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 29:21-27 He who pampers his slave from childhood Will in the end find him to be a son. An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing. The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the Lord. An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

The Lord Jesus in Matthew 10:28 says:
Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Fear of man is a sin common to us all. As the Proverb tells us today, it is a snare for those who are not trusting in the Lord. It causes employees in workplaces to not share the gospel with their co-workers for fear of being cut off from promotions. It leads young people to remain silent among friends who are "Christians in name only", because to speak truth into the life of your wayward friend will cost you your friendship. Fear of man paralyzed the  Apostle Peter and he wound up denying his Lord and Master three times, and later, was influenced by Judaizers who would not accept uncircumcised gentiles as brothers.

Matthew Henry in speaking of the fear of man says:
We are cautioned not to dread the power of man, neither the power of a prince nor the power of the multitude; both are formidable enough, but the slavish fear of either brings a snare, that is, exposes men to many insults (some take a pride in terrifying the timorous), or rather exposes men to many temptations.

Fear of man can tempt Pastors and Elders to shy away from speaking hard truths to their congregation. Brothers and sisters in Christ,  who ought to offer loving, gentle rebukes to one another, oftentimes take the easier path of nonconfrontation under the guise of not wanting to stir the pot. Now, this is not an encouragement to be a troublesome meddler, but rather, if you are a man who sees a brother stumbling into sin, or an older lady who sees a younger lady making the same mistakes that your younger self did: love your neighbor as yourself and open your mouth. Don't allow fear of man to keep you from loving one another.

Men, for you specifically, fear of man can lead you to not discipline your children as you ought. Because we are oftentimes inconsistent in how we discipline our children, or perhaps we consistently fail to discipline them at all, when we do, it has the possibility of coming across as harsh and heavy handed to our wives. So, because we desire peace, quiet in the home, do not like tension with our wives, and believe that we can appease their wrath, we do not discipline the children as we ought. Then, you show up to Church on a Sunday morning with undisciplined children who your wife winds up having to wrestle with, wrangle, and be led to feel like a failure as a parent because her children are unruly. Fear of man, in this case seeking to appease your wife, leads to unruly children, and a potentially resentful wife who feels overwhelmed on Sunday mornings. Don't do this to your wife. As I encouraged you last week, don't lay burdens on the shoulders of your wife that are meant for you husbands to carry. We are called to die to self, to lay down our lives for our wives as Christ did for His bride, the Church. So men, put to death the fear of man within you.

Man, woman, boy, girl, young and old, killing fear of man within you is accomplished in big part by trusting in the Lord. Remembering His promise to never leave you nor forsake you.
Bearing in mind that Christ is a Man of War, and is crushing His enemies, Your enemies, under His feet. Reminding yourself that all man can do is kill your body. That's it. Man can rage, they can plot against you, yet it is in vain and all the while our God sits in the heavens and laughs.

Brothers and sisters let us repent of our fear of man. If you are able at this time, please join me in kneeling as we cry out to God for mercy.

Heavenly Father,
Please be merciful towards us sinners.
Forgive us for our wandering, distracted hearts and minds which forget how awesome, mighty, and terrible You are.
Please forgive us Father, for fearing man who is made of dust, rather than fearing You, our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer.
Father, please grant us grace that we may live free from fear of rejection, loss, conflict, and trouble. Help us to recognize that the safest place for us is in Your will, trusting in You, no matter what temporal calamity, storm, or conflict may come.
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: 

One will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. -Romans 5:7-9

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 02/28/2021 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 29:1-10  A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth. The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps. By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern. Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest. Men of bloodshed hate the blameless, But the upright are concerned for his life.

Judas Iscariot traveled with Christ. He heard the sermons, the parables, and saw the miracles. He was given responsibility among the twelve to tend the money box. Judas was a disciple, heard all the commands uttered by our Lord, yet in the end he wound up betraying Jesus. As a result he fell headlong, bursting open in horrible fashion. We repeatedly see in scripture tales of men confronted with the Word of God responding to it not in repentance, not in obedience, not delighting in the Law of God, but rather, by hardening their hearts, stiffening their necks, and gnashing their teeth.

This is the juxtaposition: one either views the Word of God as a delight which is sweeter than the honeycomb, or as a burden which necessitates a hardening of one's neck. There is no middle road with God. There is no lukewarm, indifferent path upon which we may walk. There is only trust and obey, or be broken upon the rock.

The Proverb today warns us:
A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Brothers and sisters, how long have you been a Christian? How many sermons have you heard? How many good, solid theological books have you consumed? How much of God's grace have you enjoyed? How many Lord's suppers have you eaten? How many psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs have you sung? How many times have faithful preachers of God's Word pleaded with you to repent, to forsake your sinful ways, to flee from the broad way and strive to enter through the narrow gate?

Do not harden your neck.

Have you forgotten that a good father, which our Heavenly Father is, disciplines the son whom He loves? At the time this discipline seems sorrowful, yet afterward bears the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Rather than hardening your neck because of the discipline which comes to you through the application of God's Word to your conscience, humble yourselves before God. Just prior to being stoned to death, Stephen the deacon was preaching God's word to a crowd of angry Jews. He referred to them as being stiff necked, uncircumcised in heart, and having ears which always resisted the Holy Spirit. In response they gnashed their teeth, rushed at him, and murdered him with stones.

