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.  

Proverbs 31:21-31 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen. Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.


Women who wish to have more than 1.6 children are increasingly referred to as incubators in today's environment. These mothers, should they also decide that in the home is where they ought to spend their days, working for family, raising their children, are called doormats, slaves.
The notion that women ought to marry, have children, raise said children, and be keepers at home, has been supplanted by a picture of womanhood and motherhood which are freakish caricatures of God's design for women. In America, praised are the mothers who murder their unborn children and spare them a life of potential poverty or abuse. Praised are the mothers who selflessly sacrifice their time with the 1.6 children they do allow to live, to pursue career, wealth, and accolades. As these mothers toil for their corporate task masters, their children suffer in the hands of people not equipped to raise and love them. This is compassion in 2021.

God's word today reminds us that it is the woman who fears the LORD that shall be praised.
Women, as you make war against the vain philosophies of this world by submitting to your husband, having children, keeping your home well, enduring the slander of bitter feminists, and having the scars in your bodies to show for it, remember this: if, as you toil, your faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, your labors are not in vain.

Living a life of biblical womanhood is a display of what it looks like for a woman to have the fear of the LORD. It is a show of strength and dignity.

It takes no courage to walk down the broad path carved out by feminists in 2021. You can murder your children or dump the one you let live off at public school, and you will be held up as a hero.  It does take courage to live as God has called mothers to live, however. This isn't a courage that you attempt to muster up like some 2021 version of Rosey the Riveter. It is a courage that follows from a fear of the LORD. When your trust is in the Creator of the universe, Who has blessed you with the fruit of your womb, Who supplies all your needs, Who has sent a Savior to set you free from the chains of sin and death: things like fear of man, the echoes of doubt playing on loop in your mind, and the shrill sound of feminists and their rants, all fade away. When you recognize that the Creator has been mindful of you, that He has noticed you, and blessed you, your response is one of repentance and humble submission to His Word. What follows is a wonderful story of a beautifully adorned woman who gives her undivided attention to her household. It is a story of a woman blessed with skills and talents, and uses them industriously in her home to support the mission of her husband as he sits in the gate.

This version of womanhood and motherhood, is a true display of strength and dignity, because rather than being wrapped up in narcissistic self, letting everyone hear you roar, you are instead wrapped up in the righteousness of Christ and live your life in a manner which exalts Him. Your life in Christ as a woman and mother is marked by a gentle and quiet spirit, and when you speak, it is with words of wisdom and kindness. The contrast with the wayward women of today could not be more stark.

The woman who fears the LORD is not an idle woman. There is no wasted time. With children to feed, bath, and teach, a home to maintain, and a husband to help, wasting time on Facebook, twitter, or other mindless endeavors, isn't even an option. This woman has real children, real problems, and a real husband, and is committed to them, not some fake digital fairytale family with a fake profile, and fake smiles, telling fake stories to get more likes and thumbs ups.

The Proverb today reminds us that charm, or grace, and beauty are fleeting, vaporous, and passing away. Young ladies, if your approach to life is merely to be seen by others, and to receive the praise for the blessing of attractiveness God has granted you, and you are neglecting to nurture the other elements of biblical womanhood, there will most certainly come a day when your beauty will be gone. When that day arrives, what will people then praise you for? The woman who fears the LORD will be praised because God showed her favor. The one who sought the praise of men will have received their reward, and it is fleeting. It is true that Christian women are the most beautiful women, "amen?", yet it is the one who Fears the LORD who will be praised.

Young ladies, women, and mothers, what are you known for?
Surely you fall short of the picture painted of the virtuous woman, of what do you need to repent?

Men, are you leading in such a way that though your wife falls short, grace and mercy reigns in your home? As a result of this, your children rise up and bless their mother, in part, because you show appreciation and thankfulness for the imperfect sacrifices your wife makes as she seeks to obey the LORD.

If this is not a mark of your home, men, you need to repent.

If you are able, please kneel at this time as we call upon the Name of the LORD.

O  LORD,
Forgive us for serving thee in sinful ways --
      by glorying in our own strength,
      by forcing ourselves to minister through
        necessity,
    by accepting the applause of others,
    by trusting in assumed grace
      and spiritual affection,
    by a faith that rests upon our hold on Christ,
      not on him alone,
    by having another foundation to stand upon
      beside thee;
        for thus we make flesh our arm.
Help us to see
  that it is faith stirred by grace that does the deed,
  that faith brings a man nearer to thee,
    raising him above mere man,
  that thou dost act upon the soul
    when thus elevated and lifted out of itself,
  that faith centres in thee as God all-sufficient,
    Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
    as God efficient,
    mediately, as in thy commands and promises,
    immediately, in all the hidden power
      that faith sees and knows to be in thee,
    abundantly, with omnipotent effect,
      in the revelation of thy will.
If we have not such faith we are nothing.
It is our duty to set thee above all others
    in mind and eye;
But it is our sin which places ourselves above thee.
Lord, it is the special evil of sin
  that every breach of thy law arises
    from contempt of thy Person,
    from despising thee and thy glory,
    from preferring things before thee.
Help us to abhor ourselves in comparison of thee,
And keep us in a faith that works by love,
    and serves by grace.
In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.
Prayer adapted from the Valley of Vision prayer titled 'Vain service'.
 
Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church:

Isaiah 25:6-8 The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.

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 05/09/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)

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.  

Proverbs 31:10-20 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.


 
What man wouldn't want a wife like the excellent wife described in these verses?
Very valuable.
Worthy of trust.
Productive for her household.
Talented.
Giving to those in need.

All of these traits are things which God- fearing, prospective wives ought to strive for and characteristics which men should be looking for in a potential bride. When we consider commands in Scripture such as "examine yourself", for young ladies and seasoned wives alike, this passage is an excellent example of how God's word acts as a mirror to reveal who you are in contrast to the high, perfect standards of God.

This passage can also be a chain which drags a woman to the lowest depths of despair, and one which hardens the hearts of men toward their own wives, if God's grace is not at the foundation of the application of this passage. In other words ladies, if you are attempting to make yourself into the image of the Proverbs 31 woman, relying solely upon your strength, comparing yourself to other wives in the Church who are likely in a different season of life than you: you will wind up bitter, heartbroken, and hating your femininity because to reach this standard in your own strength is impossible.

Likewise men, if you look at your wife, see all the areas where she falls short of this mountain peak standard, and forget that she needs God's grace, your love, patience, and godly example, coupled with faith, here is what will happen: you will grow bitter toward your wife, compare her to other wives in the church who in your opinion, meet the standard, and will wind up coveting other men's wives.

