TEXT: 1 Corinthians 1-11

If this morning’s passage from 1 Corinthians sounds familiar it is because we touched on it a few weeks ago when we talked about our GROW theme from Acts 2. I mentioned Paul and Apollos and how God causes growth, but also uses people in the process. God did the miracle, but Paul shared the Good News and Apollos pastored the young church. Likewise, God still changes human hearts, but invites us to do the human work of sharing the message and encouraging folks in faith. Toward that end I ended with two Christmas Challenges.

Two Christmas Challenges

First, I challenged you to pick one of the things described in Acts 2 that the early believers were devoted to and commit to it between now and Christmas. At that point there were 70 days until Christmas. Now there are 55! Here’s the list again:

Apostles’ Teaching (i.e. Scripture/God’s Word)Fellowship & the Breaking of BreadPrayerWorship/Awe/WonderGenerous SharingGenerous CaringCultivating Joy (gladness and sincerity of heart)

Have you done it? Will you do it now for the next 55 days? Is there one thing on that list that you will devote yourself to daily between now and Christmas. Historically that’s how God has partnered with human beings to grow the Kingdom through the Church. Will you be a part of that? It doesn’t have to be mysterious or super-long, but I challenge you to start a small holy habit and see what God does with that in your life and in our church.

Second, I asked you to commit to inviting two or three people into something we are doing at Good Shepherd? Two of you shared that same day how you were doing that. How’s that going? November activities (check the newsletter!) or December worship are great opportunities!

Building with God

So previously we focused on vv. 1-8 in 1 Corinthians 3. Today I want to zero in on vv. 9-11. There Paul continues teaching about God’s role and our role in GROWTH. He does so with a building metaphor. Let’s look at that.

He begins in v. 9 with what we’ve already been talking about. God causes growth, but “we are God’s fellow workers.” God involves us; God includes us; God invites us to be a part of what He’s doing! Paul concludes his previous metaphor about planting and watering and says “You are God’s field.” Then he shifts to the building metaphor that he’ll follow through the end of our passage: “We are God’s building.” And in both metaphors we are God’s fellow workers.

Paul has laid the foundation: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation.” (v.10a)

Presumably Apollos and other church leaders is building on that foundation. Paul urges “each one take care how he builds upon it.” (v.10b)

But he is clear: Jesus IS the foundation. (v.11)

It’s very similar to the gardening/planting metaphor that precedes. There Paul planted, Apollos watered, and God caused the growth. Here Paul poured the foundation; Apollos built; and the foundation is Christ.

So the point is still the same that God uses ordinary human beings like you and me to grow His Kingdom through the Church. But the new part added in this metaphor is the reminder that Christ is the one and only foundation to this work. Ultimately you don’t build or grow a church around music, money, or even ministries. You build it on Jesus Christ. Again, God has done the miraculous and essential work and invited us to be a part.

Jesus as Foundation

What does it mean to have Jesus as the foundation of our church? It means that our core belief is that Jesus is Lord and Savior, the promised fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham and heart for the world and people God created. It means that our ministry and mission is anchored in the “follow me” of Jesus Christ and obedience to that call. It means that we don’t set our own agenda or vision or purpose, but look to God’s revelation in Christ for our direction.

Is Jesus the foundation of our church? I believe he is! This came ou

TEXT: Acts 3:1-10; Matthew 10:7-10

Often as we study the New Testament we focus on what Jesus did and what the Apostles taught. And both those things are significant to the New Testament. Jesus work on the cross and his various miracles are noteworthy and memorable. And then after Easter we tend to focus on the teachings of the Apostles… the preaching of Peter and the evangelistic work of Paul. Most of the letters in the New Testament are written to churches to address problems or to impart further teaching about how to be Christ-followers.

That’s what Jesus did and what the Apostles taught. But it’s also significant what Jesus TAUGHT and what the Apostles DID. Jesus spent most of his teaching time on the Kingdom of God, announcing its arrival and explaining what it was and the implications for us. His miracles served that message, illustrating the Kingdom of God and God’s reign breaking into this world and its sorrows. And Jesus taught about loving and serving our neighbor, qualities of that same Kingdom.

Today we are going to focus on what the Apostles DID. In Matthew 10 we read Jesus mission, his “marching orders” if you will. He tells them to proclaim his message that the Kingdom is at hand. Then he tells them what to do: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons…. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper… or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.” (vv. 8-10)

Today we are going to focus on our core value of SERVE and we’ll look at one example of the followers of Jesus serving Jesus and living out this mission he spoke to them.

