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What is Pentecost? (Part 2)

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. Leave a Comment

(This is a continuation of a study about Pentecost. You can find the first part here.)

Peter makes an argument that would be specifically aimed now at the Jewish population, which would likely be the majority of the listeners. He is pointing to the history of Israel’s kings and the promise God made to David that one of his descendants would be forever on the throne.

Acts 2:22-28-  “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

 

“‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

 

Notice the confidence of his words. This was God’s definite plan and foreknown! This was not random, not the act of man against God outside of God’s will. This was a necessary thing so that God could offer salvation and righteousness to our broken world. 

Acts 2:29-36- “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and whose tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

 

“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

Let us not forget that the 11 apostles had spent three years with Jesus and were direct witnesses not only to the miraculous resurrection but also to all the acts of Jesus done within the community, whether healings, teachings, or other miracles.  And so once again Peter says with complete confidence:

 

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

In the same way, we can have confidence of God’s saving work in our lives as we consider the things God has done for us. Although we have not seen Jesus directly as the apostles did, our personal testimony is a powerful tool given to us in order that the gospel message will continue to spread. Peter’s words are pointed, especially calling out the Jews desire to crucify Jesus. And we see a beautiful repentant response from the crowd.

Acts 2:37-41- Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.


All people will respond to the gospel message. This is why we share the gospel with others, because we know the power it holds and the need everyone has (the promise is for you, your children, all who are far off, EVERYONE!) But we are not responsible for how people respond. As we see in this moment, though, we know what is required for those who will accept the Spirit’s conviction, the same thing that Jesus told before He ascended- make disciples and baptize them in my name.

And we finally get to the description of the church and the wonderful plan and blessing it is for believers to gather-

Acts 2:42-37- And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number m day by day those who were being saved.


We do our best to follow this model of gathering at Grace Life, recognizing that our modern context means some logistical aspects of this list look different today than in Jesus’ time. But we see important threads for the church here.

We devote ourselves to teaching. God’s word is at the center of all we do, as we know it is our authority on life. We also know that it’s not just a sterile pursuit of knowledge that we are called to, but recognizing that God’s word applies to every situation we will face.

We devote ourselves to each other. The awesome part of the local church is that it is a unique and diverse gathering, all centered around the commonality that only the Gospel can provide. We look different, we have different likes and dislikes, but we put aside those differences in order to glorify God together and encourage one another.

We devote ourselves to frequent gathering. Although we may not all be able to gather daily as the early church, we set aside Sunday mornings and an evening each week for LifeGroups because we know that we need to be around other believers. Some of us work at the same place or live in the same neighborhood and can spend more time together. It’s because we know the value of staying connected to the family of God.

We devote ourselves to prayer. We pray together whenever we gather. We pray for each other as we get into the messy details of life, knowing that we all have struggles. In todays’ world, we have phones that we use to text and call one another in order that we can lift one another’s names before the Lord and know that others are doing the same for us.

So as we consider Pentecost, let it be a reminder of both how powerful the Holy Spirit is and what our calling is as a church.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Ben

What is Pentecost? (Part 1)

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. Leave a Comment

This Sunday, May 28th, is when we recognize a special day known as Pentecost. This celebration lands seven Sundays after Easter, and Acts 2 provides the story of how this Jewish festival moved into the Christian tradition. Over the next couple weeks, we will walk through the account of Acts 2 and see what happened and what it means for us today. But before we get there, what is Pentecost?

The word “Pentecost” comes from a Greek word meaning “fifty days.” This was counted out from Passover as a set of seven weeks containing seven days, with the 50th day being the day of the celebration. We see the Old Testament tradition of the Feast of Harvest (or sometimes the Feast of Weeks) explained in detail in Leviticus 23, along with other celebratory days. 

