“The Lord is My Shepherd” – Psalm 23   Lord God, as we are gratefully gathered here today (and also gathered through the technology you have given us), we pray that your Holy Spirit would have full reign in all of us, guiding both my words and our hearts. May we not leave today the same as when we came, but more closely aligned to You and Your Will. In Christ’s name by the power of the Spirit we pray, amen.   Psalm 23. Those familiar words. Those words we likely learned as children in Sunday School. Those words that many of us can probably recite from memory, especially in the Old King James version. And yet, we have to ask ourselves – as familiar as these words are, do we truly believe them? After all, we live in a world in which the phrase “I lack nothing” might apply to others, but it might not seem to apply to us. For some of us, we may not feel like we’re in “green pastures” or being led by “still waters.” Maybe our souls don’t feel refreshed. We feel like we might be in dark valleys, and we DO fear the evil around us, and God seems so far away. Far from running over, our cups are running dry. And at the end of the day, we may scornfully wonder “where is that goodness and mercy and love that’s supposed to be following me all the days of my life”? At the end of the day, we may shake our heads at David, saying to ourselves “what does that little shepherd boy David know? Reclining in the green grass with the sheep? He’s just living a sheltered life. He knows nothing of the real world.” But perhaps we should think twice before judging David so harshly. Warren Wiersbe and other scholars suggest that David did NOT write this psalm in the midst of his youth, but rather wrote it in his old age, reminiscing about his days as a shepherd. David writing this psalm in his old age changes the dynamic of this psalm entirely. Because David did not have an easy life. Far from it. His life was a life of struggle, even from his youth. When we read David’s story, as recorded primarily in 1st and 2nd Samuel, we find that he had a hard life. After his anointing by Samuel and his famous defeat of Goliath, David began to serve in King Saul’s army, winning great renown. That made Saul extremely jealous, and Saul hunted David and even tried to kill him at numerous points. When Saul died and David was made king, you’d think things would have gotten better. But no, things were still a struggle for David. He still had to defeat the enemies of Israel around them in order to bring peace and security to Israel, and had many fierce and dangerous battles. Eventually, with God’s help, David did subdue the enemies of Israel, and you’d think that would have brought lasting peace. But no, it didn’t. Even in peacetime, David still went through struggle. He famously committed adultery with Bathsheba, which brought shame upon his household, brought the death of one of his children, and brought constant infighting among his sons, who all jostled amongst each other for the throne. One of the most famous instances was when David’s son Absalom sought to take the throne for himself, forcing David to flee his own palace until the threat was ended. In the end, though David was considered the greatest king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, his life was one of struggle. He endured hardship, shame of sin, threats on his life, exiles, and loss – losing at least two of his sons, and losing his best friend Jonathan. And yet, as Wiersbe notes, the evidence suggests that this psalm, Psalm 23, was written at the end of David’s life. It was written as he looked back on all of these events in his life, including his days as a shepherd. It was written, not from a place of youthful ignorance, but from elderly wisdom. It was written by someone who was not immune to the difficulties of life, but by someone who had experience more difficulties than the average person. Given these things, we might wonder then – how? How can David see the Lord as His shepherd? How can David see the Lord as One who brings him to green pastures, still waters, a refreshed soul, right paths, safety in the darkest valley, an overflowing cup, goodness, mercy, and love? Especially when, from our perspective, David had spent much of his life NOT experiencing these things? Well, perhaps David learned to have a different perspective than we often do – a spiritual perspective. And perhaps it would be wise for us also to learn that perspective, especially when it comes to this old, familiar psalm. I think David learned, first of all, that we as humans are often a lot more like sheep than we like to admit. Most of us probably haven’t worked with sheep much, but sheep are pretty helpless animals. They wander off. They are vulnerable to predators. To be honest, they are pretty dumb and defenseless. Simply put, they need a leader and protector – a good shepherd – or else, they will die. And David learned that in his own life. Looking back, he saw that there were many times he was like a sheep. He strayed away from God and into trouble by pursuing Bathsheba. He was helpless before his enemies when pursued by Saul and Absalom, and when he was before enemies such as the King of Gath. David knew that his wandering was that got him into trouble, and he knew that apart from God’s care for him, the king would have certainly perished. And yet, David had not perished, but had come through. Despite all his folly, and all the perils that he faced, David was able to live to old age and die peacefully. David knew that God had been his shepherd throughout his life. And because of all that God had done to protect him, David could confidently say “The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing.” Though he had gone through a lot in his life, David grasped the simple yet profound truth that if one has God, they have everything they need. If we have God, we have green pastures, still waters, a restored soul, and right paths. We often think that in order to have such things, life has to be easy and perfect for us. However, David shows us that we can have such things even when life is NOT easy or perfect. The world around us could be chaotic, as it was for David. But David reminds us