Great Is Thy Faithfulness [2024.06.09 Evening Sermon in Numbers 13–14]

The Lord is as He says He is and does as He says He will. If you do not trust this by His grace, then you will suffer the truth of it under His wrath.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Jesus, True Friend of Sinners [2024.06.09 Morning Sermon in Matthew 9:9–13]

Jesus came to be our righteousness and to give us a repentance that we could never give ourselves.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

The Spirit Himself as Our Seal [2024.06.09 Sabbath School in WCH 18.2.i—Hopewell 101]

The Holy Spirit is a seal unto believers and their faith, assuring them that God Himself has wrought the saving work that has been done in them, and that they will assuredly be brought into their full inheritance in the day of redemption.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.06.11 Hopewell @Home ▫ Psalm 119:33–40

Read Psalm 119:33–40

Questions from the Scripture text: What does Psalm 119:33a ask YHWH to do to the psalmist? What does he wish to be taught? In order to do what with it (verse 33b)? What does Psalm 119:34a ask Him to do to him? In order to be able to do what? To what extent does he hope to keep it (verse 34b)? What does Psalm 119:35a ask Him to do to him? In what path? Why this one (Psalm 119:35b)? What does Psalm 119:36a ask Him to do to his heart? Incline it to what? To what would it be inclined otherwise (verse 36b)? What does Psalm 119:37a ask Him to do to his eyes? From what do his eyes need to be turned away? In order to give the psalmist life how (verse 37b)? What does Psalm 119:38a ask Him to do to His Word? Unto whom? How can this servant be identified (verse 38b)? What does Psalm 119:39a ask Him to do? What needs to be turned away? How does the psalmist feel about this reproach? Why would the Lord do this with his reproach (verse 39b)? How does Psalm 119:40a begin? At what is he asking the Lord to look? How is he asking the Lord to give him life?

How can sinners come to live righteously? Psalm 119:33–40 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that sinners can only come to live righteously by being revived by sovereign grace.  

The Lord Who is in sovereign control. The lines of the fifth eight-verse stanza of this acrostic all begin with the letter that we would transliterate “H.” 

This is easy to do in the Hebrew language, because the causative verb stem (i.e., “cause [object] to [action]”) includes a prefix that begins with this letter. So, the first seven verses all begin with a causative verb, and Psalm 119:40 begins with the interjection that means “look!” 

The result is a stanza that is primarily pleading for the Lord to exercise His sovereign power over the psalmist, his circumstances, and even the Lord’s own words.

Sovereign grace for righteous living, Psalm 119:33-36. The first half of the stanza focuses especially upon keeping YHWH’s way (Psalm 119:33), observing His law (Psalm 119:34), walking in His commandments (Psalm 119:35). These are different ways of describing the same thing. 

The difficulty with coming to delight in His commandments (Psalm 119:35b) and give our whole heart to obeying them (Psalm 119:34b) is that, apart from sovereign grace, we are inclined exactly opposite. We need the Lord doesn’t give spiritual, moral understanding to our minds (Psalm 119:35a). And if He does not incline our hearts to His own testimonies, then our hearts will default to inclining toward covetousness! Apart from God’s sustaining, sanctifying grace, covetousness is what we will always revert to.

Sovereign grace for restored life, Psalm 119:37-40. The second half of the stanza is bookended with requests to be revived (Psalm 119:37, Psalm 119:40)—to be brought back to life. In our flesh, we foolishly think that getting our way would be reviving, but it is God’s way that is reviving (Psalm 119:37b). 

In His righteousness, God revives us into His righteousness (Psalm 119:40b). It is His righteousness that turns our eyes away from worthless things (Psalm 119:37a) and makes us to long for His precepts instead. By His Word, He makes us to fear Him (Psalm 119:38), and by His good judgments, He turns away our reproach (Psalm 119:39). 

Left to ourselves, we are dead. But His Word is the means by which He revives us in righteousness. 

Revival and righteousness require sovereign grace. That is what He gives, and that is what He teaches us to pray for.

