February 6, 2022 - Sunday Service Live Stream

And you dwell in a high and holy place but you also dealt with us those who are of a contrite and a lowly spirit. We ask that you would meet with us here according to your promise. That we would take great joy and delight and being in your presence that would be spurred on to greater obedience and walking in righteousness following the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in.

Corporate Confession of Sin and Assurance of Pardon

Please kneel. If you're able for the corporate confession of sin. Let us now join together in one voice. Almighty and most merciful father. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.

We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done. And we have done those things which we ought not to have done. There is no health in us. Oh Lord.

Have mercy upon us. Miserable offenders. Spare those Oh God who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent according to your promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. Grant that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of his holy name.

Please stand. Our sin is ever present before us. We see its consequences. We experience its stealing of our joy. But we have Christ and in him we have the forgiveness of sins. Be delighted to hear these words of pardon.

He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. That we having died to sins might live for righteousness by whose stripes you are healed to. All of you are here gathered today who are in Christ.

Take heart in him. Your sins are amen. Please take up the hymnal and turn to number 53. Praise to the Lord the Almighty. Sing it with all of your heart like you believe it. Raise your voices in spite of your abilities.

Glory to God. Number 53. Psalter and our guests are good singers. They can help us. This is an unfamiliar tune to us. Alyssa is going to play through at one time. Those of you who are.

Skillful help. All of us who are not please please remain standing for our.

Scripture Reading from Isaiah 65

Scripture reading which is found in Isaiah chapter 65 here now the word of.

The Lord I was sought by those who did not ask for me. I was found by those who did not seek me. I said here I am here I am to a nation that was not called by my name. I've stretched out my hands all day long to our rebellious people who walk in a way that is not good according to their own thoughts of people who provoke me to anger continually to my face who sacrifice and gardens and burn incense on altars of brick who sit among the graves and spend the night in the tombs who eat swine's flesh and the broth of abominable things is in their vessel.

Who say keep to yourself do not come near me for I am holier than you. These are smoke in my nostrils a fire that burns all the day. Behold it is written before me. I will not keep silence but will repay even or pay into their bosom your iniquities and the iniquities of your father's together says the Lord who have burned incense on the mountains and blaspheme me on the hills.

Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom. Thus says the Lord as the new wine is found in the cluster and one says do not destroy it for a blessing is in it. So will I do for my servant's sake that I may not destroy them all.

I will bring forth descendants of Jacob and from Judah in air of my mountains. My elect shall inherit it and my servant shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks and the valley of a core a place for her to lie down for my people who have sought me.

But you who are. But you are those who forsake the Lord who forget my holy mountain who prepare a table for Gad and who furnish a drink drink offering for many. Therefore I will number you for the sword and you shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I call you did not answer.

When I spoke you did not hear but did evil before my eyes and chose that in which I do not delight. Therefore thus says the Lord God. Behold my servants shall eat but you shall be hungry. Behold my servants shall drink but you shall be thirsty.

Behold my servants shall rejoice but you shall be ashamed. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but you shall cry for sorrow and wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen for the Lord God will slay you and call his servants by another name so that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth.

And he who swears in the truth shall swear by the God of truth because the former troubles are forgotten and because they are hidden from my eyes. For behold I create new heavens and a new earth. The former shall not be remembered or come to mind but be glad and rejoice forever in what I create.

For behold I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her nor the voice of crying. No more.

Shall an infant from there live but a few days. Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days. But the child shall die 100 100 years old. But the sinner being 100 years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them.

They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat. For as the days of the tree so shall the days of my people. And my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor invade nor bring forth children in trouble. For they shall be descendants of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them. It shall come to pass before they call. I will answer and while they are still speaking I will hear the wolf and the lamb shall feed together.

The lion shall eat shrawl like the ox and the dust shall be the serpents food they shall not hurt nor destroy. And all my holy mountains says the Lord. This is the word of the Lord.

Let us now confess our faith as we sing together the Apostles Creed.

Great is thy faithfulness. Let's pray together with one voice Oh God give to.

Us your servants that peace which the world cannot give and also that we being defended from the fear of our enemies may live in peace and quietness through the merits of Jesus who lives. God word says I am the Lord your God you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself in an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

The grace wisdom the humility. To understand that just as you are creator of rested that we need to rest. Help us Lord to rest in Christ. Honor your father and your mother.