As with all Scripture, problems arise when we approach the Proverbs in a formulaic fashion, thinking to ourselves "If I do "A", then "B" is sure to follow". While it is certainly true that one's standard of living and outward virtue would be heads and shoulders above that of others who were not applying the truths of Scripture to their lives, however: rote, wooden, faithless, ridgid, application is not a recipe for success. Applying a passage of Scripture like Proverbs 31 robotically will certainly clean the outside of the cup, yet issues of the heart will still remain.  Ladies constantly comparing themselves to other ladies in the Church, men trying to help their wives along by saying things like "why can't you be more like so and so?", all the while neglecting the fact that apart from God's grace, His Spirit working in your life, all of your efforts to conform to His Word will be vain and fruitless.

Perhaps a helpful reminder for us is in order.
When speaking of marriage, we must remember that a man's relationship to his wife is a picture of Christ's relationship to His bride, the Church. Husbands, just as Christ showed His love for us in that while we were still yet sinners, He died for us: you too are to love your wife and lay your life down for her, even though she likely falls far short of the characteristics of the "virtuous wife". You say "my wife is stubborn, she refuses, she doesn't even try, therefore….". So, what? Do you throw in the towel? Stop loving your wife? Cut her off from the emotional and physical affection that God commands you give her? Resign to simply throw up your hands and write her off as a lost cause?

Thank God that our Lord Jesus does not treat His bride the Church in that way when we fall short of His glory, which is virtually every second. Young ladies and married women, don't lose heart. Just as Christ sanctifies the church through the washing of His Word, your growth as a wife will happen, as you persevere in faith, remembering that God gives the increase in its due season. If you look around at the older women of the Church who may embody many of the traits of the excellent wife, rather than grow bitter or jealous, praise God instead, because if you were to ask any of those women, they could surely tell you stories from a time when they weren't so virtuous, when they didn't look a thing like the woman described in the Proverb today. This should encourage you in that God does not save us and then walks away: He Who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

If you are able, please kneel as we lift up our petitions before the throne of God.

Heavenly Father,
For the natural man, Your high and lofty standards are unattainable. For one walking in the flesh, the mountain top is impossible to reach. Father, please forgive us when we toil in the flesh.
Please forgive the wives and young ladies for taking their eyes off of Your Son, and instead seeking to conform to Your standards in their own strength. Please forgive the husbands for not showing grace to their wives by loving them the way Christ loves His Church. Please be with the young men, and give them a desire for a virtuous wife, and please protect them from the adulterous woman. Please be with the young single ladies, and grant them patient resolve to strive for this high, lofty standard. Help them to not be tempted to compromise and go down the path of so many other young ladies who believe harlotry to be the only way to attract a young man.
Please forgive us of our sins, and help us to delight in Jesus.
It's in His name we pray, amen.

Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

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 05/02/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)

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.  

Proverbs 31:8-9 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

This passage of Scripture is one which is used frequently by many an Abolitionist as a proof text of sorts to encourage the Church to stand up and make Holy war against the sacrifices being made to Molech all across our land. Rightfully so, I believe. When one considers the plight of unborn children being led unsuspectingly to the slaughter by their mothers, to open one's mouth and make a plea for their lives seems like an easy choice to make.

If you are a Christian who fears the Lord, loves Christ, loves your neighbor, and believes that Scripture is the lense through which we ought to view the world, judge what God brings before us, and apply His word to all of life, then spending time defending the unborn child scheduled for death is a reasonable way to spend your time on a Saturday morning.

The unborn child is powerless to defend his or herself. They cannot open their mouth and give a defense or plead their case in any way. They have been appointed to destruction by their mothers and are powerless to change the trajectory of their brief life. In many ways, they are a picture of what it looks like to be enslaved by sinful lusts and passions. To be led along by the lust of the flesh, ends in sure death.

There is however another dimension to this text which extends far beyond the abortion scourge which I would like us to consider this morning. If we believe that apart from God's grace mankind is dead in their sins and trespasses, that lost men, women, boys, and girls have hard, stony hearts which love sin and hate God and His Law, then there are many more to plead for and with than merely the unborn child scheduled for death.

If we believe that those who hate God and love darkness do the work of their father the devil, enslaved to their sin, and conversely believe that apart from a supernatural work of God those same people cannot in a million years do one thing to deliver themselves from the destruction into which they are plunging headlong, then the scope of those with whom we plead is broadened tremendously.

Just on the surface, the folks I am referring to are those whom we encounter every single time we step foot on the sidewalk in front of the clinic. They are the orange vested ones, stumbling along in darkness, being led along as slaves by the lusts of their flesh which they love, headed for certain death and destruction lest they repent in response to God's grace acting in their lives.

The unborn child is easy to love. The deathscorts, not so much. They lie. They slander. They curse. They will threaten to stab you. They incite violence against you online. They attempt to turn your children against you. If you manage to have a conversation with them, you will most certainly be met with mocking, irrational arguments, and your every word will be used against you. Walking in the flesh, they are unlovable. Yet, as surely as the unborn child is headed to death, the deathscorts may very well be vessels of wrath appointed for destruction, and there is only one thing that can pluck them out of the fire, and that is the gospel.

You say "the deathscorts hear the gospel week in and week out", "they won't engage", "all they do is mock", "they aren't listening", "I get tired of being threatened and mocked", "I am not going to put myself, my freedom, or potentially my family in harm's way for that person's soul". So, as a result, you wind up unwilling to speak hard truths directly to the face of those who are hard to love, and eventually that pattern will follow you into other areas of your life. If we believe as we say, that we ought to open (our) your (mouths) mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy, then the scope of this work extends far beyond the plight of the unborn, or even the deathscort.

For instance, the difficult to love coworker who slanders you every time you say the name Jesus.
That family member who cuts you and your children out of their life for months at a time any time you open your mouth and judge rightly. Friends from your past who look at you now and scoff at the notion that you no longer want to run off into drunkenness and sexual immorality, because you have been born again.

The opportunities we have to love unlovable people are innumerable. But that is what we are called to, is it not? We aren't merely called to speak for the unborn, which is easy because they can't speak back. The unborn can't slander or threaten you. It's easy to forget that because the unborn cannot open their mouth, cannot defend themselves, that like the deathscorts, like the butchers who work at the abortuary, the unborn children have a sin nature that would manifest itself to you should they have the opportunity.

So, what is my point with all of this? It's this: holding back those who are stumbling to the slaughter is hard, tiring, heartbreaking work which will put both you and your family in the crosshair of the world, flesh, and devil. If you are a Christian, whether it is in your home with your wife, on the sidewalk in front of the clinic, among your extended family, online, or in the workplace, you have been called to be a faithful witness for Christ. We are commanded to count the cost, and the reality is, the cost is high. You must die to self. You must be willing to say "not my will be done, but Yours, O God".

It is not enough to simply live a quote "good life", and let your light shine before men. You must open your mouth and judge rightly with the word of God.

Experience no persecution, no separation, no conflict? Does everyone in every circle in which you move think highly of you? You may be living as an undercover Christian. Your politeness, your neutrality in every position, your disdain for rocking the boat, your aversion to ruffling any feathers, and all the goodness and kindness you muster up may allow you to fare well in the eyes of the world, but none of that is the power of God unto salvation. It isn't either or. Be kind. Seek to live peaceably with all men as much as it depends upon you, and open your mouth using the Word of God as a sword.