What do you default to, apart from grace? How is God’s rule over your heart a comfort to you? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, grant that Your Spirit would give us understanding to worship, in Your way, with our whole heart. Incline our hearts to delight in You and Your commandments, and turn our eyes away from worthless things unto You. Give us Your own life, through Christ, and satisfy our longing for You and Your precepts, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP119E “That I May Keep Your Statutes” or TPH119E “Teach Me, O LORD, Your Way of Truth”

The Hatefulness of Pride Month [Family Worship lesson in Romans 1:24–32]

Why is perversion of marriage so abominable and alarming? Romans 1:24–32 is an important passage for our current cultural moment. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that perversion of marriage is abominable and alarming because being given over to this sin, and its celebration, is a display of being under God’s righteous wrath for refusing to know Him. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.06.10 Hopewell @Home ▫ Romans 1:24–32

Read Romans 1:24–32

Questions from the Scripture text: Who did what to men (Romans 1:24)? To what did He give them up? In what? To do what to what? Among whom? What did these given-up men do (Romans 1:25)? What two things were exchanged? In what worship did this result? Rather than worshiping Whom? And what is the glory of this Creator? How does the end of the verse add solemnity and certainty to this statement? To what did God further give them up in response (Romans 1:26)? Upon whom did this further judgment of vile passions especially fall? What did they exchange for what? Against what is their behavior? Who else gave up what natural use (Romans 1:27)? In what did they burn? For whom? Committing what, together? Receiving what? Where? For what was this penalty due? For what does Romans 1:28 say that God is still punishing them (cf. Romans 1:18-21)? To what does He further (thirdly!) give them up? What do they end up doing in this debased mind? With what are they thus filled (Romans 1:29)? What twenty-two examples does the apostle give of this unrighteousness that fills them (Romans 1:29-31)? What do all men know (Romans 1:32)? Whose righteous judgment do they know? What does He righteously judge about those who practice such things? But how do they respond to knowing that these things deserve death? And even what to others who practice them? 

Why is perversion of marriage so abominable and alarming? Romans 1:24–32 is an important passage for our current cultural moment. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that perversion of marriage is abominable and alarming because being given over to this sin, and its celebration, is a display of being under God’s righteous wrath for refusing to know Him. 

The mayor of the nearby town has declared it pride month, joining the masses in our nation and its churches who “not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” It is a fulfillment of God’s Word, an expression of His righteous wrath (Romans 1:18) upon a nation, and even churches, who refuse to know Him, thank Him or glorify Him (Romans 1:19-23).  It is also a providentially provided opportunity to see the riches of His glory in His gospel mercy. 

The whole discussion of the revelation of His wrath (Romans 1:18) comes in the context of unashamedly preaching the gospel, because in it the saving righteousness of God is revealed (Romans 1:16-17) over-against this revelation of God’s wrath. So how has God’s wrath been revealed? Especially in three “givings up” that show what all sin deserves, and how the practice and approval (!) of sin is the sure and horrible demonstration that men are indeed under God’s wrath. 

Uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, Romans 1:24-25. The first “giving up” shows how dreadful our sin is. It brings us into uncleanness, making us unfit to draw near to God in worship. As those whose hearts have chosen desires other than God (and apart from Him), every bodily expression of what’s in a man’s heart dishonors himself. The great truth about man is that he was created in God’s image, for God’s glory, according to God’s law. But man exchanged that for the devil’s lie: that man could create himself in his own image, for his own glory, according to his own ways. The uncleanness of living this way displays that man is under wrath for refusing to know, thank, or worship God.

Vile passions, Romans 1:26-27. The second “giving up” shows how irrational our sin is. “vile passions” in Romans 1:26 means “disgraceful emotions.” Not only is man’s will evil, choosing creatures over the Creator, but his affections are evil too. The perversion of women with women, or men with men (instead of one man and one woman), displays God’s wrath. Adultery and fornication are not marriage either, but when God gives men over to such perversions as in these verses, the very irrationality displays how deep-seated is man’s God-rejecting wickedness. Our evil is so great that it not only misuses nature but even goes contrary to nature itself. 

Debased mind, Romans 1:28-31. The third “giving up” goes to our very root. God has designed our intellect to inform our affections, which move our wills. In the display of His wrath, God gives them over to themselves in their will, their affections, and their minds. In this case, the “debased mind” (Romans 1:28), the non-functional mind, exposes them to being filled with all unrighteousness. This is what ungodliness and unrighteousness deserve: to fill up one’s sin (Romans 1:29). The perversions in Romans 1:26-27 are emblematic of all sin. By being “against nature” (Romans 1:26), they are the extreme case of what is “not fitting” (Romans 1:28). All sin is irrational. All sin is abominable to God. All sin is destructive to man and to creation. Consider, from the twenty-two examples listed in Romans 1:29-31, those which especially beset you. Do you easily recognize your sin as God-rejecting, self-destruction to which His wrath would rightly give you over? The perversions that are being celebrated by so many this month are so abominable, precisely to show us the abominable nature of all of our sin.