Is this how you have come to respond to the gospel, young person?

Perhaps you don't outwardly gnash your teeth and bum rush your parents or the preacher with stones.  Maybe for you, the rebellion is on the inside, where only God can see. You have plugged your ears, stiffened your neck, and seeth in anger because mommy and daddy make you come to church. Older Christian, what says you? You've gone to church so long, you've heard hundreds, if not thousands of sermons. Time, the cares of the world, a weary body, and your desire to cling to some pet sin has left you stiff necked, resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit. Friend, your longevity in the house of God will not save you on the day of judgement. Repent of your sins and forsake your sinful ways before you are broken beyond remedy.

Christian parents, the yoke which our Lord Jesus tells us to take upon us, is easy, and His burden is light. For the Christian, it is a pleasant, joyful thing to obey the Lord. Do your children delight to obey you? Is the yoke which you lay upon your child one that they delight in, or is it one which always leaves them exasperated? Are your children stiffening their necks against God because they see your Christianity and have reasoned that if the way you parent is how God disciplines His children, they want nothing to do with it?

In Psalm 2 it talks about the nations being in an uproar, and the people devising vain things, casting off God's Law and being governed instead by their own passions. It is the cry of freedom uttered by every single person who ever rebelled against our Holy, Holy, Holy God.

Listen to their end from the Psalm:
 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.
Psalm 2:9

Dear friends that is what awaits those who harden their necks against God. Repent today.
If you are able, please kneel and join me in prayer.
O GOD,
May thy Spirit speak in us that we may speak to thee. We have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for us. We are undeserving, but look to thy tender mercy. We are full of infirmities, wants, sin; thou art full of grace. We confess our sin, our frequent sin, our wilful sin; All the powers of body and soul are defiled: A fountain of pollution is deep within our natures. There are chambers of foul images within our being; We have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of our fallen nature.

We are utterly ashamed that we are what we are in ourselves; We have no green shoot in us nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; We are a fading leaf that the wind drives away; We live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt. Lord, dost thou have mercy on us? Thou hast struck a heavy blow at our pride, at the false god of self, and we lie in pieces before thee. But thou hast given us another Master and Lord, thy Son, Jesus, and now our hearts are turned towards holiness, our lives speed as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee. Help us in all our doings to put down sin and to humble pride.

Save us from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in us day by day. Grant us grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where we have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where we may be built in Christ for ever.

In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
(Prayer adapted from the Valley of Vision prayer titled "Heart Corruptions")

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

Psalm 128 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table. Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion, And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Indeed, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

 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 02/15/2021 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 28:21-28 To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. 22 A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. 23 He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. 24 He who robs his father or his mother And says, “It is not a transgression,” Is the companion of a man who destroys. 25 An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. 26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. 27 He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.
This is the Word of the LORD.
Follow your heart.
The heart wants what it wants. “I’m here to spread a message of hope. Follow your heart. Don’t follow what you’ve been told you’re supposed to do.”
We’ve all heard these trite little quotes before. In a world currently dominated by the fruit of humanism run amok, the notion that someone ought to simply “follow their heart” has led to very real, destructive consequences for western culture all around the world. Nations once dominated by Christian philosophy, that of law, reason, and rational thought, all built upon a foundation of the truths of scripture coupled with faith in the triune God, watch as the foundations are eroded by people who have rejected God, codified their rebellion into law, and are encouraged to do what is right in their own eyes.
The scriptures tell us that “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” This notion that we are to trust in our hearts is utter foolishness. In case you missed the case study done in 2020 on the ramifications of a people succumbing to the desires of their hearts, listen to what scripture says of this heart we are frequently told we ought to follow and trust: Apart from the grace of God we have
an “unbelieving heart” Hebrews 3:12
A “hard heart” Hebrews 3:8
A “heart of stone” Ezekiel 36:26
Genesis 6:5 says “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
Jesus said in Matthew 15 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man;”
For the believer, these verses ought to sound as the death knell in the notion that our hearts can be trusted to guide us, tell us right from wrong, or give us a clear picture of our true standing before God.
As reformed, evangelical Christians, who in many cases subscribe to the doctrine of total depravity, we know all too well that what we see around us in the world today results directly from people following after the desires of their hearts, rather than trusting in the LORD.
So, how have we succumbed to this vain philosophy?
How might you be trusting in your heart this morning, rather than in God?
This very day as a Church we will be presented with a proposal to change our meeting place from one location to another. As with any decision, there are pros, and cons. The downside of staying here at Carr township is abundantly clear every time we walk in the building. When contrasted with the alternate location, it seems like a no brainer. In this decision, whatever is decided upon by the heads of household, one thing is certain: this decision must be one in which we are trusting in the LORD with all our hearts, going where the facts may lead us, and cannot be a decision which is driven merely by the desires of our hearts.
As brothers and sisters, when we sit down to debate, question, and attempt to determine a course of action in a time such as this, with our Church outgrowing our meeting place, we need to remember that we all subscribe to one faith, one baptism, and one Lord. In the discussion of budgets, meeting places, and growth, let us remember that we are merely stewards of God’s house, that the Church belongs to Christ because He purchased her with His blood. Let us have faith, trusting in the Lord rather than our hearts, knowing that as we do so, He will use even our wrong turns for His glory.
If you came today with any notions of promoting the desires of your heart, apart from filtering those desires through God’s Word, let us repent and trust in Him instead.
If you are able, please join me in kneeling as we confess our sins to God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy.
Heavenly Father,
Apart from Your grace we are as unreasoning animals biting and devouring one another. Apart from the truths of Your Word, we go astray, and in our straying we sin against You.
Father, please help us to delight in Your Word this morning, to keep is as a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Please help us to apply Your Word to every area of our lives, decisions both big and small. Please forgive us for when we stray from Your narrow path and wind up led solely by our hearts, which are deceitful and wicked. Forgive us for not loving our brethren as we ought. Please be merciful towards us 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:
Psalm 37:1-6 Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.
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!

