Sunday September 13, 2020 liturgy 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 22:11-21 He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man. The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you?

"It was as though some huge force were pressing down upon you—something that penetrated inside your skull, battering against your brain, frightening you out of your beliefs, persuading you, almost, to deny the evidence of your senses. In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense." Excerpt from George Orwell's book 1984.

Whether it is the lie that BLM is good for black people, the normalization of pedophilia through drag queen story hour and TV shows like Cuties coupled with the loosening of child predator laws in California, we are witnessing astonishing things take place with our eyes as we browse the web and consume the media propaganda. All of these ungodly practices and decrees  have very real ramifications in the physical world that we must fight against, but in reality the true battle is in our minds.

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips

Widespread suppression of the truth is en vogue now, and if you are not a careful, discerning Christian, you will quickly be swept away. Scripture warns of the dangers of endless speculations, ears which like being tickled. What we allow our minds to be engaged with is of vital importance to the Christian.

Allow no worthless thing to come before your eyes.
Set your mind on the things above.
Meditate on good things.
Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.

The proverb today tells us that we are to apply the knowledge of God to our minds. This means to lay your hands on, to lay hold of, the knowledge of God, through the diligent study of His word.
We hide God's Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. Amen?

God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path during these very dark times in which we live. It can be tempting to repay evil for evil as we see violence unfold in the streets. It can be tempting to rebel against authority as our godless magistrates crack down on constitutional liberties while getting their hair shampooed. While all sexual restraint is cast aside, from fornication to pedophilia, with baby murder at the end of the road, you may be tempted to join in. It was just one glance. I visited that website just one time. My wife, or husband, mom or dad, or my Pastor will never know.

Maybe you are tempted to bitterness over the loss of a loved one, health issues, or injustice in your life. Perhaps you are tempted to be afraid. Past sins have left deep scars and the truth of God's Word highlights them painfully. Don't be like Adam and Eve in the garden, fleeing in shame, seeking to hide yourself from Almighty God. As we keep God's Word within us, the Proverb tells us it will be pleasant for us. Despite what our lying eyes tell us, we can have hope, joy, and peace in the midst of the chaos and ruin sin has brought to our lives, and we see unfolding before us in 2020.

Apply the knowledge of God to your mind, things like:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with me.
Your Savior, King Jesus, is making all His enemies, your enemies, a footstool.
All these things are working together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes.

Jesus says come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Are you weary this morning? Tired of running from your past? Emotionally exhausted from your war with God? Put down your sword and pick up His, the sword of the Spirit, His word. Are you heavy laden? Does sin have you weighed down like a heavy pack on your shoulders? Come to the One Who carried the cross on His shoulders for your sin, and be set free.

In looking to Christ, in applying your mind to His knowledge, God will see fit to equip you to be His ambassador, proclaiming the life giving words of God to other weary travelers and the sin burdened lost. Apply God's Word to your mind and you will have a sure, steady anchor for your soul, and be a beacon of hope for others in times of trouble.

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips
 
Please kneel as we confess our sins to our Heavenly Father.
"Grace active", Valley of Vision.
Lord Jesus, Great High Priest, You have opened a new and living way by which a fallen creature can approach you with acceptance. Help me to contemplate the dignity of your Person, the perfectness of your sacrifice, the effectiveness of your intercession. O what blessedness accompanies devotion, when under all the trials that weary me, the cares that corrode me, the fears that disturb me, the infirmities that oppress me, I can come to you in my need and feel peace beyond understanding! The grace that restores is necessary to preserve, lead, guard, supply, help me. And here your saints encourage my hope; they were once poor and are now rich, bound and are now free, tried and now are victorious.

Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess, but not more than is found in you, the divine Treasury in whom all fullness dwells. To you I repair for grace upon grace, until every void made by sin be replenished and I am filled with all your fullness. May my desires be enlarged and my hopes be emboldened, that I may honor you by my entire dependency and the greatness of my expectation. Be with me, and prepare me for all the smiles of prosperity, the frowns of adversity, the losses of substance, the death of friends, the days of darkness, the changes of life, and the last great change of all.

May I find your grace sufficient for all my needs. Father, please forgive us when we turn from your Son, trusting instead in the perishable things of this world. Please forgive us for delighting in man's wisdom, rather than in Your Word which is sweeter than honey. Please forgive us for doubts, fears, and anxiety which spring from unbelief, and help us with our unbelief. Father please heal the wounds which sin has wrought on our hearts, minds, and bodies, and enable us to walk in newness of life. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

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!

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 21:22-31 A wise man scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, For his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, While the righteous gives and does not hold back. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent! A false witness will perish, But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever. A wicked man displays a bold face, But as for the upright, he makes his way sure. There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the Lord.

In ancient times, a war horse was considered to be a symbol of strength and power in combat. Fearsome, brave, and noble creatures, even today horses are used by police officers to assist in crowd control maneuvers and they perform quite well. In modern warfare however, horses are generally overshadowed  by tanks, helicopters, warships, and bombers. Machine guns, unmanned drones, and nuclear bombs make warfare in 2020 dreadful, and those who wield these weapons of war are very confident that their advanced technology and weapons will deliver them the victory. More primitive, but still deadly, we see angry mobs in the streets of America, using gasoline filled bottles, skateboards, clubs, and sheer numbers, with people, image bearers of God, roaming around in packs like unreasoning animals. Their weapons of choice are chaos, confusion, disinformation, and fear. They wield it quite well, and are very confident that their threats and promises of more destruction will ensure their victory.

Mankind has always put hope in their weapons of war.
Pharaoh had a vast army and many chariots at his disposal, yet was drowned in the sea.
Goliath trusted in his size and strength, yet wound up beheaded by a young shepherd named David.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the Lord.

