2025.02.21 Hopewell @Home ▫ Deuteronomy 1:6–18

Read Deuteronomy 1:6–18

Questions from the Scripture text: Who had spoken to Israel (Deuteronomy 1:6)? Whose God is He? Where did He speak? How had He assessed their situation? What did He tell them to do (Deuteronomy 1:7)? Where did He tell them to go? What features does He describe? What had He done with the land (Deuteronomy 1:8)? What does He tell them to do with it? How does verse 8b describe/define the land? Who else spoke to Israel (Deuteronomy 1:9)? What was he unable to do? Who had done what (Deuteronomy 1:10)? To what extent (cf. Genesis 15:5)? What does Moses wish/pray upon them (Deuteronomy 1:11)? According to what? What couldn’t he do alone (Deuteronomy 1:12)? Whom were they to choose, for what purpose (Deuteronomy 1:13)? How had the people responded (Deuteronomy 1:14)? What sorts of men did they choose (Deuteronomy 1:15)? What did Moses do with them? In what groupings? Whom did Moses tell them to judge (Deuteronomy 1:16)? In what manner did Moses tell them to judge? What were they not to show (Deuteronomy 1:17)? Whom were they to hear? Whom were they not to fear? What were they to do with the cases that were too hard? What had Moses done at that time (Deuteronomy 1:18)?

How is God’s covenant administered among His people? Deuteronomy 1:6–18 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s covenant is administered, among His people, through the service of God-given leaders.

As Moses is about to give the terms for Israel’s dwelling with God in the land, he reminds them of the authority structure that had been established (cf. Exodus 18, Numbers 11). Just as it was the Lord Who had multiplied them, so they were to pick men who had been blessed by the Lord with wisdom and understanding. Moses is about to die, but this structure is to continue, for it is from God and for God. These magistrates of the people were not to fear any man, but only the Lord. God administered His justice among the people through particular servants. Though the generation had changed, this God-given authority structure was to remain the same. 

What authority structure has the Lord given your home? Your church? Whom, most of all, do these authorities serve? According to what standard? Whom do they serve, under Him?

Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving us Your own design for the operations of the church. Grant that, trusting You, we would follow Your design. and, grant that Your servants among us would govern wisely, in accordance with Your Word, and not showing any partiality or fear of man, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP98 “O Sing a New Song to the Lord” or TPH280 “Wondrous King All Glorious”

 

2024.04.29 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 14:1–9

Read Romans 14:1–9

Questions from the Scripture text: What is the command in Romans 14:1? What does the apostle call the one who is still scrupulous about the ceremonial law? But over which things does he caution against disputing? What does the strong believer eat (Romans 14:2)? What does the weak one eat? What must the strong one watch against doing (Romans 14:3)? What must the weak one watch against doing? Why? What question does Romans 14:4 ask the weak believer? What must he remember that God will do for the strong believer? What other ceremonial observance does the weak believer keep (Romans 14:5)? How do the strong see days? What is important for each? How must the one observing the ceremonial law at the time observe the day (Romans 14:6)? What must be the intention of the one who is not observing it? How does this apply to the eating and not eating? What must both the eating and not-eating one do? What two things do no Christians do (Romans 14:7)? For what (Whom!) do they live (Romans 14:8)? For what (Whom!) do they die? What should always be true about a Christian? What has Christ done to secure this (Romans 14:9)? 

What is the church to do with individual believers with dubious applications of Scripture? Romans 14:1–9 prepares us for the sermon in the midweek prayer meeting. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the church should welcome weak believers, exercising patience with them and treating them with honor. 

The church must welcome a weak believer. The command to welcome (Romans 14:1, “receive” in NKJ) is in the plural. But the one to welcome is in the single. To apply this passage well, it is important to note that the under-informed conscience of the weak believer must not be permitted to lord over the church. There is genuine weakness in the one who was still observing the Old Testament ceremonial law, and genuine strength in the one who keeps the Christian faith in spiritual simplicity. And if the church were to observe anything that Christ hadn’t commanded, it would put itself in the place of Christ, making the church lord of the conscience instead of the Lord Himself.

And, of course, the church is led and taught by strong believers. The weak believer is received, but what he doubts is not permitted to change the operation of the church. There is to be no disputing over those things, although obviously the whole of the New Testament instructs that the strong are to lead the church and to instruct the weak. Still, it is clear that while the church receives the weak and does not change corporate religion for their sake, yet it must welcome and love them, even before the instruction has taken hold.

All believers are in danger of remaining sin. The stronger believers are the first to be warned in Romans 14:3. Their welcome from Romans 14:1 is to be genuine. They must watch their hearts against despising the weaker brother. And the weaker brother doesn’t even know that he is weaker; he thinks he is correct and must watch against the temptation to pronounce judgment upon the stronger brother! 

There are dangers here for all. Differences are opportunity either for the flesh (despising by the stronger brother, or judging by the weaker brother) or the Spirit (teaching/helping with patience by the stronger brother, cf. 2 Timothy 4:2; or esteeming by the weaker brother). Even the stronger brother is only upheld by God’s grace (end of Romans 14:4). 

The key is to live conscientiously, unto the Lord. Again, Romans 14:5 refers to the weak brother and the strong brother. Here, the part of the ceremonial law at question are the consecrated days of the Mosaic covenant that have now been set aside. The only remaining day is the weekly day from creation, now known as the Lord’s Day. But understanding the calendar correctly isn’t as important as being convinced in the conscience so that what you do is done unto the Lord from His Word (end of Romans 14:5). 

