A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 12:9-13 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN

1. What is your understanding of hospitality? What does hospitality look like today in our culture? How does it differ from Biblical/eastern understanding?
2. Who should be the central concern in hospitality?
3. How does trust in God spur us towards hospitality?
4. Why does Paul write, "Share with the Lord's people who are in need" and then "Practice hospitality"?
5. How does hospitality change the relationship between two people?

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Let's now turn our attention to the second image for the Holy Spirit in this text, a "deposit guaranteeing our inheritance". To wrestle with this image, we need to remember that salvation is much more than just a free 'get out of jail' card, jail being this earth and freedom being heaven. In the Bible salvation is always so much more.

The Biblical image for salvation is rooted in Israel's exodus from Egypt. Certainly, God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt. What is often not mentioned is that he set them free for a purpose. In Exodus 19, God says, "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (5,6).

Here we are squarely in the arena of obedience, which, as we have noted, is the domain of the Holy Spirit. But we also see a much larger vision of God's redemption. Israel will be God's treasured possession, not for Israel's sake, but for the sake of the world. This treasured possession is God's beacon through which he will redeem the entire world for himself.

Paul adds a new dimension in Ephesians 4 writing that when the Christians were saved, they were taught "to be made new in the attitude of [their] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (23-24). This language picks up the words of Genesis 1 in which God creates us in his image, stewards of his creation. Salvation's purpose is to restore us so that we can fulfill our original purpose.

But this does not happen the moment we come to believe in Jesus. This will not be fully realized until the work of redemption is complete with Jesus' return. The Spirit is God's deposit guaranteeing that he will finish this work. And he is at work now, in each of us. The Heidelberg Catechism addresses this several times.

In answer 53 we learn that the Holy Spirit "has been given to me personally, so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings, comforts me, and remains with me forever." When the student wonders why we must do good, the teacher replies, "we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us" (A 86). Sounds like our text.

The HC is even more pointed in its teaching on the Sabbath. The second half of the answer is often missed, but I think is the most important part. To keep Sabbath means "that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath" (A 103).

Elsewhere the Catechism teachers write that "by the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand" (A 49).

As the Spirit moves into our lives, we change. We become less tied to this present evil age and long increasingly for the fullness of God's shalom. As a deposit, the Spirit awakens in us a deep longing for a world as it should be. As we look forward to the new heavens and earth, we live more and more like the people who will populate the redeemed creation.

Over this coming weekend, allow the Spirit to test your longings. Let him change them.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:7-10).

The Bible is filled with instruction on the use of our words. The words we speak hold great power. Power to loose or to bind (Matt 16:19), the power to profess or to profane (James 3:9-10,), the power of life and death (Prov 18:21). David cries out, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" (Ps 141:3). He understood the power of the spoken word and the difficulty involved in taming the tongue.

Although we are able to tame wild animals, we cannot ever tame our tongue. But! The tongue can be brought under the power and the control of the Holy Spirit if we submit our words to Him. A woman once came to John Wesley and said that she knew what her talent was. "I think that my talent from God is to speak my mind" she told him. Wesley replied, "I don't think God would mind if you buried that talent." God doesn't want us to simply speak whatever passes through our mind. Such talk is "a restless evil, full of deadly poison." God wants us to submit our speech to Him in order that we would bless and not curse, lift up and not tear down.

When I was a child there was a saying that was often used on the schoolyard. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" Although I have been surrounded by neighbourhood children for the last decade I have not once heard that saying uttered. And that is good. There is a deep untruth to those words. The hope of an encouraging word or the wound left by a hurtful word are both very real and can penetrate our heart deeper than many a physical injury.

What words do you use when you speak to a friend, or a family member? How about when you are speaking to or about a person or group that you don't agree with, who has wronged you or someone else or who rubs you the wrong way? How do you speak to those of a different faith, a different denomination or who are questioning or even outright opposing Jesus? Do you treat all people as image bearers of God with the words you speak?