Our gracious Heavenly Father we thank you that you have placed this in your that we may be reminded to give honor to all those who deserve honor that we would respect those who are in authority over us.

But Lord in a lot of ways this points back to you. You are our Heavenly Father and the church in many ways is our mother. We pray father that as we honor our earthly mothers and fathers.

Honor you you shall not kill you shall not commit adultery.

And righteous we know that adultery does not start just in the act. We know that through the words of Jesus that he said that if we look upon anyone lustfully we've already committed adultery in our heart.

Lord God may that strike a holy fear in our hearts knowing that that is where the sin starts in our in our hearts. May you lead us to a life of repentance a life of purity to guard us and to guide us and to keep us in that purity which is found in Christ and is given your goodness of your law.

And again Lord keep us incline us to obey it. May we be known as people of purity who stands up for righteousness in this. In this regard may we be a people that is known for holy marriages. That we be married and we look highly upon Mary and that we may be married for all our lives to our husbands and to our wives.

May that be a beacon of light in society and may that be a grand witness to Christ and his marriage to his church. We pray for this purity to to not just stay in regards to sexual sin but God made may it permeate throughout all of our lives.

In your son's name you shall not steal.

Lord have mercy on us.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul mind and strength. Please stand and take up the psalm of the month.

This is an unfamiliar song that we've been practicing. We've been working on it and DJ has sent us. DJ can you give us some words of wisdom to execute this well.

Just bear in mind the top two lines top two stays that even though there's some longer notes it's not really a pause or a break so kind of think of each note kind of blending into the next one for the top two lines.

Also since the melody is a little bit more subdued in this one that just makes it all the more necessary for for everyone to project. Even even the guys who are very low parts. Even if you're singing low that doesn't mean you can't sing loud and so and so don't forget to project.

Also if you're not familiar with with the parts of it and stuff that we went over that's totally fine. Just sing along with the melody. In the piano the worst thing you can do is not sing at all and so if you're unfamiliar with a particular part just sing along with the piano melody.

And you should be on the insert that says 119 on the corner. It's not Psalm 119 it's a number there for the from this altar but from it says Oh Lord my God most earnestly and Alyssa is going to play through that one time for us.

Sermon on 2 Corinthians 9:7-15

We start in your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 9. I appreciate your.

Main standing for the readings. Chapter 9. Now concerning the ministering to the Saints it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I know your willingness about which I boast of you to the Macedonians that Achaia was ready a year ago and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

Yet I have sent the brethren lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect that as I said you may be ready lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared we not to mention you should be ashamed of this confident boasting.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your generous gift beforehand which you had previously promised that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

But this I say he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart not grudgingly or of necessity. For God loves a cheerful giver and God is able to make all grace abound towards you.

That you always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for every good work as it is written he has dispersed abroad he has given to the poor his righteousness endures forever. Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are enriched in everything.

For all liberality which causes Thanksgiving through us to God for the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the Saints but also is abounding through many Thanksgivings to God.

While through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ and for your liberal sharing with them and all men and by their prayer for you who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. This is God's holy and infallible word. May we give it the attention zeal the earnestness it deserves. Please pray with me. Oh Lord we we thank you for the example you've given of this faithful church calling the Corinthians to emulate their faithfulness.

Lord we pray today that that you would multiply the seed that you have sown and that you would increase the fruits of your righteousness in the hearts of your that they would be zealous to good do good works to embody the truths that you have set forth in your word that their lives would be a cause for Thanksgiving from the Saints around the world.

We ask these things in Jesus name amen. Please be seated. We have been in this section starting in chapter 8. I believe this is the fifth week that we will consider this and so in some ways like last week this message will be another more application driven message because the principle has been pretty firmly established for us.

You'll remember that there is a famine in the land and the Judean Christians in and around Jerusalem and that region were not doing well. They were starving in many cases and there was a heart of desire of people the people of God from beginning at Antioch and people like the Apostle Paul and Titus to relieve the burden of the brethren who were dwelling in Jerusalem.

And so Paul here again calls the Corinthians to emulate those churches in Macedonia both in their zeal to relieve the Judean Saints to relieve their suffering during this famine. I want to give you four points to consider.