that with God, no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in, we have someone who is watching over us, leading us, guarding us, and nourishing us by His Word and His Holy Spirit. It’s not about the circumstances of the world around us. It’s about how close we are to our Shepherd. David could also confidently say that even when he walked through the darkest valley, he did not need to be afraid, since God was with him. No matter what dark valleys we might face in life – loneliness, poverty, illness, grief – we do not go through it alone. The Lord goes with us, just as He was with David, and never abandoned David, even in the most difficult times of his life. Furthermore, as David was comforted by the rod and staff of God, we too can trust in God’s loving guidance, provision, and protection in the most difficult moments of our lives. Again, it’s not about the circumstances of the world around us. It’s about how close we are to our Shepherd. With all the ways God watched over David and protected him, despite his enemies, surely David must have felt as if God were preparing a table, anointing him with oil, and letting his cup run over in front of them. After all, despite how Saul, Absalom, and so many other enemies had threatened him, David still outlived them all under God’s care. And for those who trust in God’s care and provision today, we know that they will not be put to shame, no matter what enemies they may face. Why? The final verse reminds us: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” This verse is the climax, the one that pulls everything together – reminding us of what has been, what is, and what is to come through the Lord. Warren Wiersbe makes the crucial reminder that, though it may be hard to see it in the moment, we know that God’s grace and goodness is always at work in some way. He calls this verse the Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:28, where the apostle Paul famously says “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We might not be able to see it right now, but we can have confidence that no matter what happens in life, God is still good and loving to us. And finally, there comes one of the most wonderful sentences in all of scripture “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” As great a hope as it is to know that God works good throughout our earthly life, it is an even greater hope to know that God will take us to be with Himself when this earthly life is over. He will take us to the house of the Lord – and David is not talking about the temple in Jerusalem here, but the eternal dwelling place of God – heaven. It's so easy for us to lose sight of the glory of heaven when we are surrounded by the cares, distractions, troubles, and pains of this world. But David rejoiced and looked forward to being with God forever. David looked forward and had faith that his eternal destiny was with his Good Shepherd in heaven. Along with other Old Testament believers, David clung to the belief he wrote in another psalm, Psalm 16:10-11 “you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay… you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” And that promise that David looked forward to was fulfilled through the coming of God, the Good Shepherd, in the flesh – through Jesus Christ. As we heard earlier from John 10, Jesus acknowledged His role as the Good Shepherd – a Shepherd who loves and cares for His sheep, and was even willing to die for them. And that is exactly what He did. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for His people – for His sheep – in order that they would be kept safe and protected. And He did this so that they would be protected and saved from the greatest enemy of all – sin and death. For those who would believe in Him, Jesus’ death on the cross takes away the penalty of sin, and His resurrection ensures eternal life. And that eternal life is in heaven, in the house of the Lord – a place where there is no more pain, suffering, mourning, or crying. A place where we will be able to look back and see the full extent of God’s goodness and love in our lives, and where we will experience God’s goodness and love into the unending reaches of eternity. Hallelujah and thanks be to God! What more could we ask for? What a wonderful, Good Shepherd we have! May we give that Shepherd Glory. May we listen to His voice, and closely follow Him throughout life. May we realize that true peace comes not from the absence of struggle, but from staying close to our Shepherd. May we trust our Shepherd, and in His goodness and love. May we rejoice in where He is leading us – into His wonderful house. And finally, as we are led by our Good Shepherd through life, may we join in His mission of bringing others into the fold, into the one flock led by the One shepherd, so that they too may experience His goodness and love, along with us, both now and into eternity. Let us pray.   Lead us, O God. Be our Good Shepherd. Whenever we are tempted to wander from You, towards sin, towards questioning You, we pray that You would lovingly draw us back. Whenever we would be afraid from walking through dark valleys, comfort us with Your rod and staff – Your protection and provision for us. We pray that You would open our eyes to all the ways Your goodness and mercy follow us. And if we cannot understand, then grant us steadfast faith to trust You. And help us Lord to rejoice in following You – for we know that You are leading us to Your house. And help us to tell everyone we meet about our Good Shepherd and His loving care for us – a love so great, He even came and died for us and rose again through Christ. It is in His name we pray. Amen.  Download the sermon here

