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Waiting for the Lord

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Spiritual Disciplines. No Comments on Waiting for the Lord

Language is so fascinating, and unfortunately, we can pass over it so quickly.  There are many different verses with the phrase “waiting on the Lord.”  The ones I want to focus on are in the Old Testament, using the Hebrew word “qavah.”  Literally, the word means “to bind together,” as in, to make a rope by bringing many strands together.  Figuratively it is used to mean “to wait eagerly, to hope, to expect.”  I know I am in a state of waiting for the Lord in more ways than one in my life.  Several other close colleagues of mine are also in this place.  But does it mean that we need to sit and wait for the Lord to move?  Let’s explore three passages:

 

Isaiah 40:31- But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

 

Lamentations 3:25-27-  The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

 

Psalm 25:4-5- Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

 

I see a lot of activity in those verses, even though each of them focuses on waiting. Isaiah says waiting on the Lord gives us renewed strength, lets us soar, lets us walk or run and not run out of steam!  That’s awesome.  So if we use the literal translation, it means that those who bind themselves to God will be empowered.  That’s really cool.  If we go more figuratively, it means those who hope and expect the Lord’s power will receive it.  Again, really cool.  But I think the clear implication is that upon having God’s power, we do something with it.

You know what it doesn’t say?  Wait and God will take care of everything.

Lamentations puts the phrase of seeking after God in the same thought as those waiting for him.  Continuing on in the same vein of thought, he says it’s good to be quiet as we wait for the Lord’s salvation.  I think this is referring to the way that we like to tell God how we want things to be done.  But instead of telling Him what to do, we need to remember it’s worthwhile to keep quiet.  Jeremiah spends the first part of chapter 3 complaining about how hard he’s had it, and then he interrupts himself with the thought of hope in God.  So, it might mean bearing a difficult situation, but God never said life would be easy nor that our definition of good is His (Romans 8:28).

Again, I say, the “waiting” in these verses is active.  Seeking God, holding one’s tongue, bearing the yoke.  Nothing about sitting around while God works, but us working with the understanding of hope in God (remember what hope is all about anyway).

In Psalm 25, we don’t see the waiting until the end, and additionally, all the imagery is about paths.  For me, path implies that you are moving.  What’s the point of asking God where you are supposed to go if you’re just going to stand by and look at it? “Yeah God, that looks cool, but I’m just gonna stand here and stare at it for a while.  Thanks for revealing where I’m supposed to start heading next, I’m gonna wait till you start dragging me along.” That’s not a great way to use a path. I love what Charles Spurgeon has to say about Psalm 25: “Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life. Our faith will be tried faith, and if it is of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us.” (https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/morning-and-evening/1739/07/08)There’s one other little point, but if we’re going to analyze words, let’s also analyze phrases.  The translation is typically “wait for” and not “wait on.”  I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that.  We wait for doctors to call us back, we wait for people who are late, and we wait for food and drinks to be brought to our table at a restaurant.  That’s a very passive activity (as long as you don’t ask a waiter!).  On the other side, we wait for Christmas morning, and we prepare for it by getting and wrapping gifts and singing songs and such.  We wait for the end of the work day, diligently accomplishing our daily tasks until it is time to clock out.  We wait for the weather to change so we can go outside, but we typically fill our day with an alternate activity.  “Waiting for” is active.  It’s anticipating a change.

So, what are you doing?  Are you sitting and waiting for it to happen, or are you waiting for it while continuing to move in the direction you are led?


Love in Christ,


Pastor Ben

Grief in View of the Hope of Resurrection

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Grief. No Comments on Grief in View of the Hope of Resurrection

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 Reading The Apostles’ Creed Together On Sundays

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in church history, The Church. 1 Comment on Why We Are Reading The Apostles’ Creed Together On Sundays

On Sunday, I introduced to you the Apostles’ Creed, a statement of faith that I hope will strengthen our theological framework and deepen our affections for the Lord. I want to take a moment and give a brief overview of the Apostle’s Creed and why we will be reading it together when we gather as a church on Sundays. First, here is the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

A creed is a statement of what we believe and teach.

The Apostles’ Creed does not come from the apostles, but its doctrines or teachings are rooted in the doctrines and teaching of the apostles found in the Holy Scriptures. Written sometime around the 3rd century, local churches around the world have recited this confession of faith and have made it their own. 