This didn’t make room at all for manmade religion/days, and would have been much less plausible after the Lord destroyed the temple. But, within the context of the time, these issues were useful to establish the principle: what is done must be done for the Lord. Observing the Levitical day (or keeping the Levitical code) must not be done out of a desire to establish oneself by being Levitically observant, but as a thankful response to the Lord. And not observing the day (or eating freely) must not be done out of a desire to indulge one’s freedom from ceremony but as a thankful response to the Lord, Who has welcomed us in Christ now, eliminating those shadows (Romans 14:6). All must be done unto the Lord, not for proving of self, and not for indulging of self.

As those who are sure to die, we ought to live in the same manner as we hope to die: unto the Lord (Romans 14:7-8)! Christ died and lived for us, so that we might live and die as His. Since we are going to be His even in death, we ought to be His also now. We do not do things for ourselves but as living sacrifices unto Him (cf. Romans 12:1). And as living sacrifices to Him, the strong must welcome those whom He has joined to Himself without despising them, while the weak are willing to join and submit to the strong without judging them.

What do some believers observe that you don’t? How do you guard against despising them? What do other believers not observe that you do? How do you guard against judging them? How are you instructing your conscience from Scripture, so that you would be strong in faith, rather than weak? Who is Lord of your conscience? What has He done for you? What must you do for Him? What are you in danger of doing as a proving of yourself? What are you in danger of doing as an indulging of yourself?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for dying and rising again for us. Grant that we would live for You and die for You. Help us to be strong in faith, as those whose consciences are instructed by Scripture. And do not let us despise or judge our brother, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP197  “Christian Unity” or TPH409 “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”

The Divine, Personal Foundation of Reformational Pastoral Ministry [Family Worship lesson in 1Timothy 1:1–2]

Who were Paul and Timothy to one another, and how does that factor into the reformational work needed at Ephesus? 1Timothy 1:1–2 looks forward to the second serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the apostolic foundation of reformational ministry takes us back to God Himself in Christ, because He is our God, He is our hope, He is our holiness, He is our help, and He is our happiness.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

It's Jesus's Church: Presbyterian, ARP, and Hopewell History (200th Anniversary Conference, Session 1)

Dr. C. N. Willborn takes us on a brisk survey of how Christ, the one Lord of the Church, and the Head and Savior of the Body, has graciously prospered and preserved the Hopewell ARP Church as part of His bride.

Saved by Almighty Christ from Our Greatest Danger (2020.09.13 Morning Sermon in Genesis 32:13–32)

Until we have struggled with God as our greatest threat, and come out of it blessed through Christ, we have not yet begun to realize just how much danger we are actually in. Once we are safe in Christ, we have just begun to realize how there are no dangers that can ultimately harm us.

2019.06.11 Hopewell @Home ▫ 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Questions for Littles: What have Paul and his companions received for their ministry (2 Corinthians 4:1)? What do they not lose? What does he call the things that they have renounced in 2 Corinthians 4:2? In what do they refuse to walk? How do they refuse to handle the word of God? Instead, what do they do with the truth? To what aspect, then, of every man, do they commend themselves? In whose sight? What may happen to their gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3a)? But to whom would it be veiled (verse 3b)? What does 2 Corinthians 4:4 call the devil? What has he done to those who are perishing? What do they not do? What does this veil keep them from seeing? Who is Christ, according to verse 4? What, then, do Paul and his companions not preach (2 Corinthians 4:5)? What do they preach? How do they consider themselves? Who does the work (2 Corinthians 4:6)? What else has He done about 4000 years prior? In whom else has He already done this spiritual counterpart to that work? Where does He shine? What light does He give? In whose face is the knowledge of this glory received?  

This week’s Call to Worship, Prayer for Help, and Confession of Sin came from 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. In this passage, the apostle explains why his ministry is not generally impressive to all. One might have (wrongly) expected that the ministry of an apostle would be impressive to anyone.

Paul’s ultimate response is that God alone is the impressiveness of the work, and those who are not impressed with Him are not going to find anything else to be impressed with in his ministry (2 Corinthians 4:7). This doesn’t bother him, because his ministry is not his idea or his pride. It as an assignment of God by the mercy of God. It may seem to be going poorly, but if it is of God, then there is no reason to lose heart!

Ironically, the apostle refers to superficially impressive ministry as “the hidden things of shame.” There is a way of handling the Word of God that looks impressive on the outside, but what you cannot see is that it is man-derived and man-dependent. But the apostles are not concerned with commending themselves to men’s admiration. They are concerned with commending themselves to men’s consciences. O that we would learn to see our life as an assignment from God and deal earnestly with others as those who will have to stand before Him!! How this might help us to stop living for their applause!

Will such a ministry have a hundred percent conversion rate? No and yes. In one sense, no. There are those who are perishing. And if the Lord has not atoned for them, and is not going to regenerate them, then what exactly are we supposed to be able to do about that? It is not just that they are unable to see God’s glory. It is also that they are not permitted. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that God has set things up this way because He refuses to shine the light of the gospel upon them.

But in another sense, yes. Such a ministry will have a hundred percent conversion rate. For, the Lord is all powerful. He spoke light itself into existence. And He can speak spiritual light into existence in the hearts. And He does, because in the case of His elect, He is determined to give them the light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ!

What kind of ministry should we look for in the church? Whom should we be looking to make it effective? With whom should we aim at being impressed? What aims and approaches are incompatible with this? 

Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH209 “O Splendor of God’s Glory Bright”

190110FW 1Cor 16:13-24 - Battling That Loves and Loving That Battles

An imperfect, but hopefully helpful, sample of a family worship lesson in 1Corinthians 16:13-24