The Word at Westminster

We’ve devalued words. We’ve all heard the playground chant: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It’s untrue, of course. Words can bruise, and can often leave an (invisible) mark which is much worse. Words can be used in a positive way as well. They can help and inspire. But this is about something more. It is about the actual spiritual power of certain words in certain situations—especially against the powers of darkness. This sermon on Mark 7:31-8:30 looks at four related sections of text which come to a head with Peter’s confession. “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus’ continual battle with the kingdom of darkness (and his location during that critical Q and A) teaches us something about the actual power of words in the unseen realm which is very much real. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words… will change the world. So perhaps we should be a bit more deliberate as we battle under the banner of Christ.

Picture someone you think is hypocritical, a pretender. They say they believe in God, but when you look at what they say and do, there’s no way! Honesty calls. When we think of someone who is hypocritical, how often do we think of ourselves? This isn’t about beating ourselves up. It’s about honest self-evaluation. It’s about sincerity. It’s about growing in Christlikeness with God’s help. So in this sermon you’ll learn 3 quick fixes to rid yourself of all hypocrisy instantaneously. Just kidding! This is serious stuff. Think crock pot not microwave. This sermon unpacks Mark 7:1-30. In this text Jesus responds to attack and criticizes the hypocrisy of some Pharisees and scribes. He also speak with, and then casts out, a demon from the daughter of a Gentile woman. It then takes us through a series of practices and perspectives to help us address the hypocrisy in our own lives as we move toward sincerity. With God’s help let’s strive to “win within.”

Proximity. Noun. “nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation; closeness.” Being in close proximity to the right people in the right situations makes all the difference. If you have a guard dog beside you when you walk through the woods at night, it makes a difference. If a mother visits her daughter when she feels alone and needs to talk to someone she can trust, it makes a difference. If a mentor comes alongside a younger friend while navigating tough issues and people at work, it makes a difference. Proximity to Christ is essential as we face difficulty and danger in life. This sermon (also released as a podcast episode) unpacks Mark 6:45-56, the dramatic story of Jesus walking on water, and his famous words to the fear-filled disciples: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” What if in the midst of your own difficulties and dangers God had a specific word for you too? “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

If only… If only I had fewer problems in my past… If only I was a better speaker… If only I had more influence… then God might use me for something important. Think kind of thinking neglects that God’s ability is bigger than your inability. This sermon on Mark 6:30-44 by Pastor Ruttan unpacks the miraculous feeding of the 5000. It shows us that Jesus is the new and greater Moses, but also something critical about discipleship, especially when we feel unqualified. What was true then remains true today. God uses what you have, not what you wish you had.

In this episode, Pastor Ruttan shares two tips for personal peace in a new year. One is obvious, the second will need some explanation. You can link to the text version here.

A lot has happened in the past 100 years. In 1924 there were 1.9 billion people in the world. Most household didn’t own cars. Over the next 10 decades there would be the great depression, World War Two, a moon landing and the rise of the internet. It makes you wonder what will happen in the next 100 years. One author speculates that artificial intelligence is like a tsunami just off the shore of our human existence. Another media and technology mogul thinks we’ll all have our own advanced personal robots by 2124. The future is the great unknown. In light of all of this, how might the nativity story speak into our collective and individual future which, for many people, feels uncertain, dangerous or scary. This Christmas Eve mini-message by Pastor Ruttan on Christmas Eve offers an answer to that question.

It’s one of the most famous stories ever told: The birth of Jesus. Shepherds, angels, and hostile Inn-keepers have appeared in thousands of Christmas pageants for hundreds of years. But when we hear something so much, we stop hearing it. Instead of paying more attention, we pay less. This episode is an opportunity for you to slow down and go more in-depth with Luke 2:1-20. It is a re-release from 2022. Learn more about Nazareth, the harsh political landscape, historical ambiguity about the census, ancient prophecies, and what it would have been like for Mary. Oh, and there are no donkeys mentioned in the story — sorry! In the words of Matthew Henry, “Long-looked for is come at last.”

The angel told Joseph to name the baby Jesus “for he will save his people from their sins.” What does this mean? Our first thought is often that he will save us from “the consequence of” our sins. And rightly so. He will and he does. On the cross Jesus gets what we deserve, and in turn, we get what he deserves. But Jesus also saves us from “the slavery of” our sins. That’s right. Jesus himself says that whoever practices sin (in an ongoing, repeated and unrepentant way) becomes a slave to it (John 8:34). That Jesus wants good things for us during life (not just in the afterlife) is a much-neglected dimension of the saving work of Christ. This sermon explores Matthew 1:1-25 and unpacks Jesus’ family tree, Mary and Joseph’s engagement, her unexpected pregnancy, the message of the angel to Joseph, and the saving work of Christ.

Join in with this honest prayer during worship by Pastor Ruttan — lifting up to God concerns about ugliness, scariness, fracture and monsters. But also metamorphosis, love and standing valiant for truth.

Give me his head on a platter! And so it happened that the holy man, John the Baptist, was decapitated in prison because of a grudge. This twisted and bloody story is a contrast between two kings and two kingdoms, both then and now. Each day we chose a path in one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and darkness, or the kingdom of God and light. This is why Eugene Peterson says that God forms the church to be a colony of heaven in a country of death. This sermon on Mark 6:14-29 unpacks the darkness of this story, and highlights the contrast between our true King, and the lesser kings of the world. Ultimately, since we are “citizens of heaven” (Phil. 3:20), how might we bring heaven home?