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The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Deuteronomy 5: 1-21 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you. ‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ It doesn’t happen as much any more, but there was a time in my workplace when grown men would apologize for, and alter their language when they were around me, because I am a Christian and they didn’t want to offend me by their use of God’s Name as a curse word. If you have watched Ray Comfort do street evangelism, you have no doubt observed him walk through the ten commandments after baiting the person into admitting that they believed they were a good person. “Have you used the Name of God as a curse word?” he will ask. “Of course” is usually the response, with a smile. “You are a self admitted blasphemer” Mr. Comfort will inform them. And this is true. The use of the Name of God as a curse word is blasphemy. However, taking the Name of the Lord in vain, as forbidden by the third commandment, goes far beyond the verbal expressions which have come to be associated with third commandment violations. The Westminster Larger Catechism says this: The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God's name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy (these uses of God’s Name are what we commonly think of when we consider the third commandment, but the standard goes far beyond this), perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God's decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God's truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walking, or backsliding from it. Lord have mercy upon us. How might you be guilty before God this morning? In what areas of your life do you declare God’s Name as worthless, and useless? This is one of those sins in which it is easy for us to give the appearance of holiness, is it not? I don’t use God’s Name as a curse word, therefore the outside of the cup is clean. What about the inside of the cup? What about your heart? Jesus said these people worship Me with their mouths, but their hearts are far from me. Where have you compromised in your life, where only God can see? Have you carved out a place in your life where Jesus is not Lord, where it is acceptable to take His Name in vain? “Jesus is Lord”, except in the workplace as I seek to blend in, be a nice person, and wink at sin at every turn. “Jesus is Lord”, except online where I speak to people as if in a verbal knife fight, forgetting that the servant of the Lord must be gentle. “Jesus is Lord”, except when it comes to entertainment, because my imagination is just make believe, having forgot that we are to set our minds on things above, on honorable things, right things, pure things, lovely, excellent things. “Jesus is Lord”, when people are watching, but at home when it’s just me, the wife, and kids I_________________. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. His Name is the Name above all names. He is the stone WHICH WAS rejected by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. [12] And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11-12). Let us kneel if able and confess our vain use of the Lord’s Name, knowing that He is faith and just to forgive us of our sins. God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, Heavenly Father, we come before You this morning having frequently deceived ourselves into believing that merely avoiding the use of Your Name in a dishonoring way with our lips was enough to satisfy Your commands. However, we now see that any word, thought, or deed which brings reproach upon You, blasphemes Your Holy Name. Father, we see that anything which does not glorify You, makes You out to be vain, worthless, and pointless. Father, we profane Your Name by creating a world in our hearts and minds where You are not Lord, by living in the shadows and darkness, as if You are not Lord there. Please forgive us for our arrogance. Please forgive for trading the Glory of the incorruptible God, for the rubbish created within our hearts and minds. Please be merciful towards us sinners, O Lord, and restore to us the joy of your salvation. In the Name above all names, your Son Jesus, we offer these prayers to You. Amen. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Titus 3:5-7 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 4/28/19 liturgy of Sovereign King Church, written by Aaron Sabie.)
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 What is with Christians being so judgmental and telling others to repent of their sins? Who are they to judge? Only God can judge me. Besides, Jesus said, “Judge not,” right?