Approving those who do, Romans 1:32. And all of this brings us to “pride month.” This is end-stage spiritual cancer that displays God’s wrath upon a person or a nation. The conscience becomes so seared that they do not feel the need either to be alarmed or to be ashamed at their sin. Those who do such things know that they deserve death (versev32), but they suppress this to the point that they do them without alarm. And they are so far from being ashamed of sin that they approve of it. Indeed, they make their sin their very identity. Some protest that by “pride” they mean not arrogant boastfulness (though all affirming of sin is arrogance against God!) but self-approval of their “identity.” Yet, self-approval is exactly that to which the Lord has given sinners up. For those whom the Lord gives over to their sin, it has been “pride month” for some six thousand years. 

Vessels of mercy. In Romans 1, this display of wrath is the backdrop for the gospel’s display of God’s saving righteousness. God gives—even to such sinners as this!—His own righteousness through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21–24)! He patiently bears with vessels of wrath prepared for destruction precisely to “make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22–23). 

How dreadful is our sin! There is nothing more hateful than to tell ourselves that our sin is permissible or excusable. To celebrate “pride month” is to perpetrate “hate month.” Those who celebrate sinners’ perversions hate sinners by doing so. But God loves and saves sinners. He reveals not just His wrath against sinners, but His righteousness, offered to them. How grateful we should be for His mercy! How eager to be found in Christ! And loving our neighbor means calling him to repentance and inviting him to God’s righteousness revealed in Christ—inviting him to rejoice in God’s mercy as a vessel of mercy. 

For further consideration: “Righteously Given Up to Godless Feelings, Choices, and Thoughts”—available at hpwl.org/sa220615mws

Of the 22 sins listed in Romans 1:29-31, to which are you most prone? What do you deserve? What does the Lord offer you instead? How?

Sample prayer:  Lord, forgive us, for we have so often been unmindful of You and unthankful toward You. But even to such sinners as we are, You offer Your own righteousness through faith in Christ. So give to us, by Your Spirit, to believe in Christ, to be forgiven of our sin, and to be righteous with His righteousness, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH51C “God, Be Merciful to Me”

2024.06.09 Lord's Day live streams (live at 10:10a, 11a, 3p)

Click below for the:

June 9 Lord's Day Worship Booklet

Sabbath School lesson outline

Matthew 9:9–13 Sermon Outline

p.m. song selections & Numbers 13–14 Sermon

We urge you to assemble physically, if possible, with a true congregation of Christ's church. For those of our own congregation who may be providentially hindered, we are grateful to be able to provide this service.

Each week we LIVESTREAM the Lord's Day (Sabbath School, Morning Public Worship, and p.m. Singing and Sermon) and Midweek Meeting (sermon and prayer). For notifications when Hopewell is streaming live, install the CHURCHONE APP on your [Apple], [Android], or [Kindle] device, and enter hopewellarp for your broadcaster

Sinner-Friendly Worship [2024.06.08 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald]

Hopewell Herald – June 8, 2024

Dear Congregation,

God’s love for sinners is counter-intuitive to people who are addicted to this world and to our sin. It’s quite literally insane that people think that the hatefulness of “pride month” is loving, when what is loving is to point out that the irrationality and self-destruction of our sin is a clue that we are under the wrath of God. God lovingly announces His wrath against our sin, because He is lovingly announcing that, in Christ, He offers His own righteousness to those who are under wrath! That’s true love.

“Seeker-friendly” worship is, of course, worship as God has commanded—because sinners do not seek Him apart from Him seeking them! But even “sinner-friendly” worship is counter-intuitive. It is not friendly to sinners to give them worship that feels comfortable and familiar. Truly sinner-friendly worship is worship that makes them uncomfortable on account of its unfamiliarity and other-worldliness.

What Men of Grace Have Found [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 9:9–13]

Whom does Jesus call? Matthew 9:9–13 prepares us for the morning sermon on the Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus calls sinners to repentance.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2024.06.08 Hopewell @Home ▫ Matthew 9:9–13

Read Matthew 9:9–13

Questions from the Scripture text: From where was Jesus going (Matthew 9:9, cf. Matthew 9:1-8)? Whom did He see? Doing what? What did Jesus say to him? What did Matthew do? How does the beginning of Matthew 9:10 change the time/scene? What was Jesus doing? Who came to Him? What quantity? What did they do? Who saw it (Matthew 9:11)? To whom did they speak? What did they ask? Who heard it (Matthew 9:12)? About whom does He speak? What do these well people not need? Who do need a physician? What does He tell them to do (Matthew 9:13)? What, especially, does He tell them to study (cf. Hosea 6:6)? Whom did He not come to call? Whom did He come to call? To what did He come to call them?

Whom does Jesus call? Matthew 9:9–13 prepares us for the morning sermon on the Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus calls sinners to repentance.

