“I am 65, and I am lonely and have never found peace.”

~ H.G. Wells (1866-1946), English writer, teacher, historian, said on his birthday.

"The root of all sin is the suspicion that God is not good, which leads us to seek our fulfillment apart from Him, resulting in ultimate alienation."

~ Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian

"The modern world has no comfort for loneliness; it only offers distractions. But the gospel offers us a true communion that breaks through our self-imposed isolation."

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and Christian apologist

"The Christian life is a life in Christ: he in us and we in him."

~ John Frame (1939-present), American philosopher and theologian

“Faith must be taught correctly, namely, that by it you are so cemented to Christ that He and you are as one person, which cannot be separated but remains attached to Him forever.”

~ Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian, author and seminal figure during the Protestant Reformation

~ Lewis Smedes (1921-2002), American author, ethicist, and theologian

SERMON PASSAGES: Romans 3:21-24; 6:1-11; 7:4 (CSB)

Romans 3

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6

1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Psalm 133 & Philippians 2:1-11

“I do verily believe that when God shall accomplish unity, it will be the effect of love, and not the cause of love. It will proceed from love, before it brings forth love.”

~ John Owen (1616-1683), English church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford

“Humility is throwing oneself away in complete concentration on him. something or someone else.”

~ Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), American writer

“Each human soul has in a sense to enact for itself the gigantic humility of the Incarnation. Every man must descend into the flesh to meet mankind.”

~ G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer, philosopher, orator and lay theologian

“The way to open our hearts to others is by receiving afresh the grace of God and appreciating what it means: seeing our own need of Christ; coming to receive His mercy; sensing how undeserved His love for us is… the heart that is opened to receive the grace of Christ will learn to welcome all those whom Christ Himself has welcomed.”

~ Sinclair Ferguson (1948-present), Scottish minister, theologian, professor and author

“We don’t come to church, to be a church. We come to Christ, and then we are built up as a church. If we come to church just to be with one another, one another is all we’ll get. And it isn’t enough. Inevitably, our hearts will grow empty, and then angry. If we put community first, we will destroy community. But if we come to Christ first and submit ourselves to Him and draw life from Him, community gets traction.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and Christian apologist

Psalm 133 & Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Philippians 2:1

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

“I do verily believe that when God shall accomplish unity, it will be the effect of love, and not the cause of love. It will proceed from love, before it brings forth love.”

~ John Owen (1616-1683), English church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford

“Humility is throwing oneself away in complete concentration on him. something or someone else.”

~ Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), American writer

“Each human soul has in a sense to enact for itself the gigantic humility of the Incarnation. Every man must descend into the flesh to meet mankind.”

~ G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer, philosopher, orator and lay theologian

“The way to open our hearts to others is by receiving afresh the grace of God and appreciating what it means: seeing our own need of Christ; coming to receive His mercy; sensing how undeserved His love for us is… the heart that is opened to receive the grace of Christ will learn to welcome all those whom Christ Himself has welcomed.”

~ Sinclair Ferguson (1948-present), Scottish minister, theologian, professor and author

“We don’t come to church, to be a church. We come to Christ, and then we are built up as a church. If we come to church just to be with one another, one another is all we’ll get. And it isn’t enough. Inevitably, our hearts will grow empty, and then angry. If we put community first, we will destroy community. But if we come to Christ first and submit ourselves to Him and draw life from Him, community gets traction.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and Christian apologist

Psalm 133 & Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Philippians 2:1

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 131

“If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.”

“To even get near humility, even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and professor

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”

~ Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African writer, teacher, pastor

“The very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting of ourselves into His place, to do for Him that which we dream He either cannot or will not do!”

“Behold the wonder! There He hangs upon the cross! This is the greatest sight you will ever see. Son of God and Son of Man, there He hangs, bearing pains unutterable, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Oh, the glory of that sight! The innocent punished! The Holy One condemned! The Ever-blessed made a curse! The infinitely glorious put to a shameful death! The more I look at the sufferings of the Son of God, the more sure I am that they must meet my case. Why did He suffer, if not to turn aside the penalty from us? If, then, He turned it aside by His death, it is turned aside, and those who believe in Him need not fear it.”

~ Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), English preacher and writer

Psalm 131 (ESV)

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD

“If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.”

“To even get near humility, even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and professor

“Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”

~ Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African writer, teacher, pastor

“The very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser than God, and the thrusting of ourselves into His place, to do for Him that which we dream He either cannot or will not do!”

“Behold the wonder! There He hangs upon the cross! This is the greatest sight you will ever see. Son of God and Son of Man, there He hangs, bearing pains unutterable, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Oh, the glory of that sight! The innocent punished! The Holy One condemned! The Ever-blessed made a curse! The infinitely glorious put to a shameful death! The more I look at the sufferings of the Son of God, the more sure I am that they must meet my case. Why did He suffer, if not to turn aside the penalty from us? If, then, He turned it aside by His death, it is turned aside, and those who believe in Him need not fear it.”

~ Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), English preacher and writer

Psalm 131 (ESV)

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD

Psalm 36

“…the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and professor

“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”

~ Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), French writer & statesman

“There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts! Pride is God’s most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin, and appears in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected.”

~ Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), American theologian, writer, pastor

“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be. God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be.”

~ John Stott (1921-2011), English Anglican priest, theologian, author

“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become – the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.”

~ Brennan Manning (1934-2013), American author and former priest

Psalm 36 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

“…the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer and professor

“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”

~ Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), French writer & statesman

“There is no other matter in which the heart is more deceitful and unsearchable. Alas, how much pride the best have in their hearts! Pride is God’s most stubborn enemy! There is no sin so much like the devil as pride. It is a secret and subtle sin, and appears in a great many shapes which are undetected and unsuspected.”

~ Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), American theologian, writer, pastor

“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be. God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be.”

~ John Stott (1921-2011), English Anglican priest, theologian, author

“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become – the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.”

~ Brennan Manning (1934-2013), American author and former priest

Psalm 36 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Psalm 36

“A ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon self… is the mark of Hell.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

“Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him.”

~ Augustine (354-430), North African bishop and theologian

“Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love. Souls that converse much with sin and wrath, may be much terrified; but souls that converse much with grace and mercy, will be much humbled.”

~ Thomas Brooks (1608-1680), English preacher and author

“Love is the only fire that is hot enough to melt the iron obstinacy of a creature’s will.”

~ Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910), English minister

“Sovereign grace has pow’r alone To subdue a heart of stone;

~ John Newton (1725-1807), English clergyman

“In ‘religion,’ the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that religious repentance is selfish, self-righteous, and bitter all the way to the bottom. In the gospel, however, the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ, to weaken our impulse to do anything contrary to God’s heart.”

“Disordered love leads always to misery and breakdown. The only way to ‘reorder’ our loves is to love God supremely.”

~ Timothy Keller (1950-2023), American minister, theologian, author

Psalm 36 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

“A ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon self… is the mark of Hell.”

~ C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

“Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him.”

~ Augustine (354-430), North African bishop and theologian

“Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love. Souls that converse much with sin and wrath, may be much terrified; but souls that converse much with grace and mercy, will be much humbled.”

~ Thomas Brooks (1608-1680), English preacher and author

“Love is the only fire that is hot enough to melt the iron obstinacy of a creature’s will.”

~ Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910), English minister

“Sovereign grace has pow’r alone To subdue a heart of stone;

~ John Newton (1725-1807), English clergyman

“In ‘religion,’ the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that religious repentance is selfish, self-righteous, and bitter all the way to the bottom. In the gospel, however, the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ, to weaken our impulse to do anything contrary to God’s heart.”

“Disordered love leads always to misery and breakdown. The only way to ‘reorder’ our loves is to love God supremely.”

~ Timothy Keller (1950-2023), American minister, theologian, author

Psalm 36 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Psalm 33

“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”

~ George MacDonald (1824-1905), Scottish author, minister

“Hope for the Christian isn’t just confidence in a certain, glorious future. It’s hope in a present providence.”

~ Elliot Clark, contemporary author, cross-cultural church planter

“God’s providence is not blind, but full of eyes.”

~ John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States

“I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.”

~ Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015), Christian missionary, author, speaker

“In the most restless age of history, Christ can give you rest.”

“The rest that Christ gives is not a piece of negation. It is founded upon something positive – Christ himself.”

“This rest that Jesus gives will endure the ravages of time and will abide through all eternity.”

~ Billy Graham (1918-2018), American minister and evangelist

“Do not tell me that there is no rest for us till we get to heaven. We who have believed in Jesus enter into rest even now. Why should we not do so? Our salvation is complete. The robe of righteousness in which we are clad is finished. The atonement for our sins is fully made. We are reconciled to God, beloved of the Father, preserved by His grace, and supplied by His providence with all that we need. We carry all our burdens to Him and leave them at His feet. We spend our lives in His service, and we find His ways to be ways of pleasantness, and His paths to be paths of peace. Oh, yes, we have found rest unto our souls!”

~ C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), English pastor and author

Psalm 33 (CSB)

1 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the LORD with the lyre; make music to him with a ten-stringed harp. 3 Sing a new song to him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.

4 For the word of the LORD is right, and all his work is trustworthy. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the LORD’s unfailing love.

6 The heavens were made by the word of the LORD, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the water of the sea into a heap; he puts the depths into storehouses.

8 Let the whole earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it came into being; he commanded, and it came into existence.

10 The LORD frustrates the counsel of the nations; he thwarts the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD — the people he has chosen to be his own possession!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he observes everyone. 14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place. 15 He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works. 16 A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength. 17 The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.

18 But look, the LORD keeps his eye on those who fear him—those who depend on his faithful love 19 to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine.