Reformed & Expository Preaching

We are quick to take credit for the things that God does, and fail to see our daily need of the Lord’s mercy. It begins by acknowledging that while we should celebrate God’s redemptive work in our lives, we often overestimate our righteousness and underestimate our brokenness. This self-reliance can lead to arrogance and contempt for others, especially those we deem less worthy or more sinful.

We need to be careful, as we are prone to trust in our own systems, plans, or perceived moral superiority.  The problem with this is that we fail to see our need for Christ and the redemption that he gives us.

Christ drives home this point through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, which contrasts two attitudes in prayer. The Pharisee, confident in his religious achievements, thanks God for his superiority over others.  He is not like the other people so he is distant from the rest by his superiority.

Christ summarizes the tax collector’s prayer, which confesses and relies on the Lord’s mercy.  Jesus’ teaching shocks our expectations: it is the humble, repentant sinner who goes home justified, not the self-assured religious leader. One would think that the pharisee is in the right because he has done all the right things.  However, the point is not about the specific words of prayer, but the posture of the heart.  One needs to see and have a humble reliance on God, and not self-exaltation.  The tax collector is separate because he sees himself as a sinner who needs mercy.  We see the continuation of the parable in Luke 19.

Jesus connects this parable with Jesus’ welcoming the little children.  Children were insignificant in society.  The disciples do not want Jesus bothered by these insignificant ones.  Just as children receive the kingdom with dependence and humility, so must we. The kingdom of God is not earned by status, achievement, or self-sufficiency, but is received by those who recognize their need and come to Christ with childlike trust. In God’s economy, the “nobodies” who humbly seek His grace are the ones truly exalted.

The law of God serves as the standard by which believers are conformed to Christ. The second commandment introduces what we call the Regulative Principle of Worship, which teaches that only elements explicitly commanded by God should be included in worship.

We can distinguish between two regulative principles:

First, the Regulative Principle for Worship means that we include in worship only what God explicitly commands.

Second, the Regulative Principle for Life, which means that in matters of daily life, we are free to do anything not explicitly forbidden, an expression of Christian liberty. We will explore this more fully when we address Christian liberty directly, but in essence, it is the freedom to discern and pursue what is pleasing to the Lord.

In terms of the regulative principle, we see God’s word as central.  The reason is that Scripture is not like any other book.  We believe that Scripture is inspired by God and carried by the Spirit, and is foundational for the life of the church. The preaching of the gospel is not a one-time message but an ongoing means of grace through which God nourishes and strengthens faith. We cannot predict exactly how or when the Spirit will work through this means, but we trust in God’s promise to use it effectively.

The Lord commands the preaching of the Gospel for spiritual growth, in contrast to the temptation to rely on human methods. The preaching of the Gospel is not a one and doe message.  The reason is because Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, equipping believers to grow in the mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16). The lively preaching of the Word, meaning Spirit-empowered rather than merely animated or human ingenuity, is God’s chosen instrument for building faith, regardless of the preacher’s personality or holiness. Ideally, we want a preacher who believes the gospel, seeks to live for Christ, and desires to see Christ glorified.

Worship is ultimately about honoring the Lord, not ourselves. God works through His appointed ministers, and our joy should be in communion with Him as he communes with us, especially in worship.

The book of Acts reports rapid growth in the early church, but this leads to growing pains. In Acts 6, a complaint arises that the Hellenistic Jewish widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. This may be a legitimate concern or reflect a deeper pattern of Israel's history of grumbling. We wonder, what will the apostles do?  Are they too busy in the midst of church planting?  Do they realize that preaching and prayer are not really the solution?

Despite facing persecution and being deeply engaged in preaching, praying, and mission work, the apostles do not dismiss the complaint. Instead, they respond with wisdom and compassion. They recognize the importance of caring for the physical needs of the church and appoint seven men, servants, or what we call deacons from the Greek word servant.  Their job is to oversee this ministry. These men are chosen not only for their availability but for their character: they are to be known, Spirit-filled, wise, and of good reputation. We note that the assumption here is that these men are part of the church.  They are well-known.

This moment in Acts teaches us that church membership matters. The community knew these seven men well enough to nominate them, not merely by name but by their lives. This underscores the importance of belonging to and being known within the body of Christ.  Our Christian conversion is not a one-time one-and-done event.

Acts 6 also provides a balanced vision of the church’s mission. The church is not called to choose between spiritual ministry and physical care. The apostles prioritize both concerns.  They continue in their Gospel preaching and prayer while ensuring the congregation's practical needs are met. Gospel preaching is not a one-time event but an ongoing means of grace that strengthens the saints throughout their lives and the Lord’s ordained means intended to be administered throughout the ages.

Finally, the church must embody the compassion of the gospel. The ordaining of deacons reflects God's heart for the vulnerable, and the church’s mission continues as it proclaims the gospel and lives it out in acts of love and mercy.

Rev. Austin Britton summarizes the significance of the Holy Spirit for the Christian life from Ephesians 5:1-21.

Idolatry is not limited to literal, tangible idols but encompasses anything we trust in more than or alongside God. The catechism defines idolatry as anything that hinders our faith, including sorcery, superstitious rites, prayer to saints, and other creatures. Isaiah emphasizes that God’s uniqueness shows the absurdity of idolatry. In fact, we might be tempted to think that we are not that idolatrous because we still trust in God.  This is why it is so important that the catechism reminds us that we can trust in something alongside God.

We need to remember that God creates man in his image.  The problem with idolatry is that we want to make god in our image.  So, we put ourselves in the place of God and fail to submit to God.  We like to have a god who is somewhat fallen, a god less than perfect, a god who is pleased with us as we define what pleases him.  We can think that in our own clever way, we can create a god that we can please, showing that we are just a little more elite than someone else. Or we can have this god protect us as we define his protection and power.

We do this because we do not want to bow down to the true God.  If we bow to the true God, then we would have to submit to the true God.  We would have to concede that we are not God. This is not easy for fallen creatures to do.  We want to please the gods of our making, protect the god that we value, and see that we really can ultimately be gods because we create gods that bend to our will.

Isaiah highlights the absurdity of idolatry, showing how it leads to deception and a life of abomination. The solution lies in recognizing the true God’s power and promises.  There is only one God who can make the radical promise of the Gospel.  There is only one God who established HIs radical promise. You see, God does not just assert what he will do for his people, but he does it.  He is the shield and defender who goes before his people.  If man would come to his senses, he would see that the god he made was consumed by fire.  This is the god who used to cook his meal.  Now, after cooking with his god, there is less of that god because this man-made god does not endure.  Man’s man-made god can be consumed.  Isaiah begins and ends with the glorious call to see that our God redeems. Our God is not consumed by fire, but is the consuming fire.  This is the God who pours out his Pentecost fire on his people, and empowers his people to service as he unites us to our savior.  He seats us in the heavenly places.

God, our redeemer and Lord, shapes and molds us in His image. Let us live for His honor and glory.

The Kingdom of God is both a present spiritual reality and a future physical hope. Jesus challenges any expectations that we might have when to think the Kingdom must be a visible, tangible, and worldly reign. Instead, the Kingdom is among us now—spiritually present in Christ’s ministry and advancing through the faithful witness of His Church.

Like in the days of Noah and Lot, life goes on as usual until sudden and decisive judgment comes. This tension between the “already” and the “not yet” calls us to live faithfully amid a broken world, persevering in prayer and trust. This precedent communicates how the kingdom functions. There is a time when we enjoy life as we know it, and then one day, without warning, there is judgment.  So the people in Noah’s day lived, and then the flood came.  People in Lot’s day lived, and then the judgment came.

The thing to remember is that it seems the judgment is executed without notice.  This is not true. Noah built an ark, testifying to the coming judgment.  Lot had visitors, and Lot fled the city to avoid judgment. There is always enough unrest in this world to remind us that this world is not a safe place. This world needs to be healed, recreated, and ultimately glorified.  This creation will not reach its potential until the Lord returns.

Christ is communicating that this is our expectation in the kingdom.  Life seems normal as any other day, and then there is a radical change.  Christ confirms or establishes the kingdom in his arrival.  Christ enters history to establish the kingdom.  However, the kingdom is not verified by any sort of scientific validation.  This is why we should not listen to people who claim that the kingdom of God is here or there.  The reality is that only God knows when the kingdom’s full glory will be manifested.

The citizens in the kingdom are those who recognize their need for God’s mercy and justice, not those who rely on their own power or status. Jesus warns us to be watchful, for when He returns, He will separate those who belong to Him from those who do not.

As we await the full coming of the Kingdom, we are called to endure, to seek justice, and to hold fast to faith—so that when the Son of Man returns, He will find us ready, persevering, and steadfast.

We welcome Rev. Austin Britton to our pulpit as Pastor Lindemulder enjoys a week off.

We welcome Rev. JJ Matandika to our pulpit while Rev. Lindemulder enjoys a week off.

When we examine baptism, we normally think that one professes Christ, and then that person is baptized.  This would make the sign a sign of faith.  We can assume that when Peter calls Israel to repent and he says, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  (Acts. 2:39). We can claim that those who are far off are those who eventually come to faith as the Gospel spreads out.  The ones who are far off are those who will hear the gospel, receive Christ, and then be baptized.

It is true that we can take this view of Baptism if we only look at Acts 2:39.  We could say just from Acts that this is a problem for those who receive the Gospel.  However, what happens when we start expanding the sign to be a sign of the covenant community?  What if we see the sign as more than just a sign of my new life? What if we consider some of the pregnant promises that Peter calls to our attention from the Old Testament?

When we ask these questions, we see that the sign is not a sign of my faith, but a sign that is given to the community.  It is given to the house of Israel or the house of the wrestling ones.  God gives this sign to his people to testify to the truthfulness of his promise.  He promised to overcome death, Christ entered history to overcome death, Christ is seated on the right hand of the Father, and therefore we see that this sign given to the household of faith, the church, is the sign that testifies that God’s people overcome in Christ.

We can see this because Peter cites the Old Testament throughout his Pentecost sermon, communicating that Christ is the confirmation/fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.  The very promise of the gospel given to Abraham, signified in circumcision, is the sign of Christ’s work.  He is the one who is cut off.  Baptism is the sign that looks back to Christ’s victory as circumcision looks ahead to the coming seed of the woman.  Baptism is a sign that testifies that Christ has been consumed in the death waters, but death could not hold him.  Baptism testifies that Christ and His covenant people have moved from death to life in Christ’s historic work.

This is why children are exhorted to obey their parents.  This is why Paul even appeals to the fifth commandment in his household codes.  The intention of the covenant community continues.  God works in the context of the church and the Christian household, even if only one parent professes faith; otherwise, your children would be unclean. (1 Corinthians 7:14).

So, we baptize infants because our God is a consistent God who works in the context of a community.  It is a sign that testifies that the Spirit is at work in the pilgrim people on this earth.  it testifies to a new family comprised of Jew and Gentile.  It is a sign that testifies that God’s people have moved from death to life in Christ Jesus.  It is a sign that ultimately calls us to look to our savior and his victorious work of securing our victory over death.

Mary Magdalene goes out early in the morning to show her love for Christ.  We know from Luke’s gospel that she heads out with the other women to prepare Christ for burial.  John records for us that she went out alone or at least he does not tell us that she is with the other women.  John wants us to hear Mary’s testimony alone.

She runs to the disciples and reports to them that Jesus is not in the tomb.  The assumption is that grave robbers have stolen him, which is not a far-fetched assumption considering her day.   Peter and John race each other, and John reminds us that he is a better athlete because he arrives at the tomb first, but Peter is either foolish or highly confident because Peter runs right into the tomb without any regard for his safety.  If grave robbers were in the tomb, that could have ended really badly for Peter.  They notice something that Grave Robbers would never do, in fact, anyone who has teenagers knows this would be out of character, the grave clothes are folded and sorted.  Why would a grave robber take time to do that?  Why would a grave robber even bother to take off the linen wrapping, let alone fold it up?  They realize that something magnificent has happened.  They realize that Christ has been raised.

Mary has encountered the resurrected Christ.  She thought he was the thieving gardener.  However, when she realizes it is Christ, she knows that he is her rabbi, her teacher, and her Lord.  She clings to him, but she must realize that while we are called to cling to Christ, our ultimate assurance is that Christ clings to us.  Christ must ascend to the Father, where he goes to prepare our eternal dwelling.  Ultimately, as Christ ascends to heaven, to know that his kingdom, prophetic promises, and ultimate victory is secured.  Death has been definitively defeated in Christ.

The disciples might realize that Christ is risen, but it is not too long after this that we find them locked in a room.  The first time Christ encounters them is on the first day of the week.  He proves to him that it is Christ as they touch his hands and his side.  It is 8 days later they are in the locked room once again.  Thomas is there and he exclaims, “My Lord and My God!”  When he realizes that Christ is raised, securing the eternal passage to glory, confirming the Lord’s promises, and is definitively our shield and defender.   How often do we trust the security of the locked door and fail to recall the Lord’s protection of his people in Egypt, the Wilderness, in Exile, and even in the midst of the turmoil in Acts.

The Lord’s people never fall out of his hand, no matter what they face, even in the turmoil of martyrdom.  We are one-dimensional in our view, and fail to comprehend living a life in this age while seated with Christ in the heavenly places.  Praise be to God that we live in his Shalom kingdom, he is our shield and defender, and he leads us through the valley through the shadow of death.  Ultimately, the turmoil we desired for ourselves in the fall, God overcame in his resurrection victory.

Truly, Peace be with you!  Our Lord is risen!  He has overcome!  His kingdom is established.