I'm not going to methodically go one two three four in the sermon but these are four categories you can think about in relation to the message. First God makes grace abound. God makes grace abound. Number two may the Lord multiply the seed you have sown.

May the Lord multiply the seed you have sown. Number three the abounding grace multiplies Thanksgiving offer to God. The abounding grace multiplies Thanksgiving offer to God. And fourth we will exclaim and thank God for his indescribable gift.

And it's the title of the message that would be point four. Last week we focused on verse six and I would say in our message today verse ten would probably be the epicenter of all that we're going to be thinking about today.

May the God who supplies the seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Let's consider it. God makes grace abound to you.

To the Corinthians he says you have all material and spiritual sufficiency in all things and have an abundance. You are enabled to accomplish every good work. That testimony is true for every gathered assembly of the people of God we have all that we need in Christ and the lack that we have in our material realm.

In the material sphere the Lord provides through means through work and through ministry and service and giving. We have all of our needs supplied abundantly as those who are in Christ and in the church.

I'd like you to turn first to Psalm 112 which is cited in our section. This is gonna be the only reference I probably will go outside of today because last week I spent so much time out Psalm 112. This is a blessed man here described something all men here should aspire to be.

And we hear in this section characteristics and qualities of a righteous blessed man. And Paul incorporates this into his argument for Corinthian generosity. This is Psalm 112. I can't wait till we sing it.

Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord who delights greatly in his commandments. That man is blessed who fears the Lord and delights in his commandments. Is this encouraging for us. His descendants will be mighty on earth.

The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house and his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright. There arises light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion and righteous.

How does the man live. A good man deals graciously and lends. He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken. The righteous will be an everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings.

His heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord. His heart is established. He will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies. And now the part cited in our section quoted in our text he has dispersed abroad.

He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved. He will gnash his teeth and melt away. The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Paul says the spirit and sense of someone her 12 is perfect. And his explanations call to generosity. Generosity in this freeness and giving is not really so much about giving but about the character of the people who are redeemed in Christ.

They love God so much. They're so aligned with Christ. There's so much to serve and please him that they're willing to provide out of their material blessing help for others. Now let's go back to our text in 2nd Corinthians 9.

I want to be the righteous man that's described in Psalm 112. And I have great hope for this to be accomplished. You have great hope for this to be accomplished because God makes his grace abound toward you.

You have a material and spiritual sufficiency in Christ to accomplish all the things that you need to accomplish. You're going to be a completely furnished to complete every good work. Now in terms of meeting the need of the Saints in Judea there's a couple other factors in line that we've kind of talked about in different ways.

The first is this when the Corinthians participate in the relief of the Judean Saints they are embodying and demonstrating the efficacy of God's grace and the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. What other explanation could be given.

The Jews and the Gentiles are very different kinds of people. The Jews don't think so highly naturally of the Gentiles. The Gentiles don't naturally think well of the Jews. So this outpouring of support from Macedonia Chia places like Philippi all across the the ancient world places like Antioch.

This is a reflection of God's grace at work and the powerful working of his spirit. I remember from a few weeks ago we also noted that it knit the hearts together of the Jews and Gentiles into one body.

Can you imagine the Jews who are suspicious of the Gentiles because they don't keep the law these arguments over circumcision they're questioning the legitimacy of Gentile conversion and faith. And all of a sudden a boatload of provision and support comes to them in their direst hour of need only from the Gentiles coming from all of these far away lands to relieve their harsh circumstances under the famine.

Surely the Lord used this to knit the hearts together of the Jews and the Gentiles in one body. And I would go so far as to say maybe the famine occurred so that the Gentiles might support the Jews that they might be knit together and wouldn't be surprised if the Lord orchestrated natural catastrophes that the church would be drawn together and formed more completely as one body in Christ.

There's another great application of this for us to consider today today and a faraway land we're giving thanks to God for his provision the faithfulness of the Macedonians those from Antioch those from Corinth we're still talking about what they did to relieve the Saints in Jerusalem.

And so that caused me to wonder do we see things properly in there and the exploded view of the reality of all that we do in service to Christ. They were thinking there's a temporal problem and we're going to help meet the need and to solve this urgent need.

It's great. It's wonderful. But how much more is that work. And the Gentiles supplying the need of the Jews in Jerusalem in the surrounding area. Well who could even begin to fathom the depth of blessing that resulted all of the people around in the churches I bet you once they heard about Corinth giving and Macedonia giving a bit other churches were jealous to have some participation in this great work of God to provide for the needs of his people.