The history of warfare should serve as a lesson for us, and that lesson is this: God removes kings and establishes kings; God ordains all things which come to pass, the end from the beginning; the battle is not to the warriors; and ultimately, as the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain, even angry mob peoples who seek to overthrow Christ and His Kingdom, God who is a Man of War, sits in the heavens and laughs.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16 NASB)
 
 
Brothers and sisters, this is our Commander. The One called faithful and true. While wicked men scheme and plot, aligning against those who value peace with their sticks and stones, remember that your commander has given you weapons as well. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, perishable weapons prone to break, malfunction, and fail us, however.

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Fortresses like indwelt sin. Temptations. Ungodly worldviews. Fortresses like the marxist philosophy of BLM, feminism, the LGBT movement, and liberalism.

The weapons of our warfare are prayer, the sword of the Spirit, and all the accompanying armor: helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, the feet shod with the gospel of peace. You can, you must stand firm therefore behind the shield of faith, and endure hardship as good soldiers of Christ. Look to the Saints of old dear brothers and sisters: Joseph, Josiah, Paul, Polycarp, and Luther. See their joy in suffering for the cause of Christ. Look to saints like Robert E. Lee, Richard Wurmbrand, Rusty Thomas, and Cal Zastrow, and see their warfare. Observe Cox,  Govanus, and Johnson, as they persevere under the banner of their King Jesus as good soldiers.

Let us not grow weary in these troubling times.
Let us not grow faint.
Let us not look back.

Let us lay hold of promises like the promise that God gave to Joshua prior to entering the promised land:
Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:3-9 NASB)

Let us repent of our fear in the face of man and his scheming.
Let us repent of retreating from the battle, rather than pressing into it.
Let us repent of our forgetfulness, failing to remember God's promises to us, His love for us, and how He has time and again delivered His people from enemies far worse than BLM, antifa, and commies, namely the enslavement to sin and death itself.

If you are able, please join me in kneeling as we cry out to our Heavenly Father.
Prayer from The Valley of Vision titled "The servant in battle".
O LORD,
I bless thee that the issue of the battle
      between thyself and Satan
        has never been uncertain,
        and will end in victory.
Calvary broke the dragon’s head,
  and I contend with a vanquished foe,
    who with all his subtlety and strength
    has already been overcome.
When I feel the serpent at my heel
  may I remember him whose heel was bruised,
    but who, when bruised, broke the devil’s head.
My soul with inward joy extols
    the mighty conqueror.
Heal me of any wounds received
    in the great conflict;
      if I have gathered defilement,
      if my faith has suffered damage,
      if my hope is less than bright,
      if my love is not fervent,
      if some creature-comfort occupies my heart,
      if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.
O thou whose every promise is balm,
    every touch life,
  draw near to thy weary warrior,
  refresh me, that I may rise again
    to wage the strife,
  and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.
Give me such fellowship with thee
    that I may defy Satan,
      unbelief, the flesh, the world,
  with delight that comes not from a creature,
  and which a creature cannot mar.
Give me a draught of the eternal fountain
  that lieth in thy immutable, everlasting love
    and decree.
Then shall my hand never weaken,
  my feet never stumble,
  my sword never rest,
  my shield never rust,
  my helmet never shatter,
  my breastplate never fall,
    as my strength rests in
the power
      of thy might.
 
In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

Hebrews 10: 14-25 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

 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 Sunday August 9, 2020 liturgy
 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 20:21-30 An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end. Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, And a false scale is not good. Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way? It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!” And after the vows to make inquiry. A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the threshing wheel over them. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. Loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness. The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair. Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes reach the innermost parts.

There were never stripes so cleansing as those which slammed into the body of our Lord Jesus Christ as He was scourged in preparation for His crucifixion. Never were there strokes so penetrating as those which were delivered to the frame of our Lord. Isaiah prophesied that by His stripes, we are healed. By the beatings, the wounds, the nails, and ultimately the Father's wrath poured out upon Him, Jesus endured the cross that only He could bear, to take the punishment that His people, you and I, deserved.

Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes reach the innermost parts.

The Lord disciplines the son whom he loves, and if there is no discipline, the one who claims God as Father is an illegitimate son. Fiery trials, Godly sorrow, tribulations, and the conviction of sin wrought by the preaching of God's Word through the power of the Holy Ghost, are all ways in which our Heavenly Father disciplines His children.

Generally, we do not like discipline. It is painful and humbling. Godly discipline alters the trajectory of our lives, disrupts our worldview, and inserts conflict into our peaceful existence. His Word corrects our course from the broad path of destruction, where feelings, lusts, passions, and opinions govern us, to a path which runs through the straight gate, a narrow path governed by God's Law, where all our thoughts, words, and deeds are brought into subjection to Him.

Godly discipline, which frequently produces godly sorrow, is meant not to harm, not to deprive, not to limit, but to lead to repentance and a right relationship with God. Only when we are in a right relationship with Him, can we claim to be free. Only in a right relationship with Him can we truly lay hold of the abundant life spoken of by Jesus.

Godly discipline applied to the child of God has a sanctifying effect, stripping away our pride, helping us to recognize our utter dependence upon Jesus for everything: the breath in our lungs, our food, shelter, and other provisions, our health, our freedom, our country, our families, and ultimately, our salvation. It has been granted to us not only to believe in Him, but to suffer for His namesake. This suffering is discipline, whether disease, pandemic, persecution, want, or godly sorrow weighing upon your conscience as His Word convicts you of sin, and is meant to conform us to his image as we persevere in faith, overcoming by the blood of the lamb.