Beyond the Gate

Peter and John, two followers of Jesus, were on their way to pray at the Temple. It’s a good thing they were doing, going to pray in the house of the Lord. Maybe you can put yourself in their shoes somewhat if you are worshiping in person this morning. You made the choice and set aside the time and drove to church to do a good thing. And that’s where the worship happens, right? …inside the house of the Lord? And then they passed the gate into the Temple, called the “Beautiful Gate.” And there was a man there begging, right there at the gate to the Temple. He was there every day, every time anyone might come to the Temple. He was there at the Beautiful Gate asking for help, asking for money.

I know how I would have felt because I’ve felt it before: Why are you here now? We are just trying to go into God’s house to worship, to pray, to serve the Lord. Stop bringing me down, man.

Or, if I were in a particularly charitable mood, maybe I’d hand the man some money. That’s what he’s asking for after all, and it’s quick and gets me on my way into the house of the Lord to worship, to pray, to serve the Lord.

It’s so easy to divide up our world and our life into in here and out there, isn’t it? We are religious people because we come here. And even though I am still me out there, it’s much harder to figure out how to follow Jesus “out there.” Or there’s my mini-sanctuary at home, where I might pray or read my Bible or listen to worship music. But that’s just a different kind of gate.

And then there’s Jesus, who spent almost all his time “out there” and invites us to follow him. How do we do that? What does that even look like?

What Do I Have?

Here’s where it’s easy to disconnect from the story. Peter and John “fix their gaze” on the man and say, “Look at us!” (v.4) The man looks, expecting to receive something. And Peter says, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!” (v.6)

Peter grabs him by his hand, raises him up, and immediately his feet and ankles are strengthened and the man starts jumping around praising God. And people knew him as the beggar who could not walk. They were filled with wonder and amazement!

But wait, wait, wait! I didn’t know the Apostles could do that. I can’t

TEXT: Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 3:4-7,9

We want to grow as a church! There’s no shame in saying that. We are definitely not looking to turn into a mega-church, but we also recognize that we need to keep sharing the Good News and connecting to new people as part of being a healthy and thriving community. And so GROW is one of the core values of the church and our ministries. And by that we mean both growing spiritually and growing in numbers.

And so this morning, out of the Acts 2 passage that we’ve spent some time in recently, I want to dig into the last verse that says “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (v.47b)

The Lord’s Work

Let’s start with that verse. It makes clear that the growth is God’s doing. It says “The Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.” And our other scripture reading says something similar: “It is God who causes the growth.” So let’s talk about that for a minute.

There are (at least) two things to notice in the Acts passage. One is that the Holy Spirit is active in the life of the early church. And that’s an understatement. They have just experienced Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit in power upon the Apostles and upon the early believers. That’s the same Holy Spirit that convicts of sin, unites us to Christ, indwells those who believe, and counsels us in life. The Holy Spirit is God’s power at work in the lives of individuals and in the Church. The Holy Spirit is not something we can conjure up or make show up by doing a certain ritual. Rather, Jesus promised the Spirit to ALL believers. Jesus was leaving but said he would not leave us alone; he would leave the Spirit with us and in us. Now what we can do is dull our ears and hearts, turn away from, and otherwise turn away from the Spirit. But if we are trusting Jesus and seeking the Lord in our midst, we will experience the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, notice what kind of growth the Lord was causing. God was adding to their number those who were being saved.” Only God can change the human heart; only God can save. And this is the supernatural activity that God works in people who are then drawn into Christian community together. There is a kind of growth that we can pursue through marketing and other approaches common in our culture. But the kind of growth that God is interested in is Kingdom growth, people believing, trusting, and following Jesus Christ. And God is doing this work in the world all the time, even now. The question is whether we will be a part of that.

And that leads back to the context of the church in Acts and in Corinth. What were they doing to “be a part” of God’s work? What were they doing to welcome the Holy Spirit and those who were being saved? Let’s take a look!

Our Work

Last week I talked about the generous care described in Acts 2. I said that it wasn’t a standalone ministry or activity, but part of the whole that was a spiritually healthy community of faith. In the same way, the context for God’s saving work in Acts 2 or today is also a spiritually healthy community of faith. That’s why we have the multiple values of GROW, SERVE, STEWARD, and CARE. We want and need to be healthy and mature spiritually.