The bible tells us that God showed His love for us in this way, in that while we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is what we are called to: loving sinners. It is the path our Lord Jesus trod, being mocked, scorned, spit on, beaten, and cursed, and Scripture tells us that a student will become like their teacher. Let us repent and ask God to forgive us wherever we have failed to open our mouths and judge righteously. If you are able, please kneel as we call upon the name of the LORD.
 
Heavenly Father,
As we speak truth to those we live among, we find our circle of acquaintances and friends grow smaller, and smaller. Family rejects us, past friends walk away, hostility towards us and our households springs up, and if we are being faithful, at times it seems as if the whole world is against us, and it is daunting. Thankfully, we can shout "What a friend we have in Jesus!" Father, those whom we live among that are stumbling into death are too numerous to count. There are no lack of avenues which we may go down to open our mouths and defend the afflicted and needy. The problem is, we often count the cost and deem it too high. We value our peace, comfort, status, and relationships among men more than we love You and the souls of lost neighbors. Please forgive us Father. Forgive us for fear of man, for not loving as Your Son loves, for valuing peace and comfort over the salvation of lost souls. Please help us to remember Your lovingkindness towards us, while we were still yet sinners.
In Jesus's Name we pray, Amen.

Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Romans 4:7-8 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”

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!

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
               The above verse teaches us a few important principles.  First, parents have a duty to train their children.  The term training is often used interchangeably with teaching but there is a difference.  In teaching our children, which is also a responsibility of parents, we impart to them knowledge which they did not already possess.  Training however is the shaping and developing of one’s abilities and skills.  Teaching enables another person to know something.  Training enables them to do something.  Parents have the responsibility to train their children.   Secondly, parents are to train their children in the right direction.  You shape their skills and abilities to be used in the right ways.  You not only give them knowledge of the right path, but you also take them down the path.  The end goal is that when you are no longer the trainer, they will continue to go the paths they have been trained for.  Their training will make them ready to do what is good and right even when they face scenarios they have never faced before.  Using the arrows metaphor, you are the one shaping and sharpening the arrows so that on the day of battle they may be useful.

One important area of training that parents do not often think of is worship.  We know to train our children in athletics and academics but one of the most important skills a person needs to have is to be able to rightly worship the Lord.  Now in our church, you may be more keenly aware of this need than in other churches because we practice family integrated worship.  That means that in our worship gathering on the Lord’s day the whole family is invited and expected to be a part of the service.  This practice is both a practice out of necessity because of limited facilities and resources, and a practice out of principle. 

While there is not space in this article for laying out the complete case for this principle, it is helpful to look through scripture and see how children and even infants are described as being in the gathering of God’s people as well as commanded to be in the gatherings. Whether in Deuteronomy 31:11-13, Joshua 8:35, Joel 1-2, Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament or the fact that the Apostles address children in the New Testament Epistles meant to be read in the gathering of the saints, the Bible sets a pattern of the whole family being included in worship. We see this as a good pattern to follow and one that connects to the duty to train up a child in the way he should go.  You must always start as you mean to go and starting your children in the worship gathering is training them for the right path.

One objection someone might have is that its hard for little ones because its over their heads.  Who expects nursing infants and toddlers to actually participate or get anything in worship?  John Piper answers this objection to having children in worship which also ties into the duty to train your children.  This is what he says:

Of course, the service is over the children’s heads. It is supposed to be over their heads. They are beginners. The English language is over their heads when they come out of the womb, but we do not say, “Well, let’s put them with other children in their own situations and limitations so they can understand a word or two.” No. We immerse them in the English language every day. For a while, they do not understand most of it. But we hope and expect them to grow up into joyful use of the English language. Long before children fully understand the words said and sung in the service, they are absorbing tremendous amounts of valuable experience. This remains true even if they say they are bored. Music and words become familiar. The message of the music starts to sink in. The form of the service starts to feel natural. Even if most of the sermon goes right over their heads, experience shows that children hear and remember remarkable things. The content of the prayers, the songs, and the sermon gives parents an unparalleled opportunity to teach their children the great truths of the faith. If parents would only learn to query their children after the service and explain things to them, they would sow enormously valuable seeds for their long-term growth in the knowledge of God. 1

As John Piper makes clear having your children in worship with you is training that sets the pattern for years of growth.  It starts children off knowing that worship is important, and it is what our family does.  Think of all the other activities that young children are brought to by their parents and expected to observe or participate in.  You might bring your baby to a ball game to watch the other children.  We take children to family reunions, birthday parties, the dmv, and other activities.  I know a couple that took their infant to the movies so that they could enjoy it. None of these places are as important as the worship of the Lord and none so vital in the life of your children and home. 

Ok, you say I get it but its hard having little ones in worship.  They cry and they get bored.  Others are distracted.   I am embarrassed and I feel like I get nothing from the worship.  I know that bringing them to worship is training them for the future, but I need help training them to be able to be trained in worship.  What do I do?

Well. you are right that children have to be trained for worship, that is they need to be prepared for worship on Sunday.  The truth is that we all need to prepare ourselves for worship.  This is something neglected by nearly everyone in our day.  If you need to be prepared than your children are no different.  The training of children that happens in the public worship does not begin on Sunday Morning.  This training happens all week.  What does this training look like?  How do you get your child ready for worship on Sunday morning?  Here is a list of ten ways you can train your children so that they can be a part of the gathering of the covenant community for worship.   
 
1.  Prepare yourself for worship!   As was already said, we need to be prepared for worship ourselves.  We often come to worship distracted with all the affairs of life and running ragged from trying to get everything together Sunday mornings.  Sunday Mornings in many homes look like a marathon as the family is trying to prepare breakfast, picking out and ironing clothes, getting diaper bags together, rounding up the kids and making sure they have their socks and shoes on, and changing diapers on the baby who just messed it before heading out to the van.  Some of this hecticness is a stage of life that will pass but some of it is self-sabotage.  As far as you are able try to have as much prepared the night before.  Have the clothes ironed and laid out, the diaper bag packed, and some idea of what breakfast will look like.  Its good to have things that make for a quick but filling breakfast.  Make sure that you set your alarm early enough so that you are not rushing around at the last minute.  This means trying to get to bed early on Saturday Evening.   

Now this is just the physical preparation.  You should also be preparing your heart.  Fathers need to try to wrap up their business and work affairs early on Saturdays so that they are not spending all Saturday night and Sunday morning thinking about these things.  The worship leader often sends out the songs we will be singing ahead of time and so look those over.  If you use the family worship guide you can look ahead to the next weeks guide to see what passages will be studied on Sunday.  The more you can prepare your own mind, the better you will be even if it just to spend time in prayer Saturday evening and listening to music on Sunday morning as you get ready.    
If you are prepared, bringing your children to worship will be much easier.   