Jesus says, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Paul too understood this mystery, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Eph 4:29).

Today, listen to the words you speak to others and how you speak about others. Do you catch yourself saying hopeful, helpful, encouraging and loving words? Do you speak accusing, blaming, bitter or condemning words? Maybe your point of view is the "right" one, but maybe being right is not the point of our speech. Maybe we should listen to James, to David, to Jesus, to Paul. Our words come from what is deep within us, with the power to hurt or to heal, to praise or to curse. How will you choose to use your words today?

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14)

We continue our reflections on the Holy Spirit rooted in these words from Ephesians 1 relaying that the Holy Spirit is a seal and 'a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession.'

You might have noticed in the text, Paul says, 'the promised Holy Spirit.' He is indicating that before Jesus came God made a promise that the Spirit would come. There is something important to consider regarding this. Before Jesus came, the Holy Spirit only descended upon certain people and rarely remain on them. He was kind of flighty if you will.

The clearest illustration of this is in Numbers 11, in which Moses complains about his difficult and lonely job of leading Israel. God responds by taking some of the "Spirit" that is on him and giving it to 70 elders. When they received the Spirit, "they prophesied, but did not do so again" (25). It appears to be a temporary filling of the Spirit.

But there is more, two of the appointed elders had not come to the appointed place where this was to take place. They still received the Spirit. Joshua, Israel's leader in training, tells Moses to rebuke them. In reply, Moses says, "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (29).

As we journey with Israel through the rest of the Old Testament, we find that this 'wish' of Moses catches hold until finally through Ezekiel God says to all Israel, "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (36:27); and through Joel, "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days" (2:28-29).

It seems to me that the church has emphasized the words of Joel over the words of Ezekiel. But I think that they need to be held together. We like the spectacular, its flashy. But as Eugene Peterson has reminded the church, the Christian life is "a long obedience in the same direction". The Corinthian church was splintering at the seems because the Christians were all obsessed with the flashy and spectacular gifts of the Spirit. In response Paul writes, "Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way" (12:31).

What is this most excellent way? It is the way of love as explored in the great love chapter. Again, its unfortunate that this chapter is often only heard at weddings. It is great there. But its intention is for the church. We are to live it among ourselves and beyond. It is the way of the Spirit. The Spirit is our director in the 'long obedience in the same direction' of love.

In the confessions of our church, we are taught that, "To be washed with Christ's blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ's blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ's Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life" (Heidelberg Catechism 70).

This is echoed here, "We believe that this true faith, produced in us by the hearing of God's Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit, regenerates us and makes us new creatures, causing us to live a new life and freeing us from the slavery of sin" (Belgic Confession 24).

Moses' wish became reality at Pentecost and remains the way of things today. The Spirit has no intention of being flashy, but rather, as Ezekiel said, 'to move us to follow God's decrees and be careful to keep his laws.'

To this end we are sealed with the Spirit. Despite regular setbacks, the Spirit will prevail. We hope not in ourselves but in the Holy Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

These were Jesus' final words to His followers before He was taken up to heaven. "You will be my witnesses" He said to them. A witness is someone who has personal knowledge of something or Someone. One who gives a testimony, who tells the story of what they have seen, heard or experienced. Every follower of Jesus has a story to tell. Every believer has a personal testimony of how through the working of the Holy Spirit they have been set free, forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, accepted, adopted. We are a display of Jesus as we go through the motions of our days.

We were not created to be silent, but to share the good news of Jesus with others as we feel the Spirit's prompting to do so. Now for many there is a silence or a backing away that happens at this point. "I'm not an evangelist. That's the pastors and elder's job. I don't know how to share Jesus with someone. It's not my gift." And on and on we often go. In formulating these excuses however, we undermine the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian witness. The Holy Spirit works in and through us to spread the good news of Jesus, that salvation is only found through Him. If we miss this, we have missed the whole point.

We cannot on our own be a witness of Christ to unbelievers. Our words would betray us, our actions profane us or our attitude convict us because we are sinful people who live in a sinful generation. But because the Holy Spirit makes His home in us, we can be a witness to what we have experienced in Christ. "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15).