Lord God, as we are gratefully gathered here today (and also gathered through the technology you have given us), we pray that your Holy Spirit would have full reign in all of us, guiding my words and our hearts. May we not leave today the same as when we came, but closer to You and Your will. In Christ’s name, by the power of the Holy Spirit we pray, amen. For those of you who know me well, you’ll know I enjoy football. In particular I’m a Steelers and Nittany Lions fan. But I’ll watch any football game if it’s good. This past Thursday night there was an excellent football game on between the Falcons and Buccaneers. The game went into OT, with the Falcons winning on a walk-off TD. However, things could have easily gone the other way. During one pivotal play of the game, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield didn’t see a wide-open receiver, who could have scored and helped seal the game the other way. I’m sure it was painful for Bucs fans to watch their QB miss something important that was right in front of him. But as we come to this passage of scripture today, we find that Baker Mayfield was not the only one to miss something important right in front of him. As we approach the halfway point of Mark’s Gospel account, we saw last week that Jesus was willing to extend His mission of preaching, healing, and driving out demons beyond His own people the Jews, even to the Gentiles. He had indeed cast a demon out of a little girl, and healed a man with blindness. As we open this chapter, we find Jesus with a large crowd of people, teaching them about the Kingdom of God. Since we have no indication that Jesus has left the Decapolis yet, we can assume that Jesus is still in Gentile territory. And Jesus must have been a captivating teacher for the people to stay with him for 3 days! Yet, as Jesus is over on this side of Sea of Galilee, a familiar problem arises – one we have seen already in a similar situation on the other side of the lake. The people are hungry. As we have seen before, Jesus is the Good Shepherd of His people. And as the Good Shepherd, He has compassion on the people who have come to Him, Jew and Gentile alike, telling His disciples “If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” But then there is the disciple’s response “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Are you kidding me? It’s not as if these disciples weren’t there back in Mark 6 when Jesus fed the 5000! And as scholars note, it’s not as if the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 were simply a retelling of the same event. These were two separate miracles took that place at two different locations at two different times. Jesus Himself would refer back to the previous feeding of the 5000 later in this passage. So the disciples had seen Jesus provide enough food to feed a crowd before. How could they then wonder where they would get enough food? It makes us wonder how the disciples could be so clueless. And yet, if we’re honest – if I’m honest – aren’t there times where we clearly see God’s provision at work in our lives, but then doubt God and wonder how our need will be provided? I know in my own life, God has protected me from car accidents and has provided in times of financial crisis, among other things. And yet, I’m so often prone to say “But will God keep me safe THIS time?” And “How will thing work out THIS time?” I’m sure many of us have had similar struggles at one point or another. It’s important for us to remember how God has provided for us in the past, in order for us to trust that He will provide for us in the future. At any rate, the disciples were pretty slow on the uptake. Yet Jesus didn’t harshly rebuke them. Instead, He invited them to be a part of the solution. Once again, as with the feeding of the 5000, Jesus asks the disciples to give him what they have – and let Him do the rest. And so, the disciples hand Jesus 7 loaves of bread and some fish. And in Jesus’ hands, this small amount of food in miraculously multiplied to feed a crowd of over 8,000 people, including women and children. Not only that, but there were 7 large basketfuls of food leftover, which scholars note was likely even more than the 12 smaller baskets of leftovers from the feeding of the 5000. It's also worth noting how Jesus took and gave thanks to God for the food before breaking it. This would have been a standard Jewish tradition. However, it is significant that Jesus does this before the Gentiles who were present in the crowd. It was a powerful opportunity to point the Gentiles to God, to illustrate God as the one who provides all that we need. It would perhaps be similar to saying grace and thanking God for food in the middle of a crowded restaurant or marketplace today. If Jesus was willing to do that, are we? Are we willing to point others around us to the God who provides everything that we need? After this feeding of the 4000, Jesus and His disciples finally wrap up their time in Gentile territory, and cross over the lake back to Jewish territory in Dalmanutha. But as Jesus arrived back in Jewish territory, we find some familiar faces waiting for Him – the Pharisees. We remember that Jesus had been in conflict with the Pharisees before departing for Tyre in Gentile territory. But evidently, the Pharisees had been waiting for Jesus while He was away, and as He returned to Galilee, they began to question and test Him. Most of all, they demanded a sign. A sign? How could they ask for a sign? Jesus had been all over Galilee doing miracles. The sick had been healed and demons had been cast out. For goodness’ sake, Jesus had just come from doing a miracle! And yet the Pharisees were demanding a sign? The signs were all around them! But they either couldn’t see or refused to see what was right in front of them. They were simply trying to put Jesus to the test. Jesus was exasperated at these Pharisees, and rightly so. Jesus knew, as He had said in His parable in Luke 16, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Jesus wouldn’t play their game. He wouldn’t put on a show for the Pharisees. And so, Jesus left them, and got into the boat with His disciples to cross over to another part of the lake, and do ministry elsewhere. Again, it’s easy for us to look down on the Pharisees. Instead of believing Jesus and the evidence that was all around them, they wanted Jesus to act according to their wishes, and they wanted Jesus to “prove Himself” to them. But church, we need to be careful that we don’t make the same mistake. It’s not right for us to demand that Jesus act according to our own wishes and expectations. When we try to get Jesus to act in the way we want, we