Many people today like to throw around the line “Thou shalt not judge” as if it is one of the Ten Commandments, but the truth is that the Bible does not teach that we are never to judge.* On the contrary, the Bible says that a “spiritual” person--that is, a Christian--judges “all things” (1 Cor. 2:15) and that Christians will “judge the world” (1 Cor. 6:2). We are commanded by Jesus himself to judge righteously in John 7:24. Leviticus 19:15 gives a good definition of righteous judgment: “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” Judging rightly means judging fairly, always based upon the standard of God’s word. It means rightly discerning between good and evil using the standard of God’s word and not our own biases. When you are committed to the word of God as your standard, you will “Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy” (Proverbs 31:9). Those who love Jesus are called to “hate evil” (Psalm 97:10) and to even “expose evil” (Ephesians 5:11). Jesus commanded his followers to love their neighbors and one of the ways they do this is to be like Jesus in warning their neighbors to flee from sin and to call them to repent. From the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus preached “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). All throughout his ministry, he spoke about sin and called sinners to turn from their evil ways. He did this in love and yet often accompanied by the sting of a rebuke. Jesus rebuked the sin of his community including its leaders. He even rebuked his own followers. After Jesus arose from the grave and appeared to his disciples, one of the first things he did was to rebuke them of their unbelief (Mark 16:14). He pointed out their sin and called them to repent. Contrary to the picture that many make in their own mind, where Jesus goes along with whatever evil they want to do, the Jesus of the Bible spends a lot of time talking about sin and hell. Why does he do this? It is precisely because he is loving. Revelation 3:19 says “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” Because Jesus loves, he makes righteous judgments and calls out sin. Sin destroys the body, mind, and soul of those who practice it. Our sins, no matter how small we think they are, will do great damage to us. Ultimately, they place us under the judgment of the almighty Holy God who will judge impartially those who continue in sin and refuse to repent and place their trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. In his earthly ministry, Jesus called sinners to repent and trust him so that they could be forgiven and not face the wrath of God that they deserve. God will be the one who does the judging on Judgment Day and His judgment will be final. There will be no slick lawyer to defend you and no corrupt jury to let you go free. God will judge you in truth, according to your thoughts, words and deeds. That’s why saying, “Only God Can Judge Me,” is SO FOOLISH. Don’t you understand that God knows about all of your lustful and hateful thoughts? He knows about every time you’ve lied, been covetous, taken His name in vain, stolen, had sex outside of marriage, hated your neighbor and tried to cover it all up by twisting scripture. The fact that only God can and will issue FINAL JUDGMENT, is NOT a “comforting” thing. When people say, “Thou Shalt Not Judge,” they really mean, “Leave me alone and let me sin in peace!” But friend, your sin will only lead you to Hell. It would be hateful for those who love Christ not to warn you of your sin and to point you to the Savior. Penn Jillette, a famous magician and atheist once remarked that he does not have respect for Christians who do not share the gospel. He said “how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” His comments fall right in line with scripture which says “Let your love be genuine. Hate Evil and Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9) and “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him” (Leviticus 19:17). Genuine Christian love will make right judgments about what is good and evil. Genuine Christian love will hate evil and therefore tell others to flee from sin and trust in Christ. Friend, you cannot cover up your sin with platitudes and excuses. You won’t be able to use the excuse that “Christians were judgmental” to cover up your sin before the just and holy God. But praise God, there is hope. Your sin is wicked, but God’s grace is greater than all your sin. Jesus, the one who rebuked sin and hated evil, in love sacrificed himself on the cross to take upon himself the penalty of the sins of those who love him. He was crucified and died, taking the full wrath of God that those sins deserved. He was judged in the place of those who trust him. After he died and was buried, he arose again from the dead in power. After being seen by up to 500 people, he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God as Lord and King. If you will turn from your excuses and pitiful attempts to cover your own sin and trust him as your King, you can be forgiven and granted eternal life. You will be able stand at the judgment day, having passed from judgment into life. *Now you may still be thinking, “but I know Jesus said ‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’” You’re right, he said this in Matthew 7. However, you must read the whole passage to know what he is talking about. Jesus was talking about hypocritical judgment. He was talking about a self-righteous attitude that results in judging someone without mercy for the very same things you do. A perfect example of this type of self-righteous hypocritical judgment is when those who refuse to repent of their sins come across a Christian preaching the truth and run up to them and judgmentally say “Judge Not.” If that is you, repent before it is too late. (You can download a pdf of this as a tract by clicking on the reconstructing menu above and going to resources.) The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Deuteronomy 5: 1-21 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you. ‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ If it may be said that the First Commandment declares to us Who the object of our worship is to be, namely God Himself, then the Second Commandment gives us the proscription and prescription for how that worship is to be conducted. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’ In the Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch.21, titled “Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day”, the divines had this to say regarding worship: 1. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture. 2. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to him alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creature: and, since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone. Our Lord Jesus Christ in speaking with the woman at the well made clear that the true worshippers of God are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Worship of God is possible only for the child of God, whose conscience has been sprinkled clean, whose heart of stone has been removed and replaced with a heart of flesh, who has the Spirit of God Himself dwelling within him. Only the man, woman, boy, and girl who has been born again, by the will of God, can worship God in Spirit and Truth. This true worship of God is worship that is grounded in the truth of God’s Word. Jesus speaking to the Father on behalf of His disciples says “Sanctify them in the truth. Your Word is truth”. Jesus declared Himself to be “The way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but through Me.” True worship of God is through Jesus Christ alone, our great High Priest, Who entered into the Holy of Holies through the blood He shed for the remission of our sins.“Imagery replaces God’s revelation, with man’s imagination” (Pastor John Greer, Ballymyra Free Presbyterian Church). Idols, graven images, carved images, and likenesses which seek to capture the divine nature of God, things which sinful man craft with their hands, originating in their imaginations, are clearly forbidden by the Second Commandment and serve no purpose than to distort the true nature of God. When we look closely at the second commandment, we see the prohibition against crafting idols (which other translations render as graven images, or carved images) and likenesses of anything in heaven above, the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth, with the worship of these created things attached to the prohibition. A close look at Romans 1 quickly reveals that in man’s suppression of the truth by his unrighteousness, he winds up worshipping the things created rather than the Creator, and as he does, God gives these idolaters over to the lusts of their hearts, degrading passions, and a depraved mind. This morning I want to briefly focus on the second aspect of idolatry found in the commandment, the use of likenesses, which is rampant in American Evangelicalism today. The second commandment tells us clearly that we are NOT to make any likeness of what is in heaven above, nor are we to worship those likenesses. This prohibition extends even to likenesses of Jesus Christ which we form in our minds. Extending beyond what we may think Jesus Christ looked like physically, this commandment forbids us from creating any image of Christ in our minds, any semblance of Him, which is contrary to how He has revealed Himself to us in His Word. What do I mean? How many of us have formed a picture of Christ in our minds Who is ok with the sin in our lives? How many of us have formed an image of Christ in our minds Who permits us to worship Him in the way we see fit? How many of us have formed an image of Christ which looks, sounds, and behaves the way we think He ought to, and amazingly, gives approval to all of the things we desire in our own hearts? How many of us have created an image of Christ in our minds which winds up serving us, bending to our will; an image of Christ Who is all too willing to be led along by you like a dog on a leash? Brothers and sisters, this is the heart of idolatry. Creating God in our image, rather than falling at His feet and begging for mercy. Idolatry is rebellion against God. He has declared that His Word alone is the standard by which we must worship Him. Your opinions, and what you think God accepts as worship, is irrelevant. The image of Christ Jesus you have formed in your mind is pathetic compared to the Lamb of God Who laid down His life for the Church. The image of Christ you have crafted in your heart, is at war with the True Christ. How arrogant and prideful must we be, to trade the glory of the incorruptible God, for images which do nothing but serve our wicked, depraved lusts and passions? If this is you this morning, there can be only one proper response: repentance. Jesus Christ, the One revealed in the Word of God, very God of very God, begotten not made, says “Repent, lest you likewise perish”. Jesus Christ, the very image of the invisible God, Whose eyes are like a flame of fire, Who sees into your heart, Who alone is worthy of your worship and praise, commands you to repent of your idolatry. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and follows Him. Won’t you repent of your idolatry this morning, and worship the One True God? The Lamb slain for the sins of the world, Who is risen indeed, is the only One worthy of your worship. At this time, if you are able, please kneel as we go to the Lord in prayer. GLORIOUS GOD, It is the flame of my life to worship thee, the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee, heavenly pleasure to approach thee. Give me power by thy Spirit to help me worship now, that I may forget the world, be brought into fullness of life, be refreshed, comforted, blessed. Give me knowledge of thy goodness that I might not be over-awed by thy greatness; Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God, that I might not be terrified, but be drawn near with filial love, with holy boldness; He is my Mediator, Brother, Interpreter, Branch, Daysman, Lamb; him I glorify, in him I am set on high. Crowns to give I have none, but what thou hast given I return, content to feel that everything is mine when it is thine, and the more fully mine when I have yielded it to thee. Let me live wholly to my Saviour, free from distractions, from carking care, from hindrances to the pursuit of the narrow way. I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus -- give me a new sense of it, continue to pardon me by it, may I come every day to the fountain, and every day be washed anew, that I may worship thee always in spirit and truth. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen From The Valley of Vision, titled Worship. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Romans 6:1-11 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 4/21/19 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)  Psalm 118 says "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." The Stone that was rejected, Jesus Christ the crucified one, has defeated the Serpent and accuser of the brethren, and he has overcome the world, and atoned for our sins. He who died is now alive and is that chief cornerstone upon which we who are his are being molded and shaped into building blocks built into the holy temple of our God.
Jesus Christ, wonderful counselor, who was unjustly accused before a hypocritical court of liars and tyrants now sits enthroned over all the nations in the heavenly courtroom from which he dispenses justice and mercy. The Messiah who the Jews handed over to pagan gentiles to be mocked, spit upon, and beaten is now worshiped in reverence and holy fear by both gentiles and Jews alike, together in one body, the church, the holy Israel of God. The Great Physician who was mercilessly scourged, bruised, and broken, now offers mercy, healing and comfort to the broken and downtrodden. The holy lamb of God who could not carry his own cross but was helped by Simon from Cyrene who was forced to bear the cross for him has now enabled millions to voluntarily take up their crosses daily to follow him through suffering, persecution and even to death. The innocent and righteous one who crucified along with two thieves was numbered among sinners now takes sinners like you and I and numbers them with the saints. The one arrayed in glory before time began who had his garments gambled over and divided among the heathens now clothes heathens in righteousness, garments unstained by sin. The prince of peace who was crucified with the inscription charging him as “the King of the Jews” now sits at the right hand of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Son of God who cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" now is exalted by God the Father above every nation, every throne, and all of creation. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess him as Lord. The one called Emmanuel, God with us, who was acquainted with grief and sorrow is now the great high priest who beckons us to draw near to find mercy and grace in time of trouble. The Son of Man who breathed his last breath and died is now alive. The grave could not hold him. He is alive. He is the resurrection and the life. (An excerpt from a sermon on Mark 16 preached 4/21/19 at Sovereign King Church.)  Yesterday I posted on facebook a quote from a puritan named William Gouge. In his exposition of Ephesians 6 he made this observation: "when parents are too indulgent over their children, God does punish the sin both of parent and child, by shortening the child's days." He was observing that just as the scripture contains a promise of long life and prosperity to those who obey their parents, so does it warn those who disobey their parents that they deserve death. Many people took issue with this statement by Gouge. Even one "pastor" said he showed people at his church and mocked it. He should know better and I am saddened by that response. I still affirm this quote by Gouge and I believe that is faithful to biblical teaching. One theme that kept popping up in the pushback from other commentators was the idea of exceptions to the rule. People asked about those who die young and were obedient or those who were faithful parents and had children who rebelled. What about the exceptions? First of all, we don’t sacrifice the normal on the alter of the abnormal nor the general on the alter of the exception. The Bible has a lot of general promises that we would do well to believe and hold. For example, the general promise is that if you raise up your child in the way he should go when he is old, he will not depart from it. What a wonderful promise to parents that they should treasure. This, however, does not mean though that God in his good will and pleasure may not allow something else to happen. God may allow the child to go astray like the prodigal son. This exception to the