2020.05.07 Hopewell @Home ▫ Ephesians 2:1–7

Read Ephesians 2:1–7

Questions from the Scripture text: What was the original condition of the Ephesian Christians (Ephesians 2:1)? According to what two entities did they walk (Ephesians 2:2)? In whom does the prince of the power of the air continue to work? Who else once conducted themselves among them (Ephesians 2:3)? In what did they conduct themselves? What did they fulfill? What were they by nature? Like whom? In what is God rich (Ephesians 2:4)? What caused Him to act? Whom does Paul include among the dead in Ephesians 2:5? What did God do to them? In Whom? By what were they saved? What two things did they do with them in Ephesians 2:6? Together with Whom? What did God want to show (Ephesians 2:7)? In what? In Whom?

There is a resurrection that must come before faith.

It is to the Ephesian saints that the apostle writes, “you were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and then he begins including himself in this death in Ephesians 2:3, “among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” But this was not just a behavioral pattern; the apostle says that it had been his and their nature, “and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

What had to happen to undo this? Spiritual resurrection! God “made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” We sometimes read of people saying that what is “not of ourselves” in Ephesians 2:8 is the grace and salvation, but that somehow the faith does come from ourselves. This kind of thinking completely misses the first “by grace” in Ephesians 2:5. Those who are dead and need resurrecting cannot believe. They must be “made alive” first.

And praise God that He gives this faith according to His rich mercy and great love (Ephesians 2:4)!
And this passage teaches not only the resurrection of the believer in Christ before faith, but the ascension and session of the believer in Christ by that faith. And He “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

This is how faith works unto justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. It doesn’t just give us credit for merit that belongs to Christ or access to power that belongs to Christ; it is the means by which we are joined to Christ Himself. We are crucified in union with Him. We are resurrected in union with Him. We ascend in union with Him. We sit in union with Him.

Again (cf. Ephesians 1:23), the Holy Spirit says something here that would be a terrible blasphemy if we had come up with the idea. But this is the richness of God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and the greatness of His love (verse 4)—to give us such honors and privileges by means of our union with Christ!

And ultimately, that is the purpose of seating us with Him, and in Him, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” The purpose is, “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

The church is like a trophy unto the exceeding riches of God’s grace in His kindness toward us. And Christ Himself, as we have been united to Him, is the great display of that grace. And God has taken His trophy and set it upon the highest pedestal of the highest heaven. Praise be to His grace!

What happened to you, in Jesus? Where “are” you, in Jesus? What difference does it make?

Suggested songs: ARP110B “The Lord Has Spoken to My Lord” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace!”

2020.05.06 Hopewell @Home ▫ 1 Samuel 6:13–7:1

Read 1 Samuel 6:13–7:1

Questions from the Scripture text: What were the people of Beth Shemesh doing in 1 Samuel 6:13? What did they see? How did they feel about that? To where did the cart come (1 Samuel 6:14)? What was there? What did they do with the cart, the cows, and the stone? What do the Levites then do (1 Samuel 6:15)? What do the men of Beth Shemesh do? Who were watching all of this (1 Samuel 6:16)? What objects remained where even to the day that 1 Samuel was written (1 Samuel 6:17-18; ignore the supplied/italicized words in the translation)? What had the men of Beth Shemesh done (1 Samuel 6:19)? And what did Yahweh do to them? How many died of this? How did the people respond in verse 19? What did they ask in 1 Samuel 6:20, and what did they want to do with the ark? To whom do they send messengers (1 Samuel 6:21)? What do they say has happened? What do they ask them to do? Where do the men of Kirjath Jearim bring the ark (1 Samuel 7:1)? What do they do to Eleazar and why?

It seems that the people of Beth Shemesh do much better than the Philistines. They offer a sacrifice on an uncut stone. They employ Levites to handle the ark of Yahweh. The actions in 1 Samuel 6:14-15 stand very well by contrast to the idolatry in 1 Samuel 6:17-18.

Why, then, is the slaughter of Israelites in 1 Samuel 6:19 greater than the slaughter of both battles with the Philistines in chapter 4? Because they mix their superstitious curiosity with the commandments of the Lord. Perhaps they wanted to see Yahweh Himself, whom they now presumed to be actually contained in the ark, after what it had done to the Philistines. Perhaps they did not think it was Yahweh Himself but earthly articles of great spiritual power. Perhaps they were just taking advantage of the fact that the Ark was not hidden in the tabernacle, and this was their chance to see inside.