Leviticus 23:15-21- You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

In the New Testament, we know that Jesus and His disciples celebrated Passover the evening before Jesus was crucified. And in Acts 2 we read what happened that first Pentecost after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection:

Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We see in verse one that the believers are gathering. This tracks with the observance of the Feast of Weeks. But this celebration would be quite different than anything these Jewish believers had experienced before. Imagine the scene as described!  Growing up in the Midwest, the sound of a mighty rushing wind means there’s a tornado and it’s time to hunker down. I doubt this would be the thought of the early church, though, as the most recent tornado in Israel was in 2006. But if that’s not surprising enough, there was also a light show! The entrance of the Holy Spirit is a wild and powerful display of God’s power. Did they know this was the Holy Spirit in the moment? Possibly. We know that Luke is writing this letter with the intent of seeing the Spirit entering the scene:

Acts 1:1-8- In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Following the timeline, Pentecost comes within a few days after Jesus ascends. So likely the anticipation of the coming Spirit would be on their hearts and minds. And we also know Jesus had mentioned the Spirit to come before his crucifixion:

John 16:7-15- Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.


We see a clear description of the Spirit’s effective work in the life of the believer in this description. The Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This is why we share the gospel, because the calling out of sin shows our desperate need for salvation. Accepting Christ as Savior brings us to righteousness, because no one will avoid the judgment of the Father.

We also see the Spirit guides us into truth. He is the direct line of communication from the authority of Jesus and the Father. We don’t have to guess or figure out on our own what it is God wants for us, because His Spirit dwells in us and helps us to interpret His Word and produce fruit that glorifies Him. Continuing on, we see the inception of an incredible work of the Spirit:

 

Acts 2:5-13 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all those who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

 

Two important things to note here: First, the speaking of tongues here is used for the telling of the mighty works of God. This miracle is outward minded and tied directly to Jesus’ call to action of sharing the gospel to all nations. Second, some of the hearers rejected the message.  Although we will see Peter address this in the next verses, it should not surprise us that the Gospel message has a negative reaction from the world. It is easy to look at the natural world and try to find a simple explanation. But the work of the Spirit is a spiritual work, not a natural work.  And so Peter delivers a message in order to clarify exactly what is going on.

Acts 2:14-21- But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

Notice that he is addressing everyone, not just Jewish people. He continues:

For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Peter is using Old Testament prophecy to point out what is happening is not a random act but instead is exactly what God had planned! And if this is true, then the events that had happened in the past couple of months are also vitally important to understand. So, only 50 days since Jesus died, Peter explains clearly the action of the Gospel story.

In the next installment, we will look at the rest of his sermon and see what response came out of this allocation of the Spirit into the lives of believers.

Pastor Ben

A Prayer for our Children

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Family Discipleship. Leave a Comment

As Mother’s Day approaches, I want to offer this prayer on behalf of our children and encourage you to pray over your children daily. The prayer comes from Proverbs 3:5-7.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. – Proverbs 3:5–7

Gracious Father,

With boldness we come before your throne as your children (Hebrews 4:16), welcomed into your presence by the righteousness of Jesus that has covered our sins. You Jesus are magnificently beautiful and you are the radiance of the Father’s glory (Hebrews 1:3).

In you Jesus, we have redemption through your blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which you have lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of your will, according to your purpose, which you have set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in you, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:7-10).

Your Word says in Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil”.

Father, we lift our children up to you. You have blessed us with these little ones, some of which are not so little anymore, and you have entrusted their care to us. There are moments when we’re not sure how to parent them and even how to protect them, so Father help us to do so in the way that you have cared and protected us.

Lord, we pray that our kids will trust in you with their whole heart. That the faith of their parents will become their faith. Stir within their hearts a need for salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Convict them of their sin and regenerate their hearts. More than anything in this world, more than wealth, or comforts, or prosperity, we long to see our kids come to know you as their Savior. Help us Lord to point them to Jesus in all things. To disciple them along the way. To show them the incredible truths from your Word. Help their hearts to not be anxious, but to trust that you are with them every step of the way.

Lord, we pray that our kids will not lean on their own understanding, but in all their ways acknowledge you. The world believes the knowledge of Christianity is foolish and seeks to take a generation of kids with them. Help our kids to see the foolishness of sin in this world. Help them to lean into your understanding. Help them to live according to your good and beautiful design. We know your Word never returns void. We know your Word is true and right and sufficient. Holy Spirit, remind them of the Words of Scripture. Remind them that the Words of God are far better than the words of this world. We pray that our kids will acknowledge you in private and in public. That they will stand bold for the gospel as they face peer pressure.