And so Christians all around the world in that time and even to this day are offering up Thanksgiving to God for his provision. A story of your kindness generosity your help to a fellow brother or sister in Christ may travel the world and be an encouragement to everyone who hears it.

And there's something else this spurring on to love and good works in the Saints that heard the report creates a multiplication of more giving more grace being displayed and more Thanksgiving being offered to God.

And all of this tends to bring him glory. Well let's consider the second part. We may spend most time here and I want you to think about this now beyond this practical meeting of needs which is very important but Paul himself does it.

Look again at verse 10. He says. Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. We learned last week that that some of the reason that we don't broadly scatter the seed of evangelism of Christian love or even material provision is rooted in a sense of fear of loss that if we were to give it away we would suffer some loss.

If I was to give my heart to you as my fellow brother or sister in Christ I would lose something in return. But God's economy is very different. Our brethren here from Iowa come from a part of the world where lots of things are grown.

And when seed is sown it takes root and it grows. Not only does it provide bread for food not only can be harvested it produces more seed for future planting and future bread and future seed to be planted.

And this is how it is spiritually for us who are in Christ. Everything we do in obedience to Christ has greater longevity it has stronger legs even than the immediate thing before us. I want to provide a couple of examples of this.

What happens when we reach out with the gospel to a young man. And he repents and he believes and he turns to Christ. The seed of salvation and life in union with Christ is implanted into the heart of a man.

What. What happens then. Well there's a former course of life that he absolutely abandons. And in the normal course of things he goes out and seeks a godly wife and he begins to to love her as Ryan prayed in a demonstration of Christ's love for the church.

And they begin in the ordinary course events to have children together. And and the seed of faith is planted in the children the gospel is preached. The world is utterly transformed. When a man comes to Christ he begins to be fruit-bearing.

He begins to multiply his seed across the earth. And what happens when the children see a godly husband loving a godly wife. Well they go and emulate them and they reproduce. And they carry the message in the life and the living of following Christ with them.

And before you know it there are thousands and tens of thousands of people who know Christ and walk with Christ and love him and serve him. You have an army of people because of one man's conversion. That's why I'm so thankful for the intersection of our Sunday School message and our sermon today we need to preach Christ to every creature under heaven.

Well there's something else here that I want you to think about negatively. On the other side of the coin the righteousness the fruits of our union with Christ. He's the vine where the branches. These things are on display in the mortification of sin.

What happens when one besetting sin is that individual is spared. The chastening of God the shame of sin the blight and the glorious honor and name of Christ. That doesn't happen anymore. The sabotaging of your joy in your Thanksgiving.

When you turn from your sin and sow seeds of righteousness joy and Thanksgiving abound. You don't have regrets. You're not looking over your shoulder. You don't feel dirty dirty and damaged and sick. There's something else when you repent of a sin you stop hurting others because your sin hurts others.

And when people see your repentance it causes other people to see the folly of their own sin and they repent. They're encouraged to turn and to follow your godly example. Our vision is far too small. We say these are small things.

They're not very big deals in the glorious economy of God. But every righteous act is multiplied in this kingdom. Every turning from sin has the praise of the angels in heaven. The earth shakes. The Sun is darkened when men and women and children who love Christ walk in his ways.

Thinking about our view of righteousness. Are we bountifully sowing seed that we might yield a great harvest. Think about how much time wasted in sin and cleaning up the messes that it causes. What if we stop doing those things that that sabotage as I mentioned our joy.

That time wasted the mess that has to be cleaned up better spent and sowing seeds of righteousness. You see Paul does want the Saints in Judea to be relieved. But what he seems to be really driving at.

You read this all together all in one big section. He really wants to multiply the seed that they have sown so that there may be an increase in the fruits of their righteousness. That's where this is gone.

That's where it's going. In verse 11 it says. While you're enriched in everything for all liberality which causes the thanksgiving through us to God. Paul elsewhere says. I thank God upon every remembrance of you.

When you're out sowing seeds of righteousness and living the Christian life. And you come to mind of fellow believers it will spur them to give God thanks for you. And so here you are being faithful. And people say I look upon that man and that woman in that family and I think about the grace of God multiplied in them.