2.  Be excited about worship!  Your children get excited about what you get excited about.  Even little babies can sense excitement.  They can also sense stress, worry, and unhappiness.  If you are not excited about going to worship the Lord, then do not expect your children to be either.  Part of this excitement you need to pour into your own soul is that you get to take your children to worship.  It is not just a chore that your children will be in worship with you.  It is a blessing.  Moms and Dads you have been given the great responsibility and privilege to bring your children to the Lord’s house.  This is a privilege and great honor.  The Apostle John said he had no greater joy than to see his children walking with the Lord.   There is no greater earthly joy than to be a parent and holding your baby in your arm while praising God whose Son became a baby in his mother’s arms.  There are great promises that God will be God to both you and your children and when you are in worship with them you are watching these promises unfold.  So be excited about worship.  And then let your children know you are excited.  Talk it up all week.  Talk about how you get to go to church instead of how you have to.  Talk about how wonderful it is to praise God with the church.  Remember how when Covid first hit, most churches shut down for a few weeks and there are some churches sadly still not meeting.  This is a blessing, and your children need to know from you that it is.  So, if you are dreading worship all week because your children will be with you, ask God to help you repent of that and to be joyful.  
 
3.  Adjust your schedules during the week to fit the worship time!  This is an important way you can train your child for Sunday and that is make sure that your schedule throughout the week does not conflict with what will happen on Sundays.  What I mean is if your church service starts at 10:30 and goes to 12:30 then it would not be wise to schedule things during this time period the rest of the week that will suddenly have to change on Sunday.  Do not have lunch at 11:30 every day of the week and then on Sunday have that thrown off.  Adjust your lunch schedule to fit what will happen on Sunday.  Fix lunch for the kids at 1 instead of 11:30.   Do not make this a time where kids are running around and doing lots of activity.  Rather this will be a great time to do step number 4.   If your child always fusses a lot before nap time and your nap time is 11, then work slowly to adjust that nap time later or earlier that way they are not used to it right in the middle of church.  This is where you used wisdom with your children and adjust the schedule to fit good purposes.  The worst thing you can do is give no thought to schedule and then on Sunday suddenly have to take on a new one with the kids.  
 
4.  Train throughout the week in sitting down and being quiet!   Kids need lots of fun and activity time.  They need times to just be kids.  They need to play with toys and do not need to be held all the time.  But they also need to be taught that there are times to sit and to be still.  These things do not come natural to children, but they are important skills whether in church or elsewhere.  And so, you have to train them.  They need practice.  If your children do not have any moments of quiet and stillness throughout the week, do not think that Sunday they will automatically pick that up.

One mom over at “This Pilgrim Life” had this to say:

“Begin setting up times when you and your children can practice sitting still and listening quietly at home. Have your children sit on the couch or on a bench while you read to them. Or join them on the couch and listen to a sermon together. You can begin with shorter increments of time and build up to longer stretches. Keep your expectations similar to how you expect them to behave in church. If you do not want them laying down in the pew, then do not let them lay down on the couch. Same thing for talking. If your children are older and you want to help them practice active listening, then talk to them after you read or finish listening about what they heard.2”

Family worship time is very helpful in training children that there are times to pay attention and to sit still in addition to teaching the children the bible.  Practice, Practice, Practice these skills.  I have seen some homes where the youngest children are given free range and never expected to participate in anything that might cause them to have to be still.  Then on Sunday’s that child is suddenly expected to have a skill that he has not practiced.  They are seldom up to the task.   
 
5.  Do the Prep work on the way to church!   Your children need briefed on the way to church.  That is, they need to know what is expected of them.  The drive to church is the perfect time for dad to talk about how exciting church is and how important it is to worship the Lord.  Dad can talk about how we ought to be considerate of other people and so trying our best to be quiet when its time to be quite is being kind to others.  Dad can remind the children that they are to stand when everyone stands and sit when everyone sits.  You can talk about the blessings that come with worshiping with a whole heart.  Dad can also talk about the consequences that come with choosing to act in a distracting manner.  Get the children to participate in the conversation and to take ownership in what is about to happen. 
 
6.   Use the bathroom beforehand!  Make sure you get to church in time for the little ones to use the bathroom beforehand and get other things that might need to happen out of the way before church begins.  If they are going to take notes or color a picture, make sure they have it ready to go.   Try your best not to be late.  Its very difficult coming in late with children and trying to get them settled and prepared for church without distracting others and being prepared to worship.  Sometimes things happen and you are running late.  Better late than never.  But if you keep the rest of these tips, you should not be late.
 
7.  Make sure they are fed before hand but for the littlest ones have a light snack that is not too messy available.  This is pretty self-explanatory.   If you had adjusted feeding schedules and prepared breakfast before hand then the children are already fed.  Sometimes though in the worship time, a child might need a little snack.  That is ok but make sure its little, not distracting to others, and does not make a mess.  You do not want to train your children that worship time is snack time so try to keep it rare. 
 
8.  Make use of the cry room but return quickly!  Sometimes kids are just kids.  They make dirty diapers, the baby wants to nurse, or they are having a rough day.  Our church has a cry room just for these occasions.  It is good to make use of it.  Sometimes your child has a problem, and you can fix it right away with a snack or a distraction or just a hug from momma therefore there is no need to leave your seat.  But other times you need to take your child to the cry room.  We want children in worship and so we are used to the noises they make but for the sake of courtesy for others, do not try to wrestle a child that just cannot be consoled.  Its better to take them to the cry room and get them to calm down.  If it is a toddler, Dad might need to take him to the restroom and discipline them.  The Bible says that the rod drives away folly from the heart of a child.  Do not be afraid to use it.  Now, do not exasperate your child by refusing to implement the rest of these tips and only using the rod on Sundays.    
After you have taken the child out as soon as you are able bring them back in.  Do not train them that if they fuss, they get taken out and left out.  Even if you have to take them out a few times and bring them back a few times that is better than just giving up.  
 
9. Do not worry about being self-conscious!   Yes, when your baby is crying, people judge you.  Do not sweat it.  Everyone has an off week.  Everyone has one child who takes a little more training than others.  And yes, this is a work in progress.  Keep in mind that God is not finished with you yet either.  He is using you to train your child and your child to teach you patience and humility.  Have faith for the long haul.  Be open to help from others in the church.  Be open to correction from your pastor and elders.   But do not worry about being self-conscious.  You have a task from God to train up your child and by God’s grace you will.
 
10. Follow up!  This final step is an important one that should not be neglected.  Just as the ride to church was invaluable prep and training time, the ride home is too.  Follow up with the children on the way home.  Ask them each something that they learned.  You will be surprised at what they picked up and it will strengthen your commitment to this training.  You might learn that you have more teaching and training to do to help them understand things.  You might need to follow up with discipline.  The Father ought to make sure everyone got the main point of the sermon.  This is a good time to point out what went good with the children and what need to be corrected next time.  In the military, after action review, that is the follow-up, is a very vital part of every mission.  It makes you better for the next one.  This is true for you too.
 
