To the End of the Earth [2023.08.20 Morning Sermon in Acts 28:11–31]

Jesus is applying His redemption to all for whom He accomplished it.

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The Power of the Word in the Beginning and Strengthening of the Ephesian Church [2023.03.05 Morning Sermon in Acts 19:8–10]

It is by means of His Word preached and taught that God has appointed to do powerful spiritual work!

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Loving with the Lord's Love and Strengthening with the Lord's Strength [Family Worship lesson in Acts 18:11–23]

What is the apostle Paul doing when he’s not church planting? Acts 18:18–23 looks forward to the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the apostle Paul set an example of edifying and encouraging all of the known churches at the time, that all might be unified in Christ. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Three Common Marks of Spirit-Planted Churches [2022.12.18 Morning Sermon in Acts 16:35–17:15]

The Spirit bunches together three accounts of churches that He produced to highlight to us their common marks of the preaching of Christ from the Word, the persuasive work of the Holy Spirit, and the persecuting response of the world.

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Three Things That Genuinely Spirit-Planted Churches Have in Common [Family Worship lesson in Acts 16:35–17:15]

What can we note about the spread of the gospel through Macedonia? Acts 16:35–17:15 looks forward to the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty-one verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the spread of the gospel through Macedonia was characterized by several common features. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Ideal Church-Plant Conditions (Family Worship lesson in 1Thessalonians 1:1–7)

Why is the apostle so thankful and encouraged as he prays for the Thessalonians and writes to them? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. 1Thessalonians 1:1–7 prepares us for the second serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us that when the marks of Spirit-given faith, hope, and love appear in our lives or others’ lives, we may take encouragement from a work of the Spirit that was purposed from eternity and will be fulfilled in glory!(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How Treasuring Christ Increases Thankfulness for and to One Another (2021.08.15 Evening Sermon in Philippians 4:14–17)

The fact that the apostle would have been content without the Philppians’ gift didn’t make him less thankful for the gift or for them, but on the contrary much more thankful! This is because his contentment comes from treasuring Christ above all, and the gift was evidence of the work of Christ in them, a reminder of the fellowship in Christ that they shared, and a means by which the gospel of Christ would advance and the glory of Christ in them would be displayed.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How to Multiply Your Thankfulness by Infinity (Family Worship lesson in Philippians 4:14–17)

Is a thank-you still a thank-you if you were content without the gift? Pastor leads his family in today's "Hopewell @Home" passage. Philippians 4:14–17 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord's Day. In these four verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us how the contentment that comes from treasuring Christ above all makes our thankfulness for Christians' generosity not less but infinitely greater.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Being Fruitful and Multiplying (2020.10.31 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald)

Hopewell Herald – October 31, 2020

Dear Congregation,

In this past week’s sermon passage, we got the answer to the question: after struggling and stumbling so much with remaining sin, could Jacob still enjoy blessing? Could Jacob still be useful?

The text reoriented us by changing the subject of the sentence. God still can and still will bless Jacob. God still can and still will use Jacob. He is God Almighty.

The persistence of God’s blessing and purpose is not just a guarantee but a calling. In this case, “Be fruitful and multiply.” We noted that this was the original command to Adam (and all humanity), and has now been repeated to Noah, Abraham, and Jacob.

And it still stands as our chief command. Our chief calling.

But what if you are past child-bearing age? Or if it is not in God’s ordaining for your life that you be married or have children?

Yes, dear Christian, it is still your chief calling. And perhaps you would recognize this more easily if we modify slightly our vocabulary: it is your chief commission.

We hear the echo of “I am God Almighty” in our Redeemer’s “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me.”

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” with [renewed] image-bearers is the same as to say, “Going into all the earth, make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and by teaching them to keep all that I have commanded you.”

Every Christian has a serving, encouraging, edifying duty to the rest of his or her congregation. As we learn in this week’s Ephesians text, public worship is central to this duty. When we prepare for it, and whatever else we can do to help others be ready for it, is part of the fulfillment of “be fruitful and multiply” and “make disciples.”

And, as you encourage and accommodate the covenant children of the congregation, you participate in the growth of the church. To this, we must add always praying for our unbelieving neighbor, always being ready to give an answer for our hope, always living as unashamed light and hoping that those who are darkness will not only be exposed but transformed into light themselves by the life of Christ.

Further, Hopewell is not called merely to church growth but church multiplication. It is a blessing to have a worship room that maxes out around 150 worshipers. As the Lord blesses His means not only to our spiritual growth but unto the converting and bringing in of those whom He is saving, we should be identifying where those whom He is bringing in live, so that we can be planning where to plant our daughter church. After 200 years of God’s faithfulness, let us be responding to how the Lord presented Himself in the passage last Lord’s Day. He is God almighty. He is carrying out His plan of redemption by that almighty power. And He commands that we, in dependence upon Him, would be fruitful and multiply.

Looking forward to worshiping Him with you in those means which He promises to bless unto that end,

Pastor