into the men and women God would have them to be. I hope these resources are helpful.
 
May Jesus give us wisdom, courage, and grace,
Pastor Vic

Pride Month

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” -1 Corinthians 6:9-11

We are now in the midst of June. Not long ago June began to be recognized as gay pride month, but has now been expanded to pride month for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transsexual, queer, + (+ being any other sexual combination that can be imagined in the future). This group, which loves to paint itself as an oppressed minority, now sits in a place of unprecedented power. They have used the force of shame and unrelenting power politics to come into a place of controlling the national conversation on sexual ethics. In a short period of time, these sexual acts have moved from being understood as sinful, to being passionately advocated for across every spectrum of our country.

It is very important in our thinking to separate allowance and advocacy. In America we are thankful for the freedom of personal expression and freedom of religious practice. However, with the issue of LGBTQ+ practice, we have a collision of sexual practice and Christian belief. We have two camps that oppose each other. A position of allowance says that each has the right to do as they please, peaceably. For the most part, Christians can, and have been, tolerant of a serious change in sexual ethics in this country. However, though the LGBTQ+ community constantly preaches tolerance, this is not what they practice. The leaders of the LGBTQ+ community demand advocacy. It is not enough for them to be free to act as they choose, they demand that Christians everywhere support and affirm what they are doing as right before God. They demand that we advocate their position.

From this position, leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement have made advocacy for this new sexual ethic the official position of the US federal government. The LGBTQ flag is flown publicly around the world at our embassies under the US flag. Every federal agency has special programs within each agency to advocate the moral goodness of LGBTQ+ sexual choices. Across the country in every state that receives federal funding, for any law enforcement, school, child protective service, or any other partially federally funded initiative, there is attached to it a mandatory and forceful block of re-education. Every employee or person in contact with that department will feel the direct pressure. This re-education is not for freedom of practice, but forced support and affirmation of every possible LGBTQ+ sexual act or expression.

The power of the federal government and public shaming has now also influenced nearly every private business as well. If a private company does not in some way publicly support and affirm all LGBTQ+ sexual expression, without reservation, that company is openly attacked and shamed until they are brought into submission. Due to this aggressive, offensive campaign, only the most openly Christian companies have withstood this pressure. It is now the exception to find a business that does not somehow acknowledge and celebrate LGBTQ+ pride month.

As Christians, we cannot support or advocate actions that God has clearly forbidden as sinful. The Bible is not unclear on sexual morality, and we must have the courage to live out God’s will. From the first pages of Genesis, to the words of the Old Testament prophets, to the teaching of Jesus, to the letters of Paul, to the final pages of Revelation – the Bible clearly sets forward mandatory boundaries for our sexual expression. This is a Christian sexual ethic. Despite what is being shouted from every corner in our day, what you do sexually IS a moral act and DOES have consequences in your relationship to God and others. There is only one God-ordained, or God blessed, sexual expression – which is sex between a biological man and a biological woman inside of marriage. In our day, even this needs to be further clarified. The Bible uses the word “fornication” to condemn sex between people before marriage. The Bible uses the word “adultery” to condemn sex between people that are married, but not to each other. The Bible clearly condemns sex between two people of the same sex (homosexuality), and the Bible clearly establishes gender as a fixed object (established by God). This is a biblical sexual ethic.

Christians are not against sex – they are for Christian marriage. Christians are not closed-minded for maintaining virginity until marriage – they advocate this as a virtue. Christians are not afraid of (phobic of) homosexuals – they condemn their actions as morally wrong. Christians are not hateful for recognizing the birth gender of a person – they are helping that person understand and accept who God made them to be. As followers of Christ, we cannot and must not give up ground on sexual ethics. We have no right to declare as good what God has declared evil. However, I do not expect the tide of LGBTQ+ pressure to change anytime soon. In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that most of us will have to pay a personal price to maintain our biblical Christian morality. It almost certainly will mean losing friends, could mean losing customers, and may mean losing a long-time job.

I write these words with all seriousness and sobriety. Everyone of us needs to clarify in our minds, and in your personal situation, lines that you know you cannot cross without personally entering into affirming and advocating what is sinful. This should include, at a minimum, not signing a statement pushed on you at the end of a re-training session that you will affirm and support all things LGBTQ+. It should include not wearing on your person, or on your work uniform, some advocacy for LGBTQ+ sexuality. It must include continuing to uphold a Christian sexual morality even if a close friend, family member, or child chooses to enter into LGBTQ+ sexuality or gender transformation.

It’s important to consider the example of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts. He was a Roman citizen, and as such, often asserted His rights (Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-29, 23:26-27). Because of this, he was freed from prison and persecution on a number of occasions. We have a constitutional right to the free practice of our Christian faith. I urge you to draw your boundary lines, pray for wisdom, pray for courage, pray for Christian love and grace, and then stand without compromise for what God has declared to be morally right and good. When it comes down to it, assert your right to practice the most long-standing religion in this country – biblical Christianity.

I began this article with clarifying our position and pressing for you to hold that position, but we must end with the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance and faith. If there is no recognition of sin, then there is no humility, and there is no need for a Savior. With no preaching of sin we end up exactly where we find ourselves today – passionately and proudly advocating for the affirmation of sin. Jesus taught that God hates pride and that our sexual sins will keep us from ever entering the kingdom of God. It is never unloving to tell someone the truth, when you are telling them the truth for the purpose of their redemption. Awareness of sin always comes before salvation, but our co-workers, neighbors, and family members will never be aware of their sin if we affirm them in it.

Jesus, the apostles, and Paul went from town to town proclaiming sin and the open door of forgiveness by grace through Jesus Christ. The reaction was always the same. Some openly hated and mocked them. Some plotted against them murder and prison. Some didn’t care and just walked away. Some came back again to consider what they had to say. But everywhere they went – SOME BELIEVED.

This month as we are surrounded by a rising storm of ungodliness, set your foot upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 7:24-27). Consider Him who endured such persecution from evil men and stand firm (Hebrews 12:1-4)!

Let us live as a holy people set apart from the world,

Pastor Vic