Whatever the particular reason, the primary reason for the slaughter is the same: they failed to grapple well with the reality of God’s holiness. They had not learned the lesson of Leviticus 10:3, “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people, I must be glorified.”

I wonder if we have learned that lesson in our daily lives, and especially in our private, family, and corporate worship. How much are we affected by the knowledge that we are always before the face of the Holy, Holy, Holy God? Does the conduct of our mind and heart in private worship reflect a sense of His holiness? Would those who participate in our family worship conclude from our manner that the God Whom we worship is holy—and if our manner does, what does God observe, when He sees in secret?

What does our conduct before and after public worship say about the holiness of Him whom we approach—to say nothing of what we do during worship? It is not so very unusual for children to doodle about something unrelated, or for adults and even church officers to research around on their phones, during the preaching, instead of giving their minds and souls to be examined by Christ in it (cf. Hebrews 4:12–13). And how easily one may slouch unthinkingly through reading written prayers (or not even following extemporaneous prayers), or how easily an entire congregation may address God and one another lightly in familiar songs!

But this is not a lesson we learn easily. Even where it rests “safely” in the house of Abinadab resides one of his sons, Uzzah, who himself will become famous for being struck dead for disregarding God’s holiness in touching the ark with his hand to stabilize it. God help us regard His holiness, not only in our manner, but most of all in only ever coming to Him through the righteousness of Christ!

In what situations are you least mindful of God’s holiness? When do you most need to be?

Suggested Songs: ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH230 “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

2020.05.05 Hopewell Harbinger

Hopewell This Week, May 4–9, 2020

▫Attached is a pdf of Lord’s Day’s Worship Booklet, complete with Hopewell @Home devotionals for this week, in addition to 8.5x11's of the memory verse and catechism questions that can be used as posters to help with memory work.

▫Also attached is the “Session Meeting Digest” from the May stated/monthly meeting.

▫The link is now active for audio and pdf outline of the Lord’s Day morning sermon (Genesis 25:19­–26 God’s Glory is Magnified by Election and Prayer)

▫Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, May 6, at 6:30p.m. The prayer meeting folder is available at http://bit.ly/harpc200506pm

Lord’s Day, May 10:

▫9:50 a.m. Breakfast line. If you are getting breakfast from the line, we’d like to get that going a little earlier. If you’re not yet comfortable with that, you are welcome to bring your own breakfast

▫10 a.m. Study Class. We’ll continue studying Effectual Calling (the immediate source in the application of redemption to believers) and Election (the ultimate source in the application of redemption to believers)

▫11 a.m. Public Worship. The holy assembly on the Lord’s Day.  

Children’s Catechism for May 10
Q28. What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

Shorter Catechism for May 10
Q36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

Songs for May 10 morning service: 

TPH358 “Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem”   

ARP78B “O Come, My People, to My Law” 

TPH73C “In Sweet Communion, Lord, with Thee”

A.M. Sermon Text for May 10: Genesis 25:27–34

▫12:45 p.m. Catechism Class

▫12:45 p.m. Tea/Chocolate/Coffee Fellowship

▫1 p.m. Fellowship Meal. Again, if you are not yet comfortable participating in the line, but wish to continue keeping the Lord’s Day together, please bring separate food for your

▫2:30 p.m. Psalm/hymn Sing. Even if they do not come for lunch, please invite other believers to this time of praise and sung encouragement in the Word of God.

▫3:30 p.m. Church Family Devotional. Ephesians 2:1–7.