There is a warning in scripture which speaks directly to us who have received a knowledge of the truth, those who are being  disciplined by God: do not harden your hearts. Do not harden your hearts. Hearts which are unresponsive to God's Word and discipline, hearts which are numb and indifferent to God's commands, apathetic hearts, and hearts which believe that the warnings from God's word are meant only for those people "out there", be warned: many a hardened heart have been smashed upon the anvil of God's Word.
 
Proverbs 19:20 tells us to discipline our sons while there is hope. The implication is, there comes a time in the life of men, women, boys, and girls in which attempts to discipline and correct may be past the point of hope. There comes a time in the life of many when seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years of idolatry, and repeated rejection of God's Word, ends with the rebel being given over to a depraved mind to do things they know they ought not do, things worthy of death.
Where might you be hardened against God's discipline?

Do you pick and choose which parts of God's word you will obey, the parts that go down smooth and easy, and neglect the costly commands. Perhaps you distort God's Word,  taking a command such as "do unto others", and use it to compromise on sin, vowing to never make someone feel bad about their sin, or shame them, because  you don't like it when people make you feel bad. So, instead of shining the light of Christ, you lovingly leave people trapped in their sin with no hope.
As is the case of many, maybe  you have crafted an image of Christ which is false. Your Jesus miraculously permits you to live however your heart desires. This Jesus of your imagination winds up being subservient to you, conformed to your image, rather than you being made a new creation, reflecting Him. Bending His Word to your will, you avoid any painful discipline, chalking up things like shame and guilt to the "mean old God of the Old Testament". Without realizing it your rejection of God's discipline has made you a hypocrite.

For example:
Abortion is wicked, yet you emotionally abandon your children.
You declare homosexuality to be  evil, which it is, all the while swimming in a sea of sexual immorality.
You spend countless hours rummaging through social media, blog posts,news outlets, and the dark underbelly of the internet, hiding the conspiracy theory word in your heart that you might not sin against the alt-right gods, as you scheme and plot in the dark recesses of your heart where only God can see, about how you might indulge in sin without anyone else knowing.
Have any of these rebukes found their mark? Let me offer you some encouragement from God's Word before we pray.

Job 5:17–18
“Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves. So do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. “For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal."
 
Brothers and sisters, let us repent where we have rejected and despised the discipline of the LORD.
If you are able, please kneel as we confess our sins to Almighty God Who is Holy, Holy, Holy.

O GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT,
Thou who dost proceed from the Father
      and the Son,
      have mercy on me.
When thou didst first hover over chaos,
    order came to birth,
  beauty robed the world, fruitfulness sprang forth.
Move, I pray thee, upon my disordered heart;
Take away the infirmities of unruly desires
    and hateful lusts;
Lift the mists and darkness of unbelief;
Brighten my soul with the pure light of truth;
Make it fragrant as the garden of paradise,
  rich with every goodly fruit,
  beautiful with heavenly grace,
  radiant with rays of divine light.
Fulfil in me the glory of thy divine offices;
Be my comforter, light, guide, sanctifier;
Take of the things of Christ and show them
  to my soul;
Through thee may I daily learn more of his love,
  grace, compassion, faithfulness, beauty;
Lead me to the cross and show me his wounds,
  the hateful nature of evil, the power of Satan;
May I there see my sins as
  the nails that transfixed him,
  the cords that bound him,
  the thorns that tore him,
  the sword that pierced him.
Help me to find in his death the reality
  and immensity of his love.
Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth
  in his, ‘It is finished’.
Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of
  atonement achieved, expiation completed,
  satisfaction made, guilt done away,
  my debt paid, my sins forgiven,
  my person redeemed, my soul saved,
  hell vanquished, heaven opened,
    eternity made mine.
O Holy Spirit, deepen in me these saving lessons.
Write them upon my heart, that my walk be
  sin-loathing, sin-fleeing, Christ-loving;
And suffer no devil’s device to beguile
  or deceive me.
(From the Valley of Vision, titled "The Spirit's work")
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

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 20:1-10. Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life. Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel. The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing. A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man? A righteous man who walks in his integrity-How blessed are his sons after him. A king who sits on the throne of justice Disperses all evil with his eyes. Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”? Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the Lord.

Do you hate masks?
Do you hate the hypocrisy of a government who murders babies and celebrates sodomy on one hand, and says you must wear a mask to promote health and well being on the other?
Do you hate that the only information about Covid-19 you have been given has likely come from the media, a known cesspool of lies and propaganda, and second hand testimony, rather than your own family doctor?
Do you hate how it seems, it feels, as if your rights are being trampled, your personal freedoms are being curtailed, all the while you are essentially being told to sit down and shut up, as if you were a small child who is oblivious to the workings of the world around you?

I hate all of these things, and probably for the same reason you hate them: I do not like being told what to do. I recoil at the thought of authority. I reject the notion that there are things outside of my comprehension. I generally stand as the sole authority of what’s best for me and my house, I don’t need no slimy politician a thousand mile away writing up edicts, putting his little signet ring seal on it, and telling me what to do.
Isn’t that us?
 
It goes deeper.
Churchgoers generally don’t like it when Pastors and Elders tell them what to do.
Men don’t like it when other men tell them what to do.
Wives don’t like it when their husbands tell them what to do.
Children don’t like being told “do this, don’t do that”, by their parents.
As fallen sons and daughters of Adam enslaved to their sin, or  Children of the Most High who fight against our indwelt sin, the fact remains: we hate authority.
We buck up against it at every turn.