are not following Jesus and making Him our Lord. We are trying to get Him to submit to us, rather than us submitting to Him. We are called to follow Jesus, not to try and make Jesus follow us. Finally, as Jesus and His disciples left Dalmanutha and sailed across the lake towards Bethsaida, their next ministry destination, Mark records a rather strange conversation that takes place between Jesus and His disciples in the boat. As they are sailing along, Jesus says to His disciples “Be careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.” What is Jesus talking about here? For us today, who live in a culture where yeast is not used as much at home, it may help us to remember exactly what yeast is. Yeast is a kind of healthy bacteria that is used in things such as bread, helping it to leaven and rise. It doesn’t take much yeast – if only a tiny amount gets into a piece of dough, the whole batch will become leavened and rise. While yeast was used in a healthy way for baking, scholars note that the way in which yeast could so easily “leaven” a whole batch of dough caused yeast to be associated with corruption and evil. This was why the Israelites were told to be very careful to keep yeast out of their houses while celebrating the Passover, to avoid accidently creating leavened rather than unleavened bread. Such a view of yeast as representing evil and corruption would continue in the New Testament, where Paul would use yeast as an illustration in warnings to both the Corinthian and Galatian churches. So if yeast was seen as a symbol of corruption and evil, then what was the “yeast” of the Pharisees and Herod? For the Pharisees, the answer seems pretty obvious. Jesus had been challenging the Pharisees and their legalist misinterpretation of the law. We’ve already seen numerous times how the Pharisees had created man-made traditions and lost the true spirit behind God’s law. For Jesus, these legalist false teachings were wrong, and were corrupting Jewish society. But what of Herod? What yeast was he spreading? Well, we remember from Mark 6 how Herod was willing to hear the law through John the Baptist. But He refused to actually change His life and obey what He heard. If the Pharisees were misinterpreting the law, Herod was ignoring the law and doing what was right in his own eyes. For Jesus, this also was wrong, and could easily corrupt Jewish society. We remember as Matthew 5 says, Jesus had not come to abolish, but fulfil the law. In short, Jesus wanted His disciples to be on their guard against both legalism and lawlessness. He wanted them to avoid misinterpreting the law AND throwing the law out entirely. But what do the disciples get from Jesus’ statement? Once again, they were only looking at the physical situation. Just as they completely missed how Jesus had provided food for a great crowd in the past, they completely miss here as well. They though Jesus was talking about physical bread, since they had only brought along one loaf. Jesus was dismayed by their response. We might be surprised by how harsh Jesus is. But once again, it’s not as if Jesus was teaching something new here. So many times when Jesus had done a miracle, there was spiritual significance behind it. The feeding of the crowds showed Jesus was the Lord being a shepherd to His people. The calming of the storm showed Jesus as the God of creation. Jesus expected that His disciples would understand that He was talking about something deeper than just physical yeast. But the metaphor went right over their heads. How could the disciples not understand this? How could they only be focused on the physical and temporal, and not see the spiritual truth behind this? We don’t know. Yet this we do know – though the disciples were so slow to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them, Jesus didn’t give up on them. He never sent them away saying “I’m done with you. You’re not getting it. I’m looking for some new disciples.” No, instead Jesus bore with His disciples, even in their struggles to understand. And thanks be to God, that Jesus is the same today. For us today, Jesus walks patiently with us, and doesn’t abandon us when we struggle to comprehend His teaching. Does this mean that we shouldn’t make an effort to understand? Certainly not! As 2 Peter 3:18 says, we are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. And as Hebrew 5 says, we should seek to move on from elementary teachings about Christ to greater, more discerning, and more mature knowledge, from “milk to solid food.” We are called to grow in our faith. We are called to learn and understand scripture, and how we are meant to live it out. But even when that is a struggle, we know that Jesus will not abandon us, but will walk with us. As always, there is a lot packed into these passages from Mark, and it leaves us with many questions. Will we proclaim God as the one who is the provider of all things – not just to fellow Christians, but to those “Gentiles” in our lives as well? Will we look beyond our temporal circumstances and trust God to provide for us? Will we submit to Jesus, rather than demanding that Jesus submit to us and our expectations? Will we seek to avoid both errors of legalism and lawlessness? And will we seek to understand what Jesus is trying to teach us? May the answer to all these things be yes, as we seek to follow Jesus. Let us pray. Lord Jesus, while we like to think otherwise, we confess that we often struggle – like the disciples – to truly understand what you are trying to teach us. We often miss what is right in front of us. We often look at things from our perspective rather than trying to see Your perspective. We often do what is right in our own eyes rather than seeking to understand what is right in Your eyes. But Lord, we give thanks that You are gracious to us, even when we struggle to understand and follow you. Please help us to understand You, we pray, so that we may follow You day by day. Guide us by Your Word, and let Your Holy Spirit descend upon us and give us illumination and sanctification, we pray. In Your name, Lord Jesus, amen. Download the sermon here!