And here’s the thing… God could do it all but does not seem inclined to do that. Rather, throughout the pages of scripture and history, God invites human beings to participate, to be a part of what He is doing. In Acts 2 we get a pretty detailed picture of what we can do to participate. Like the early believers, we too can devote ourselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. We can worship in Spirit and Truth, in awe of the God we worship. We can choose to care generously and share our time, talents, and resources for those in need. All that (and more) describes a spiritually healthy community of faith and it is to that community that God was bringing new believers. (I should add that the members of the church were a

TEXT: Acts 2:42-47; Matthew 25:37-40; Luke 22:14-18

How do you care for people in need? How do WE care for people in need?

That’s the question we are going to look at today, based on several scripture passages rooted in the teaching and actions of Jesus. This is part of our focusing on our core values of GROW, SERVE, STEWARD, and CARE. Today’s focus in on the CARE part, though it has overlap with how we STEWARD our time and resources as well.

Our starting place is Acts 2, a passage known for its description of the early church. It gives us a glimpse into the core values of those first Christians. They devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship, to breaking bread and prayer. They worshiped together and shared what they had generously. In the midst of that description we read our focal verse for today (v.45): “They began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”

Now before you start squirming too much, I’m not going to ask you to sell your house. Nor do I think this is a mandate for a kind of Christian socialism. What it DOES clearly describe is a notable level of generosity motivated by care for those in need. What I want to talk about today is generous care and why and how that might be a significant value for us.

Healthy Spiritual Community (Acts 2:42-47)

Acts 2 is a standout chapter for a number of reasons. It describes the earliest Christian community, which we naturally would be interested in as descendants of that community. It forms out of Pentecost, out of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the lives and practices of the first followers of Christ. It describes a number of practices of the first Christians, which we at least need to understand if not emulate.

Having said that, we do need to be aware of cultural differences and distinctives. That first community was still trying to understand their relationship to Judaism, and you read of their daily visits to the Temple. They were still living in 1st century Roman-occupied Jerusalem. They were just beginning to understand what Jesus meant when he sent them to Jerusalem, Judea, and the ends of the earth in his last words to them in Acts 1. As relates to their sharing, we’d need to distinguish between faith-based sharing of resources and political movements.

And it wouldn’t be too long until even those early Christians started manifesting human problems, conflicts, and divisions. So just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean it is to be duplicated in every detail.

But, there are clear practices I’ve already named that paint a picture of a healthy spiritual community. As described starting in verse 42, they devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Those are core practices that we still do today. They worshiped together. We still do that today. In vv. 46-47 there is a joy in gathering and the Lord was blessing and growing their community. We will focus a bit on that last part next week.

All that is to say that our focal point today – the caring and sharing in verse 45 – does not happen in a vacuum or as a standalone ministry. It happens in the context of that teaching, praying, worshiping, and joyful fellowship. In a word or three, I’d describe it as “healthy spiritual community.” That’s one reason we don’t just have one core value, but have four. That spiritual growth and maturity we read about last week involves the whole Body of Christ, each of us and the multiple ways a body develops and grows.

So as we talk more about generous care, if you find yourself wondering how to cultivate such generosity or compassion, recognize that it’s not just a switch you turn on, but part of the interconnected health that comes from regular worship, prayer, and gathering together, all in obedience to Christ.

To Jesus: the Least of These (Matthew 25:37-40)

Acts 2 only describes the caring ministry of the early church. I want to look at two places in scrip

TEXT: Ephesians 4:14-16

Last week, from the first part of Ephesians that you heard read today (4:11-13) we talked about God’s gifts to us. We talked about “the great gift” of God’s grace, whereby God made us alive, raised us, and seated us with Him out of love and a desire to show us that love. We also talked about additional gifts God has given us, providing for each Christian to be equipped for works of service and the building up of the community of Christ. Paul used the image of a body, with Christ as the head, to help us envision what the Christian community was supposed to look like.

In today’s text, these thoughts and analogy continue. Verse 14 begins, “As a result…” and all this that has gone before is what stands behind that. As a result of God’s great gift, as a result of the gift of being equipped to worship and serve, and as a result of the gift of being in the body-like community of Christ, Paul continues with verses 14-16. As a result of all this, and to say it bluntly, Paul says, “Grow up!… Don’t settle for being immature Christians, stunted and stuck in your spiritual development, but grow up!” God has provided all you need for this, just like He has designed the human body to grow up from childhood to maturity. This is a message for the Church, for the gathered Christian community; it is a message for us!