The speed limit is 65, we cruise at 72, because everyone else is doing it, and the police officer can’t ticket us all. We take that second or third glance at the scantily clad woman in walmart or the image on our cell phone. We wear our mask just slightly below the nose, because it at least gives the appearance of compliance, though in our hearts we rage. Your child, after being told not to cross some imaginary line, puts their toe on it, staring you down all the while, daring you to do something about it. Parents, how does that make you feel when your child does that? When your child, right to your face, defies an order, does that leave you all giddy inside, or do you find yourself having to count to ten?

Brothers and sisters, the governing authorities are meant to be a terror for evildoers, not the good. Their role is to punish evil and reward good, and yet frequently, because the God given authority to do this rests with fallen men in this fallen world, there will be sin, mistakes, inconsistencies, wrong decisions, ill intentions, and downright evil done by authorities against citizens. Just like the parent who witnesses their child behaving defiantly in the face of a lawful command, so Kings, Governors, Presidents, Mayors, employers, and Pastors may become enraged at defiance against the lawful edicts issued within their spheres of authority. A discussion could definitely be had regarding “What is a lawful order” in the different spheres of governing, but that isn’t what this is.
 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of belief regarding Covid, it’s transmission rates and mode of being spread, whether you believe the masks are useless or not, or whether you think this is one big, overblown, NWO attempt to slap us all in mask shackles and force vaccines, this biblical reality remains:

As Christians we are called to obey God all the way to the chopping block and into the grave if necessary, even submitting to edicts we do not like, prefer, or may be found to be completely fallacious, and to do otherwise is an attempt to take a path contrary to the path Christ took. Christ is the spotless, perfect, Lamb of God, and His followers must die to self, take up their cross, and follow Him. The only One in the history of all creation Who had an absolute right to raise His hand and cry foul, yet He opened not His mouth. The LORD Jesus went to the cross Holy, and blameless, the recipient of the greatest injustice of all time,punished for being righteous, and here we stand: worms deserving of death, crying about our rights, rebelling against authority and edicts which to this point have not ordered you and I to sin, and in our rebellion, risk suffering as rebels against  authority. May scripture remind us that rebellion is as witchcraft, and is worthy of death.
So what must our response be?

Clearly, if God by His ordaining hand has given us rulers who seek to oppress through decrees, as Christians, we must view this not as punishment, but rather the discipline of a Father to a son. Rather than running from the correction, hiding in the bushes with Adam, and finger pointing, let us recognize that all things, even Covid decrees, are meant for our ultimate good, and let us repent. Let us submit joyfully as the world of pagans weep and gnash their teeth. Let us be an example of patience enduring hardness as good soldiers of Christ, avoiding the wrath of the authorities if at all possible, praying for their repentance and favor that we may live peaceful lives.

Let us stand ready for that day when the world demands we reject Christ, and then be prepared to say with a clear conscience: We must obey God rather than men.
 
Let us recognize that our Church fathers, your Pastor, elders, and other men of the faith, may not all arrive at the same conclusions, at the same time, on every issue. In light of this, even though you may disagree with decisions regarding masks, or other issues, as they preach the word and imitate Christ, give them the benefit of the doubt. Allow for disagreement, recognizing that your Pastor has had the mantle of leadership placed upon him, and it is he who must answer to God for how he tends the sheep entrusted to him. Let us show our Pastor the same grace we wish our children to show us as parents, knowing full well that not every decision we hand down will sit well, make sense, and be without sin.

At this time, if you are able, let us kneel and confess our sins before our Creator.
THOU MAKER AND SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS
 Day and night are thine, heaven and earth declare thy glory; but I, a creature of thy power and bounty, have sinned against thee by resisting the dictates of conscience, the demands of thy law, the calls of thy gospel; yet I live under the dispensation of a given hope.

Deliver me from worldly dispositions, for I am born from above and bound for glory.
May I view and long after holiness as the beauty and dignity of the soul. Let me never slumber, never lose my assurance, never fail to wear armour when passing through enemy land. Fit me for every scene and circumstance; Stay my mind upon thee and turn my trials to blessings, that they may draw out my gratitude and praise as I see their design and effects.

Render my obedience to thy will holy, natural, and delightful. Rectify all my principles by clear, consistent, and influential views of divine truth. Let me never undervalue or neglect any partof thy revealed will. May I duly regard the doctrine and practice of the gospel, prizing its commands as well as its promises. Sanctify me in every relation, office, transaction and condition of life, that if I prosper I may not be unduly exalted, if I suffer I may not be over-sorrowful. Balance my mind in all varying circumstances and help me to cultivate a disposition that renders every duty a spiritual privilege. Thus may I be content, be a glory to thee and an example to others.
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

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!

(From the 07/26/2020 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 19:21-29. Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand. What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar. The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth. Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge. He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son. Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools.
 
Never is a person more vulnerable to the evils of the world than when they are asleep. Unaware of your surroundings, senses cut off from your environment, unable to move, and incapable of discerning threats to your well being mark the state of one who is asleep. While asleep, whether physically or spiritually, one is essentially blind, deaf, and paralyzed, at the mercy of those who wish to do harm.

Consider a child who suffers from nightmares, seeing ghostly spectors in their darkened closets, awakened by sounds of goblins under their beds. This same child rests easy when in the presence of their father. When things go bump in the night, only a loving father by their side permits a frightened child to find peace as they sleep. When asleep, one can find peace and rest knowing there is someone watching over them, protecting them, and acting always for their good.
The fear of the Lord leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

General Stonewall Jackson understood this principle well, famously stating "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave."
 
 
In this life with its pitfalls of world, flesh, and devil, one may rest easy knowing who it is that governs all things. In a world replete with uncertainty, we as Christians can rest assured upon an unshakable, unshifting, unchanging foundation. As the god hating masses devour one another, demanding the wearing of masks and subservience to Marxist movements, shackling people with the bonds of fear, Jesus says "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

The fear of the LORD leads to life, as those who have it are driven to the cross of Christ, having their sin soiled consciences sprinkled clean, being declared innocent before a Holy God, having their guilt pardoned, with God's wrath satisfied by the substitutionary atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is only at the foot of Calvary's cross where one can find rest.
Does this mean a life of no trial?
A life of no pain?
A life free of calamity, and heartache?
No. No. And, no.
It does mean however that we can rest assured knowing that whatever may come, whatever may befall us, what the world may mean for evil, God will work it together for our good.
 
 Do we live as if we believe that? When a light momentary affliction strikes, do you rest easy knowing that the ordainer of all things means this for your good, or do you fret, tossing and turning as sleep eludes you? When the fiery trial comes, is your sleep riddled with anxiety, or do you rest easy, knowing that nothing can separate you from His love? When calamity falls upon your head, do you say with Job's wife "Curse God and die!", or do you respond in faith like Job "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" ( Job 2:10).

Brothers and sisters, where we are anxious, doubting, and lack faith, let us repent. Where we find ourselves without peace and rest, let us repent and flee to the refuge found in Christ.

If you are able, please kneel as we seek forgiveness from our Heavenly Father, pleading the blood of Christ Who saves to the uttermost.

Merciful Heavenly Father,
We thank You that You remember our frames, that we are merely men, women, boys, and girls of dust. We thank You for our advocate, the Lord Jesus, Who understands our weaknesses and infirmities, and gave Himself as a sweet smelling aroma that we may have abundant life.
We thank You Father for the Holy Spirit, Who intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Please be merciful towards us sinners, as we look at the world which is passing away, quivering in fear at calamity and mayhem rather than trembling in fear over a Holy, Just God.
Father please forgive us our trespasses against You alone, and restore to us the joy of Your salvation.
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 all that believe:

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:8-9

 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 07/20/2020 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 19:11-20. A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression. The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord. Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger. He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, And He will repay him for his good deed. Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again. Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.
 
Last week we read of one who hastens his steps, and errs as a result. Today, we shall consider what the opposite side of the pendulum swing looks like: the lazy, idle man, who winds up hungry in the end. Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger.

Matthew Henry has this to say of the lazy, idle man:
See here the evil of a sluggish slothful disposition. 1. It stupefies men, and makes them senseless, and mindless of their own affairs, as they were cast into a deep sleep, dreaming much, but doing nothing. Slothful people doze away their time, bury their talents, live a useless life, and are the unprofitable burdens of the earth; for any service they do when they are awake they might as well be always asleep. Even their souls are idle and lulled asleep, their rational powers chilled and frozen. 2. It impoverishes men and brings them to want. Those that will not labour cannot expect to eat, but must suffer hunger: An idle soul, one that is idle in the affairs of his soul, that takes no care or pains to work out his salvation, shall perish for want of that which is necessary to the life and happiness of the soul.

The Word of God says plainly in Genesis that by the sweat of our faces we shall eat bread, the implication being that sustenance comes to a man through hard work, toiling, and striving. Laziness leads to a life void of purpose, with hunger following in tow. If a man does not work, he does not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
 
Another Proverb tells us:
 "Go to the ant, O sluggard,Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”—Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man" (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Ants work endlessly, tirelessly, each in their proper place, performing the task for which they were designed. Worker ants have one goal in mind: to stay in their lane and work. In the ant world, this tireless working ensures sustenance for the entire ant colony. No workers, no food, no life.
This principle seen in the ordering of nature decreed by God is also plainly evident in the affairs of men. An unwillingness to work leads surely to poverty and hunger.

So how should we work?
Whatever we do in word or deed, we do it all in the name of  the Lord (Colossians 3:17), knowing that unless the LORD builds the house, those who build labor in vain (Psalm 127:1).

In regards to our souls, and the nourishment of them, the Word of God has much to teach us about work should we not wish to hunger. For instance we are told in the book of James that "faith without works is dead". In Matthew 7 we are instructed to "strive to enter through the straight gate", that gate which leads to eternal life. Isaiah 55 warns us that there is bread which we buy with our wages which does not satisfy, and are encouraged to buy the bread which does satisfy.
 
So as we work and strive, our labor should be of a kind which issues from a heart of faith. Faith in Jesus, that He is your Savior and Lord. Faith in God for His care and provision. Faith that all things are working together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. Faith that can say though the fig tree shall not blossom, yet I will praise the Lord (Habakkuk 3:17). This labor of ours should be for that bread which once eaten, leaves us eternally satisfied.

"Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst (John 6:26-35)."

Brothers and sisters, if you are lazy, sluggardly, or toiling foolishly after that which will never satisfy, the text today implores us to repent, or go hungry. God in His grace has blessed each one of us with gifts, talents, time, and resources. As we utilize them, are we doing so faithfully? Are we sitting idle as life tick tocks away, squandering the blessings of God? Are we using our talents and time, toiling after that which will never satisfy?

If you are able, please kneel and let us repent of both our lazy, idle ways, and our vain, unprofitable toiling.

Heavenly Father,
Our default position in life is oftentimes to flee to comfort and ease, being satisfied with less than Your best for us, because striving to enter through the straight gate is hard work.
Far too often, if laziness is not our pitfall, chasing after the wind is. Rather than laboring for a house built by You, we vainly build upon sinking sand, and find ourselves always wanting though our toil is great.