Finally, parents have faith.  As has been said before, your children are only young for so long.  Holding a new baby in your arms and singing about the love of Christ Jesus will only happen for so long of a time.  Having a toddler hold your hand as you pray will only be a short season of life.  Having children ask questions after the service will be a distant memory.   One day you will be sitting in worship and looking over at the mom who seems so worried about her crying baby and chuckling under your breath because you know what it is like.  Have faith that one day your baby will be a mom holding her baby in church as they worship the Lord together.

1. Piper, John. “The Family: Together in God's Presence.” Desiring God, January 1, 1995. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-family-together-in-gods-presence.

2. Lisa. “Tips for Keeping Kids in Church.” This Pilgrim Life, August 26, 2019. https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/tips-for-keeping-kids-in-church/.

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.  

Proverbs 31: 1-7 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more.

We often speak of the necessity of fathers disciplining and teaching their children, and how that responsibility falls squarely upon their shoulders. Yet as we see in our text today, the role which mothers play in teaching their sons cannot be overlooked. King Lemuel, thought to be King Solomon by some, was taught by his mother. The sad irony of this text, if it is King Solomon referred to here, is that he is taught this lesson by his mother Bathsheba on the heels of an adulterous, murderous affair between her and his father, King David. Surely this is a bitter lesson taught by a mother who knew full well the ramifications of the warning we see in our text today. Matthew Henry says in regards to this text "Let the sufferings of others be thy warnings." If the mother spoken of here is Bathsheba, who would know the sting of sexual sin better than her? It cost her a faithful husband, Uriah, and the child born from the perverted union.

Scripture speaks of a time for everything under the sun, including war (Ecclesiastes 3:8). In 2 Samuel 8 we read in that day, the time for Kings to go off to battle was the spring. King David chose to not go to war in its appointed time, and wound up stumbling into sexual sin like an ox being led to the slaughter. This was a man after God's own heart, the sweet psalmist, the anointed King. David delighted in the Law of God, to include the seventh commandment which states "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Yet, because he chose to neglect his duty, he found himself ensnared by the lust of the flesh and it cost others their lives.

Mothers and fathers, each one of you have stumbled into sexual sin at some point in your life, whether it be sin which was confined to a screen, sin which had a safe harbor in your mind, or sin which manifested itself out in the open for all to see. As painful, uncomfortable, and old fashioned you may think it to be, you must warn your children of the dangers of sexual sin. Who better than you knows how sexual sin can worm its way into the deepest recess of your heart? Who better than you knows how a second glance at some strange flesh can lead to a sinful fantasy playing out on loop in your mind? Who knows better than you how easily manipulated we are by flattering speech, when men hint at how they can fill a void in a woman's life that her husband cannot, or when a woman boasts of a man's great strength or prowess?

Mothers and fathers, many of you have sons and daughters of an age where hormones and sins are running rampant, and if you are not warning your children of the snares and pitfalls of sexual sin you are failing in your duties as a parent. If you think your teenage son or daughter wouldn't do that, or that your little precious isn't thinking of these things, find me after church and I will tell you stories of my experience in youth groups as a teenager. A good, nice, polite, Christian teen.

The command and warning for us today is "Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings." Mothers and fathers, sexual sin will destroy your sons and daughters. It cannot be taken too lightly, and there is no time like the present to begin teaching your children of these snares. It is a sin which has lifelong ramifications, one which we are told to FLEE!

The telltale signs of impending sexual sin are obvious if one cares to see.
Flattery.
Lack of safe boundaries.

We must be teaching our sons to respect other young men and women as brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words, fostering a healthy, God honoring relationship between young men and women which isn't blind and ignorant to the fact that young men and women, teenage boys and girls, and yes, even pre-teen boys and girls are quite capable of sexual sin and will jump through every hoop, and fool you with every well placed "yes mam" and polite lie to satisfy their lusts. Parents, don't be so naive to think "not my child".

Warn them, mothers and fathers, or do you not know that the sexually immoral will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
 
Matthew Henry again says :
 "Give not thy strength unto women, unto strange women. He must not be soft and effeminate, nor spend that time in a vain conversation with the ladies which should be spent in getting knowledge and despatching business, nor employ that wit (which is the strength of the soul) in courting and complimenting them which he should employ about the affairs of his government. "Especially shun all adultery, fornication, and lasciviousness, which waste the strength of the body, and bring into it dangerous diseases. Give not thy ways, thy affections, thy conversation, to that which destroys kings, which has destroyed many, which gave such a shock to the kingdom even of David himself, in the matter of Uriah. Let the sufferings of others be thy warnings." It lessens the honour of kings and makes them mean. Are those fit to govern others that are themselves slaves to their own lusts? It makes them unfit for business, and fills their court with the basest and worst of animals. Kings lie exposed to temptations of this kind, having wherewith both to please the humours and to bear the charges of the sin, and therefore they ought to double their guard; and, if they would preserve their people from the unclean spirit, they must themselves be patterns of purity. Meaner people may also apply it to themselves. Let none give their strength to that which destroys souls."

As Solomon the wise stated, there is a time for everything under the sun, and that includes play. However, I am talking especially you you boys on the verge of your teens, and those who have moved closer to manhood, if it is all play, all the time and you are not developing a war strategy right now when you are 10, 11, 12, 13 years old, for how you will battle lusts: you are going to stumble into sexual sin like a stupid ox with every sweet little Christian homeschool girl who bats her eyes at you. Young ladies, if you aren't prepared to go to war in its due season, which regarding sexual sin is a constant, always present battle whether you realize it or not, you will fall prey to the smooth words of a devil disguised as a polite, fun, friendly Christian boy, and that precious gift of your virginity will be soiled and stained.

Brothers and sisters, sexual purity is so very important  because in the end, sin of this nature is a sin against God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy. The relationship between man and woman in marriage is a picture of Christ and His spotless bride, the Church, clothed in His righteousness, living under His care and protection. Sexual sin subverts God's plan for men, women, boys, and girls. It is a distortion of His pure, undefiled relationship to the Church, and we must teach our sons and daughters of the serious, soul damning nature of it. If you take a position of wanting to give your child space, or letting them figure things out on their own, or "my little innocent precious would never do that", you are setting your child up for a certain fall.

As Christ loves the Church, parents ought to teach their sons to value the young ladies as the precious treasures they are, and teach their daughters that all their worth is found in Christ, not the opinion of a foolish little boy with no self control. In the end, none of this is possible apart from the Grace of God.

So if you are able at this time, please kneel as we go boldly to the Throne of Grace. May God grant us repentance and renewed faith in His Son Jesus.