No Longer Children…

There are two parts to Paul’s message here. The first is that “we are no longer to be children.” Child-like faith, yes; immature, no. Now remember, Paul is not just describing individual Christian maturity, but the related maturity of the gathered Christian community, which is a kind of inter-related sum of the parts. He is challenging us individually and corporately to not remain contentedly stuck as an under-developed body.

To explain he adds another analogy. The immature church is “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind” (v. 14). The image is one of a small boat at sea, tossed and blown about with little to no control or direction. The result is one of helplessness and lostness. Specifically, the winds and waves of his metaphor are false teaching, deceit, and human scheming. One of the primary ways that spiritual immaturity misdirects the church as a whole is when its members are captive to new fads and novel ideas that blow through our culture. There is always something, but right now I can’t help but think of the influence media and social media have had on our culture, Christians included. Media has always influenced us, but the rise of computers and social media harnessed to make money off our consumption has resulted in being fed whatever will generate more clicks and views rather than seeking truth.

To a point this works nicely. My parents have commented in amazement about it. My dad watches one of his favorite musicians on his computer and more videos of that musician show up on his phone, on his computer, and on his television. But that can also be dangerous when the same techniques are used to deliver us news or other content that is supposed to contain truth. The thing about truth is that it sometimes rubs us the wrong way. Sometimes it confronts and challenges and stretches us and our first inclination is to change the channel or scroll on by. How does that work out if our computer-driven consumption makes turning from truth not only easy, but the default!?

No wonder, then, that Ephesians 4 turns next to the topic of truth!

Grown-Ups

In stark contrast to immaturity and being tossed to and fro, Paul provides the mature alternative: “BUT, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up…” (v. 15). The first phrase sets off the key difference between immaturity and maturity. Immaturity is distracted and diverted by what is false, but perhaps alluring; maturity is signaled by an earnest desire to speak and hear truth, recognizing that the chief motivation for truth is love.

That truth is not found through the algorithm that serve

TEXT: Ephesians 4:7-8,11-13; Galatians 5:13-14; Psalm 100

This past Friday night Heather and I went down to Columbia to see Abby for parents’ weekend at the University of South Carolina (or as we called it in SC growing up, ‘Carolina’). We went out to a wonderful restaurant and enjoyed visiting over some delicious food and we had a great server. He was attentive, communicative, and one of my favorite things, really encouraging about what I ordered: “Good choice, great choice!” 

That’s one of the things you appreciate in a restaurant, right? Good service. Sometimes if it’s really good it can be invisible so that you can enjoy the setting and the food to the max. But when it’s lacking, you really notice, and that’s not good.

Today we are going to talk about what it means to SERVE as a Christian and as a church. We are not only to serve the Lord with gladness (see our call to worship from Psalm 100), but we also are supposed to serve one another. And that service is one of our core commitments as a church. It’s part of who we are and have been, but also part of who we are becoming as we develop our commitment to GROW, SERVE, STEWARD, and CARE.

In our current series we are grounding those core commitments, that vision, in scripture; and today we will be looking primarily at Ephesians 4:7-13.

God’s Great Gift (vv.7-8)

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (v.7)

The gift of Christ is that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world so that we who were spiritually dead might be made alive, raised up, and seated in Heaven with Christ. God did this because He loves us and in order to show us that He loves us. How do you measure that gift? It’s a BIG gift! That’s the message of Ephesians up to this point and it is the Good News we call the Gospel. This salvation, this resurrection, this being joined to Christ in heaven, is God’s great gift, a gracious gift, grace that EACH ONE of us receives through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Therefore [scripture] says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” (v.8)

Literally, that reads, “He took captivity captive.” The best commentators I have read say that this is describing Jesus’ defeat of sin and death. Jesus broke out of their captivity (for they hold humanity captive) and he not only was free, but took sin and death captive, binding their ultimate power over us. God’s great gift came at the expense of Jesus’ life and through his victorious defeat of sin and death. God has not only raised us up to life and assured us of a home with Him, but Jesus has also shared gifts with us that result from his victory over our former captors, sin and death.