Lord, we ask that you go before our kids. Direct their paths. Only you can make them straight. The plans we have for them, the plans they have for themselves are nothing compared to your will in their life. We know your will for them is their sanctification and that they live their lives for your glory and your glory alone. We pray that no matter if they are eating or drinking, they will glorify your name. Help them not to be wise in their own eyes, but to fear you in all things, to see your greatness, to see the beauty of your eternal salvation.

Lord, we pray that you will help us as parents to carefully shepherd our children. Be with us as we send our kids to school, off to college, or keeping them at home to teach them. We ask that you give patience to every home school mom and dad, give them rest and wisdom, and the support they need. We ask that you be with every mom and dad fighting the anxiousness and worry of dropping off kids and helping them navigate schools and friendships. Help us as parents to trust in you as well. Help us to know you are directing our paths and making it straight.

Thank you Lord that we are your children and you care for us and love us far more than we will ever realize. Help us to seek you, knowing that you came to seek and to save us. Help us to live out your Word all the days of our lives. Thank you for your sovereign care over us all.

In your holy name we pray,

Amen

Responding to God’s Word

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Spiritual Disciplines, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. – James 1:22–25

I once heard a preacher who, prior to reading the main text of Scripture of the is sermon, would make the following statement:

“Every time we open God’s Word, we are looking at the mind of God. Let’s see what God is thinking”.

God the Father has made Himself to us through His Son Jesus (John 1:1). We learn of the Son of God through the written Word of God (2 Timothy 3:14-15). And because we have these true and profitable words from God, we know exactly who God is and what he desires for us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we open the Bible, we are reading about the Author and Finisher of our faith. Here’s what Peter states,

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20–21

The Holy Spirit used men to record exactly what God intended to say. Which means we should take seriously what is said within the pages of Scripture. It is not man that is speaking, but God. And when God speaks, we must listen.

But listening is not all that is required of us. Listening to God’s Word, whether it is in our own reading and studying or if it’s sitting in a Bible based sermon, requires a response. James writes the verses above to tell us not to be just a hearer, but to be a doer of the Word as well.

In other words, God’s Word calls for a response.

Parents understand what James is saying far too well. We ask our kids to do something and more often than not, we need to repeat it a few times. We’re training them to obey right away. We often ask them, “Did you hear me?” And they’ll respond with “Yes” and we sit and wonder why they haven’t done what we have asked them to do! This is simply disobedience. To hear something from an authority and not to do it is to disobey the authority.

Because the Scripture is our authority, then when we disobey Scripture, we are disobeying God. We are implying that what He says is not important enough to follow, that we prefer to do our own thing, or that His authority does not matter to us.

When we hear God speak, we respond in obedience.

The Bible shows us how to live holy. It exposes our sin and brings us to the light of God’s grace. Just like a mirror shows us who we are, so does God’s Word. We would be fools to hear and not respond to what God’s Word says to us. We would be fools to disobey the good and gracious words from God.

Here are three helpful questions for the next time you read Scripture or after the sermon on Sunday that will help you respond to what you have heard.

1. From the text, what is something you learned about God? About yourself?

2. What Scriptural truth(s) from the text is the Holy Spirit pressing on your heart?

3. If you were to incorporate this truth in your own life, how would the next week and next month be different?

These questions help us read the text for what it says and then act on what it says. We respond to God’s Word because we know God’s Word to be true and good. And when we obey the words of our Father, it produces within us a peace and joy that frees us to continue living in obedience to the One who saved us.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Family Sunday

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Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Every month that has a fifth Sunday, we intentionally keep our Elementary Kids (K5-5th) with us in what we call “Family Sunday”. Family Sunday serves as an opportunity for us as parents (and fellow church members) to train our children in the importance of gathering with the entire church body. We intentionally help them turn in their Bible, sing the songs, fill in the notes for the sermon, and serve while also showing them the joy in doing these things for the glory of God.

This is what Family Integrated Worship looks like at Grace Life Church. We don’t worship separately as families, but together. It’s one of the reasons why we keep our kids in with us while we sing.

