Gospel

18 June: Tuesday Refocus

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“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” - Proverbs 27:6

Every person has been wounded in relationship. This is a part of life in a fallen world: necessary things intended for our good and flourishing have been distorted and warped by sin. I believe it is not the wound of a friend that leaves a scar, but the unwillingness to be so committed to those we love that we are willing to speak the truth in love and walk alongside one another for the long haul that leaves us grieved and groaning.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Faithful.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:12-15

Father, in your grace, would you make us the kinds of friends who are faithful in our wounds, amen.

Amen,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: August 15

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“Lament will not allow us to revert to the easy answers.” - Soong Chan-Rah

Our church has been studying the Gospel of Mark this year. Throughout the book we see glimpses of the humanity of Jesus grieved over sin and death. Jesus weeps, groans, and sighs as he encounters the brokenness wrought by sin in the world and on people made in the image of God.

We are so quick to avoid pain and suffering. We numb, distract, ignore, and brush past the brokenness of the world. And when we are left without option we even use Scripture to shield ourselves: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Of course this passage is true. But isn’t it interesting that Jesus never settles for Bible bandaids? We see in Scripture that he enters into the suffering of others, even though he knows he will heal, restore, and reconcile people. Jesus - though fully God and fully man - gives voice to the pain of the world, and people.

People are limited in our ability to heal, but by entering into the suffering of others (rather than avoiding, or Bible-bandaiding) we can give presence and peace that glimpses Christ for others. And as we enter in, we can celebrate that Christ has come to enter into the suffering of the world by taking our sin upon Himself at the cross (1 Peter 2:24). And we can look with hope, longing, and expectation to the day where he will return to wipe every tear, and set all things right (Rev 21:1-4).

Jesus, give us the courage to enter into the suffering of the world. In Your name we pray, amen.

With,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: August 8

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“Receive the gospel with gratitude, marveling that there is a God who loves us so much as to allow Himself to be devoured by death so that we might live.” - D.J. Marotta

The Gospel is not just for the moment of salvation but for every moment in the life of a believer. The person and work of Christ, the beauty and wonder of God’s saving work is something no mind can fully grasp. The gospel is something in which angels long to look and understand, and it will be the song of heaven for all eternity - but does it move you to marvel today? Has the gospel become commonplace - remembered in a prayer of thankfulness - but nothing that reorients our gaze, our affection, our attention, or our time? 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” - 1 John 2:15-17

Father, may we marvel today at the gospel. Your life laid down so that we may live. And may our song echo the Psalmist: “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD (Psalm 118:17).” Amen.

Marveling, 

AB

Tuesday Refocus: April 11

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“The resurrection of Jesus is the 'Amen!' of the Father placed upon the 'It is finished!’ of the Son.” - Herman Bavnick

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:12-14

Finally, fully, completely forgiven. 

There is no work left to be done.

Rejoice!

Lord, we echo the amen! Amen and amen.

Rejoicing,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: February 21

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"The blood of Jesus is the death of despair." - Charles Spurgeon

There is much over which to despair in our world. Creation itself groans in pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22). Ours is a world passing away (1 John 2:17). And for those brave enough to examine their own heart, we can affirm what the prophet Jeremiah says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9).

The season of Lent gives us the ability to enact in a small way the life of a believer: a tunnel of despair along the path to hope. This life is a hallway, but Christ is the door where we find pleasures forevermore (John 10:9, Psalm 16:11). Our days here are toil and trouble, but the Lord has been and will be our dwelling place for all generations (Psalm 90:10,1).

In Lent we despair over our sin, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2). We don’t ignore, avoid, or wallow in our sin, we consider, confess, and repent of our sin. And we celebrate and receive the forgiveness of God through the finished work of Christ.

Father, may our days be marked with celebration and freedom, even as we consider our own sins. Thank you for Jesus, in His name, amen.

Rejoicing,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: February 14

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“If reconciliation is God’s chief business, it is ours.” - E. Stanley Jones

It is easy to confuse love with a feeling. Certainly, love causes our hearts to feel in extremes - affection and affliction. But love is too large to be contained in our emotions - it moves out in our actions. Could there be a greater representation of love in action than reconciliation?

Webster defines reconciliation as ‘the action of reconciling: the state of being reconciled.’