What Other Gifts? (v. 11)

What are the other gifts mentioned in verse 8? Look at verse 11. It begins, “And he gave…”  What follows is just a sampling of gifts Christ has given. He mentions four in terms of a person or leader in the church. The first three exercised leadership broader than a local church. These included apostles, who were specially appointed heralds of news, in this case, the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Prophets were spokespersons for God, not unlike Apostles, but without the special rank and authority of the Apostles. Evangelists were also messengers, bearing the Gospel message in particular, and often traveling to spread that news. The last two items, pastors and teachers, are probably referring to a person or persons who shepherded a local church. These leaders used both gifts in teaching and caring for their “flock.”

It is timely that this passage fell on the Sunday in which we install new elders and deacons for the church. Indeed, God has called SOME of our membership for service in a particular way, just as described here in verse 11. The real point of this passage, however, is not to list and define various leaders in the Church. Rather, it is to talk about the gift of Christ, and specifically gifts that Paul says a

TEXT: Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 3:12-15

Last week we began a Fall series called “Becoming.” We are looking at the core values of our church and some of the scriptures in which they are rooted. Last week we talked about GROWING through the reading and studying of God’s Word and I invited you to commit freshly to the Word.

Today we are going to talk about a second core value at Good Shepherd and that is CARING. Our deacons are one expression of our caring ministry, with their regular outreach to members and to newcomers to the church. But each of us is called to care for one another in love. We are going to look at two scripture passages today that both talk about caring. And while each uses slightly different language for it, both root that caring in the unity we have in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Called for Unity (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Let’s look first at Ephesians 4:1-6. Paul implores his readers to “walk in a manner worthy of their calling.” (v.1) He’ll mention “calling” again in verse 4, where he names our calling in a long list of ‘ones.’ He is stressing the unity of being a Christ-follower.  And Christian unity is the emphasis in these verses. The church in Ephesus was apparently struggling over some division and conflict and Paul is reminding them that they are “one in the Spirit, one in the Lord.”

What does it mean to be ‘called’? I think we over-complicate the idea of calling. We do sometimes use it to describe being “called to ministry.” But I think it’s simpler here. To many Jesus would simply say, “Come, follow me.” He called them – and us – to a purpose and that is to align our lives and purpose with his. Jesus isn’t at cross-purposes with himself. His calling to you and his calling to me will not result in conflict or division; it’s our human selfishness and sinfulness that does that. Rather, there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. If we find ourselves dividing and fighting one another we have veered away from God’s voice.

Paul gets practical. He names a number of characteristics of those who are tuned in to God’s voice and following it faithfully. Paul describes this as “walking in a manner worthy of the calling.” Here he offers no less than five ways to walk or live faithfully with respect to Christ and one another.

We are to live with:

                    Humility                     Gentleness                     Patience                     Tolerance (forbearance) in love                     Peace (bond of unity)

These traits “diligently preserve the unity of the Spirit and bind us together.” (v.3)

Rather than spend our time defining and describing each of those things, I want to do something a little different. So hold on to that list and we are going to add some other things to it from Colossians.

Chosen for Unity (Colossians 3:12-15)

In Colossians 3:12-15, Paul is delivering a very similar message, describing faithful behavior that demonstrates and seeks the unity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Here, instead of ‘calling’ he uses the language of being ‘chosen’.

“As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on….” (v.12) and then he lists another long list of characteristics and behaviors. In verse 15 he ties the chosen language back to the calling language saying, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.”

So here’s the list in Colossians of the traits we should ‘put on’ or wear:

                    Compassion                    Kindness                    Humility                    Gentleness                    Patience                    Forbearance                    Forgiveness                    Love (the perfect bond of unity)                    Peace (our calling)                    Thankful

In fact, all of the traits in Ephesians are mentioned here in Colossians, so we have a pretty thorough list to look at. But here

TEXT: 1 Peter 2:1-3; Hebrews 5:11-14; Psalm 1:1-3

Today we are beginning a fall series organized around the church’s vision priorities of GROW, SERVE, CARE, and STEWARD. These priorities were the basis of reorganizing our session and ministry teams two years ago and help us focus all we do on these core areas of faith and ministry. I want to root this vision in scripture, so am going to preach on each of the themes several times over the next 12 weeks or so.