Please forgive us Father, for not trusting in Your provision, that manna come down from Heaven, Your Son Jesus. Please forgive us when we labor for that which does not satisfy, rather than working the work of God, which is simply to believe.
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
 
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.  Ephesians 1:7

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 07/12/2020 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 19:1-10 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs. The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the Lord. Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

 
Ephesians 5:15–17 instructs us "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Oftentimes we will hear children engaging in a round of "I can't wait until I am this old, so then I can fill in the blank." Adults do the same thing. It sounds more like "I will have children after my career is up and running", or "Son, perhaps we can play catch next weekend". Putting off till tomorrow what we could do today, or hastening towards some distant point in the future are both ways in which we fail to be good stewards of a gift God has blessed us with, a commodity called time.

The days of man are short-lived and numbered (Job 14:1), fixed by our Heavenly Father in such a way that not one thing you can do, or not do, will hasten that day in which you are called to stand before Him. Likewise, we cannot slow time down, and hold off God's hand of judgement upon us. We will stand before God as His will has decreed, the very moment he decrees it, and not one microsecond early, or one nanosecond late.

Years ago there was a movie in which the main character found a remote control which had the uncanny ability to fast forward time through all of the undesirable or painful parts of life, to get to the “better part”. What this man found out in the end was that he wound up missing out on many of the most precious moments of his life, time with family, wife, and children especially.

This time that he hastened away could not be regained. He discovered what the writer of Ecclesiastes taught: “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. Moreover, 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 9:11,12)

How frequently while doing ministry at the nursing home, or during the eulogy of a neighbor or family member who has passed away, do we hear the heartbreaking story of a life which was squandered away in the pursuit of bread and drink which does not satisfy, and now, there is only sorrow, and emptiness?

Brothers and sisters, the Proverb today warns us that he who hurries his footsteps errs. How often do we find ourselves engaged in a constant string of what-if’s and wishful thinkings about some far-off future goal, planning and toiling endlessly towards it, all the while neglecting the calling which God has given us right here, right now? In what ways might you be erring this morning, wishing away today, or the next two hours even, led along by your desires like a donkey chasing after a carrot on the end of a stick? Opportunities to love your wife, submit to your husband, discipline your children, and honor your father and mother are brushed aside as we hurry through life. Perhaps we waste away a chance to speak truth into someone’s life, to open our mouth boldly as we ought to. Maybe we let pass an opportunity for conversation, or service towards someone trapped in sin and error, to instead pursue after a goal whose end is our glory rather than God’s. These everyday elements of the Christian life pass you by as you toil away on your own course, with a tunnel vision fixated on temporal, worldly  promises of comfort, peace, and glory, but in the end all your toiling and striving goes to the man who comes after you (Ecc 2:18).

This is not an admonition against planning, but rather an encouragement for you to ensure that your plans are aligned with the will of God, with a recognition that He will direct your steps. It is a warning to you, to evaluate your goals and examine your steps, to ensure that you are on that old path.

 How easy is it for us to see a course of action before us which promises all the good things in life, so we rush headlong down it, never considering the will of God? The Proverb today says that to hasten our steps, is sinful. To not examine your plans and path in light of scripture, to race ahead of God's will, to trust in you, with all your heart, leaning upon your own understanding, is a recipe for disaster. Our hurried plans, our neglect of God's will in the here and now, our hope in some far off goal line that we must hurry and get across, are all ways in which we ignore, seek to subvert, and ultimately replace God's will with our own. It is a sinful abuse of the time God has blessed us with, and we ought to repent lest we likewise perish.
 
 If you are able, let us kneel together as we ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins.
O GOD,
May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee.
I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me.
I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy.
I am full of infirmities, wants, sin;  thou art full of grace.
I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my wilful sin;
All my powers of body and soul are defiled:
A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature.
There are chambers of foul images within my being;
I have gone from one odious room to another,
walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous imaginations,
 pried into the secrets of my fallen nature.
I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself;
I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns
and thistles; I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away;
I live bare and barren as a winter tree,
unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt.
Lord, dost thou have mercy on me?
Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride,
 at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before thee.
But thou hast given me another Master and Lord,
thy Son, Jesus,
and now my heart is turned towards holiness,
my life speeds as an arrow from a bow
towards complete obedience to thee.
Help me in all my doings to put down sin
and to humble pride.
Save me 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 me day by day.
Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining,
and delight to be not only chiselled, squared, or fashioned,
but separated from the old rock where I have
been embedded so long,
and lifted from the quarry to the upper air,
where I may be built in Christ for ever.
In Jesus Holy Name we pray, Amen.
(Prayer from the Valley of Vision, titled “Heart Corruptions”)
 
Please join me in standing, and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

Romans 5:6-11 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For 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. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

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 07/05/2020 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 18:21-24 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord. The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly. A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

“I’ve got friends in low places, where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away”...so the song goes. Now, I don’t know what Garth Brooks intent was when he wrote those lyrics, but if having many, many friends is a virtue, a thing to be desired, why would you need a bottle of whiskey and a beer to chase your blues away? What blues could there possibly be in the company of so many friends? God’s Word makes clear all throughout that who we associate with has ramifications.

The Proverb today warns us of the danger of having too many friends, and reminds us that there is a friend Who is always there for us.

Now, let us think for a moment about why it is that too many friends may bring a person to ruin. If you are a person who has many, many friends, statistically, you will likely be acquainted with many heretics, unbelievers, and reprobates. While many of us here would firmly stand upon the position that Christ is King, is reigning right now, and making His enemies a footstool, truth is, we also know as we read God’s word, watch the news, talk to folks in the workplace, and minister in the streets, that in general, folks are not hungering and thirsting for righteousness in droves. While God is working, and His Kingdom is growing, many are turning from God to lawlessness. To have many, many friends, means you are at risk of fellowshipping with those walking in darkness. Is this passage telling us to make an Amish like break with the world, cutting ourselves off from every person that does not think or believe as we do? No, however, as we seek to network, meet new people, and grow our Facebook friends list, we need to recognize that in our relationships with others, especially relationships with unbelievers, the influence tends to be the opposite of what we wish it to be. We believe we have this little light and we are going to let it shine, but oftentimes the opposite is true.
 