“The Great Cloud of Witnesses” – Hebrews 12 Lord God, as we are gratefully gathered here today (and also gathered through the technology you have given us), we pray that your Holy Spirit would have full reign in all of us, guiding both my words and our hearts. May we not leave today the same as when we came, but more closely aligned to You and Your Will. In Christ’s name by the power of the Spirit we pray, amen. What is All Saints Sunday? Why is it that every Sunday after Halloween, we take time to sing about Saints, light candles, share and remember names? What is this all about and why does it matter? All-Saints Day is an old Christian holiday in which we specifically remember those who have gone before us. We remember those who have died in the Lord, who have completed the race, and have been made perfect by the sanctifying grace of Christ. It can be a bittersweet Sunday for many. While we celebrate that those who have died in the Lord are now with Him forever in heaven… we also miss them. We celebrate their victory, but we also grieve that they are no longer with us. And we are right to do this. We are right to grieve and mourn when death separates us from those whom we love in the Lord. However, All- Saints Day is an opportunity for us to remember the blessed truth that we still share in fellowship with the saints, even in spite of our separation from them, and that we have the blessed hope that we will be reunited with them one day when Christ returns. Now, while the second point might make sense, we may wonder – how do we share in fellowship with the saints now? How can we be in fellowship with them when they are no longer present with us? Well, there are several reasons why we still have fellowship with the saints, even though they have passed away. Firstly, every saint – every true believer who has died in the Lord – leaves some kind of legacy behind. No saint is perfect, at least not in their life here on earth. But all saints leave some kind of influence on the people that come after them. They may have influenced many, like the apostles, the church fathers and mothers, and the reformers. Or they may have influenced some, like a pastor or an evangelist. Or maybe they influenced only a handful of lives, the closest circle of friends and family around them. But regardless of the number, every saint leaves an influence, and it is that influence which is passed on to the living which creates that blessed communion, or fellowship with the saints. For the faith that the Saints lived out is passed down to us and lived out in us. Their legacies literally live on in us. The faith of the Old Testament believers lives on in us, as they witnessed to God’s mighty actions and his promised coming in Christ. The faith of the apostles still lives on in us, because their witness to the risen Christ is the reason we come together to worship today. The faith of the church fathers and mothers still lives on in us, because through them we follow many of the same teachings and doctrines that the early church held to. The faith of the reformers lives on in us, as the biblical teaching that was refined and corrected through the reformation is central to who we are as a church today. In addition to this, the faith of those Christians we have known in our own lives, lives on through their influence on us. In short, we share in fellowship with all of these people – Jews, apostles, church fathers, and reformers, and others, through the legacy that they have passed down to us through their expressions of faith. Moreover, the Hebrews and the original apostles called upon the same God that we do. The early church worshipped the same Christ we do. The church fathers and mothers taught the same teachings that we hold to. The reformers boldly proclaimed the same scripture that we do. Men such as the Wesleys were led by the same Holy Spirit that lives in us. All these people faced trials and temptations, just as we do. They worshipped the same God. They read the same scriptures. They prayed, just as we do. They walked in faith, just as we do. And in the end, they gained the victory through the same Christ who leads us to victory. Because we live the same faith that they did, we are united with them. We share in fellowship with all the saints. Throughout his writings, Paul asserts that the Body of Christ is a metaphor for the church of Christ. Christ’s body is made up of the church – it is made up of all God’s people who love and serve Him and seek to extend His ministry. But the Body of Christ is not just here on earth. It is also composed of the saints in heaven above, who have been made perfect through Christ. And so, this means that as we are all made one through Christ in the Lord’s Supper, we share in fellowship not merely with each other, but with all believers – on earth AND in heaven. How incredible is that! How that changes Communion! And so, we see that because of the legacy passed down and the one faith in Christ that is shared by all… we are mystically yet truly united in fellowship with the saints above. The saints above may no longer be with us physically, but we share in the same Holy Spirit that they shared in. Through that bond of the Holy Spirit, we do have fellowship with the saints, and we are indeed surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. What does all this mean for us? Well, Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us our answer. It says: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” How were the saints able to live out their faith? By fixing their eyes on Jesus. The only reason that the saints could run their race and leave the legacy they did was because they sought to imitate Christ and follow his example. They sought to imitate the one who was the pioneer and perfecter of their faith. And this is what we should seek to do as well. And what was Christ’s example that he left? We find it here in verse 2, where it says “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The saints too looked to the ultimate example of Jesus’ victory. They looked to the joy of salvation that was set before them through Christ. They followed Jesus and scorned the shame of the crosses of their own lives, disregarding the shame from their trials and