Just so you can see it in one place, here are the four vision priorities and the way our elders, deacons, and ministries are organized around them. So the STEWARD Team’s big event for the year is the upcoming yard sale. As Mark will tell you, the vision areas are inter-related. He realized last time around that the Yard Sale wasn’t just a fund-raising “steward” opportunity, but also an outreach and connectional GROW event that raises money in SERVICE for our Christmas Shoppe. We don’t want to do things for the sake of doing them, but always want to ask how we can better grow, serve, care, and steward with everything we do.

And those priorities are rooted in scripture! So today I want to look at one of them: GROW. This makes sense on our “Rally Day” when we kick off a new semester of Bible studies and Sunday school classes. We are going to look at the importance of studying God’s word that we might be nourished to GROW.

I want to look at three scripture passages to consider three different examples of why God’s Word is so important.

GROW WITH RESPECT TO SALVATION (1 Peter 2)

The first passage is 1 Peter 2. In this letter Peter writes to those scattered throughout the Mediterranean. He progresses through several themes, but begins with the basics in chapter one, writing about salvation and being “born again” through faith in Jesus Christ. As he begins chapter two he talks about putting aside destructive talk and behavior, like hypocrisy, envy, and slander. And then he says this about scripture: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…” (v.2)

When someone first comes to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, they are born again. That language comes from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. It’s a new start, so complete that it’s a rebirth. And Peter builds on that imagery to say that spiritual newborns need God’s Word like a baby needs its mother’s milk. We need it for survival and to grow. In the case of God’s Word it is that we might grow “in respect to salvation.” Salvation is not just being saved or rescued FROM something (it is that); it also being saved or rescued FOR something. And God’s Word teaches us how to grow into that purpose.

This comparison is especially important if you are new to faith or spiritually young. Note that this doesn’t necessarily correspond to biological age! I’ve known elementary and middle school aged children who are spiritually wise beyond their years. And I’ve known people in their later years who are just coming to faith for the first time. But this is the answer to the question, “I’ve believed in Jesus, what now?” Go be nourished on God’s Word – it is essential for spiritual health and growth!

Specifically what and how? There is no one right answer to that, but I like to point people to the words and actions of Jesus. You can find those in the first part of the New Testament, in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Pick one and read it through. See what Jesus said and did. That’s what we do with the middle-schoolers in Confirmation and it’s always a good place to start learning about faith, salvation, and what it means to follow Jesus.

Our Sunday school classes, whether for adults or youth, are geared in this direction this Fall, particularly the youth class and the adult class that will be watching “The Chosen.” You are warmly invited to come to those and they are appropriate for bringing friends, especially if they are new

TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:34-36; Mark 10:13-16; Romans 16:25-27

Today we come to the last word in our series called “Words Matter.” We’ve been looking at key words in the original languages of the Bible: words like shalom, hesed, sabbath, and hallelujah. It is fitting that the last word we will look at is the one we often use as the last word in our prayers: Amen.

It means ‘truly’ or “let it be so” and it appears frequently in both testaments: 30x in the Old Testament and 127x in the New. Interestingly it’s spelled the same in Hebrew and Greek; more accurately, it is a Hebrew word that was brought into Greek even as it has been brought into English.

Another interesting point: This summer I often found that a word broke down into several uses in scripture and I’d share each one of those with you. For example, sometimes hesed means ‘mercy’ and sometimes ‘compassion.’ What’s interesting about amen is that it’s used in a particular way depending on where you find it in the Bible. In the Old Testament it consistently has one shade of meaning. In the Gospels it is entirely used by Jesus in a slightly different way. And then in the Epistles it is used in a third way. All of them have something to do with truth, but slightly different. We’ll look at that and why amen is an important word for us even now. Let’s dig in!

Affirmation: “This is true”

The first way amen is used in the Bible is as AFFIRMATION. Virtually every usage that I could find in the Old Testament was for this purpose. Our call to worship from 1 Chronicles 16 provides a good example. There is a Psalm or statement about the Lord, often going on to describe who God is and what God has done (this is the purpose of praise, which we looked at last week with hallelujah). And then at the end the people will all say, “Amen.”

Look at the Call to Worship: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (v.34) And then there is a call for God to save His people, followed by more blessing and praise. At the end, when the people say amen, they are saying “This is true!”

This is how we sometime hear it used in a worship service today – at least those of you who “talk back” to the preacher. I or another preacher may say something that strikes you as particularly true or hopeful or even challenging, and sometimes you’ll respond with amen – this is true! Or more in our way of talking: “Yes!”

That’s the first sense of amen – it is a response to something with a “yes, this is true and trustworthy.”