Heavenly Father,
We have sinned against You and You alone.
All of our sins of word, thought, and deed are before You: none escape Your gaze.
Father, I pray for the parents here who have failed to warn their children of the dangers of sexual sin, that You might bring them to repentance. Father, I pray for the young men and women who have been ensnared by lust, those who have been carried along by the flattering words of smooth talking youths, those who have the hooks of pornography in their flesh, and those who are stumbling headlong into destruction: please show them grace and hold them back.

I pray for those among us who have stumbled into open rebellion that you might bring them to repentance, heal the wounds this blasphemous sin inflicts, and use them as a loving warning to the Church that we ought flee sexual immorality and the burning of unchecked lusts, or burn for eternity. Father, help us to love one another and strive for the purity of Your Church. In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.

Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Colossians 1:19-23 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven.

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!

“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”- Hebrews 12:15-17

“so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry.’ The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.”- Deuteronomy 29:18-20
Bamboo is often called the fastest growing plant in the world.  I have read that it can grow 4 feet in less than 24 hours. With a moniker like this, you would think that when you plant it, you would be expecting tall plants very soon.  But actually, it often takes three years or more for you to see the plant shoot out of the ground and towards the skies. You should not, however, assume no growth has been happening for those three years.  Rather, below the dirt, bamboo has been developing an extensive system of roots that are often called a colony.  One plant under the ground becomes many and then they shoot up.  One of the frustrations some growers have is that the colony can really take off and then you have bamboo popping up everywhere growing 4 feet in a night.  What was now hidden comes out and can be unmanageable. 

The scriptures passages above speak about a bitter root that springs up causing trouble (Hebrews) and produces poisonous fruit (Deuteronomy).  It is something that starts off small under the surface often unseen by others and then finally after having dug deep into the soil it springs forth in such a way that it does really danger to both those whom the root has grown in and the many around them.  The book of Hebrews speaks of this root as bitterness.  It is connected with a lack of faith in the New Testament.  The Old Testament passage connects it to idolatry.  The idea is some sin that is allowed to fester and grow unchecked in one’s heart which competes for affection for the Lord.  It is some area where one fails to yield to the grace of God.  And just like a bamboo root it grows under the surface before sprouting up and doing major damage, revealing that one has come up short of the grace of God.  This is manifested in a rejection of the birthright, the turning away from the Lord, the rejection of the faith, and failure to attain the reward of Christ.  In other words, the bitter root grows the fruit of apostasy. 

Apostasy is not the losing of one’s salvation but rather it is one who though they have shared in someway the blessings of the covenant, having heard the gospel and on some level tasted its goodness, turning from it and revealing that they never were truly saved.  It is a sad and terrifying thought.  Over the last few years, we have seen this root burst forth from the ground and bear fruit in several “celebrity” or well-known professors of faith.   In every case, you can trace it to some root that was allowed to grow unchecked. Both the old and new testaments warn us to dig up the roots before they are grown and do their work.  We must constantly dig up these roots and get them far away from us by the word of truth, turning from idolatry and turning to Christ. We need constant reliance upon the gospel and trust in Christ. 

Application: 
We need to be on guard of sins that we allow to flourish.  We need to expose those roots to the sunlight of God’s grace.  Let me focus in on one root that can grow into this kind of plant and warn you to flee it.  The root I am talking about is bitterness and resentment.  It might seem obvious to talk about bitterness when dealing with a passage that talks about a bitter root and that is fine because this is often a root that people water and fertilize rather than dig up and cut out. 

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

You can see from this passage that bitterness is connected to anger, fighting, bad-talking, and malice.  Bitterness is often the source or root if you will of these other sins. Bitterness is resentful cynicism that often results in ungodly anger that will speak badly about others. It will fight against others or worse God. It is part of a heart headed to malice, wicked hatred.  You can easily see how resentment allowed to take root in the heart can sprout up causing trouble and many to be defiled. 

Bitterness often starts when one feels that they have been slighted or done some kind of injury.  Now whether there was a real injustice done or not, often is besides the point.  One can be a victim and yet be sinfully bitter.  They can have been sinned against and yet have grown resentful.  Ressentir is an old French word, literally meaning "intense feeling.”  It is where we get the word resentful.  S. Michael Houdmann had this to say about resentment “Resentment is the cheapest and least legitimate form of anger. It is all emotion and no strength.”  And yet while there is truth to this statement, it is not complete because as resentment is allowed to fester its roots grow like the colony of bamboo.  When it is allowed to fester, it hardens the heart causing much trouble. 

Let me reiterate, that resentment and bitterness can be aimed at real injustices that have been done to one.  But this is not always the case, often resentment and bitterness come because one has had something they do not like happen.  It can be because one was not given control and had to do something other than what they would have liked.  It often comes because one is so focused on self that any opposition to their own desires is perceived to be unfair.  Sadly, there have been mothers who have resented their own husband and even worse their own children because having children meant that some of their own desires, wants, and comforts had to be set aside to fulfill their duties.  This resentment is especially wicked because it short circuits the love that a mother should have for her children.  Her children whom the Lord calls blessings and gifts, the mother because of selfishness and idolatry, now sees as burdens.   

But whether bitterness and resentment are a response to real injustices or things that stand in the way of one’s own desires, resentment ultimately stems from a love of the things of the world and a lack of faith in God and His plan.   Bitterness in one’s heart against a neighbor, a family member, a church member, and God is a sin to be repented of, not something to make an excuse for and allow to continue.  It is dangerous to hold on to. It is dangerous to your own soul and dangerous to those around you.
 
Again, the Apostle Paul says let bitterness be put away from you.  Get it away from you.  Tear it out at its roots. Get the gardening shovel and go to town hacking it out.  And you do that with the gospel.  Remind yourself that you are a sinner and deserve nothing good from the hand of God.  Then remind yourself of his great love for you that while you were a sinner Christ died for you.  If you are in Christ Jesus, you were forgiven a debt you never could have ever paid.  Bitterness towards others fails to rightly see oneself both as a wicked sinner and as a redeemed saint. It is forgetting how much you have been forgiven.  It fails to have faith that all things will work together for your good.

GotQuestions.com give this helpful exhortation “Resentment is a passive, weak emotion that has no place in the Christian life. If there is injustice, we should deal with it through prayer and godly action. If there is insult, we should concentrate on who we are in Christ and not place too much value on the cruel words of others. If we face injustice in the course of our work for God, we should accept it as to be expected. And if God allows us to be dishonored for the sake of sanctification, the best, least painful response is to repent and allow Him to work in us.”

Friends, bitterness must not be allowed to fester in your heart.  You must repent of it.  Whether you are a mom who has grown resentful of struggling with the children all day, a man who is bitter that God has allowed him to be laid off from work without any job on the horizon, a young couple who had been hurt by careless church members, a young man who was taken for a ride by his ex-wife through the courts or young women who has been the victim of abuse and thus resents fatherhood, you must put off bitterness.  You have to repent of it and recognize that bitterness is a sin to be killed not just a feeling to hide. 