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 28:11-20 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him. When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves. He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.


If you were to open your bible to 1 Chronicles 12:32, you would read that the men of the tribe of Issachar were men who understood the times in which they lived. Could this be said of you? Can you look at the signs of the times and discern that, at least for the moment, the wicked have risen to power in our land? Using the power of observation and personal experience, coupled with God’s word revealing to you what lies in man’s heart, can you see that the winds of change have blown in a new season? Can you see that in 2021 it is not only not fashionable to be someone who holds to the bible as being eternally true and applicable for all of life, but also that those who subscribe to the rock solid truths of scripture have become enemies of those who want a society free from all moral and ethical restraints?

One could argue I suppose that even if your favorite politicians who hold to all your pet positions were in power, the offices would still be held by people who were sinners in God’s eyes, thus not “good”. However, what we seem to have brewing in our nation today is unlike anything I can recall seeing in my lifetime, regarding the official position of those in power. Those sitting in the seats of power today, are sinister, wicked. By wicked I mean folks perfectly comfortable with the murder of children from conception till moments after birth. Wickedness of the type which believes it is an act of compassion to give confused eight year olds hormone blockers in a vain attempt to change them into something they are not. Wickedness which will unleash these confused hormone blocked sinners upon unsuspecting kids in bathrooms and showers in public schools, in the name of equality. The type of evil I speak of will lie, kill, steal, and destroy lives in order to gain and keep hold of power. It is clearly satanic. And unfortunately for Christians, we live in a land in which all three branches of government are now led by people who openly hate God.

We need to be able to understand the times in which we live.
The wicked have risen to power, what do we do?

A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning a few Dangerous Boys, their fathers and I sat in my living room and discussed the ability to blend in to any environment. We spoke of nature, and how God has created some of the most fearsome predators and the most vulnerable prey with the ability to conceal themselves with camouflage. One such animal we looked at specifically was the cuttlefish. This marvelous little creature has an uncanny skill which enables it to change shape and color to blend in to any underwater environment, protecting it from predators and allowing it to fall upon unsuspecting prey. I can already hear the reply of some who would say “I see where you are going with this example. Ain’t gonna happen! This is merica! I have rights. I’m a free man, and I am not gonna hide from the gubment!” I know this is the sentiment of many, because it is the position I am tempted to swing to. However, what does wisdom say?

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
Men hide themselves. Not cowards. Not pansies. Men. One specific, quick point of application of this principle which impacts all of us is how we conduct our online presence.

First off, Christians abandoning social media platforms en masse is not a proper response. We are to hide ourselves, not abandon our posts. Whether we like it or not, social media seems here to stay, and as has been seen in the last year, it is a powerful tool for social discourse. For some of you however, social media and engaging with the enemies of truth may be an idolatrous pastime. You may be spending time clicking the keyboard when loving your wife and disciplining your children ought to be the priority. You need to repent.

Maybe your balance on Facebook or twitter is even keeled, time wise, but your tendency is to be like a berserker on the field of battle, lobbing grenades here and there, swinging your sword at every snakes head which pops up, and you become the guy no one wants to have a conversation with, because rather than extending grace and charity to others, you are just looking to win. Maybe you are that person who feels they must tell everyone, every, single, minute detail of your life, down to the second in which events are taking place. TMI people.

Online, God’s enemies, the ones we spoke of earlier and a myriad of others who are themselves camouflaged, lurking in the shadows, are watching every single keystroke, like, and share you engage in on social media. And they will use it against you. People are losing their jobs because they tweet in support of Trump. Folks are getting cancelled for hate speech, saying things like “marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman”. Unless you enjoy the unemployment line, having the department of child services breathing down your neck, or the unnecessary added stress of death threats and Facebook pages created in your honor, as a Christian, you better learn quickly how to hide yourself in plain sight, not abandoning your post, but rather putting yourself in a position to strike a sure blow when the time is right.

I’ll close with Matthew Henry’s words on this passage: The advancement of the wicked is the eclipsing of the beauty of a nation: When the wicked rise and get head they make head against all that is sacred, and then a man is hidden, a good man is thrust into obscurity, is necessitated to abscond for his own safety; corruptions prevail so generally that, as in Elijah’s time, there seem to be no good men left, the wicked walk so thickly on every side.