Christ’s priority upon forgiving and power to give it by His Word, Matthew 9:9. Putting the timeline of Christ’s ministry together from all the gospels, it is likely that Matthew 9:2-9 are actually from an earlier time, but are included here because it is upon returning from the Gentile side of the lake that Matthew gives the feast for Christ in his house (cf. Mark 2:15, Luke 5:29). All three “synoptic” gospels connect the call of Matthew to the feast with the other tax collectors and sins, and it is evident that Matthew had been called as Jesus was passing on from forgiving the paralytic. What a blessed portrait of our Lord—going from forgiving to forgiving!

In Matthew’s call (Matthew 9:9), we behold in one short verse the gracious power of our Lord’s words. Would a tax collector give up even his lucrative employment to follow One Who has nowhere to lay his head? Will one whose associates are other tax collectors—almost certainly skimmers and cheats, even if Matthew was not—as well as other notorious sinners… will this one now attach himself to the One Whose very presence forbids all sin? But Christ’s two words have in them the power to give life and faith and repentance. 

We can look to Him for the same for ourselves. When we do not have in us the ability to believe or repent, let us come to His Word, and let us ask that He, by His Spirit, would use His Word similarly with us. Surely, He created by His Word, He upholds all things by His Word, He gives faith by His Word, and He sanctifies by His Word. The leopard cannot change his spots, but Christ by His Word changes sinners in divine power!

How experience of Christ’s grace to us produces expectation of His grace to others, Matthew 9:10. It is presumably from his own experience of this that Matthew is bold to invite “many tax collectors and sinners” to follow Jesus and eat with Him and His disciples (verse 10). Those who have genuinely experienced grace are better able to understand Christ’s extending it to others. If you tend to have the Pharisees’ response to one whose reputation was one way, but who has come to follow and fellowship with Jesus, then you might ask yourself whether you have genuinely experienced grace. And you ought to ask Christ that He would increase your experience of His grace. Indeed, go ahead and ask Him for it anyway!

No one is good enough company for Jesus, except by the grace of Jesus, Matthew 9:11. It is interesting that the Pharisees ask the disciples (verse 11). It is almost a tacit admission that they are really accusing Jesus of something, but are either too cowardly to ask Him directly or are trying to be “polite.” In either case, the question does imply that they just don’t understand Christ. Indeed, the question by itself demonstrates that they don’t understand themselves, either. Why does Jesus eat with sinners? Because that is the only sort of other person there is to eat with on the earth! Did the Pharisees think that they were not sinners? Surely they meant “why doesn’t Jesus keep better company?” But, again, this means that they have failed to grasp Who Jesus is. Better company? No one on earth is good company for Jesus! 

The healing and forgiveness that we all need—and that only Jesus can give, Matthew 9:12-13. But that is why Jesus has come. To take those who are unworthy to eat with Him, and make them joint heirs with Him of His kingdom! We need both justification and sanctification, forgiveness and cleansing. We are too sick (dead!) with sin to be able to repent. And we are too guilty of sin to be permitted to repent. Jesus did not come for those who were most able to be saved, or nearest to being saved, because there are no such people as either of those things. Rather, He came precisely because we are not able.

We must be careful not to be too superficial with the quote in Matthew 9:13. Jesus Himself tells the Pharisees to go and study. He is saying more than just that their religion is worthless because they’re not merciful enough to the tax collectors. 

When the Pharisees go back and study Hosea 6:6, they should find that it is in the context of the people finally (!) repenting in. That was a longtime coming in the context of that book, and Hosea 6:1–3 is full of right words and sentiments. But immediately, the Lord’s response in Hosea 6:4 is that their repentance as the substance and staying power of a morning mist that burns off almost immediately. That is why He desires covenanted love (ḳessed, NKJ “mercy”) rather than sacrifice. Only the one whose nature has been changed by the Lord to correspond to that of the Lord Himself will be acceptable. In Hosea, it will be another five chapters before the Lord Himself becomes the solution (cf. Hosea 11:8–11) to those whose “repentances” just won’t stick (cf. Hosea 11:7). 

Back to our passage, we see Jesus’s point. There are no righteous to call. And those who are called are not called because of what they were; they are called to repentance, to have the very nature of their mind changed. This is the only way that it can be. Jesus saves only sinners, and only and entirely by grace!

If you are following Christ, how did you come to do so? If not, how can you? Whom have you not invited to follow Jesus because you did not expect that they could/would? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, we know that our religion is worth nothing, unless You have changed us from the inside out, entirely by Your power—and forgiven us, entirely by Christ’s work. Grant that we would more poignantly experience Your grace, and that we would act as those who expect that others will as well, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP51B “From My Sins, O Hide Your Face” or TPH130A “LORD, from the Depths to You I Cry!”