A priority in our lives should always be to set our hearts as the place where Christ is fully honoured as Lord and Saviour, submitting to His rule in our lives. The role of the Holy Spirit in this passage cannot be over emphasized. God can do His work in and through anyone He chooses. When we are in submission to the Lordship of Christ, He changes us through the working and the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who see us will see a difference, a set apartness, a hope. That hope is our Christian witness. Do we live out of fear and dread, or with the hope and knowledge of who we are in Christ, in whom our hope lies, and our freedom and eternal destiny is secured?

If you knew that a conversation or a series of conversations would be the seed that would in time blossom into a faith in Christ for someone, would you be more inclined to have that conversation, knowing that God was working through you to bring that person to salvation? I can personally testify to the power of Christian witness. My friends in high school didn't have all the answers I was looking for in those years, but they also chose not to keep silent about their faith. How they lived and what they spoke were in line with one another and with the Word of God. The Holy Spirit was already working when I met them, and their witness caused the seed to grow in me.

When we step out in faith and in witness, we may not have all the right words, or know all the answers. But be sure that the Holy Spirit will put words in your mouth and a prayer on your heart as you do. Perhaps your witness is to the ends of the earth. Perhaps your witness is found on your sidewalk at home, in your neighbour's cubicle at work, or on a friend's front porch. Wherever it is, know that God works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure. He will see to completion all that He has purposed.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Let us return to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the divine Trinity. In theology classes, we usually distinguished between the character and the work of the Spirt. In these devotions, I am not interested in such matters. Rather, I am attempting to explore with you, what the scriptures reveal about the Spirit. I hope that over the past month you have noticed several things. The Spirit is present from the very beginning, at creation, deeply involved in God's creative work. Also, that the Spirit is powerful, He is no minor member of the Trinity. Finally, it seems to me that the Spirit is deeply involved with the Christian. We cannot be Christians without the wonderful work of the Spirit.

My main point has been and continues to be: the Holy Spirit, creative and powerful, involved in God's work from the very beginning is now at work in you and me and all who believe in Jesus. That is the part of the good news of the gospel.

In my last devotion on the Holy Spirit, I began some reflections on the Spirit as the seal of redemption. Let's continue with this particular work of the Spirit exploring some implications for the believer. As mentioned recently, being sealed by the Spirit removes fear, we do not have to fret that we can lose our salvation, our status as citizens of God's kingdom or our identity as a child of God. Let us dig a little deeper.

The Holy Spirit as seal of redemption is a sign of protection. Let me tell a story. It is said that Alexander the Great once sent an emissary bearing his seal to Egypt. The man travelled without weapons or military escort. His only protection was the seal of the great conqueror. When he met the ruler of Egypt, the mighty king stood in his royal splendour with the army of Egypt behind him. The emissary ordered the king, "Cease hostilities against Alexander's interest."

Hoping to save face, the king said he would consider this and let him know. Alexander's man drew a circle in the dirt around the King's feet and said, "Do not leave this circle without informing me of your response." The king had an entire army at his back. The emissary was alone and unarmed. Yet, the Egyptian could not touch him because he bore the seal of Alexander. To touch him was to touch Alexander. To anger him was to anger Alexander. Realizing this, he said, "Tell Alexander he has his request."

If you have time, reread that story, listen to it again. God has the same relationship with us. We carry God's seal. If somebody does something to one of his, it effects God. God will not stand by as if it does not matter. This does not mean that we will never be harmed by unbelievers. But it does mean that anyone who does harm a Christian will be held accountable. This is one of the aspects of the final judgement that we read about rather often in the Bible. Justice will be had.