If you are able, join me in kneeling as we confess the ways in which we fail to apply the wisdom of God’s word to our lives.

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for being the premiere example of righteous, kind, loving authority. We thank You that in the exercise of Your authority You are working all things together for our good.

Father, please forgive us when we rail against the authorities placed over us, forgetting that it is You who removes Kings and establishes them. Please forgive us when, in our sin, we recklessly engage the enemy without a consideration for who is observing, how the engagement may impact our family and the church, and with little regard for the long-term ramifications of our words.
Father, please forgive us when led by the flesh rather than Your Spirit. Please help us to have discernment to know when and where to engage. Help us to be humble enough to realize that Your Kingdom will advance just fine without our sinful contributions.

Father, may the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and the keystrokes of our fingers be pleasing in Your sight.
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:

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. - 1 Peter 2:24-25

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!

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 28:1-10 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. By the transgression of a land many are its princes, But by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures. A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them. Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all things. Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. He who leads the upright astray in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will inherit good.
This is the word of the LORD.

Matthew Henry states that “National sins bring national disorders and the disturbance of the public repose.” As we watch our nation crumble before our very eyes, we can quite easily see the root from which all of our current national calamity has come. The Triune God of scripture, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost has been rejected in favor of a multiplicity of gods, in the form of perverted sexuality, materialism, comfort, and entertainment, to name a few. From these spring no fault divorce, child sacrifice, the erosion of family, covetousness, a lack of contentedness, and unthinking minds which are distorted by fantasy, ungrounded in reality. Our national transgressions are as high as the heavens, and their stench is abominable to God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy.

While things look bleak, while Christians wonder “How long O LORD?”, while the whole creation continues to groan under the transgressions of the sons and daughters of Adam, we must remember that there is nothing keeping this people back from total ruin, save for the mere good pleasure of Almighty God. It is only God’s will and His ordaining hand which permits this nation to exist one second longer.

One thing that follows from our national sins is a bloated host of bureaucrats and politicians who seem locked in a constant power struggle over who will manage the dumpster fire. We see a collision of worldviews among these wicked magistrates, with some ruling according to the philosophy of Humanism, pitted against others who have merely a remnant of the Christian worldview, who attempt to appear virtuous and noble, while appealing to the base lusts of their depraved constituents. The leaders we have today truly do represent the will of the people. We hate them, their corruption, their greed, their power hunger, and yet they are a reflection of what the people of this nation have become.

By the transgression of a land many are its princes, But by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.

We can read scripture and see that nations which reject God are destroyed. The waste bin of history is full of nations which once were, but are now only vague memories. Take Nineveh for example: a wicked land ripe for destruction yet God sent Jonah to preach the good news. Repentance followed, but only for a short time as Nineveh was brought low a few decades later. Having a fear of the LORD is the only hope for our nation. Only a fear of the LORD leads to true knowledge and wisdom. Those with no fear of God before their eyes become fools and hate discipline, as we see on display all around us each day. Men can become women. Flatten the curve. Print more money. We have become a nation of people who behave like unreasoning animals, yet God has granted us another day to repent.

True wisdom which follows after a fear of the LORD is the only remedy for a nation dangling over the pit of hell. Likewise, in families such as yours, which make up a nation collectively, it is only by the fear of the LORD will you stand. If in your home a fear of the LORD has been supplanted by a pursuit of wealth, an insatiable appetite for entertainment, and a fleeing into the faux refuge of temporal comforts, your family will not stand.

If your home has become one where the dictators of world, flesh, and devil rule over your appetites and govern your thinking, your family will join the myriads of others who have been reduced to nothing in the past. We can break this train of thought down to even the most base level: a nation with wicked rulers is made up of families led by the lust of the flesh, which consist of individuals who are governed by depraved thinking which stems directly from idolatry.

We have wicked rulers, and many of them because at the very bottom of it all we are idolaters with no fear of God before our eyes. As our corrupt heart goes, so goes our family, and following after that, the nation.

Isaiah 60:12: “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.”

National repentance and a turning away of God’s wrath will not occur unless repentance first happens in the heart of individuals like you and I: husbands, wives, sons, daughters, managers, hourly workers, blue collar, white collar, black people, white people, and all colors in between. We cannot expect this nation to repent of it’s wicked ways unless repentance first takes place within our own hearts and our homes.

Brothers and sisters, destroy your idols and turn back to Christ Who loves you, and gave Himself as a sacrifice, a sweet smelling aroma on your behalf. Repent of your sins, which are an affront to the Holiness of God, and make a mockery of the sacrifice of His Son.

If you are able, at this time please join me in kneeling as we cry out to God for grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Heavenly Father we have sinned against You alone. We have nowhere to hide from Your gaze. There is no place, even the darkest recess of our minds, to which we can flee and be free to practice our sin unnoticed by You. We are naked and full of shame, having brought reproach upon Your Great Name through our sins. Please be merciful towards us sinners. Please grant us grace that we may fully see our sins, turn back to You, and be saved. Please wash us clean from our sins with the blood of Your Son Jesus, and grant us a steadfast spirit which will persevere to the end.
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:

Psalm 103:8-12 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

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 01/25/2021 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 27:21-27 The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him. Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds; For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, The lambs will be for your clothing, And the goats will bring the price of a field, And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your maidens.
This is the word of the LORD.
 
