A Pastoral Letter to the members and regular attenders of Covenant Grace Church.
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A poem based on the various gospel accounts of Jesus calming the storm. It is intended to capture the heart of that event, and God’s good purpose in it.
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A parabolic poem intended to capture our postmodern cultural moment.
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In this article, I want us to see the overall progression of our worship service as a unified whole. I thought it would be helpful as we dive into this series to explain how our worship services are structured from the view at 10,000 feet. In effect, the questions we are asking and answering are: Is there a big picture to our Lord’s Day worship? If so, what is it?
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In Romans 3:19-30 the Apostle Paul delivers one of the greatest expositions of the gospel in all of Scripture. He teaches us that salvation for sinners is a gift of God's grace, received by faith in Christ alone, and not grounded in any works of our own. But do you know what he goes on to say next?
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We have all experienced the tension of the moment. You are at a stop light on your way to run an errand and you see a struggling person in need. You want to help but you are not sure how. You want to communicate care and concern but you do not want to enable. You want the person to know that God holds out his love to them in his Son, but you only have a moment and it feels impossible to start the conversation…
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Every church, as led by the Elders of that body, has the responsibility of determining how they are going to strive to fulfill God’s calling to “shepherd the flock” which has been entrusted to their authority and care. In our desire as Elders to faithfully care for you according to God’s will and design, we have prayerfully determined a general approach to ministry which we believe will encourage the spiritual health of our church. As you consider making Covenant Grace Church your home, we want to cast a vision for you of what healthy membership looks like in our eyes.
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We should note, right out of the gate, that there is no explicit command in the New Testament for formal church membership. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to assume on this basis that the Bible does not heartily endorse it. Before we take a look at what the Bible does say, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario that will help us start thinking well about the subject as a whole.
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Take a few minutes to review the passages below and consider all that God calls us to both give and receive in our Christian relationships. As you read, prayerfully consider where you are doing well at embodying these commands, and where you need God’s grace to help you grow to be more like Christ.
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A life of true joy and peace that endures into eternity is a life of knowing and enjoying God. The chief way that we know and enjoy God this side of glory is by seeking him through his Word. According to our Savior, the Scriptures are heavenly bread given for the essential nourishment of man's soul, (Matt. 4:4). Just as the body without food cannot grow and be strong, so the soul that is starved of fellowship with God through his Word is invariably sickly and stifled. This makes every Christian’s commitment to the Bible essential to their spiritual flourishing.
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Having considered some important aspects of planning (first article) which contribute to a flourishing walk with God, let us now consider the rhythms which may helpfully govern our daily practice. It is important to say that what follows is not meant to be received rigidly. There are certainly wrong and unhelpful ways of pursuing a meaningful time with God, but it is also true that there is not one right way. Receive what follows as pastoral counsel which can be thoughtfully adapted according to varying needs and seasons.
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Many people approach their quiet time like they approach picking a spot for sunbathing on the beach; they just show up and plop down wherever they find first. Others take an approach more similar to shopping for pajamas; they naturally gravitate toward whatever is most comfortable. While we should rejoice whenever anyone is seeking God through his Word, we can also rightly identify approaches which are not only wiser, but far more likely to nurture a deeper, more meaningful walk with God.
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For one ready example, let’s consider our five senses: Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. Though diverse, what do all five of these senses have in common? They are receptors, not producers; they are ways in which human beings receive information which is then processed into knowledge. By God’s design, human beings are born with very little knowledge, yet they have powerful senses designed to abundantly receive knowledge. Why do you think that is?
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For some, this subject may seem completely unnecessary. They might retort, "Who needs to read about how to listen?" But, in fact, listening well—especially to the Word of God—is not something which we are as proficient in as we may like to think. I would venture to guess that not a Sunday goes by in which you do not find your heart wrestling with numerous distractions and competing thoughts from the cares of life during the worship service. We may be tempted to think that this is of no effect, but is that really true?
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It was when I realized that sinful men were not merely guilty before God because of the bad things they do, but that we are so deeply corrupted by our sin that even the “good” things we do are full of evil intentions that I began to realize that the Bible’s diagnosis of my heart—and of the hearts of all men—is absolutely true.
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As a doctor seeks the well-being of their patient by first telling them what is wrong and in need of mending, so it is with the Law. When a person receives the Law's first ministry, they receive a ministry of condemnation. That doesn't sound very encouraging or desirable does it? But this is the first step toward true healing. The Law does not create our condemnation, it merely reveals it to us in advance. It shows us now, in the moment while repentance and faith are still possible, that we need salvation and have no hope in ourselves. At the final judgment this door of redemption will be closed and never again opened. Thus, while the ministry of the Law can sometimes seem hard to bear, it is a great gift of love from the God who desires to pour out his mercy upon his enemies rather than his wrath. He offers the guilty a way of escape before the heavenly gavel is finally and irrevocably swung.
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Jesus said it is very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, (Matt. 19:23). In saying this, the Lord of all wisdom was speaking a timeless word to the idols of career, wealth, status, and leisure which have a clenched-fist grip on so many of our hearts. Though we labor religiously to gather comforts, securities, and prestige in this world, the tide will soon wash away every castle made of sand… “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
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There is no Pastor on earth who is completely fit for this hour. We are all in over our heads. We are all out of our depth. We are all struggling to know the best way to lead those entrusted to us as we face increasingly anxious, divisive, and hostile times. With heartfelt love, and acknowledgement that I do not have the answers to all of the questions we face, I offer the following word of exhortation and encouragement. I pray you receive it as it is intended: as an act of love for your good, to build up your faith, to point you to Christ, to strengthen you in your Christian witness, to restrain you from veering off track, and to shepherd you as I believe the Lord Jesus Christ would have me shepherd his precious people. May the Lord be pleased to fulfill his purpose for these words.
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As I was in prayer for our church body this morning, I felt a strong desire to share a brief encouragement with you. My words are feeble and wanting, nevertheless, I pray that they find their good purpose fulfilled in your heart for your joy in Christ. My hope is to bless you by cultivating a renewal of bold courage for Christ in the outworking of our faith.
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May the Lord grant that we are not “men of the world whose portion is in this life,” but men of the Prince of Heaven whose portion is the Lord himself, forevermore, (Lam. 3:22-24).
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