Oh Lord I thank you for this family that walks in righteousness. They're carrying your name and your person before the throne room of our God. Third point. Here the abounding grace multiplies thanksgivings offered to God.

Look at verse 13 it says. While through the proof of this ministry they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ and for your liberal sharing with them and all men. I got a privilege this week to spend time with one of my best friends from old.

He was the first guy served with as an elder. We were interns at Don Whitney's Church in Kansas City together this week. And he his organization. He's a vice president with voice of the martyrs was in town.

They met at Ligonier for a team meeting and he recounted some of the stories of what his work is. He's in charge of Africa. I can't say his name because he actually goes by an alias. I learned out everyone in the organization when he goes anywhere he has a different name to protect his passport because of his job and his responsibilities.

And he told me stories of the provision of a faithful minister who has been in prison in Eritrea for a long time. And he ran into his daughter in Orlando. She was a little baby a little child when her dad was in prison.

She doesn't know her dad. He was able to work the back channels to find out. Is her dad alive. Is he okay. We find out after all these years her dad is in prison. He's okay. He continues to be a leader in the church and strengthen the Saints.

Though he be in prison. He goes back and tells the report to this man's daughter which she didn't know. Thanksgiving offered to God. God in the midst of all this persecution and all the suffering has preserved the integrity of this man's faith.

I'm encouraged hopefully you're encouraged. The daughter is encouraged to hear that her dad has continued to be faithful in the midst of all this persecution. Don't underestimate the offering up of thanks to God and the significance of what that means in the kingdom.

They were remembering the Judean Saints would remember the prayers through their prayers giving thanks to God those who served them in this way. I want to point out something else in verse 13. There's something powerful about our obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ.

We we generally think about the gospel in terms of being struck by lightning and the power of the Holy Spirit. Something miraculous happens. And it's true. But what about obedience to the gospel. The Corinthians who have been known for their sinfulness.

Now they're known for their faithfulness. The seeds of righteousness have yielded a harvest of righteousness in the hearts of God's people. The world looks upon Corinth and they don't think about their sectarian spirit any longer.

They don't think about the toleration of the immoral brother anymore. They don't forget. They don't think of them in their lack of love for the repentant brother. Now they see them as the growing maturing Christians who walk by faith who long to glorify Christ and to give God the glory in all things.

Well we come to our last point. And it's the most significant probably in this whole consideration. That's first 15 and it says thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. Is Paul talking about the collection for the Judean Saints or is he talking about something else.

Well in context it would seem he's talking about the grace of God revealed in the gospel of Christ. What we learn here is that it's the person of Christ who is the indescribable gift. What is Christ done.

He has so as the prophet priest and King as the preeminent one. He has implanted his grace in the hearts of all of these millions and millions and millions of people through the ages and every one of them have a transformation a metamorphosis that they undergo because of the grace of God.

Do you remember how we started in verse 10. He supplies seed to the sower. A family come from a family of farmers I told you before. They can't trace back to that first bag of seed. I bet you to plant their crops as Mark talked today about evangelism.

We can't trace every church back to one of the twelve Apostles. But we can trace it all back to our God who has widely broadcast his seed of righteousness and forgiveness and reconciliation to God to the nations.

And some of that seed has taken hold and taken root and it perpetually gives an increase without turning there I'm going to. I wanted to close with an application of this principle to be taken from Acts 2.

But I just want you to listen once you think about that one man who comes to Christ. Peter says in Acts 2 39. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call.

What happens when a man enters into covenant with God and marries a covenant wife and has covenant children. It's the rapid expansion of blessing and righteousness in the world a force that cannot be stopped.

The moths and the rust they come in and destroy earthly wealth. Thieves and robbers can plunder your treasury. The locusts can come and eat all of your crops. They can never take away the legacy of faithfulness and the keeping of covenant and allegiance to our God.

What will it mean to our great grandchildren that we would be faithful to Christ today. What would. What will it mean if we go into Longwood and we win one man to Christ and he marries one godly woman and they have godly children.

What will that mean in this universe. The world will be changed utterly and irrevocably change the Gentiles those outside strangers to the covenant are brought in new legacies of faithfulness begin. And all this has been started by a God who loves his people so much he took one man from her of the Chaldeans and he now has descendants that are more numerous than the stars in the heavens or the sands on the seashore.