▫Memory Verse for May 10
(Genesis 25:34) And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

2020.05.05 Hopewell @Home ▫ Revelation 5

Read Revelation 5

Questions from the Scripture text: What did the One on the throne have in Revelation 5:1? What question does the strong angel ask in Revelation 5:2? What was Revelation 5:3’s answer to the question? How did John respond to this (Revelation 5:4)? Whom did the elder say had prevailed to be able to do it (Revelation 5:5)? When John looks for this Lion in Revelation 5:6, what does he see? What does the Lamb come and take in Revelation 5:7? What had Jesus taken in Revelation 5:8? What do the four living creatures and twenty-four elders do when they see this? What does verse 8 call Jesus? What does a harp represent? What does the verse tell us the bowls of incense represent? What kind of song did they sing in Revelation 5:9? What did they say Jesus was worthy to do? Why do they say that He is worthy? What has Jesus made out of those whom He has redeemed (Revelation 5:10)? What does John see in Revelation 5:11? How many angels were there? What were they saying in Revelation 5:12? With what kind of voice? How many of the creatures in heaven were doing so (Revelation 5:13)? How many of those on the earth? How many of those under the earth? How many of those in the sea? To whom were they shouting this blessing and honor and glory and power? What did the four living creatures say in Revelation 5:14? What did the twenty-four elders do? What does verse 14 call Jesus?

Next week’s Call to Worship, Prayer for Help, and Confession of Sin come from Revelation 5 in order to sing God’s thoughts after Him with Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem.

Every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every knee and every tongue on earth. Every knee and every tongue in heaven.

No one else has the power to control all of history. And our Lord Jesus exercises this power to control in two infinitely important ways. First, He crushes His enemies. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the Root of David. He has prevailed. He has crushed the serpent’s head!

But the truly glorious thing is the way that He did this. As we quoted earlier from Philippians 2, perhaps you remembered how the serpent-crushing comes about: Jesus Christ, for whom equality with God was not something to be grasped, humbled Himself to become a man, and especially to die the death of the cross for our sins.

So, when John looks for this Lion that the elder has told him about in Revelation 5, what does he see? Not a Lion but a Lamb… and not just any Lamb, but a Lamb that appears that it has been slain!

It is this, specifically, Jesus’s saving us by shedding His blood for us, that makes heaven and earth explode with His praises! How have you, personally, responded to Jesus’s blood work?

What about Jesus and what He has done brings out your praise the most?

Suggested songs: ARP22A “My God, My God” or TPH358 “Sing Choirs of New Jerusalem”

2020.05.03 Morning Sermon—Genesis 25:19–26, "God's Glory Is Magnified by Election and Prayer"

God's glory is magnified in election (which is free, according to His mere pleasure and promise; and gracious over-against our sin) and prayer (wherein His knowledge, power, and goodness are worshiped). [mp3] [pdf].

2020.05.04 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 25:19–26

Read Genesis 25:19–26

Questions from the Scripture text: Whose “genealogy” is this (Genesis 25:19)? How old is Isaac in Genesis 25:20? How does verse 20 identify Rebekah? What does Genesis 25:21 tell us that Isaac did for her? Why? How does Yahweh respond? What is happening within Rebekah in Genesis 25:22? How does she feel about this? How does she respond? What does Yahweh say are in her womb (Genesis 25:23)? What does He say will happen to them when they come out? How will they relate? And who will serve who? What days are completed in Genesis 25:24? What were there in her womb? How does the first come out (Genesis 25:25)? What do they call him? What does the brother do when he comes out in Genesis 25:26? What do they call him?  How old is Isaac at this point?

Our Lord reveals much about Himself in this passage.

First, He saves and chooses according to His good pleasure. Salvation is by His promise, not by man’s effort or choice. This is how the Holy Spirit Himself explains Genesis 25:23 in Romans 9:12.

Second, He often chooses that which is lesser and weak in order that all of the glory would be His alone. Jacob’s name, as much as his birth order, highlights God’s grace because it testifies to his sinful character.

Third, although He sovereignly rules and overrules in all things, He has ordained to do so in response to prayer. Isaac prays for his wife for 20 years, and Rebekah cries out in her despair, and the Lord listens to both. God glorifies not only His goodness by listening to the cries of His children but also His knowledge by bringing us to a realization of our need and His power by supplying our need.

Since we have a God who saves entirely because He is good, let us worship Him for salvation. And since we have a God who saves entirely by His grace, let us trust Him only (not trusting at all in our intentions or goodness or strength) and let us trust Him entirely (having an unshakeable confidence in this salvation, precisely because it depends upon Him rather than ourselves). And since we have a God who glorifies Himself and does us good through hearing and answering our prayers, let us be often in prayer to Him, and always with a view toward bringing Him glory.

How is God glorified in saving you? What are you praying for? How does this glorify Him?