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump”. (Galatians 5:9)

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

“A man of too many friends comes to ruin” we are told. Ruin as used here means to be broken into pieces. How many times in the last several years have we witnessed celebrity Christians and mega church Pastors come out of the closet, admit some besetting pet sin they simply do not want to part with, and declare they are no longer Christians? This happens, in part, because the many “so-called” friends with whom they surrounded themselves coddled their pet sin, affirmed it, supported them in their decisions, and greased the rails of their headlong plunge into ruin.

The Word of God does not leave us hopeless though. We are told in this Proverb that there is a friend Who sticks closer than a brother, the implication being that even a brother may betray you. This One Who sticks closer than a brother has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, that He will comfort us, dwell with us, and has made us right with God through his atoning work on the cross. This friend Who sticks closer than a brother is the Lord Jesus Christ. This friend of ours truly loves us, and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph 5:2). We cannot fellowship with the world and walk in its ways, under its influences, and rightfully say we have fellowship with Him.
 
1 John 1: 6-7 tells us:
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Brothers and sisters, let us walk in the light and fellowship with the Lord Jesus, and enjoy the sweet fellowship of the saints through Him. Where we find ourselves bound to the world, and unbelievers, let us repent lest koi ruin come upon us.

If you are able, please kneel and join me in prayer.

Heavenly Father,
It is thy will that I should love thee with heart, soul, mind, strength, and my neighbour as myself. But I am not sufficient for these things. There is by nature no pure love in my soul; Every affection in me is turned from thee; I am bound, as slave to lust, I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art, until thou dost set me free.

By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee, for I believe thou art my God in Jesus, and that through him I am redeemed, and my sins are forgiven. With this freedom I would always obey thee, but I cannot walk in liberty, any more than I could first attain it, of myself. May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee and thy ways. Thou art the end of all means, for if they lead me not to thee, I go away empty. Order all my ways by thy holy Word and make thy commandments the joy of my heart, that by them I may have happy converse with thee.

May I grow in thy love and manifest it to mankind. Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;
  give me his benevolent temper, his beneficent actions, that I may shine before men to thy glory. The more thou doest in love in me and by me, humble me the more; keep me meek, lowly, and always ready to give thee honour. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
 
Please stand and listen  to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:33-34; 38-39

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 06/28/2020 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 18:11-20 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor. He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him. The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it? The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great men. The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. The cast lot puts an end to strife And decides between the mighty ones. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel. With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.


The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?
 
This is a true statement, is it not? How often in life have you witnessed a man, woman, boy, or girl endure sickness, injury, or the loss of creature comforts? Think about Maple Manor, where the men and women, some Christians, some not, in general, seem to take their physical deterioration and illnesses in stride. As it relates to physical well being, most people seem to have a natural tendency towards self preservation and their innate desire to prolong life generally spurs them on in the face of some physical challenge, like illness or injury.

Matthew Henry notes: “Outward grievances are tolerable as long as the mind enjoys itself and is at ease. Many infirmities, many calamities, we are liable to in this world, in body, name, and estate, which a man may bear, and bear up under, if he have but good conduct and courage, and be able to act with reason and resolution”.

There is another sickness of a sort which even the strongest men and women can not bear up under. This ailment is of the type which sinks all the way down past bone and bodily organs, and into the very heart of man, woman, boy, and girl. This condition is spiritual, rather than physical, and has troubled many a faithful saint. It is the broken spirit.

This condition comes upon you in the middle of the night when you are fretting over relationships in your life which have taken a turn for the worse. A broken spirit creeps into your life when suddenly, without warning, job loss takes away your ability to provide for your family. Perhaps compromise with sin has led you to a place in your life where you never would have imagined being, and now you are feeling dejected, trapped, with a broken spirit.

For you, maybe it is a brokenness in spirit as you look around this world watching the wheels fall off of our nation, and rather than looking at things through eyes of faith, you are being led along by the flesh and are despairing.

King David knew something of despair. In Psalm 42 and 43 he asks “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me?”, and twice answers: “Hope in God.”

Brothers and sisters, if you are a child of God you are not without hope this morning. You have a Great High Priest, Jesus Christ the righteous, who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses (Heb 4:15), Who is Himself a “man of sorrows acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), and remembers our frames, that “we are but dust” (Psalm 103:14). Be of good cheer brothers and sisters. You have a sure hope, and nothing can separate you from the love of God found in Christ Jesus.

If you despair because of sin: repent, forsake your lusts and worldly desires, and turn back to Christ. Perhaps your sorrow is due to outside pressures, enemies, and troubles: repent where you have taken your eyes off of Jesus and have instead allowed fear to toss you to and fro.

If you are able, let us kneel together at this time and call out to our Heavenly Father
“Please be merciful to me, the sinner!”
Psalm 42 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation  and my God.
My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Heavenly Father, please show us grace, that we might hope in You, praise You in the congregation, and teach unbelievers your ways. Please forgive us for our transgressions against You. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.
 
 Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe: 

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

 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 6/21/2020 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 17:21-28 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him. It is also not good to fine the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

In the history of the world there is no clearer example of a bribe being received to perpetuate an injustice, than the example we find on the pages of scripture when we read of Judas taking the 30 pieces of silver to betray the sinless, perfect, Jesus Christ. Judas, a disciple of our Lord Jesus, walked with Him, ate with Him, sat under His teaching, and observed the miracles. This son of perdition, enslaved to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, motivated by the prospect of gain, was willing to pervert justice against an innocent man for a few pieces of silver, and wound up hanging by his neck.

A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice.

Bribes can come in many forms. Money is probably the most obvious motivator for someone willing to perpetuate an injustice against another. However, things like fame, affirmation, notoriety, influence, power, and position are powerful incentives which can be dangled in front of the faces of those all too willing to engage in a round of perverting justice.

Take the BLM movement for example. Their website states “The call for black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL black lives striving for liberation”. This sounds like a very noble cause. Who could possibly be against a movement whose end goal is the liberation of all those who are trapped in a system in which they are “systematically targeted for demise”?

Well, if you are a Christian, you ought to be against this movement for many reasons. For example, one of the ways BLM recruits followers is by appealing to the base lusts of folks who are desperate to have their pet sins affirmed. Their website states :

“We affirm the lives of black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all black lives along the gender spectrum”.
“We make space for transgendered brothers and sisters to lead”.
“We are self reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privledge”.
“We practice empathy”.
“We disrupt the western-prescribed nuclear family structure.”

I could easily go on, but hopefully you get the point, which is this: BLM is seeking to bribe folks trapped in sin with the promise of a world full of safe spaces from which they can live out their perversions, all in the name of JUSTICE, while simultaneously ignoring and denying justice to millions of unborn black children and the black children born into fatherless homes. As they appeal to the base lusts of so many in the name of seeking justice, they actually promote an environment where injustice will flourish. An obvious example is their goal to disrupt the very foundation of civilizations, the nuclear family. Moving further away from this framework of father, mother, married for life, raising children with dad going to work and mom as the keeper of the home, BLM seeks to create an environment where the injustice and oppression that they desire to be free from, will actually be inherent in their system, as more and more black children are born into fatherless homes. Denying the mountain of evidence that clearly shows the damaging impact of fatherlessness, BLM plays bait and switch with folks trapped in sin by bribing them with their hearts desire: unfettered sex life, abortion on demand, freedom from any law that may prevent you from expressing yourself however you see fit. It is really a classic case of worshipping and serving the creature, rather than the Creator.

Matthew Henry says:
See here,
1. What an evil thing bribery is: He is a wicked man that will take a gift to engage him to give a false testimony, verdict, or judgment; when he does it he is ashamed of it, for he takes it, with all the secresy imaginable, out of the bosom where he knows it is laid ready for him; it is industriously concealed, and so slyly that, if he could, he would hide it from his own conscience. A gift is taken out of the bosom of a wicked man (so some read it); for he is a bad man that gives bribes, as well as he that takes them.
2. What a powerful thing it is. It is of such force that it perverts the ways of judgment. The course of justice is not only obstructed, but turned into injustice; and the greatest wrongs are done under colour of doing right.

BLM aren’t the only one’s guilty of this. I cannot recall how many times justice has been perverted in my home through the taking of a bribe.

Consider this scenario:
You have had a long, difficult, frustrating week at work. Friday afternoon rolls around, and in your mind you have made big plans for the weekend: going to do some light reading, throw back a few beers, work in your garden, maybe go fishing, or perhaps indulge in a movie or two, because heck, you never get to pick. This weekend, you are gonna do you.
Then a kid winds up sick.
Your car breaks down.
It rains all weekend.
Your wife had already made plans.
And just when you finally get to sit down and crack open that beer and a book, some conflict breaks out in the home. Maybe it is an episode of disrespect between a child and his mother. Perhaps some Cain and Able throwdown is taking place 2 feet away. Maybe your husband or wife decides to make some other plans, and now, everything you had going on is about to get blown up.
How do you respond?

Does the promise of a refreshing beer override the need to help resolve the conflict that broke out?
Is the page of the book you are on so life changing, that you are actually considering allowing your son’s disrespect of his mother to go uncorrected?

Is the reward, or bribe, offered by that thing you so desperately wanted to do, worth more to you than seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your LORD?

Is the light, momentary affliction of a broken down car or sick kid, so burdensome, that you have forgotten that what awaits those who persevere and overcome is an eternal weight of glory, so you rage against it rather than viewing it as The Battle God has put before you here and now to wage war against?

Brothers and sisters, we have a very vivid picture of injustice being painted for us right now as anarchists burn monuments to the ground, loot small businesses, and BLM engages in an information war seeking to overthrow history and facts. We ought to watch this scene unfold very carefully, and learn the valuable lessons from it. One very big lesson is that sin, and the enticement of it, can sway us into a lifestyle which perverts justice, in the public square, and in the home, all for a few moments of satisfaction.

Please join me in kneeling if you are able, as we confess our sins to God, Who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.
 
Heavenly Father,
Your Word declares that You are a righteous judge Who is angry with the wicked every day.
Father, you are perfectly righteous, holy, and just, and it is by these standards that we are and will be judged. Though we are Your children, born again, new creations, the old nature creeps up behind and rises up inside us, and far too often we succumb to the carnal rewards that sin offers.
Father You have given us Your Son Jesus. We have tasted and seen that He is so good. Yet because of the deceitfulness of sin, and our willingness at times to be deceived, we find ourselves taking the bribe offered by sin, and watch as justice in our streets and homes is perverted and trampled upon in the process.

Merciful Father, please forgive us for these vile sins against You. Forgive us for being all too willing to trade the fleeting pleasures of sin, for the eternal promises of Glory.
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 all that believe: 

Psalm 37:7-11 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

 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 06/07/2020 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)