To whom and what to you give this kind of amen in your life? I know the correct answer is Jesus, but what if you were home alone asking yourself this question? Is it your favorite news channel? Is it your politics? Is it an authority figure in your life like a parent, teacher, or preacher? Now back to the church answer… Is there really anyone or anything apart from God that is true and trustworthy enough for an amen? It seems that hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t tell me something is absolutely true because they read it on the internet or “they just know it.” For the believer we should have our eyes and ears open in this world, but we should be holding everything up to the light of God’s Word. What does God say?

The first Amen challenge is this: Figure out who and what you say amen to and weigh its trustworthiness against God and God’s Word. Are you immersed in scripture and prayer and giving your amen to God?

Assertion: “Truly I tell you”

A second usage of amen comes from the Gospels and the words of Jesus. Every usage I found was on the lips of Jesus and instead of coming at the end of things as in the Old Testament, it’s often the first thing Jesus says. Look at our scripture lesson from Mark 10. The disciples were keeping children from Jesus and he told them to let them come. Then he says this in verse 15: “TRULY I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Can yo

TEXT: Psalm 113:1-6; 148:1-6; Revelation 19:4-6

Did you ever sing the song, “Hallelu,” when you were a kid? It’s the first song I teach the preschoolers every year. Partly it’s because the words are so simple. Will you sing it with me if you know it?

Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah; praise ye the Lord.Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah; praise ye the Lord.Praise ye the Lord; Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord; Hallelujah!Praise ye the Lord; Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!

That is essentially Psalm 148. The word ‘hallelu’ is Hebrew for ‘praise ye’. It’s a command, and imperative: (you!) praise. ‘Hallelu-yah’ puts the short version of the Lord’s holy name (Yahweh) onto the end, so: (you) praise the Lord! And it goes on, ‘hallelu’ him all His angels, all His hosts; ‘hallelu’ him, sun and moon, stars of light.

Today we are going to look at Psalm 148, one of several at the end of the Book of Psalms focused on the theme of PRAISE. We’ll also look at a passage from Revelation, at the end of the Bible, also focused on that theme of PRAISE.

Today we will talk about what it means to praise God and see that it is one of the most important activities in which we can participate.

Praise: When, Where, and Why (Psalms 148, 150)

You heard the first part of Psalm 148, which surveys the wide swath of creatures and beings exhorted to praise and giving praise to God. These include angels, heavenly hosts, sun, moon, stars, heavens, waters, kings of the earth, princes and rulers, young men and women, old men and children, and more! All creation is to praise the Lord.

Other Psalms, like Psalm 150, describe the range of location and style. It calls for praise in the sanctuary, in the mighty expanse, and with a range of instruments: trumpet, harp, lyre, timbrel, stringed instruments, pipe, cymbals, and more cymbals! There is dancing, too! And finally, as the last word of Psalm 150 and of all the collection of Psalms, we hear this encompassing charge: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (v. 6)

There’s not much room for confusion there – praise is the activity of all things in all places, for God is worthy. But what exactly IS praise?

What is Praise?

We know what it is to praise another person: “Hey, great game!” or “You look good today!” It’s a kind of compliment or acknowledgment of a positive action or attribute.

When we think about God it is easy to merge together things like thanks, love, and praise. Right? If we say, “I love you, Lord,” that is praise, right?

Psalm 150 provides a great definition of praise in verse 2 when it says, “Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.” I summarize that (in reverse order) as for Who God is and for what He has done. Revelation 19 depicts the multitude gathered in the presence of God in Heaven and there the praise is thunderous, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” (v.6) God is almighty and the Lord reigns in power and glory. It’s who God is and what God has done and is doing!

There is another component of praise that is important to note. Generally, praise is PUBLIC. Just look back at the Psalms. Praise is commanded and practiced in all places, by all things, by all people, with every means possible. While private praise may be possible, it seems evident that one point of praise is that it be heard and witnessed and public.

Praise is where worship and mission meet, for if we are loving and serving God, we will share God’s heart for the world and desire for the world to hear and know that the Lord is God. Our words and actions become a public raising of who God is and what God has done: PRAISE.

Can Stones Really Praise? (Luke 19)

I did not include Luke 19 in our readings today, but as I looked back over previous sermons on praise I found that I had drawn on a scene from that chapter. It is set on Palm Sunday when the crowds and the disciples are welcoming Jes