And in putting off resentment, the Apostle Paul says Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Cut out the roots of that poisonous plant and replace it with the seeds of the gospel that produce life-giving fruit.

Hebrews 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.


As one thumbs through the pages of the Old Testament, it is interesting to note that King David, a man after God's own heart, a man who faithfully led God's people, crushed God's enemies, and advanced the Kingdom, was also a sinful man. This type and shadow of Christ who was promised by God to forever have someone seated upon his throne, was at the end of the day a sinful man, yet still led, and for the most part, led very well. One reason he was able to do that was because he believed and clung wholeheartedly to this truth we find in the Psalms:

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
— Psalm 32:1

As it has been said, God could have chosen angels to do the work of building His Kingdom here on earth, but He instead chose sinful men. This truth ought to be humbling for us all. Whether it is civil authorities given the responsibility of wielding the sword, a father in the home disciplining his children, a husband leading his wife, a manager in the workplace, or Pastors and Elders in the Church: all authority on earth exercised by men and women is authority which has been delegated by the One to Whom all authority has been given, Christ. Every umbrella of authority under which you sit here on earth has for its earthly head a sinful person in need of the grace of God. It is an inescapable reality on this side of heaven.

You may very well be smarter than your leaders. You may be more organized. You may have better foresight. You may be better under fire. You may be more familiar with scripture. You may have more money. You may have more life lessons from which to pull. You may be  more successful, and better educated. That's wonderful. Now use those blessings, gifts, and talents which God has so graciously granted you for the advancement of His Kingdom and obey your leaders who will give an account.

Neither Pastor Spurgeon, Mr. Cox, or myself have slain our ten thousands, or even thousands. The only thousands and tens of thousands we have piled up may be our accumulated sins. We make mistakes. We pray you will show us grace as we seek to lead.

The text today says you are to obey and submit to your leaders in a way that brings joy, not grief. With that in mind, let me give you 3 quick points of application which, if you remember these, it will make the tasks of Pastoring and leading more pleasant, and thus joyful, for us all.

1. One of the many roles of a shepherd who oversees a flock of sheep is for the shepherd to ensure the physical well being of the sheep. He accomplishes this by physically examining the sheep, pulling back the wool to check for thistles, thorns, briars, and maybe even an insect infestation which is perhaps tormenting the sheep. He cleans and binds any wounds he may find. He shears the sheep, so that it's fleece does not become matted and weighed down with mud and filth. A shepherd is very hands on with the sheep of his flock, and must be if the sheep are to remain healthy and he has to do this because the sheep are incapable of doing it themselves.

Your Pastors and elders know you sin. We know you struggle with emotional turmoil. We know that unless you are grounded in God's word you will go astray. We know the things which tempt you, because those things tempt us too. We know you are sinners, and in general, attempt to put on your Sunday best so that no one else will notice your sin. So, since we know these things, one way you may obey and submit so as to make leading a joy, is by confessing your sins to us so that we can more readily bring God's word to bear on your lives. It is God's word which reveals and heals, is it not?

2. Secondly, since we know that just as sheep don't volunteer the location of the briars and thistles, the sheep of God's pasture are not generally inclined to openly declare their sins to the Pastor either. Because of this, Pastors and elders must meddle. So, if you want to obey and submit so as to bring joy to the life of your Pastor and Elders, do not flee, be offended, or throw up smokescreens when the meddling comes to you. It is awkward, unpleasant in the moment, and flies in the face of cultural norms in our day and age, but it's necessary because just as sheep cannot always recognize their infirmities and are usually unable to do anything about them, you too need a Pastor's help in applying God's word to your life.

3. Lastly, God in His infinite wisdom has ordained you to be right where you are. He has given you the leaders you now have. Your Pastor and Elders are real life, flesh and blood men who see you week in and week out. They are in your homes, and you in theirs. We fellowship together, work together, play together. Our wives and children are friends. As I just mentioned, your Pastors and Elders know you intimately, all the way down to your sin. So the application is this: don't make us compete with your favorite internet or sermon audio preacher. Don't allow us to blindly be waging war against a fellow servant of Christ who happens to hold to your pet theological position, and we perhaps do not. You are called to obey your leaders and to submit to them, not those who live in places like Moscow, or Wisconsin, or Bloomington. While the electronic teachings of these Pastors may be helpful and edifying: these Pastors do not know you, and have no business attempting to Pastor sheep who are not of the flock to which they have been called.

With these things in mind I ask you: where have you fallen short? What area of your life have you been hiding from you Pastor and Elders? What sins have you sought to hide under a veneer of smiles, quips, and busyness? Where have you been outwardly feigning submission and obedience, all the while fomenting rebellion and disobedience in your heart, growing bitter and angry?
Thankfully, we have a Savior Who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, if you are able at this time, please kneel as we go boldly to the throne of grace in prayer.

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the way You love us as a Father loves His children, leading us, disciplining us, providing for us, and protecting us.

We praise You for the Lamb, slain for our sins, Who heals our sin sick hearts, justified us in Your sight, and Who isn't afraid to call us brothers.

We praise You for the Spirit, Who leads us into all truth, comforts us, illuminates our minds, and pierces our hearts with Your Word.

Heavenly Father, like sheep we are stubborn. We arrogantly believe we know a better way than the way You have given in Your Word, and wind up tangled in thorns, or cast down, unable to pick ourselves up. Father You bless us with Pastors and Elders, to care for, tend, and feed the sheep of Your pasture, yet we persist in thinking we can go at life alone, doing it our way. Rather than obey the leaders appointed over us, those who know us intimately, we like to store up leaders online who only say what we like to hear. In this, we pit our flesh and blood Pastors and Elders against our favorite internet or sermon audio preachers in a battle for our heart that none of the participants even know is taking place.

Father please forgive us for our rebellion against Your God ordained authority in the Church.
Fill us with Your Spirit and help us to be humble, obedient servants.

In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.
 
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Ephesians 2:13-22 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 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 04/11/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)

Click here for part 10

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one? A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.

Today, we scoff at those in other cultures who make statues and bow down to them.  We look back upon the Greek and Romans with their many gods like Zeus, Apollos, Artemis, and Ares, and we think how ignorant those people were.  They certainly were ignorant but are we much more enlightened?

John Calvin famously said ““Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.” We constantly turn our heart’s attention and desire to things which are not God.  We are a people with all kinds of gods.  You can list off the usual suspects, money, fame, power, sex, and comfort.  But our pantheon of gods does not end there.  We take the good things that God created and try to turn them into the source of our joy.  We can take even something very good like family and exalt it above God.   Men can be tempted to this as they make sure to defend their authority in the home while refusing to acknowledge God-given authority outside of the home in the church or state. 