This is what God has done for us in Christ: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18

The love of God moves toward us in the reconciling work of Christ. And we respond by becoming people who are given the ministry of reconciliation. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We are to be reconcilers because we have first been reconciled to God.

Perhaps the most loving thing this Valentine’s Day is not romantic gestures, but acts of reconciliation. Terminating a debt. Choosing again in this moment to forgive a wrong. Repairing what has been broken.

God, we confess that all sin is first against You. Thank You for Your great forgiveness. Help us to be people of forgiveness and reconciliation in our world. Amen.

Reconciling,

AB

Tuesday Refocus: January 17

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“In all acts of worship let us summon our whole nature to the work; let our intellects know God, our wills choose him, our hearts go out after him, our confidence lean on him, our love delight in him, our tongues praise him, and our hands clap for joy of him.” - William S. Plumer

In more than our songs.

In more than our words.

In more than our Sunday services.

In more than our Bible study.

In more than our times of prayer.

In more than our deeds.

In all of life, worship is the right response of our whole lives to God’s revelation of Himself.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2

Lord, may every corner of our lives be lived in response to You. Responding to Your heart, Your character, and Your completed work on our behalf. In Christ’s name, amen.

From worship,

AB

20 November: Liturgy + Set List

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  • THIS I BELIEVE (THE CREED)

    Call to Worship: Psalm 33:20-22

    Brothers and sisters, God is trustworthy. I hope one of the byproducts of spending the last 14 weeks in the Apostles’ Creed reminds you and me that our faith does not rest in our feelings or experiences. Our faith rests on the eternal and unchangeable character of God. These truths have been passed down from generation to generation. Let’s sing about the heart and character of God:

  • ABIDE

    Nothing to earn, nothing to prove, nothing to earn, simply resting, trusting, and abiding in the completed work of Christ. This is a song that we introduced last week, we’ll sing together:

  • FORGIVEN FOREVER

    Sermon: 1 Corinthians 15:12-13, 20-22, 51-55; Revelation 21:1-5, 22-27

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, 

Maker of heaven and earth; 

and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, 

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 

suffered under Pontius Pilate, 

was crucified, died, and was buried. 

He descended into hell. 

The third day he rose again from the dead. 

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; 

from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, 

the forgiveness of sins, 

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

  • HYMN OF HEAVEN

    Baptisms

    Benediction: 2 Corinthians 15:58

July 12: Tuesday Refocus

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“I pray for courage to mourn so that I may be strengthened.” - Madeleine L’Engle

Courage is required in mourning because we must first acknowledge that the world is not as it should be, that our lives are not as they should be. Honesty from our deepest depths is deeply vulnerable. It is honesty that says ‘My Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…’ (Matthew 26:39). 

Our hope in our mourning is that “…the Lord, who daily bears us up…” is also One who is a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Psalm 68:19, Isaiah 53:3). The One declared ‘…nevertheless, not as I will but as You will (Matthew 26:39).’

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

Lord, bear us up, comfort and strengthen us, and give us courage. Amen.

Amen,

AB

When Songs Don't Matter

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I know, I know. Last week I wrote about how there are songs for the season, and this week I am saying songs don’t matter.

Let me explain.

Building a song master song list takes a lot of time, energy, and intention. It must be tailored to the congregation, conscious of the skill and ability of the worship leader and team, and be made up of songs for the season, as well as songs with staying power. Your master song list should include songs that are scripturally sound, theologically rich, artistically and musically compelling, and emotively engaging. Or more simply, as one worship leader described to me: thinking songs and feeling songs. Needless to say, this is a task that requires more thought than merely choosing your favorite song each week.

Several years ago, two interns were working with me to plan set lists for the Summer weeks that I would be away. We were reading the passage of Scripture that would be preached, and trying to list a smaller group of songs from our master song list that they could choose each weekend to lead. About halfway through this process one of the interns said, ‘We could sing any of these songs! They all fit, because we are always singing about Jesus, and always preaching the Gospel.’

If we do the hard work upfront of building, refining, adding, and trimming our master song list we lessen the pressure to make our songs fit the sermon week to week, because the reality is that they all fit! And when they all fit, we can refine even more as we look for through line concepts, same text inspiration, and repeated refrains in songs and sermons alike.

Do songs matter? Of course. But they matter less when you do the hard work upfront.