It is the norm in our society among couples who have children for both to have careers which necessitates dropping little Johnny or Sally off at daycare, public, or private school for their upbringing. Having others train their children, teach them morals, and indoctrinate them into state-approved patterns of thinking and behaving is no problem for most Americans in 2021. Proof positive of this is the speed with which marriage has fallen out of fashion, and lifestyles such as cohabitation and homosexuality have become the norm, just in the last 20 years or so.

Lest you think Christendom is any better off, consider how in most churches, the vast majority of exposure to scripture, bible reading, and moral training that children are exposed to happen not in the home with father leading family worship. Most training does not take place at home with mom teaching Sally about the blessings of children, or dad teaching Johnny his duty to one day provide for his family. No, but rather, many if not most Christian parents are content to co-opt their children's spiritual training to well meaning but ill equipped Sunday school teachers. Most Christian men seem to believe that so long as their children are within the four walls of the church house on the Lord's day then they have fulfilled their God ordained obligations to wife and children.

This hands off approach to God's commands has serious ramifications. As I have touched on previously, a mass exodus is taking place among young people from the church. Why? I believe part of the reason is because rather than teaching their children to delight in the things of God, His Son, His Word, His people, many have succumbed to the belief that unless something is fun, entertaining, and appeals to the flesh, then it is to be discarded and abandoned. Many Christian parents have fallen into the trap of attempting to satisfy the never satisfied fleshly lusts of their children, then seem shocked when their children turn their noses up at scripture which tells them to deny self.

So, all this said to make one succinct point this morning:
Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds

You husbands and fathers will give an account for the condition of your household, just like the servant who hid his master's talent rather than wisely investing it. Those that are not faithful stewards with what God has  entrusted to him are  cast into outer darkness (Matthew 25:30).

At SKC we know where many of the major battlefronts lie. Just yesterday we watched as a dozen and a half women abandoned their biblical duties and murdered their offspring. In each of those circumstances what we didn't see were the boyfriends, husbands, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and even churchmen who enabled that murder to take place because they shirked their responsibility to love neighbor as self.

Brothers and sisters, let me ask a really long question: If your sons and daughters are not being readied for the great responsibility and joy of marriage, and parenthood, if they are being taught "career", and "education", to the neglect of the biblical duty to be fruitful and multiply, if your sons are growing up to be those kind of young men that no reasonable young lady would give a second thought to, and your daughters are shaping up to be those that all the boys flock to, and it isn't because of her holiness, or gentle and quiet spirit, are you ready to give an account for this? Here's another question which may reveal where your heart is on this matter: do you even know the spiritual condition of your children's heart's well enough to be able to answer any of the previous questions?

Fathers, your children need you to love them, and we do that by disciplining them from the word of God. As we scramble around prepping for marxist Armageddon, let us not do so to the neglect of our children's souls. Let us not be so earthly minded, that we forget we are to set our minds on the things above. Let us remember that for our children to be truly prepared for the dangers and pitfalls which await them, what they need is a solid foundation in God's word. Without that, career, hobby, man skills, and the most complete stash of prepper gear will not matter a hill of beans. Your child can grow up to be the most successful person in their field, the most talented, smart CEO, and have a really fat paycheck, and apart from God's grace, which includes an upbringing full of instruction from his word, all you will have created is a well dressed, articulate, son or daughter of the devil.

Let us repent where we have neglected our duty as fathers and mothers.
Please join me in kneeling as we pray.
 
Heavenly Father,
We thank You that as our Father, you do not leave us without discipline and correction. You did not establish Your church without a cornerstone and foundation. Father, we know You are a loving Father who disciplines the son whom He loves, and as Your image bearers, we are to reflect this great truth in the raising of our sons and daughters Please forgive us fathers when we have allowed the chaotic currents of life to knock us off course. Please forgive us when we have fallen prey to the lies of the world, rather than Your Word, when it comes to the path our children ought to be on.

Father please  be with the children of SKC, fill them with Your Spirit, help them to delight in Your ways, help them to see that the things of this world are passing away but You are eternal. Father, please help the children to honor their father and mother by growing up to be godly young men and women who glorify you with their manhood and womanhood. Please crush any rebellion found within their hearts.
It's 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: 

Matthew 6:3-11 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 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 01/17/2021 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 27:11-20 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge. He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him. A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

 
Stories of wayward children who rejected the God of their fathers, and the exploits of preacher's kids could fill volumes of books. Studies abound which highlight what seems to be a mass exodus from the Church by young people. Share the gospel with your neighbor, at work or in the streets doing ministry, and you are sure to encounter some who will make  claims such as "I was a christian once, but when I grew up, realized it wasn't for me", or "you can't judge me for aborting my baby, my dad is a Pastor!"