promise does not invalidate the promise but shows that God is God and he does what is right. As the book of Romans says, God will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy. In the cases where God allows these things, he has a good purpose and we can trust that even the rebellion of our children will be a part of all the things that God works together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes. Furthermore, the promise to long life that attends the commandment to obey your parents is also a general promise. God in his good pleasure may determine that there is something better for the obedient child than long life. He may decide to take the life of a young man who was and is honoring his father in order to protect that young man from something else or to use that young man in a mighty display of the gospel. Again, this exception to the promise does not invalidate the promise. It shows that God may give above and beyond what he promises. William Gouge said: “God does never simply deprive his Saints of that which is promised, but only instead of it gives a better: as in taking away wealth, he gives the more store of grace: in restraining liberty of body, he gives freedom of conscience: with affliction he gives patience: by taking away this temporal life, he gives eternal life. God herein deals, as if one who having promised so much iron, should instead thereof give as much silver: or for silver give gold: and so for one pound give the worth of hundreds or thousands." In these cases, we must trust God above all. He is a good father who gives good gifts to his children. He is also a just judge which is why he warns those who dishonor their parents that they are walking a dangerous path. Those who dishonor their parents and disobey should tread lightly. They may find that their life is ended short. If it is not ended short, it may be prolonged so that they may face earthly consequences for their disobedience or so that they may store up wrath for themselves when they do die. Christian parents should keep all of this in mind. They should know that they have an awesome responsibility to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. They should pray for and long for the salvation of their children. They should believe the promises of God for their children and they should fear the warnings of God for their children. In doing so, they will not abrogate their responsibility and over indulge their children. They will see that to do so is to harm their children and is a grave sin against God and their children. They will instead strive to teach their children faith and obedience to Christ. The following are some scripture texts to meditate on and are foundational for this post: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Deuteronomy 5: 1-21 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you. ‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ “Idol making factories” is a term John Calvin used to describe the heart of man. When you think of an idol, something that is worshipped as God, rather than the One True God, what comes to mind? Golden calves? Little household idols? Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of gold? Some things that people bow down to rather than God are easy to recognize. Maybe some of you can remember the prayer rug and statue that the Catholics used to bring to the abortion clinic and kneel down before. It would probably be safe to say that none of us here are bowing down to statues. Brother Tim most likely doesn’t have a golden calf hidden somewhere on his property. We must remember what the bible says regarding the heart of man on this issue: it is deceitful and wicked above all else, who can know it? The idols we shape for ourselves will be subtle, crafty little things. They will oftentimes be things that have been meant by God to be for our good, and enjoyment, to the praise of His Glory, but we wind up worshipping the thing created rather than the creator. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’ is the command set before us today. This command is not saying that God is sympathetic towards you having other “gods” in your life, so long as you don’t place them ahead of Him. He isn’t giving you permission to have an area of your life where some other little minor gods have a percentage of your devotion. “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god” (Isaiah 44:6). To shape an idol in your mind, whether it is money, fame, sex, peace, comfort, food, power, or any other thing your imagination can conceive, reveals a heart of pride and rebellion. Romans 1 tells us what can be known about God is plain to us. His invisible attributes are clearly perceived. We know God, but do not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him. We claim to be wise: “Did God really say?” “A little of this won’t hurt.” “No one knows but me.” We become fools: “there is no God, but the little god I have fashioned in my mind, with my intellect, my wealth, to meet my desires”. Romans goes on to say when we engage in idolatry we exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, and birds, and animals, and creeping things. As a result God gives us over to the lusts of our hearts, dishonorable passions, and a debased mind. Brothers and sisters, your Heavenly Father loves you. He wants the best things for you. The commandment before you today is not meant to