temptations. And eventually, as they passed into death, they gained victory. They were made perfect in their death, and came into the presence of God through the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, lest we fall into error, Hebrews 12:3 gives us a cautionary note. It reminds us that we should look first and foremost to Christ for encouragement. For Hebrews 12:3 says “Consider him (Jesus) who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus is the one we should ultimately follow. We should be careful not to make the saints into idols. While it is true that they have been made perfect in heaven, no saint is perfect on earth. They struggled with sin, just as we do. We don’t worship them, or their example. We worship Christ, and we follow His example. Nevertheless, we can and should be encouraged by the saints who have gone before us. Because ultimately, the saints and their examples should point us toward the ultimate example of Christ. The example and legacy of the saints should encourage us as we seek to fix our eyes on Christ. The courage of the martyrs, even in the face of death, should encourage us to bold and fearless in our proclamation of the gospel. The wisdom of the church fathers and mothers should lead us as we seek to answer the difficult challenges of life. The saints’ self-sacrifice, putting sin to death, hoping in the midst of difficulty, their devotion to scripture, prayer, and servanthood… all of these things the saints did should encourage us as we seek to follow Christ more closely in our own lives. But even more than this, the example of Christ and the saints should also encourage us and cause us to be ever more diligent in letting our faith shine before others. I’m sure that all of us can think of at least one person who has passed away who had an influence on our faith. Well, here’s the thing: whether we realize it or not, all of us here today are influencing someone else’s faith as well. We remember what we said earlier – that all saints leave a legacy behind – an example of faith that should ultimately point others around them to Jesus. Given that we who trust in Christ will all be saints one day, shouldn’t that make us strive to leave good examples for those around us? Shouldn’t that cause us to strive to imitate Christ in our lives? Because people are watching us, whether we realize it or not. Someday, someone will be remembering you and your example of faith. The question is, what would you want people to say about you as a Christian after you die? This might make us pause. It might be a difficult challenge for us, but I believe that it’s one we need to hear. It is important for us to remember that we are being watched. As Christians, we are literally bearing witness to Christ in our walks of faith. What will our witness be? However, while All Saints Day might be a day for us to be challenged, it is also a day when we may rightly seek comfort as well. As we remember from earlier, today can be a difficult day for many people. I know it’s a difficult day for me. As we said before, it’s natural and even right to miss those who have passed on. But we do have this hope – while we still share in fellowship with them now, even in death, a day is certainly coming when we will be reunited with all the saints in heaven. We look forward to a day when we will see again our loved ones in the Lord – and not just them, but all of the great company if believers: past, present, and future. There will be a day when we who trust in Christ will join the vast multitude described in Revelation chapter 7: a multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, that is beyond count. There will be a day when we join in fellowship with them in the heavenly kingdom, wearing our white robes, having been made perfect in death through Christ. We sing God’s praises forever, serve Him in love, and never again will we struggle with sin or evil. We will be with the Lord forever, and we will never again be separated from those whom we love. What a glorious reality that is that we have to look forward to! Can you even begin to imagine what it will be like? Standing with all of the saints, from the very beginning of creation, to the very end of the age. Seeing our loved ones again who died in the Lord, never struggling with sin or sorrow anymore. Thanks to Christ, this is the blessed reality that we have to look forward to. In this, we can have hope on those darkest days. And in this, we find the strength to carry out our witness, to imitate Christ, and to leave that legacy of faith for all to see. So church, let us go out confessing the name of Jesus, following Christ our captain, looking to Him and the saints who have gone before, being encouraged and uplifted by them. And let us look forward to that great and glorious day when “From earth’s wide bound, and from ocean’s farthest coast, through gates of pearl” will stream in the countless host, “singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Hallelujah. Hallelujah” Would you pray with me? Almighty God, we do give thanks for all these blessed truths which we remember on all Saints Day. Help us to remember them. Comfort us in our loss, but help us to take up the examples of the Saints, and most of all the example of Christ. Help us to so live like Christ, that our lives are an example to others. And when life is hard and painful, remind us of the blessed future that is to come – that we may be faithful and rejoice. All these things we pray in the name of Christ – our Lord and Savior, our example, and the pioneer and perfector of our faith. Amen. Download the sermon here!