Perhaps things like this have hit closer to home for you. Have you ever had a family member pray that your children would reject your cultish, insane religion, or, say "your kids are going to hate you when they grow up for the way you have indoctrinated them"? Believers and unbelievers alike realize that children abandoning the instruction of their father and mother in pursuit of their lusts and passions is a thing. Believers pray it never happens to their children, while Satan and his followers are filled with glee when it does. Disobedient covenant children who know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

All that said, the Proverb exhorts you children to "Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. (Proverbs 27:11)

It has been said many times from this pulpit that children, you will not, cannot, ride mommy and daddy's coattails into heaven. Unless you are born again, confess Christ as Lord, and persevere to the end, all that awaits is a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:27)

Children, listen to me. Whatever notions you have regarding the things that will please your parents, getting a college education, learning a trade, getting married and having a dozen baptized covenant babies: all these things are vain window dressing if your relationship with God is one where you are worshipping with you mouth while your heart is far from Him.

Children listen: you can fool your parents for a season. You can talk, and walk, and sound like a Christian well enough to fool your Pastor. You can be the cleanest looking white washed tomb when compared to your peers in the world, yet be full of dead men's bones on the inside. Children, seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) Don't wait until tomorrow, or after you sow your wild oats. You may not have a tomorrow! You may have to give an account this very day!
 
All your homeschool learning, your reading skills, your hobbies, how fast you can run, your Lego building skills, your creativity, all of it, is a waste, vain futile endeavors, apart from a saving faith in Jesus Christ and children, your parents would trade all of these things to know you are fearing the Lord, wise in the things of God.

3 John 4 (NASB95):  I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

That's it. To know my children are right with God, makes my joy complete. If my children love the LORD yet can't quite grasp calculus, I can sleep easy. If my children are walking in the truth, though reading is a struggle, I have no greater joy. If my kids grow to take a different route in life than I had planned, yet trust in the LORD with all their heart, I am glad. Is this not true parents?

Be sure, in all the hustle and bustle of homeschool, that you assure your children of this truth:
Proverbs 23:15 (NASB95):  My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;

A Pastor once said, "If you teach your son to keep his eye on the ball, and not on Christ, you have failed as a parent". Let us love our children and train them up in the fear and instruction of the LORD, with faith in Christ. Brothers and sisters, parent and child:

Hebrews 10:36–39 (NASB95): For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul

Sovereign King Church, if you are able at this time, let us kneel and confess our sins to the One Who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Heavenly Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost
Great three in one, triune God,
Creator, sustainer, deliverer.
We call upon Your Great Name this Lord's day seeking forgiveness for our sins.
Father, in the Name of Your Son, we ask that you forgive us children for having brought reproach upon You and our parents for our wayward hearts.
Father, please forgive us parents where we have elevated our standards above God's, where we have emphasized vain pursuits to the neglect of our children's souls.
Father, please show grace to the children that they may repent and believe the gospel, and in their believing, make their parents glad.
Father, please forgive us for all hidden and presumptuous faults, all sins of omission and commission, and lead us onto paths of righteousness for Your Namesake. In Jesus 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: 

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 of earth or things of 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. Colossians 1:19-23

 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 01/10/2021 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 27:1-10 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. A sated man loathes honey, But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet. Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his home. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend. Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.


My friends, your days are numbered. As some evangelists like to frequently point out, every single day, on average, one hundred and fifty thousand people go down to their graves and find themselves standing before the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Perhaps some among the multitudes which die daily recognize that death is knocking at the door, that it may fall upon them at any moment. But just as sure, many of those who die today are likely to have never seen it coming.

Surely there are many, many people who woke up this morning with grand plans about tomorrow, next week, and the new year, who will lay their heads down tonight, only to find themselves standing before their Maker, having never given thought to the scripture: It is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgement (Heb 9:27).

The Proverb tells us:
Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

I am reminded of a godly man I knew briefly years ago who went fishing in a boat on a small pond with his brother in law. Neither made it home that day. A foreman I once had on a construction job nearly a decade ago dropped dead in his shower without warning. My wife had a friend who broke her ankle, and died shortly thereafter from a blood clot. Conversely, there are many people that go fishing, take showers, and break their ankles, for whom life just goes on, as it always has. This is the danger. We are lulled into a false sense of security as life moves comfortably forward into the future and all our plans seem to be unhindered. As we boast of tomorrow, and all our plans fall into place, we pridefully believe that our work, our planning, our resources and ingenuity made it all possible.

The reality is, we don't know what a day may bring forth. But in our pride and self assurance, we boast, forgetting that it is He Who changes the times and the seasons (Dan 2:21).
In our confidence that tomorrow will be like today, we carelessly forget that it is His will be done, not ours. We pridefully believe our tomorrows are secure because today we are healthy, today we have security, today we have wealth, and we forget that man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them (Ecc 9:12).

Now, this is not an indictment of planning for the future. This is not a rebuke to those who would wisely make allowances for business and activities tomorrow. Rather, it is a warning for those of us who stumble blindly along into the future trusting in our weak arms of flesh, our sin corrupted wisdom, our wealth, and past performances.