The Apostles’ Creed gives a very clear and Biblical summary of the doctrines we hold dear to our hearts. It speaks to the Trinity, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, it speaks to the church, and it even speaks to what will happen in the end. It’s really a summary of God’s redemptive mission through the message of the Gospel.

In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin stated that the Creed “furnishes us with a full and every way complete summary of faith, containing nothing but what has been derived from the infallible word of God”

Church history shows us that Christians have used the Apostles’ Creed as a guard against heretical teachings. In fact, that is likely why it was written in the first place and one of the reasons why we will read it together as a church in the 21st century.

WHY WE ARE READING IT TOGETHER

When it comes to memorization, one of the most helpful tools we can implement is consistent repetition. The Apostles’ Creed was written in a way to be easily read, understood, and memorized. The more we repeat something, the more we will know it. This is the case with the Apostle’s Creed. The more we recite it, the more we will know it and the more we will be able to teach it. 

It’s also a great tool to read with during your family worship time. As you gather at home to read the Bible, sing to the Lord, and pray together, you can implement the reading of the Apostle’s Creed with your children and then teach them the different elements of the creed that come from God’s Word.

It’s important for us to be frequently reminded of what we believe about the God of the Bible. If we do not, then we will be tossed around by every wind of doctrine and likely give in to the demands of the culture. Knowing what we believe is not only a defense against heresy, but is solid ground in a wicked culture. Theological formation is one of the biggest needs within the church today. We need to know what we believe and by faith, believe it to be true!

As we read it together on Sundays, we will take the time to give a brief description from Scripture to explain the contents of the Apostle’s Creed. I pray that as we learn this confession of faith that has been read and recited numerous times throughout history by our brothers and sisters in Christ, our love for the Lord will be greatly enriched.

 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt

 

Additional Resources:

 

The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic in an Age of Counterfeits by Albert Mohler Jr.

The Apostles’ Creed by R.C.Sproul

Prepare Him Room This Advent Season

Written by MattMacNaughton on . Posted in Advent. No Comments on Prepare Him Room This Advent Season

Whether you’re ready for it or not, the Christmas season is upon us. At the MacNaughton house, we’ve got our Christmas tree up, lights hung around the house, and we’re about 37 Christmas movies into December. And we haven’t even made it to December yet!

While the Christmas season is underway, the Church calendar has designated the season leading up to Christmas Day as “Advent”. The word “Advent” simply means “awaited coming” and is mostly used during this particular time of year when we celebrate the coming of a Savior. But it also helps draw our hearts to the awaiting second coming of our Savior when He will bring His church to the home He has prepared for us.

Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these last days (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis, they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people.

There are four themes seen throughout the Advent Season: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. For the next few weeks, we will take a few moments to look at these themes together on Sunday mornings and celebrate the Savior who came to this earth and is coming again. 

Advent both reminds us of the overflowing, extravagant nature of God the Father who, because he loved us so much He sent His Son Jesus (John 3:16), has given us hope (Hebrews 6:9-20), peace (Luke 2:8-21), and joy (Luke 2:1-20). Truly, the Christmas season is an incredible opportunity to reflect on all that Christ has done for us. Without His love, we cannot love Him (1 John 4:19). Without His peace, we are still His enemies (Ephesians 2:1-10). Without His hope, we are hopeless (Romans 8:24-25). Without his joy, we have no joy (Hebrews 12:1-2).

This coming Sunday, we will share with you on the Grace Life App our 2022 Advent devotional guide for you to sit down and do with your family. You’ll have daily Scripture readings centered around the themes of Advent and a few activities to help carry the truth of Christmas home for your family. While we celebrate the coming of our Savior, we wait patiently for the second coming of our King Jesus! 

Which makes the words of this familiar Christmas song by Isaac Watts even more wonderful when we sing it as it was intended: a song about the second coming of Jesus.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

 

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ,

while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, 

repeat the sounding joy,

repeat the sounding joy,

repeat , repeat the sounding joy.

 

He rules the world with truth and grace

and makes the nations prove 

the glories of his righteousness 

and wonders of his love, 

and wonders of his love, 

and wonder, wonders of his love.

 

So church, prepare your hearts. Make room for Jesus this Christmas. In fact, and better yet, make Him the central focus in all you do this Christmas. Without him, there would be no Christmas to celebrate. 

By His Grace,

Pastor Matt