Suggested songs: ARP65A “Praise Awaits You, God” or TPH65C “Praise Waits for Thee in Zion”

Christ-Led Worship from Heaven (2020.05.02 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald)

Hopewell Herald – May 2, 2020

Dear Congregation,

This week, I received a request for more explanation about the underlined portion of the following line from my article in the Christian Observer:
“This is the time for entertainment/involvement worship to be replaced by simple, Scripture-commanded, Christ-led worship from heaven that involves the whole of every person in the whole congregation the whole time.”

Though we have been learning about this together from the Scripture for almost three years now, sometimes we are helped by thinking through it again or by hearing it in different words. So, I hope that the following reply will stir up your anticipation for this glorious worship that awaits us tomorrow on the Lord’s Day:

There's a lot to unpack to answer the question, if someone hasn't thought this through or been taught it, but I'll try. I showed all of these things in the Hebrews series and more briefly in the recent worship series.

But the line that he is asking about is basically the teaching of the entire book of Hebrews. 

That there is a Sabbath-keeping (sabbatismos, not katapausis, in Heb 4:9) that remains, on which Christ personally and really addresses us from Heaven in the preaching (as chs. 3–4, 12 all teach, cf. Rom 10 "how will they believe Him whom they have not heard, and how will they hear without a preacher). 

Heb 2:12 also teaches this, while quoting from Psalm 22 to authoritatively interpret it as Christ saying that in the midst of the congregation it is actually He who sings His Father's praise (this has huge implications for what we sing in corporate worship, since it is Christ who puts His words into our mouths, and we are not at liberty to put our words into His; Eph 5 and Col 3 help with this, since it is the Spirit who fills us by making Christ's Word to dwell in us richly as we sing and admonish one another with His Word in song; Eph 5 even tells us that when we are doing this, each is to be submitting to all the others. The egalitarians love to wrestle v21 from this context and make it apply to marriage in v22ff, but this abuses the text and corrupts the teaching of the passage on both marriage and congregational singing). 

The point in the second half of 1Cor 11 is that their corruption of procedure shows that the Corinthians have missed that in the Supper Jesus is feeding us upon Himself from heaven. 

And, in prayer, we are living stones who offer spiritual sacrifices (1Pet 2, etc.), but this is mediated by our great High Priest who has offered Himself once for all, and Jesus our Priest presents our prayers at the throne (Heb 4–10).

This is why worship requires faith, because it engages in an unseen heavenly reality much more than the mere outward forms that we practice on earth (ch. 11–12). We come not to a Sinai that we can see or touch but to a heavenly Zion with angels, perfected souls, our Father, our Mediator, etc. The assembly of the firstborn.

This is why when ch 10 says to come to the true holy of holies through the new and living way that is His flesh and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, it is sentimental rubbish to take the "where two or three are gathered" text and abuse it to say that you can do this with any Christians at any time.

There are divinely mandated holy assemblies throughout the Scripture. There is just one in the New Testament, the holy assembly on that sabbatismos which remains; but, the holy assembly on the Lord’s Day is no less divinely mandated than any former holy assembly, and it participates in an assembly in glory over which Jesus presides as Prophet and Priest in an unique way that is not available to us at other times in other gatherings.

Pastor

2020.05.02 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 25:19–26

Read Genesis 25:19–26

Questions from the Scripture text: Whose “genealogy” is this (Genesis 25:19)? How old is Isaac in Genesis 25:20? How does verse 20 identify Rebekah? What does Genesis 25:21 tell us that Isaac did for her? Why? How does Yahweh respond? What is happening within Rebekah in Genesis 25:22? How does she feel about this? How does she respond? What does Yahweh say are in her womb (Genesis 25:23)? What does He say will happen to them when they come out? How will they relate? And who will serve who? What days are completed in Genesis 25:24? What were there in her womb? How does the first come out (Genesis 25:25)? What do they call him? What does the brother do when he comes out in Genesis 25:26? What do they call him? How old is Isaac at this point? 

In this passage, the Lord keeps a promise in response to Isaac’s prayer, and makes another promise in response to Rebekah’s prayer. But it’s not just the two kinds of answers that are rather different from one another, the two kinds of praying are different too.