James says,
 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. James 4: 13-16

Brothers and sisters, we are vapors. Children, go out into the cold today and watch the breath come out of your mouth, float up for a second or two, and disappear. In contrast to eternity, that is your life. Brief. Fleeting. Like a mist which vanishes in a moment. Whether you are eight years old, or fifty-eight, time is short for you. Why waste it being anxious for tomorrow? Jesus tells us do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt 6:34).

As is common, many people will make plans and resolutions as we head into 2021. Planning for this new year, whether it relates to personal goals, your job, your household, or this Church, is wise. It helps us stay focused. It aids us in being  good stewards of God's blessings. But as we plan, let us do so with the understanding that God has determined the span of our lives, that His Kingdom is being established, not yours. Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3).

At this time, if you are able, please join me in kneeling as we confess our sins to the Holy Holy Holy Triune God.

A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR
Length of days does not profit us
Except the days are passed in Thy presence, in Thy service to Thy glory.
Give us a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains
 Sanctifies, aids every hour,
That we might not be one moment apart from Thee,
But may rely on thy Spirit
To supply every thought,
Speak every word,
Direct every step,
Prosper every work,
 Build up every mote of faith,
And give us a desire
To show forth Thy praise,
Testify Thy love,
Advance Thy kingdom.
As we launch our bark on the unknown waters of this year,
With Thee, O Father, as our harbour,
Thee O Son, at our helm,
Thee O Holy Spirit, filling our sails.
Guide us to heaven with our loins girt,
Our lamps burning,
Our ears open to thy calls,
Our hearts full of love, our souls free.
Give us Thy sanctifying grace,
Thy comforts to cheer,
Thy wisdom to teach,
 Thy right hand to guide,
Thy counsel to instruct,
Thy law to judge,
Thy presence to stabilize.
May Thy fear be our awe,
Thy triumphs our joy.
In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.
(Prayer adapted from the Valley of Vision prayer titled "A Prayer for the new year")
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of 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 01-03-2021 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 26:21-28 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart. He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him. A lying tongue hates those it crushes, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.
 
This  expression sounds very brave  coming out of the mouth of a child being verbally attacked by the schoolyard bully. Yet, everyone who has been on the receiving end of gossip, flattery, slander, or words which kindle strife knows that the sentiment of this quaint little saying is simply not true.
Slanderous words are akin to clubs, swords, and sharp arrows, according to Proverbs 25. Flattering words are like snares (Proverbs 29:5), they work ruin (Proverbs 26:28), and are used by harlots to seduce (Proverbs 7:21).

James tells us: "the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell." (James 3:6)

Words can stir up contention, disguise hatred, destroy one's reputation, and be used to deceive. The idea that words may never harm me, is a childish myth which we as Christians would do well to reject. In fact, that is what the mature Christian who loves his brother does:

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB95):  When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

As Christians, part of loving one another involves doing away with childish things, in this case, the childish, petty behavior of an unbridled tongue. The entire passage of scripture today serves as a sobering reminder for us that storytelling, whispering, slandering, flattery, and kindling strife  is destructive. It's destructive in the home. Children, when your parents give you a chore or assignment, grumbling about it will ensure things do not go well with you in the land. It's destructive in the workplace. Repeating  titillating morsels of gossip about the coworker you have conflict with serves to tear down a man's reputation and is a violation of the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness".

It's destructive online. How many conversations which take place on social media result from a prideful arrogance to merely win arguments, hiding behind keyboards, and wind up cutting off conversation and future opportunities to share the gospel with a lost soul? It's destructive in the Church. Want to sow discord within a Church? Complain about "so and so", without ever being willing to go directly to "so and so" with the complaint. Or, merely be the one willing to listen to the stories and the results will be the same: division and no peace within the Church.

I once heard Pastor Spurgeon tell a brief story about a new Pastor at a Church who preached the same sermon over, and over, week after week. Eventually he was approached by a deacon or elder and asked "Why the same sermon? Can't you preach on something else?" His response was "I will preach a different sermon as soon as you hear and obey the one I have been preaching all these weeks." That seems to be the idea behind some of Solomon's proverbs. Verse after verse he masterfully uses the scalpel of Holy Spirit inspired exhortations to warn us of the danger of undisciplined lips. Chapter after chapter he drops reminders for us that our tongues truly are "worlds of iniquity" set on fire by hell (James 3:6).

James 3:9–12 (NASB95):  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh

Brothers and sisters, as we move into this new year, let us resolve to love one another. As the world of unbelievers continues to crumble, may our words be truthful, seasoned with salt, and give grace to those who hear. Where we fall short of this, let us repent and flee to the cross of Christ. May all our speech towards our fellow man in 2021 issue from a heart motivated by love, and not jealousy and selfish ambition. This is the mark of maturity, and will display to unbelievers whose disciples we truly are.
 
Ephesians 4:15–16:
 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:25:
 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:29:
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:31:
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice
 
Brothers and sisters, if you are able, let us kneel together and repent of our careless and sinful use of words.
 