deprive you of joy. It was not handed down to us as a way to keep you from the good things in life. It was handed down because our Creator is Magnificent, Glorious, Almighty, Worthy of Worship, and is the best thing possible for you. He alone sits on the throne. He is a jealous God and will not share His glory with another. When we fashion idols for ourselves, we make ourselves out to be God, knowing better than Him, and will be destroyed lest we repent. Revelation 5:11-14 NASB Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, [12] saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." [13] And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." [14] And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. May this be our response to God at the command: You shall have no other gods before Me. If you are able, let us kneel and pray, calling out to God for mercy. Most gracious heavenly Father. We thank You for Your Son Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We thank You for Your reign of Righteousness, and Goodness, and Justice, and for the hand of grace and mercy You have extended to the sons of man. Father, we are weak, frail, and though Your children, are still frequently enchanted by the false hope of other gods we have created in our own hearts and minds. We have sinful desires which lead us to take our eyes off of You, pursuing instead after worthless idols which cannot save. Please give us new affections O Lord. Please help us to see Your glory clearly and delight in You. Help us to hear Your voice over all the other distractions of life. Father, help us to trust in You with all our heart, and lean not on our own understanding. Please forgive for our grievous sins against You. It’s in Jesus Name that we pray, Amen. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. | Titus 2:11-14 To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 4/14/19 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie)  On Monday, I watched with great anticipation and joy as hundreds of Christians testified before a committee of the Texas legislature on behalf of the preborn in support of a bill to end abortion. (You can view the entire hearing here. It starts at the 3 hour mark.) It was such a blessing to watch men and women stand firmly on the word of God and tell civil magistrates to do their duty. I believe there is a revival happening among God’s people around the country as many people, both pastors and laymen, are awakening to the duty of the Church to instruct civil magistrates and to intercede on behalf of those who have no voice. As encouraging as this hearing was, it was discouraging but not unanticipated that the committee chairman with support of prolife professionals would seek to kill the bill. It is discouraging because we are hoping that these civil magistrates would do their duty before God. To have supposedly “prolife” politicians refuse to stand for the preborn is maddening. But I also said it was not unanticipated. That is, we must expect opposition. Abortion is the sacrament and crown jewel of Satan. He will not let it go quietly without a fight. He will scheme and he will work to turn what should be allies into foes. He and his minions will lie abut the work every step of the way. That all said, I want to encourage all of those who spoke on behalf of the preborn, who spent time in prayer, or gave of their resources. We must fight this battle with a sense of urgency and yet recognize that we are also playing the long game. This hearing was just one step in the right direction to end abortion. If God’s people will continue to cry out to God and fill his throne rooms with prayers and supplications for justice, God will respond. If God’s people will continue to speak boldly to the civil magistrates and continue to fight, the abolition of abortion will happen. If faithful civil magistrates will continue to put forth abolition bills and Christians continue to push for this, Texas will not be the only state to give the bills a hearing. Then eventually there will be a committee chairman who will allow a historic vote on the bill. Be prepared for when that happens. Be prepared for it to not pass right away. But eventually a state will allow it out of committee. Each of these steps along the way are hard fought battles. But with each step, ground must be taken without compromise. The point is that brothers and sisters be encouraged by what has happened this week and do not give up. Fight for the victory, knowing it is already ours in Christ Jesus. But also be prepared. The battle to end abortion like all spiritual battles is one in which the enemy rages from within and without. Therefore put on the whole armor of God and press on in Jesus Name. The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.  Deuteronomy 5: 1-21 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me. ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you. ‘You shall not murder. ‘You shall not commit adultery. ‘You shall not steal. ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ How many times have you read through the Ten Commandments? Hundreds? Thousands? I would venture to say that most of us are so familiar with the commandments that when we hear them recited, or read them ourselves, we check out. Our eyes glaze over a bit. Our hearing grows a little dull. Our minds wander to something else. Maybe your heart hardens, just a bit, because, you know the Law, and do not need to be reminded. “Ridiculous” you say. “I delight in God’s Law (Psalm 119:47) just like King David.” Yes, just like King David, adulterer and murderer. In Reformed tradition we generally hold to what is called the “Threefold use of the Law”(1). In short, the Threefold use states that God’s Law serves three functions: 1) As a mirror which reflects the perfect righteousness of God, as well as highlights our weakness; (2) To restrain evil, allowing for a limited measure of justice on earth; and 3) To reveal what is pleasing to God. I mention this threefold use because there are a few traps that I fear many of us fall into regularly. Trap #1: “I see God’s Law, it is perfect, it really does reveal God’s righteousness and perfection, so when it's read, or brought before my eyes, I will check out because to be reminded of it means that I will have to repent of my sins, and I don’t really want to do that, because this pet sin I cherish isn’t that bad”. We know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, and not only do the same, but give hearty approval to those who practice them. We become idolaters, worshipping ourselves and the puny little god of our imaginations that is ok with your little sin. The second trap goes like this: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul...so I am going to use God’s Law to pound sinners into submission. I will use the Law as a billy club on the sidewalk, in my home, and at work to push back those evil wicked pagans. I will hold God’s Law up for them so that they recognize just how far they fall short from God’s standard, and they will flee, and I will have debate victory”. There is no desire to see sinners converted, there is no presentation of the gospel, there is no hope offered, only Law, wrath, and punishment. Lastly, we fall into the trap of the Judaizers: “You must do A + B+ C, then you will be saved”. God’s Law reflects His righteousness and holiness, it is perfect and good, it restrains evil, and shows us what is pleasing in His sight, sooooo, I will keep the commandments, and he will be pleased with me. Another way of putting it is: I will keep His commandments and He will save me. “Oh, come on, we don’t do that”. Really? Why then do you despair as if you have lost your salvation every time you sin? There is no condemnation in Christ. Why do you feel guilt and shame over sitting down to enjoy a basketball game, when you could be reading Calvin’s Institutes or listening to Plodcast? Did you think your “religious” activity was going to save you? In many reformed circles, if your eschatology does not line up with your beard length, the bible translation you use does not coordinate with your whiskey of choice, and the sweet smelling aroma of your sacrifice isn’t a cuban cigar, then you must not actually be a Christian….I mean, reformed. Brothers and sisters, ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. All of us, from least to greatest, have transgressed the Law of God. No amount of Law keeping on your part can change that. If you have stumbled in even one point of the Law, which you have, you are guilty of breaking all of the Law. If we seek to stand before God on judgement day and point to our Law keeping as evidence of why we should or should not be allowed into the Kingdom of God...we will be damned. This perfect Law of God which reveals to us His righteousness and Holiness, also points us to His mercy and grace. We cannot keep the Law, yet keep the Law is what He commands. We cannot be perfect, yet be Perfect is His demand. Our righteousness is like filthy rags, yet He requires that those who are in His presence be perfectly righteous. What can we do? What must I do to be saved? Who will save me from this body of death? I can’t do it! I can’t keep the Law! Save me! Save me, we must cry aloud. We need an advocate. We need an intercessor. We need a Saviour. His name is Jesus. Let us call upon the Name of the Lord. If you are able, please kneel at this time. Heavenly Father, Your Law is perfect, but because of our idolatry, we oftentimes twist your Law and use it in ways that keep us and others in hopeless bondage. Instead of fleeing to Your Son Jesus, we hide behind our abilities to keep Your Law, which are always lacking. Father, instead of trusting in Your Son Jesus and His righteousness for our salvation, we trust in our works, our programs, our systems, and our perfectly lined up theologies to save us. Father, we instinctively realize we cannot measure up to Your Law, so we set it aside and put in its place rules and ordinances which give the appearance of Holiness and obedience, but which are actually open rebellion and warfare against you. Father, please forgive us for trusting in our law keeping, rule following, systems, and practices to save us, rather than the Perfect Spotless Lamb which You Provided to take away our sins. Please forgive us for trusting in our weak arm of flesh, rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us, and conform us into Your image. Please forgive us for worshipping ourselves. Please forgive us for not trusting in You for our salvation. It’s in Jesus Name we pray, Amen. Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: Ephesians 2: 8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 3/31/19 liturgy of Sovereign King Church.) |
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