Pastor Daniel Havrilla delivers a sermon on “Living Out the Story” Matthew 4, Romans 12 “Living Out the Story” – Matthew 4, Romans 12 Lord God, as we are gratefully gathered here today (and also gathered through the technology you have given us), we pray that your Holy Spirit would have full reign in all of us, guiding my words and our hearts. May we not leave today the same as when we came, but closer to You and Your will. In Christ’s name, by the power of the Holy Spirit we pray, amen. There’s a saying out there – “Live as if what you believe is true.” (Repeat). It’s probably a statement that most of us would agree with. But it can be a hard one to live out. Psychologists have long noted the discrepancy that can exist between our conscious and unconscious beliefs, between what we believe in our minds and what our actions demonstrate. And so, it should come as no surprise that living as if what we believe is true can be a difficult endeavor – and especially when it comes to the Christian Faith. Last week we talked about the importance of remembering the story – specifically, the story of scripture and what God has done for us. We talked about the importance of remembering how, just as God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and set them on the way to the promised land, God has also led us out slavery – the slavery of sin and death. And He has set us on the way to the Promised Land as well – the promised land of the Kingdom of Heaven. We talked a little bit last week about how this is meant to completely change how we live. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” If we have learned of what God has done for us in Christ, and have placed our faith in Christ for salvation, the truth and reality is that we cannot simply go on living the same way we always have. If we are in Christ, we are meant to be a new creation. And yet, church, we often struggle with that. I know that I do. I’ll be the first to admit that I often struggle to live into that new creation in Christ. I often struggle to live as if what I believe is true. And church, I’m guessing I’m not the only one. I’m guessing that, if we’re honest, all of us struggle at least somewhat with living out the story of scripture in our lives. What is the reason for this? Why don’t we live as if what we believe is true? Well, I think there are a couple reasons. As we said last week, one reason is that we forget the story. When we don’t read our Bibles, when we don’t pray to God, when we don’t go to church and surround ourselves with fellow believers who point us to God’s story, we cannot escape the consequences of that. Over time, inevitably, our sinful nature and human weakness causes us to forget the story and start believing the stories of the world around us instead. It’s a sadly common path that many Christians fall into. But once again, as we remember from last week, God has called us to live our lives differently. He has called us to let our lives be shaped, not by the stories of the world around us, but by the story found in scripture of His love and care for us. His grace and mercy to us. His salvation freely offered to us through His Son Jesus Christ and through the life-changing Holy Spirit. He has called us to remember these things, and to live our lives in light of them. So what does it look like to live our lives in this way? What does it look like to live our lives in light of the redemption and salvation that has been given to us by God? What does it look like to live as if what we believe is true? I think the passages we read from earlier help show us. To live our lives in light of what God has done means to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, not conforming to the world, but being transformed and seeking God’s will. It means following Jesus, leaving the world behind, turning away from sin, and believing the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom – and sharing it with others. To live out the story means this – if we know that there is a God who has created all things, who loved us and gave of Himself for us – especially in Christ – then we cannot simply live our lives for ourselves any longer. If we did not create ourselves, and everything else around us has been created by God as well, then we cannot claim that we are our own, or that anything we have is truly our own. We must recognize that apart from God, we would not exist. And apart from God, we would have absolutely nothing. Furthermore, if we recognize that we are all sinners who can do nothing to save ourselves, but are saved freely by His grace, then we cannot simply go on as if nothing has changed. If God created us, loved us, and gave Himself for us, then there is only one logical response – worship. To acknowledge and praise God for who He is and what He has done for us and for all people, and to seek do His will rather than our own. To live out the story of scripture is to live our lives as a living sacrifice – freely giving our entire lives back to the God has freely given everything, even Himself, to us. However, this cannot be done without repentance and transformation. To give our lives to God necessarily means becoming different from the world around us, and different from our “old selves.” It means turning from the ways of the world to live for God instead. For the world around us does not live for God. The world does not acknowledge God as the Creator and provider of all things, and the source of salvation in Christ. The world lives as if God either does not exist, or does not deserve our full adoration and devotion. As such, Christians and the world will necessarily, out of logical necessity, be at odds with the world. This is exactly why scripture has a constant theme of being separate from the world around us in both the Old and New Testaments. It’s the message of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, as he quotes Isaiah 52 and Ezekiel 20 and says “do not be yoked with unbelievers.” It’s the message of Jesus in His first proclamation of the Gospel in Matthew, as he says “Repent.” Turn away from sin” Now, there is a danger in this, church. We are certainly called to repent and be separate from the world. However, the constant danger in this emphasis on being transformed, repenting, and being different from the world around us is that it can stifle our call to mission if we are not careful. How many times throughout history have we seen the church forsake its call to mission because of this. We’ve seen the church completely withdraw and isolate itself from the world (we might think of the mystics and monasteries as an extreme example). And we’ve also seen the church sit in harsh judgment on the world (we might think of the crusades as an extreme example). Yet, against