Redemption Hill Church

This Sunday we will continue to root ourselves in Ephesians 4:1-16 as we look at the calling on the church in this world. We live in the tension of the already/not yet nature of Christ’s work and Kingdom. Until Jesus returns, He moves through His people to reach people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. So, we get to be part of that work! It’s not always easy, though. Following Jesus doesn’t give us a free pass to Heaven or a chance to skip over the suffering, struggle, or temptation of the world we live in. Ephesians 4:15-16 give us an idea of the contrast between immaturity and maturity in Christ. It’s a timely passage for us. 

Through the month of August we will help the people of RHC see how they are called to ministry and mission as individuals who are part of a church, and call them all to fight against the draw toward passive spectating.

Through the month of August we will help the people of RHC see how they are called to ministry and mission as individuals who are part of a church, and call them all to fight against the draw toward passive spectating.

We will begin our work together in Ephesians 4:11-16 and see how the themes of that passage pull together threads that extend throughout Scripture. It’s important for us to have a good view of how God gifts people, what each of us is called to as followers of Jesus, and how God works by the Spirit to do His work through us.

As we continue to see the supremacy of Christ over all things, we now turn to the blood of the sacrifices. We have already seen that Jesus is the better High Priest and the better Tabernacle. One of the unique duties of the High Priest was to enter into the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle (later the Temple) once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat, atoning for the sin of God’s people. Blood is a central theme for both Judaism and Christianity. We will take a look at why that is, and what it means that the blood of Jesus Christ is a better atonement for us than any other sacrifice can offer.

Ben Bechtel is the Pastor of Preaching at Midtown Community Church in Harrisburg, PA, a church Redemption Hill supports. He and his wife Whitley met in college and live in Midtown with their two daughters, Piper and Georgia, and two Labrador Retrievers. He preached out of Psalm 13 and showed us how David cried out to God in the midst of suffering as an example to us when we are wrestling through the difficulties of life.

Every one of us wonders at times if God sees us, hears us, or is at all present with us. Even in our Bibles there are times that God’s presence and direction are very clear, and other times when He seems to be silent, at least from the perspective of those on earth. As we continue to see how Jesus is the true and greater fulfillment of the Old Covenant, we will turn our attention to the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a tent, a mobile worship center for God’s people for generations, from the time they left Mt. Sinai until Solomon built a Temple. The Tabernacle itself points to Jesus and anticipates the need each one of us has to know that God is with us. 

We will take a look at the concept of covenant. The Bible’s storyline is made up of a series of covenants that God made with His people. The Law is part of the covenant God made through Moses at Mount Sinai, and the author of Hebrews argued that it has been superseded by the ultimate covenant promise in Jesus Christ. That raises a couple of important issues for us. First, how do we know that we can trust God’s Word and God’s promises? And how do we understand how the Bible fits together? Why do some covenants continue and others stop? Why do Christians eat bacon and shrimp, and wear mixed-fabric clothing, when those are outlawed in the Sinai covenant? Let’s get into it in this sermon!

This Sunday we will take a brief break from Hebrews and hear from one of our Elders, Joel Kornegay. Joel is a military chaplain who is ordained in the EFCA. I’m excited to hear him preach from 2 Timothy 4:1-5.  It is a charge to remain steadfastly focused on the clear, authoritative, inerrant Word in the midst of unsound teaching and unhealthy echo chambers that surround us. As we continue to head toward a contentious election season, there will be all kinds of voices trying to manipulate and distract us. Paul’s charge to Timothy is a timely word for us. 

We have heard the name Melchizedek over and over during the past few weeks. The preacher in Hebrews even paused to give some warnings in case we weren’t ready to go so deep as the theology was about to get. This week we get to it. We will see what made this mysterious figure Melchizedek so great. He only appears in one place in the whole Bible, Genesis 14. The passage shows us that Jesus is greater than the entire priesthood. He is our ultimate High Priest. Praise God that His priestly role is not based on the Law and religious systems prescribed in Leviticus, but Jesus is a better promise, a better hope, and a better guarantee of God’s covenant promises to us.  

After a hard warning at the start of the chapter, the author of Hebrews turns to an example of patience in waiting for God’s promises. While there are plenty of examples throughout Scripture, there may be none better than Abraham. If you were with us at RHC this past fall, this will be familiar because we spent a few months studying Abraham’s life together. We will see how Abraham gives us an example of patience and perseverance in the ups and downs of life.