Heavenly Father,
When you spoke in the beginning, you created and gave life. Made in Your image, we are to speak in a way that points others to Your Son, His sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection.
We are born again to be Your ambassadors, speaking words of truth seasoned with salt to those who are perishing. Yet far too often we use our words to hurt, rather than heal. Far too often we allow jealousies and selfish ambitions to shape our speech, rather than love. Rather than being slow to speak, we feel the need to say whatever comes to mind and in doing so speak rashly and in ignorance. We secretly hate our brothers and sisters, so we entertain slanderous stories of them, allowing the little morsels to slide down smoothly.
Father, please forgive us for our childish, immature, sinful hearts from which all of these unbridled words flow. Please forgive us for itching ears which are quick to consume the stories of a gossip.
Please help us to love one another by speaking truth to one another, and guarding the reputations and honor of our brothers and sisters. It's in Jesus's Name we pray, Amen.

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

2 Peter 1:1-3 To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 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 12/27/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)

(From the 12/21/2020 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 26:11-20  Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!” As the door turns on its hinges, So does the sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer. Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?” For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.


Dog vomit is not a subject matter one expects to hear about when at church. Talking about it stinks, it's sticky business. When dogs behave as dogs do, in relation to vomit, we are repulsed. We cannot imagine behaving in such a vile manner, yet this is nothing for the dog because it is well within its nature. If you own a dog you are surely aware of their natural tendencies toward disgusting behaviors, and recognize that were a man, woman, boy, or girl to behave as the dog does, it would be an abominable thing to behold.

Yet, this is the comparison we find in the text this morning.
Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly

Peter, in reference to false teachers, says it this way in his second letter:
2 Peter 2:20–22 (NASB95):  20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

So you see, just as our sensibilities are assaulted by the thought of a dog returning to their vomit for "second breakfast", so too ought we be mortified at the thought of someone who has tasted and seen that the LORD is good, turning from Him back into sin, and death. Brothers and sisters, it happens. A young person comes to what appears to be a saving knowledge of Christ for a season, then they fall away in favor of pursuing the lust of the flesh.

A child grows up in church, riding the coattails of mommy and daddy's faith, grows up, turns 21, then realizes they love their hidden sin more than Jesus. They stumble and fall headlong into destruction, returning to their sin as a dog does to its vomit. A grown man or woman, after spending decades in the church finds out that their child is a homosexual, and low and behold, suddenly they no longer agree with scriptures position on human sexuality, and they plunge into apostasy.

These examples of men, women, boys, and girls ought horrify us infinitely more than the thought of dogs returning to their vomit. They serve to remind us that the deceitfulness of sin, and sinners, is greater than we can imagine. People who run the race for a season and fall away show us that unless God in His grace gives us a new nature, our disposition as natural men and women will always lead us back into sin to feast upon that which made us sick and separated us from God. Like dogs returning to vomit are fools that repeat their folly. This all too common occurrence is painful to behold, and should strike us square in the heart with a healthy fear of the LORD.

Hebrews 6:4–7 (NASB95):  For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Brothers and sisters, if this is you, if you are one who is merely playing church: be warned. If you are a young person who has mommy and daddy fooled, biding your time till that day when you can cast off the loving yoke of Christ in favor of the shackles of sin: beware. If you are one who recognizes the disgusting, abominable, gut wrenching nature of the dog returning to its vomit, yet fails to see the danger of your flirtations with sin: take heed lest you fall. If outwardly you conform to God's word like a good little Pharisee, clean on the outside, yet inside you are filthy and vile and full of sin and lust: be very afraid. As Hebrews tells us your fruit is worthless, you are close to being cursed, and will end up being burned.

Repent dear friends, and turn back to Christ. There is no help for you in the things after which you lust. There is no salvation for you in the things of this world. The promises of life offered to you in regards to things God has declared to be abominable, are lies whispered to you from the devil himself, and will lead to your fall. Run to the refuge found in Jesus.

If you are able, let us kneel and repent of drinking from the bitter spring of sin.

MERCIFUL LORD,
                        Pardon all our sins of this day, week, year,
      all the sins of our lives,
  sins of early, middle, and advanced years,
    of omission and commission,
    of morose, peevish and angry tempers,
    of lip, life and walk,
    of hard-heartedness, unbelief, presumption,
      pride,
    of unfaithfulness to the souls of men,
    of want of bold decision in the cause of Christ,
    of deficiency in outspoken zeal for his glory,
    of bringing dishonour upon thy great name,
    of deception, injustice, untruthfulness
      in our dealings with others,
    of impurity in thought, word and deed,
    of covetousness, which is idolatry,
    of substance unduly hoarded, improvidently
      squandered,
  not consecrated to the glory of thee,
      the great Giver;
  sins in private and in the family,
    in study and recreation, in the busy haunts
      of men,
    in the study of thy Word and in the neglect
      of it,
    in prayer irreverently offered and coldly
      withheld,
    in time misspent,
    in yielding to Satan’s wiles,
    in opening our hearts to his temptations,
    in being unwatchful when we know him nigh,
    in quenching the Holy Spirit;
  sins against light and knowledge,
    against conscience and the restraints
      of thy Spirit,
    against the law of eternal love.
Pardon all our sins, known and unknown,
  felt and unfelt,
  confessed and not confessed,
  remembered or forgotten.
Good Lord, hear; and hearing, forgive.
In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.
Prayer adapted from the Valley of Vision prayer titled "Sins".
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church: 

 Luke 1:68-75 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

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!