Ruth 2 introduces Boaz who makes Ruth feel lucky. She was lucky to come to his part of the field because he did not make excuses to turn a blind eye but saw her and had compassion upon her. She was lucky to come to his part of the field because he not only satisfied the letter of the law, narrowly interpreted, but went far above and beyond that. Actually there is no such thing as luck, it was the providence of God that brought her to the worshiping congregation where she could feel lucky, whereas in another field she might have been assaulted.


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Labels: church, law, luck, moab, providence, ruth

Ruth 1 leads us to reflect on this snowy day on the radical commitment of church membership -- a radical commitment to one another. The passage shows many contrasts. Bethlehem means "House of Bread" and Moab is the people who would not give Israel any bread when they came out of Egypt. The church is where we feast on the bread of life. Ruth and Orpha are another contrast. Here is where we see the text as a challenge to radical commitment -- marriage like commitment to one another. And then Ruth and Naomi are contrasts as well. Ruth as a type of Gentiles coming to Christ and Naomi as a type of the Jews coming to Christ. Both Jews and Gentiles coming together to form one church.

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Labels: bread, church, Gentiles, membership, moab, ruth

Ephesians 4:1-16 highlights the metaphor of a body growing up to describe the church. The church is a called people who have received a gift. The church is the saints who do the work of ministry. The church builds up one another. This message spells out the role of the equipping pastor (teaching shepherd) and how that relates to the roles of the other parts of the body of Christ in building one another up. Josiah was a visual aid for this message.

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Labels: church, grace, pastor, Spiritual gifts

Ephesians 2:11-22 interprets many of the common passages we hear around Christmas and Easter in the light of Christ. The point is that Jesus is our peace, that He has made peace between us and God (and thus also made peace between Jews and Gentiles), and that He published peace through the apostles. We looked first at the Gentile Christians and then at the Jewish Christians and then saw that Paul's point was there is one new man. In fact, we are not Christians separately but only together. Likewise, we are not members of the youth group first or members of this organzation or that committee, we are not young or old first, we are not adult converts or children of the covenant first: we are Christians first.

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Labels: church, Gentiles, peace, unity

Ezekiel 37:15-28 adds one new emphasis to what Ezekiel has been saying: unity. The restoration from exile would not restore two kingdoms but one (like in the days of King David), with one God. These verses point us to the work of Jesus Christ who is Lord and King over one people (not just over the Jewish people of the southern and northern kingdoms, but even over the Gentiles) because of His greater exile on the cross and His greater restoration from exile in the resurrection. And Jesus has poured out the Spirit on His people so that we can be with the one God as one nation. This nation knows no national boundaries, but consists of Christians throughout the world whose citizenship is in heaven. Unity is impossible with those who do not have the Spirit, those who have not experienced an initial sanctification by the Spirit, those who are not united to Christ. But salvation is the restoration of communion with God through union with Christ by the Spirit in our hearts.

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Labels: church, ezekiel, king, spirit, union with Christ, unity

Ezekiel 37:15-28 adds one new emphasis to what Ezekiel has been saying: unity. The restoration from exile would not restore two kingdoms but one (like in the days of King David), with one God. These verses point us to the work of Jesus Christ who is Lord and King over one people (not just over the Jewish people of the southern and northern kingdoms, but even over the Gentiles) because of His greater exile on the cross and His greater restoration from exile in the resurrection. And Jesus has poured out the Spirit on His people so that we can be with the one God as one nation. This nation knows no national boundaries, but consists of Christians throughout the world whose citizenship is in heaven. Unity is impossible with those who do not have the Spirit, those who have not experienced an initial sanctification by the Spirit, those who are not united to Christ. But salvation is the restoration of communion with God through union with Christ by the Spirit in our hearts.

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Labels: church, exile, ezekiel, king, spirit, union with Christ, unity

Matthew 26 tells us the events surrounding the betrayal of Jesus Christ by one of the twelve -- Judas Iscariot. This passage was written for the new church that Christ would create with His resurrection and for us. The examples of Judas and the other disciples are warnings for the church. Judas warns the people that many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. The other disciples, in particular Peter, James and John, show us our need to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This is a prayer for the church ("us"). Another way Matthew shows us how to be a church is through the institution of the Lord's Supper. The church is the many whose sins are forgiven (the many who love one another). Thus no matter what hardship may come, even if it is betrayal, you should continue to gather together.

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Labels: church, forgiven, holy kiss, Lord's Supper, love, Matthew, warning

Matthew 26 tells us the events surrounding the betrayal of Jesus Christ by one of the twelve -- Judas Iscariot. This passage was written for the new church that Christ would create with His resurrection and for us. The examples of Judas and the other disciples are warnings for the church. Judas warns the people that many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. The other disciples, in particular Peter, James and John, show us our need to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This is a prayer for the church ("us"). Another way Matthew shows us how to be a church is through the institution of the Lord's Supper. The church is the many whose sins are forgiven (the many who love one another). Thus no matter what hardship may come, even if it is betrayal, you should continue to gather together.

Click here or the sermon title to listen.

Labels: betrayal, church, forgiven, Lord's Supper, love, Matthew, Sunday worship, warning