Connected to this is another element of being sealed with the Spirit, namely that God is committed to us. Later in this letter, Paul will write that we are "sealed for the day of redemption" (4:30). This 'day of redemption' is a term used to describe the day of Christ's return. That is the day that His work of redemption will be completed. Through his death and resurrection and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit, Jesus saved us from our sin. The Spirit works out the fruit of that redemption in us, leading us away from sinful behaviours towards a character, an attitude and a way of life that is in harmony with the ways of God's Kingdom. That work will be completed on the 'day of redemption'.

The Spirit as seal of redemption gives us a sense of security. He is God's pledge that God himself will finish the work of redemption in us. He will not leave or forsake us! Are you struggling to live the Christian life? Of course, you are, we all are. The Spirit as seal, reminds us all that God is more deeply invested in our progress then we ourselves are. That's good news. More about that next time.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Isaiah 41:10 from the New International Version of the Bible. There are no Dive In questions today. We do not ask that from a guest preacher.

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Lately, I have been mulling over this verse. What does it mean to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God? Just before Canada Day there were more graves discovered near a residential school in B.C. It may seem easier to pray and allow others who are "more invested" do their part in perpetrating justice and preventing further injustice. But prayer alone, although this is much needed and one tenant of faith that God calls us to at this time, will not dampen the grief, nor remove the trauma of residential school survivors and their families. Pastor Michael offered three suggestions on Wednesday from an article on how to move forward from where we are. Truth telling, right teaching and action taking.

Today, I want to look at the biblical foundation and discipline of justice. The root of biblical justice starts in Genesis 1 when humans are set apart from every other creature as the image of God. God's representatives that rule the world. All people were created equal before God and have the right to be treated in equity, dignity, and fairness. But Adam and Eve rebelled against God, causing sin to enter the world. People started to take advantage of one another. In the biblical story this happens on a personal level, in families, in communities and entire people groups that perpetrate injustice, especially towards those who are vulnerable.

The root of the biblical word for justice has to do with doing good and correcting oppression. The Hebrew word for justice is mishpat. It can refer to retributive justice, such as we find in our judicial system, and in many examples throughout the Bible. And yes, we can pray for retributive justice for those in the wrong. Often in the Bible mishpat refers to restorative justice. That means taking the extra step to seek out and help those who are being and have been treated inequitably or unjustly. It also means taking steps to advocate for vulnerable populations and individuals and to prevent injustice. And it means too, seeing each individual as a person with a story to tell and a worth of great importance.

And justice is often found paired with the word righteousness which refers to right relationships between people. That is, treating others as God's image bearers, worthy of dignity and respect. Biblical righteousness is a form of social justice in which the givers benefit from giving as much as or even more than the recipients. What do we have to learn from indigenous individuals who have a story to tell? Biblical justice involves both a lifting up into a place of honour and a restoration for those in the place of injustice.

The community I live in, the Crown Point community, has the highest population of indigenous people in Hamilton. There are several Band houses on my street and one of my children's best friends is indigenous as well. These individuals are further removed from this tragedy that has occurred, but their grief is no less real for the community for which they represent.

I think that we can see how loving mercy and walking in humility with God are intimately linked with acts of justice. The word "mercy" comes from a Latin word which means "price paid." Jesus paid the price for all of the legacy of injustice of humankind one to another, coming to earth, forgiving us and dying for us all. Jesus, a gift from God to us. Now God declares us righteous not because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus did for us. When we seek righteousness and justice for others we are humbling ourselves before the vulnerable among us and showing mercy to fellow image-bearers of Christ, those in the indigenous communities, in the incredible hope that one day, all things will be made new.

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength (Acts 9:17-19).

I am pausing my reflections on the Holy Spirit for one day. As many of you are doing, I find myself grieving over the revelations of so many bodies buried on the grounds of residential schools. These revelations raise significant questions caused by shock and horror. How can this be? How could the church have been so deeply involved?

And then, of course, how can we move forward? How can the devastating consequences of what happened at these schools be overcome? How can we as a country possibly get to a place where this does not keep raising its ugliness? More importantly, how can the church live in such a way as to redeem her image in our country? How can we be Christ's ambassadors of reconciliation in a context in which the church is guilty of such tremendous abuse?