The passage ever-so-subtly tells us that Isaac prayed for his wife for twenty years. The form of the verb for pleading is one that may indicate ongoing action, and the passage tells us when he began (40 years old, Genesis 25:20) and when he finished (60 years old, Genesis 25:26). The man who submitted to his aged father on the altar on Mt. Moriah, and whom we met meditating in the field in the evening, and who loved his wife is a man who pleads with Yahweh for his wife for twenty years. Prayer is often a long, sustained work of faith.

But though it requires strong and sustained faith, the way that this prayer operates is according to a pretty simple faith. What’s the summary statement? “Isaac pleaded with Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren; and, Yahweh granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21). We make a plea, and the Lord grants it. He glorifies Himself as the Hearer of prayer.

Rebekah had seen this for decades in her husband, and in Genesis 25:22 she comes into a moment where she too needs Yahweh to be a hearer of prayer unto her. It’s difficult enough to be pregnant with twins, but these sons don’t wait to “take it outside” (cf. Genesis 25:26); they’re already fighting in the womb! How bad is it? The translation smooths it over for us, but Rebekah asks, “If it is thus, why am I?”! Perhaps some mothers who have had difficult pregnancies will not be surprised that she despaired of her existence.

The answer is poetic, but it may have felt to her as there were literally two nations in there, and that they were at war and had to be separated. But they are there because the Lord has plans for them. What a comfort it is that nothing happens apart from His providence! He doesn’t do things our way (the younger shall serve the older) but His way (the older shall serve the younger). It is all of grace (the deceiver from birth is the chosen one—certainly not for his righteousness!). So that it may be all unto His glory.

For what long-term thing are you praying? In what desperate circumstance are you praying?

Suggested songs: ARP65A “Praise Awaits You, God” or TPH65C “Praise Waits for Thee in Zion”

In Luke 5:1–11, Jesus displays almighty power in catching men and fish—which we need Him to do, because His holiness is deadly to sinners such as we are, unless He saves us by that almighty power!

2020.05.01 Hopewell @Home ▫ Luke 5:1–11

Read Luke 5:1–11

Questions from the Scripture text: What did the multitude press around Jesus to hear in Luke 5:1? Where was He? What did He see (Luke 5:2)? Who weren’t there and why? Where did Jesus go in Luke 5:3? What did He ask? What did He do? What does Jesus stop in Luke 5:4? What does He then say? How does Simon answer (Luke 5:5)? What happens in Luke 5:6? What is breaking? Whom do they get for help in Luke 5:7? But then what happens to the boats? Who sees it in Luke 5:8? What is his response, while the nets are breaking and the boats are sinking? What does he ask Jesus to do and why? What did these professional fisherman think of what had just happened (Luke 5:9-10)? What does Jesus tell Simon not to do? What does Jesus tell him that he will do? What do they do when they get to the shore (Luke 5:11)? 

Christ’s first catch in this passage is breaking the geography and geometry of preaching. When hearing this account as a child, I remember much being made of the genius of the natural amphitheater of the shoreline and the use of water to reflect sound. But the passage begins with the reason that He ends up in the boat: “the multitude pressed about Him to hear the Word of God.” That’s a miracle, praise God!

In the dullness of our flesh, we do not so readily see this miracle. Peter should have dropped to his knees then, and begged the Lord to depart from him then. But we are more impressed with inexplicably full-to-breaking nets that have enough fish in them to sink two boats. The professional fisherman didn’t think, “huh—guess we missed where to get ‘em.” They were all astonished (Luke 5:9-10).

Peter understands the implications of the miracle—Jesus is holy, and this holiness is a mortal threat to sinners such as Peter. Peter is literally in a sinking boat, but for a sinner the presence of the Holy One is more dangerous than a sinking boat. Yet, what is Jesus’s holy command? “Do not be afraid.” Jesus is here to exercise His almighty power by catching men, not destroying them. He is catching Peter.

And He will empower Peter to be a catcher of men too. The miracle on the shore that had pushed them into the boats would be repeated at Pentecost and other occasions throughout the apostolic ministry. It is repeated in men’s hearts through gospel preaching today, as they realize the holiness of Christ, and their own sinfulness, and Jesus’s power to save sinners.

Ought we not to seek the Lord of the catch would make multitudes press to hear the Word of God? May the Holy One thus exercise His almighty power!

In your life, how is Jesus always displaying His power? In what way does He especially do so?

Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage?” or TPH280 “Wondrous King, All Glorious”