What we teach our children now is what they will often hold on to as they grow older. We show them the joy of gathering with the church. We show them how to follow along to a sermon. We show them how to stand and sing. Family Discipleship is modeled. Kids learn by observing and when they observe you loving the Jesus you are teaching them about, it will solidify what you are teaching them.

Here are a few helpful tips to prepare you for Family Sunday.

Let your children know they will be with you the entire service and tell them what to expect.

Nobody likes surprises or changes in routine, so prepare your children for Sunday’s gathering. Tell them that you expect them to sing along, read along, sit still, and listen carefully.

Teach your children how to listen to a sermon.

Attention spans are not getting any longer. Screen time and easily scrolling through apps train our children to have a short attention span. It’s training us too. It’s why YouTube ads are a few seconds and why Social Media platforms like Instagram and TikToc limit video length.

So how can we expect our kids to sit through a 30 minute sermon? We do so by teaching them. As they try to sit through a sermon, help them try to sit in their chair. This means they sit with you, not their friends. This may mean you are constantly telling them to sit down, but children need guidance and they need it reinforced. Allow them to color and draw, but do so by encouraging them to color or draw something related to the message. If they can read and write, encourage them to complete the notes in the church program. Avoid giving them toys, devices, or other items to keep them occupied. Doing so is practically teaching them that a sermon is not important.

PRO TIP: Bring snacks and drinks with you!

Discuss the sermon on your way home.

The car ride to and from the church gathering is an incredible opportunity for family discipleship. On the way home, ask them what they learned from the sermon. Ask them what they learned about God. Ask them why church and God’s Word is important. Ask them what their favorite song was. Take advantage of the Sunday gathering being fresh on their minds to instill in them the importance of the gathering of the local church.

A short note from the preacher to the parent.

In closing, let me make a few remarks from my perspective as the preacher. I love family Sundays. I love seeing the kids participating in the service both in singing and answering the questions I ask while I preach. My prayer for them is that they hear more sermons on Sunday morning than KidLife lessons. If that happens, then they’ve spent several years in church.

I’m often asked, “Are you distracted while you are preaching?” The answer is usually “no”. I am not usually distracted during Family Sundays mainly because I’ve prepared for the distractions. Yes, your children will stand up. Yes, your children will be chatty. Yes, your children will squirm. But don’t think it’s a distraction to me or to anyone else.

Why? Because I (and the older folks of our church) understand that seeing kids in a Sunday gathering means there is life and a future in this church. It brings us joy to see the kids in there with us.

It’s why I love seeing your kids on Sunday. I’m their pastor too and I want them to know that I will always be there to point them to Jesus and I’m never too busy or too distracted to pay attention to them.

Parenting is hard work. But it is a good and satisfying work. We have an incredible opportunity to point our kids to Jesus.

Let’s not waste it.

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Joyous Persecution

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. Leave a Comment

This past Sunday, we looked at the last Beatitude from Matthew 5:10-12. Jesus states,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (ESV)

Blessed are the persecuted is quite literally the opposite of what persecution is. No one considers persecution as something to look forward to. Most people think of being blessed as some sort of monetary gain or materialistic prosperity, but not Jesus. Jesus considers persecution as a pathway to the blessed life.

That’s because Jesus understands that the life that awaits us in heaven is greater than the life we have here now. Because of Jesus, our lives are truly blessed. Nothing will compare to Him and living for Him is in contrast to what the world around us promotes.

When we live for the glory of God alone, how can we expect to be treated? Well, we can expect persecution. If they did it to Jesus, then we surely can expect it to happen to us. Remember the words of Jesus in John 15:20, 

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

Jesus teaches us how to respond to the persecution: rejoice and be glad! Why is rejoicing the response? Because if we are standing for the righteousness of Jesus and it’s causing people to lash out towards us, then we can confidently know that what they see is Jesus. Rejoice, because the world views you like they do Jesus!

While we rejoice, we also know that facing persecution, mocking, and ridicule does bring heartache. It hurts to see friends walk away from you because of your faith in Jesus. It stings knowing you didn’t get hired because of your faith in Jesus. So how do we respond in those situations? We go to the Lord in prayer.

Let me leave you with a prayer from The Valley of Vision, a collection of prayers from the Puritans.