these things, we remember the example of Jesus – who called people to repentance and transformation, but was still faithful to engage those around Him and proclaim God and His Kingdom. He proclaimed a Kingdom that was not of this world, as He says in John 18:36, but also a Kingdom of God that is drawing near, has come upon you, is in your midst, and is breaking into this world, even now. It’s a kingdom where the last are first, and the first are last. Where the blessed ones are the poor, the mourning, the meek, the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and peacemakers, and the persecuted. It’s a kingdom that the world cannot understand, that one cannot enter into unless they are born again and receive it like a little child. It’s a kingdom that calls for repentance, but is full of mercy and open to all. It’s a kingdom that is radically different from anything the world has to offer, but is a blessed kingdom. It ’s a kingdom that is breaking into the world now, but will be fully realized at the end of time and will last forever and ever. And most of all, Jesus desires that new people – other sheep who are not of this sheep pen – should be drawn into this Kingdom as well. And He calls upon every day people, people like you and me, to make that happen. He started that practice at the very beginning of His ministry, when he called Simon Peter and Andrew to drop their nets and follow Him so that they could stop fishing merely for fish, and instead start fishing for people. There was nothing special about these men, except for the fact that Jesus called them, authorized them, taught them, and then empowered them by filling them with His Spirit. These men, and others also, went on to continue Jesus’ ministry, as we remember from Pentecost and the book of Acts. Like Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord was upon these disciples and apostles to preach good news, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom, comfort those who mourn, to bestow beauty instead of ashes. Most of all, the Spirit equipped these early Christ-followers to announce the arrival and advancing of this Kingdom of God – a Kingdom which was different from the world, but by no means separate from it. On the contrary, this was and is a kingdom advancing IN the world. It is, as the church father Augustine put it, the city of God dwelling within the city of man. It is not a physical kingdom, but a kingdom that has physical consequences. It is a kingdom not established by power, but in the heart. It is a Kingdom established by Christ, and governed lovingly by Him through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of His faithful people. And once again, church, Jesus has called us to be a part of that story. He has called us to follow in the long line of those who have come before us, proclaiming Christ and His loving rule to all. He calls us to evangelize and share the Good News with all. And what is the Good news? That Christ came to save us from our sin, both its penalty and its power. He died on the cross so that those who trust in Him would have their sins forgiven, and so that they could rise with Him to new life. But this new life need not wait until the day of resurrection. No, through the Holy Spirit, those who trust in Christ can receive new life now, being set free from the power of sin to live new, holy lives now. Lives that live into the goodness of the Kingdom of God. We often reduce evangelism to merely proclamation of what Jesus has done, OR social action that shares His love with others. But, as many evangelists have noted, this is false dichotomy. This is a needless division. Living transformed lives and following in the footsteps Christ encompasses BOTH of these dimensions. We can think of evangelism as BOTH proclaiming Christ as Lord and Savior AND living our lives in light of His love – loving others as He has loved us. Church, all of this is the story that we are part of. All of this is the story that God has graciously invited us into. It’s a story of compassion, mercy, and grace. It’s a story of transformation and repentance. It’s a story of loving God and others in response to the great love God has shown to us. It’s a story that calls for – nay demands – a response from us. It’s a story that is too wonderful not to be shared with others. It’s a story too wonderful not to be lived out in the way we live our lives. Will we be part of that story church? Will we proclaim God and His love to others? Will we live out that love in our lives? Will we proclaim Christ as Lord, announcing and living out His Kingdom? Will we live our lives in light of what God has done for us? My prayer for us church, is that today and every day, the answer would be YES. By God’s grace, may we leave the fading stories of the world behind, and instead announce and live out the story of our loving God as revealed in scripture. May we praise Him. May we proclaim Him. May we make Him our King. And may we live every day of our entire lives for Him. Let us pray. Almighty God, we thank You for this wonderful story of love and grace that You have made us a part of. We pray that You would continue to open our eyes to the beauty of Your love and grace to us. We pray that You would keep us from conforming to the conflicting and fading stories of the world around us. Help us to be separate and different from the world. Let us be transformed so that we may be holy, as You are holy. But may that holiness never keep us from being in mission to the world. Help us to be like Christ, proclaiming the Good News of Your salvation, and advancing Your Kingdom of love and compassion and holiness in the world. We give thanks that You do not expect us to do this all on our own, but You guide us through Your Word, and empower us and anoint us through Your Holy Spirit. We pray that You would remind us of that, and pour out Your power on us afresh even today. In all things, Lord, help us to live out this wonderful story of love and grace. Help us to live our lives as living sacrifice to You. For You are worthy of it, Lord. We pray all these things in Christ’s name, by the power of the Holy Spirit, amen. Download the sermon here!