An article in Christianity Today by Jennifer Singh, from Alberta, offered some suggestions. These were given to her by indigenous people in her congregation. I want to share them with you today.

First, "end the silence around residential schools among the wider Canadian public; pay attention and really listen to the stories of survivors". This, I think, is rooted in the Biblical value on truth and truth telling. One of the ten commandments is, "Do not lie." And also, "The truth will set you free", Jesus said. We need to take the time to listen to indigenous people, willing to hear their pain, if not firsthand, then at least second-hand accounts. This will take time, patience, and empathy.

Second, "since people are not born racist, 'Stop teaching people how to be racist.' In other words, work to resist and reverse the sense of inferiority and cultural genocide the First Nation people have been subjected to." There are so many ways in which we stereotype people, seeing them only as part of a group. If we take Psalm 139 seriously for ourselves, then we need to honour others by taking it seriously for them too. If we are pro-life, then we need to see and hear each indigenous person as an individual not reduce them to a stereotype. We must learn not to speak and think in ways that reduce people in anyway. Can we accept the reality that we might be teaching children to be racist?

Third, "since 94 Calls to Action came out of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, take these actions, some of which pertain to finding the remains of missing children and advocating for equal treatment". How many of us knew that this report included such actions? I had not taken the time to look at this report well enough to know this. I could have.

In the article, Dr. Singh refers to Acts 9. She writes, "We rarely highlight the character of Ananias in this story, but this is the character my congregants identify with. And they see Saul as a representative of how the church has treated them. Though God could have healed Saul's blindness without human help, God chose Ananias, one of Saul's potential victims, to come near to him, to touch him, and to complete his healing."

"The victim heals the perpetrator."

Will we allow this? Can we humble ourselves enough to receive from Canada's first nations people?

Tomorrow is Canada Day. There will be no Wilderness Wanderings. But there is plenty here for us to pray about. I suspect it will take more than two days for the Spirit to search our hearts about these things.

These things also include incredible hope here. Let us pray with hope for our country.

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matt 22:37-39

Service is embedded in the second greatest commandment, to "Love your neighbour as yourself." So, what exactly does that mean? The interpretations of this sentence could be numerous, but what it comes down to is that service is being the hands of Christ by offering our resources, our time, our gifts and even our influence to nurture others, administer justice, protect and care for others.

When I think of the word service the first image that pops into my mind is that of Jesus washing his disciples feet. Pure and honest humility. When He has finished, He asks His disciples "Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:12-17)

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." Luther had it right. Service is a soul generated by love. Love for all the people of the earth, whether rich or poor, black or white, man or woman or anyone else.

At the root of service is the ability to see another person as a human being worthy of love, respect, and honour. Jesus saw His disciples, not as lowly or outcasts of society, but as respectable men of honour. Men with whom honour wasn't resplendent when Jesus called them, but through His example, His teaching and His service, like the washing of their feet, they grew to become more than they could have ever imagined. All because Jesus "saw" them and their stories and loved them anyway. Love your neighbour as yourself.

What does it mean practically to love your neighbour as yourself? It often means leaving your comfort zone in order to risk yourself in the act of service. Like some of the other disciplines, service can be a vulnerable place. One in which you see what is really inside of yourself and whether you are willing to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Service invites us into a place where interruptions aren't a bother, but an opportunity to do good towards others.

Some among us serve throughout the city for organizations and that is valuable and necessary in order for Christ to be displayed in our Christian community and community at large. For others that may not be presently possible, and service might be as simple as walking across the street or across the hallway and asking someone how you can help them today and taking time to check in with them. You might be surprised by the answer.

Service is not a way to measure up, pay our Christian "dues" or as something to lord over others or to act as a replacement for reading the Word of God and intimacy with God. Service is reaching out to others with the radical love of Christ and not worrying about what others think of us in the process. As we follow Jesus with increasing intimacy, service becomes the norm and not something we have to search out, because where Jesus is, there His Spirit is also.