​​

​​Help my infirmities;​​Help my infirmities;
When I am pressed down with a load of sorrow,
perplexed and knowing not what to do,
slandered and persecuted,
made to feel the weight of the cross,
help me, I pray thee.

If thou seest in me any wrong thing encouraged,
any evil desire cherished,
any delight that is not thy delight,
any habit that grieves thee,
any nest of sin in my heart,
then grant me the kiss of thy forgiveness,
and teach my feet to walk the way of
thy commandments.

Deliver me from carking care,
and make me a happy, holy person;
Help me to walk the separated life with
firm and brave step,
and to wrestle successfully against weakness;

Teach me to laud, adore, and magnify thee,
with the music of heaven,
And make me a perfume of praiseful gratitude to thee.
I do not crouch at thy feet as a slave before a tyrant,
but exult before thee as a son with a father.

Give me power to live as thy child in all my actions,
and to exercise sonship by conquering self.
Preserve me from the intoxication that comes of prosperity;
Sober me when I am glad with a joy that comes not from thee.
Lead me safely on to the eternal kingdom,
not asking whether the road be rough or smooth.

I request only to see the face of him I love,
to be content with bread to eat,
with raiment to put on, if I can be brought to thy house in peace.

 

Brothers and sisters, count it all joy when you fall into various trials and do not be afraid, for the cost of following Jesus is worth it.

 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

Acts 5:41–42

The Week After The Resurrection

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Gospel. Leave a Comment

The Gospel Accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are filled with stories from Jesus’ earthly ministry. We read about His birth, His dedication, His parents somehow losing Him and not realizing it until days later (you had one job Joseph and Mary!), His baptism, a host of miracles and parables, and of course His death, resurrection, and ascension. Everything recorded in God’s Word is for our good and is sufficient to know God and to know the salvation He brings us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In other words, God has told us exactly what He wants us to know. 

John tells us at the end of his account that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30–31). 

I’m so thankful for what is recorded about Jesus because what has been written, we have heard that Jesus brings us salvation.

But if I’m being honest, sometimes I wonder what exactly were “the other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book”. And it’s around the Resurrection weekend that my brain starts to wonder into the humanity of the entire week.

From Scripture we gather a small glimpse of the state of the disciples between Jesus’ death and resurrection. The disciples were scared (John 20:19). The Saturday before Jesus rose again must have been quite the day for the disciples. We can see and understand the fear and hopelessness they must have experienced. Jesus the Messiah was dead. And dead people don’t rise from the dead unless the Messiah had something to do with it. 

On Sunday we see the joy of the disciples discovering that Jesus was alive! Running into the tomb to see it was empty, touching the scars, and eating with Jesus because he was hungry. I imagine it took a few days for their jaws to finally come up off the floor.

I can only imagine that first week with Jesus after the resurrection. The joy. The peace. The hope. The confusion. The tears. We have very few details but I imagine the first week after the resurrection had to have been similar to the days after we too realized that Jesus was the Savior we needed.

Do you remember the joy? The hope? The peace? I do. And I still do. I am nothing without the resurrection of Jesus and it’s why I pray what David prayed in Psalm 51: God, restore the joy of my salvation! I want to be reminded and live in the hope of the resurrection every day. The celebration of the Resurrection weekend is the celebration we live in daily because we are in Christ!

The Resurrection of Jesus has made our resurrection possible. And one day too, we will experience what the disciples experienced that day. We will see the risen Lord, we will see his hands and feet, we will eat with him and walk with him, and we will for all eternity, live in the hope and peace and joy we have in Christ.

Until then, we live out what Paul wrote from prison in his letter to the Philippians:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead”. (Philippians 3:8–11)

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

Grief in View of the Hope of Resurrection

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Grief. Leave a Comment

The Easter season is a unique time filled with not only great joy at the resurrection of Jesus but also great sorrow in recognizing the sinful state of man, our own sins against God that led to this predicament. Jesus bore our sin and shame on the cross, but we know that we still live in a broken world that is constantly presenting us with difficult circumstances and what may seem like random attacks against the life we desire to have. As we reflect on the message of the cross, we can understand what great anguish Jesus endured in our place, and we can look to His example as we consider the grief that the world brings us.

