We considered last week the problem posed by repetition, as well as the great blessing that flows from repetition. Some, seeing the very real problem of getting into a liturgical groove, have sought to address the problem by changing the liturgy constantly. But this approach seeks to address a spiritual problem through mere physical means—which …
All of That Must Die
Everyone here wants things, and there is no problem with that. That is a design feature; it is how God made us. But there are frequently deep problems with how and why we want things. And the central problem is that we tend to want things that God gave to someone else, simply because that …
Repetitive Food
We come to this Table every week. For some Christians, this repetition means that we will necessarily drift into religious complacency or sloth. This does happen, and so the Word must always accompany the sacrament, to keep us mindful of our responsibilities here. But one of those responsibilities is to be repetitive. The liturgy of …
The Oil of Insincerity
When we are not getting along with others, the pressing temptation is always to believe that you are just as you have always been, and that they have somehow changed. This is often not true at all, but even if it were true, that does not put you in the right. Perhaps they have changed …
Protection and the Supper
As you may recall, the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper gave bread to Judas. The apostle John says that after this identification of him, Satan entered him and he went out into the night. There is an important sense in which we should fence the Table, and this is what excommunication does. But I …
500 Years of Cumulative Grace
Introduction: So we have now come to the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. What I want to do is briefly remind you of certain key elements in that Reformation, and then address the meaning of time and anniversaries. What are we doing when we commemorate things like this? Recall that 500 …
Getting at the Real Ones
As we come, week after week, to confess our sins, we need to learn to make certain fine distinctions. In one direction is the peril of a false scrupulousness, and in the other we see the error of rejecting that, and settling in complacently to substandard Christian living. We don’t want hyper-scrupulousness of conscience, but …
Chewing and Swallowing
It is not a coincidence that the fall of our race into sin involved food. God created Adam and Eve, and placed them in a garden full of food, and placed one tree in that garden off limits. They were not to eat of that one tree. All the other trees were open to them, …
But Worship Is First
Worship and praise are not the same thing. Worship is actually the foundation of praise. “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” (Deut. 6:13). “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him …
The Apostles Creed 17: The Holy Catholic Church
Introduction: So as we approach the 500th anniversary of the commencement of the Protestant Reformation, it is fitting that we have now come to this phrase in the Creed — why do we, stout Protestants that we are, confess that we believe in the holy catholic Church. Maybe in addition to being stout Protestants, we …