On the other hand, our culture has turned the State into a god which oversees every area of life no matter how small.  We reject the law of God and replace it anywhere and everywhere with the law of man.  This is because our favorite god to worship is man.  Ultimately, we fashion idols out of things created so that our created gods will serve us, our “one true” god.  The result of this is as the Bible says an utterly foolishness and depraved mind given over to evil.  Rejecting God above leads to foolish thinking.  Those idols whom we think will serve us become slave masters, albeit slave masters without any power to save or to give lasting joy.

Listen how the prophet Isaiah describes those who make idols:
Isaiah 44:9-17Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame. The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.  Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house.  Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
 
Again, you are tempted to say, “well of course that is stupid.”  And it is.  The idol maker takes from the creation things meant for him to use rightly and from that very creation he fashions a god, whom he serves.  The prophet Isaiah says its shameful and foolish.  No salvation can be expected from these idols.

In contrast to all this folly, God tells his people “Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant (Isaiah 44:21).”  God fashioned us.  He is our maker.  We are designed to serve him.  Unlike our fashioning gods to serve us, God has made us to serve him.  We have one Creator and He alone is God.  He is the first and He is the last.  Before the world was formed, He was.  And after the end of time, He will be.  He is the one living and true God.  He was not made. He is without equal.  He is God.   Because He is living and because He is true, then He can and does hear our prayers and can and will save His people.
Let us shut down that idol-making factory in our hearts. Instead, lift up our heart to the only God who is.

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.  

Proverbs 30:32-33 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth. For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.

We have been foolish in exalting ourselves. Every time we sin, we tell lies about the nature of God. God is Holy, Holy, Holy. As His image bearers, our sin is a direct assault on His Holiness. Psalm 7:11 tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day. Our sin is an evil, rebellious plot to satisfy the lusts of our flesh at all cost, and for us to go on sinning willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgement and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10: 26,27).

Time and again in scripture we see how God in His righteous anger responds to rebellion.
He removed Adam and Eve from the garden.
He struck Israel with a plague in the wilderness.
He opened up the ground and sinners were swallowed up.
Jonah was swallowed by a fish.
Israel was carried off into captivity.
God took David's son born from adultery and murder.
Reprobates are given over to their depravity, to do things they know are worthy of death.
God does not wink at sin. He does not make allowances for it.

Our sin churns the anger of God and He hates it, with a perfect hatred. Those who do not repent will likewise perish and spend an eternity being ground underfoot by the fury and fierceness of the winepress of God's wrath. He is not satisfied or pleased by the death of the wicked, so an eternity of torment awaits those who choose the fleeting, vain pleasures of sin, over the perfect, spotless Lamb of God.

God's Just nature will not allow Him to sit back and do nothing about sin. His very being demands that payment be made, that justice be satisfied, and as we heard on Friday, He provided a means of atonement for His people by the death of His Son on the cross, who is worthy "to receive glory and honor and power;” (Revelation 4:11).

God hates sin, and it will be paid for one way or the other. Either you in your rebellion will spend an eternity in hell having God's wrath poured out upon you for your sin, or you can look to the risen Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus made payment for the sins of all His people. He satisfied the wrath of Almighty God, and because God is full of Grace and Mercy and does not wish that any should perish, He grants that those of faith may have Christ's righteousness, His sinless life, His payment for sin, credited to their account.

Speaking of Abraham, Paul in Romans 4 says:
Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Brothers and sisters, I plead with you today, turn from your sins and with eyes of faith look to the blessed hope found in our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who satisfied the wrath which sin deserves.

If you are able at this time, please kneel as we call upon the Name of the LORD.
O SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN,
Thou wast incarnate, didst suffer, rise, ascend
      for our sake;
Thy departure was not a token of separation
    but a pledge of return;
Thy Word, promises, sacraments, show thy death
    until thou come again.
That day is no horror to us,
  for thy death has redeemed us,
    thy Spirit fills us,
    thy love animates us,
    thy Word governs us.
We have trusted thee and thou hast not betrayed
    Our trust;
  waited for thee, and not waited in vain.
Thou wilt come to raise our bodies from the dust,
    and re-unite then to our souls,
  by a wonderful work of infinite power and love,
  greater than that which bounds the oceans’ waters,
  ebbs and flows the tides,
  keeps the stars in their courses,
  and gives life to all creatures.
This corruptible shall put on incorruption,
  this mortal, immortality,
  this natural body, a spiritual body,
  this dishonoured body, a glorious body,
  this weak body, a body of power.
We triumph now in thy promises as we shall do
    in their performance,
  for the head cannot live if the members are dead;
Beyond the grave is resurrection, judgment,
    acquittal, dominion.
Every event and circumstance of our lives will be
    dealt with --
  the sins of our youth, our secret sins,
  the sins of abusing thee, of disobeying thy Word,
  the sins of neglecting ministers’ admonitions,
  the sins of violating our conscience --
    all will be judged;
And after judgment, peace and rest, life and service,
  employment and enjoyment, for thine elect.
O God, keep us in this faith,
  and ever looking for Christ’s return.
In His name we pray, Amen.
Prayer adapted from a Valley of Vision prayer titled "The second coming".
 
Please join me in standing, and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

Romans 6:8-11 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 4/4/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.

The children of members of Sovereign King Church are considered members of Sovereign King Church and we value having them in worship right alongside the rest of the church.  But children are considered non-communicate until they have been received to the table by the elders.
The Lord’s Supper is different than baptism. While there is some disagreement upon the time and mode of baptism within our church, we agree that the Lord’s Supper is a different sacrament then baptism with its own requirement, benefits, and judgements. The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal designed by Christ to renew and strengthen our faith.  Therefore, there are certain requirements for coming to the table:
1. The party coming to the table must be a Baptized member of the church in good standing. This is the communion meal of the members of the Church (1 Cor. 11:18ff), and we do not admit people into the church without baptizing them. Neither do we admit those who have been suspended from the sacraments or excommunicated to the table..  
2. The person must be truly trusting in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. They must also be able to profess their faith (1 Cor. 11:26).
3. The person must be capable of self-control in coming to the table (1 Cor. 11:21-22).
4. The person must be able to understand what the elements mean (1 Cor. 11:29). The elements should be more than an ordinary snack of bread and wine, rather the person should be capable of understanding that they represent the body and blood of the Lord and that they who partake of the Lord’s Supper in faith spiritually feed on Christ.
5. The person must be capable of self-examination (1 Cor. 11:28). They must be able to analyze themselves and make sure that they are repentant of their sin against God and against neighbor.  One aspect of discerning the Lord’s body is making sure that one is in harmony and peace with their brothers in Christ. 
If your child is coming of the age where they are professing faith in Christ and are interested in taking the Lord’s Supper, how do you know if they are ready?  Pastor Joseph has recorded a video that will be helpful to parents as they wrestle with this question. 
If you think your son or daughter is qualified to take the Lord’s supper and would like the elders to examine them, please let Pastor Joseph know and we will schedule a time.