First, we must recognize that we are not ultimately bound to this world, but we are awaiting a new heaven and new earth. Peter talks about this greatly in his first letter (emphasis mine)-

1 Peter 2:9-11- But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

The temptation to be focused on the present circumstance is common to man. But as those saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we are called to live differently in this world.  We are not bound to the darkness around us- we have been delivered into His glorious light! This is both a present reality and a future hope. This is why we pursue holy living. It is also a practical testimony to the world, as we see in the next verse-

1 Peter 2:12- Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

People are always observing us, whether they know we proclaim to follow Jesus or not.  And those who know we call ourselves “Christian” have a concept of what that should and shouldn’t look like.  When we get lost in the murkiness of this fallen world and allow our flesh to spit hurtful words or make short-sighted decisions, it is because we have lost sight of what God has in store for us at the end of our lives, whether upon the second coming of Jesus or after our death-

Revelation 21:1-5- Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Jesus will comfort us directly! What a picture, the Savior that I betrayed in sin, who had to die for me so that I could have an unbroken relationship with, will comfort me when I see Him face to face. If that doesn’t motivate us to pursue Him, then maybe we must consider that He experienced a human life here on earth. This reality is hard to wrap our finite minds around, but it is the truth proclaimed in God’s Word.

But this truth is not far off! So we must recognize that our Savior lived a life on this earth that had temptations, grief, and difficulties.

The author of Hebrews describes this truth in chapter 4-

Hebrews 4:14-15- Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Accounts of the temptation of Satan against Jesus can be found in Matthew 4, Luke 4, and Mark 1.  But we can also find other places of temptation to prove His power, including to avoid death on the cross as seen in Matthew 16:21-23 and Mark 8:31-33, or in the situation regarding Lazarus as told in John 11.

John 11:1-3- Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

And what was the response of Jesus hearing this news? Verse 4-6:

But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Jesus made decisions based on His knowledge of God’s greater plan, not based on how He felt in the moment. Jesus could have kept Lazarus alive while he was not near. He could have done what any human who had the power of God would likely expect to do in such a situation. But He didn’t, because His primary concern was that God would get the glory. And the crucial part of this story comes in two simple words, as recorded in John 11:35-

Jesus wept.

The Creator of the universe. The Savior of the World. The Lamb of God. The Protector, Healer, Redeemer…. He WEPT.  Is there any surprise that we who are called to become more like Christ will face the griefs of this life? Jesus was a man of sorrows, as described in detail in Isaiah 53.  But the beautiful truth of what all this means is summarized in Hebrews 4:16-

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Our Savior, acquainted with grief, tempted but without sin, knows how life on this earth can be for us.

Therefore, we must finally recognize that we have not been saved out of difficulties, but we have been saved to live differently in spite of those difficulties.

Since the death of my wife, the words of 1 Thessalonians 4 have been one of many strongholds I use to combat the temptation against fear and despair in view of the grief and loss I have felt.

1 Thess 4:13-18- But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Brothers and sisters, we will face grief, not just because we are Christians, but because this world is not the end-all be-all of existence. But we must fight vigilantly against letting hard times define our existence. We can and should grieve the loss of loved ones, the unexpected employment change, the dissolvement of relationships that ought to have lasted a lifetime. But we cannot look at those things as isolated events, but instead trust that God is working in those circumstances to draw us close to Him, as said in Romans 8:28-

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

If we trust Scripture, if we believe that there is more to life than what’s here on earth, if we see that Jesus doesn’t just theoretically know about life but experienced it, if we can see that the difficulties of life draw us to more dependence on God, then we can begin to grieve in a way that draws us closer to God and further from this world. 

My last thought is another tentpole I hold on to, from Psalm 119-

Psalm 119:68- You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes.

When your family fails you, when your plans blow up, when the unexpected diagnosis comes, know that your Savior knows, He understands, He is with you and near you, and His Spirit is in you to help you as you walk through the grief.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Ben

Why we are having a Passover Seder

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Family Discipleship. Leave a Comment

We are just days away from Easter Sunday, the day marked on our calendars to set aside and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In reality, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every time we gather because we understand our gatherings are in vain if Jesus does not resurrect from the dead.

As we prepare to gather on Easter Sunday, there are two events that we host that are intended to draw our hearts to the finished work of Jesus Christ: Passover Seder and Good Friday. Both of these events I encourage you to attend with your family.

The Good Friday service is a time where we look directly at the brutality of the cross of Christ and sit in the violence of the crucifixion for the sins of the world. We will also participate in the Lord’s Supper together. Register for Good Friday here.

The focus of this post is on the Passover Seder. Let me first state that hosting a Passover Seder is in no way required for Christians to participate in. In fact, if we required it, we would be in the wrong! (See Galatians, Colossians 2, Romans 14) We are no longer under the Jewish Law, but we have freedom in Jesus Christ!

We host the Passover Seder simply as a discipleship opportunity for the entire family that connects the teachings of the Old Testament to Jesus. We constantly say at Grace Life that the Bible is one big story of Redemption, meaning, as Sally Llyod Jones states, “Every story (in the Bible) whispers His name”. While we won’t go into the full meal that was celebrated in the Old Testament, we will look at how the different elements of the meal connect to Jesus. Here’s an excerpt from the book we read from at the Seder.

Passover is the oldest and most important of Jewish religious festivals, commemorating God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and his creation of the Israelite people. In its earliest forms it marked the beginning of the Jewish religious year (Ex 12:1; because of changes in calendars, later Judaism observed the beginning of the year in the Fall with Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana). It is based on the rituals of ancient Israel preserved primarily in Exodus 12-14 in which Israelites celebrated their deliverance by God from slavery in Egypt. The term Passover refers to the tenth and final plague God brought upon the Egyptians to persuade Pharaoh to let the people go, the death of all the firstborn of Egypt. In obedience to God’s instructions, those who believed placed the blood of a lamb on the door posts of their homes, so that God would pass over” those homes. The festival actually celebrates the entire sequence of events that led to the Israelites’ freedom from slavery. While thoroughly based in those historical events, the celebration encompasses much more as it becomes a vehicle to celebrate the very nature of God and His gracious work in the world. It is in this larger dimension that Jesus adopted the Passover service as a sacramental remembrance of God’s new work of deliverance in the Christ, and allows Christians to celebrate this ancient festival.

One of my favorite aspects of the Passover (and really the Jewish culture as a whole) is the family integration. Our culture sends kids off to different classes and places but in the Jewish culture, the family was always together. I love family integrated worship. I love our Family Sundays and I love serving alongside of our kids. The Passover Seder provides an opportunity for families to sit together, participate together, and celebrate Jesus together.

At the Seder, your children will have a role at the table. They will participate just as if they were in a Jewish household, but they will clearly see that all of this is about Jesus. Any opportunity to point our kids to Jesus is an opportunity we must make.

And really that is why we do it. The more we can understand how the Old Testament points to Jesus, the greater appreciation we will have for God’s grand story of Redemption. From the beginning (Ephesians 1) God’s plan to redeem people from their sin was going to be through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Passover looked forward to His coming, we now look back at His finished work and look forward to His soon return. And when that day comes, we will gather as the people of God around the table and eat and celebrate all that Jesus has done for us.

If you haven’t already, register your family for the Passover Seder here.

Update Letter from the Lynn Family, Missionaries to Ethiopia

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in The Church. Leave a Comment

In the book of Acts, we see the church sending out missionaries to take the gospel to the world. This was to obey Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:9. Paul was one of those missionaries. In fact, he took three missionary journeys during the course of his ministry, planting churches along the way. As he wrote letters to the churches, some of which are recorded in the New Testament, he would often include updates on his journeys or send someone to give an update. Paul never left his supporting churches in the dark.

So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. – Ephesians 6:21–22

Every so often, we receive an update from our ministry partners. We read them in our Sunday gatherings as a reminder to pray for those who have been called by God to gov over seas to share the gospel and as a reminder that we too are missionaries exactly where we are here in the United States.

To read the most recent update letter from the Lynn Family in Ethiopia, click here.

Commit to praying for them frequently and be intentional in sharing the gospel with someone today.

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