Sunday Morning Worship Service August 16, 2020

Well, good morning to see you on this Lord's Day. What a beautiful day. He's given us a beautiful weekend actually enjoying this. Nice weather, but what a change, right? We gathered last week had a wonderful Lord's Day and then Monday Got blasted by that very powerful storm.

If you hadn't noticed already, maybe you did this morning when you came in we had had a nice big tree down here in the property that got taken out and Some couple of guys few guys got together Next day or two and did some short work of that and appreciate that help but I know a lot of you really had to suffer this week.

Many of you had to go without power for sometimes days and you know, no power no water things of that nature so I'm sure you're rejoicing today in the little things of life isn't amazing how much we take for granted Until we don't have it.

And then all of a sudden we're scrambling trying to find a place to get some water something as simple as that. So. Well, thank the lord that he has brought you through this week and brought us together today on this lord's day to worship and serve him.

Just a couple things in your bulletin to remind you of we we will be Commemorating the lord's supper this morning or this morning in the middle of the service. On the table and the foyer were those little cups.

I hope you picked one of those up If you can participate with us in that. And then Wednesday evening just a reminder about this.

Weekly.

Psalm 29 and the Call to Worship

Video series we're watching of Tim chalice taking us around the world last week. Went to australia and new zealand and. Beautiful place. A lot of places that a lot of people would love to visit. This week we're going to zambia and zimbabwe and I don't know.

I don't I don't know that i've ever met anybody that that was on their bucket list to go to zimbabwe or. Or zambia, maybe it's on yours. If so after church tell me about that and then make sure you come wednesday night and get your appetite wetted for.

Uh for those two countries. But we'll do that wednesday evening. Psalm 29 verses 1 and 2 as we begin our worship service this morning. Tell us encourage us to ascribe to the lord. Oh heavenly beings ascribe to the lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the lord the glory do his name. Worship the lord in the splendor of holiness. And may we do so today as jim comes and leads us in our opening hymn. Oh worship the king jim.

Let us do that together in song as well and you turn in your hymnals to number 65 65. Oh worship the king we'll sing verses 1 2 and 4. Let's all stand together, please.

Oh worship the king verses 1 2 and 4 together goodness to us in your hands. We thank you for all the provisions that were made during that period of time and father now as we come to worship you. To sing praises unto your name.

Guide and direct pastor as he brings your word father. Help us to have open back of the bulletin is our psalm reading for the week. The first 10 verses of psalm 51. I chose this psalm this week because of What we read in verse 6 which is right in the middle of the set of the text and uh, it connects with our message from ephesians chapter 6.

And gives us verse 6 gives us some insight into david's problem. Which led to his needing to confess his needing to write this psalm. So follow along as I read psalm 51 these first 10 verses. I remind you that he wrote this david did after his sin with Bathsheba and the death is his involvement in the Death of uriah bathsheba's husband.

And he was convicted of his sins. He writes this have mercy upon me. Oh god, according to thy loving kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against thee the only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold Thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.

Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart.

Oh god and renew a right spirit within me. Lord add his blessing to the reading Of this psalm today. He was going to come and lead us in him from the song supplement book Number 56 this will prepare our hearts for the lord's table.

So jim, please come and lead us.

In your Blue books your supplement books number 56 see the destined day arise. Verses one through three all verses together.

The.

Destined day arise. See a willing sacrifice jesus to redeem. Our loss hangs upon the shameful cross. Jesus who. But you could bear.

Brass, oh great.

And just a fair.

Every pain.

And bitter throw. Finishing your life of woe.

Hallelujah Hallelujah.

Lamb of god the sons of light blessing.

Partake of the elements this morning. I want to Read in mark chapter 15 so read a portion of the scripture and then We'll partake of the bread. And then another portion of the scripture and then the cup.

If you are a follower of christ and you have Followed him in obedience by being baptized. You're welcome to participate in our fellowship at the table this morning. So first of all, I want to read mark chapter 15 verses 15 through 20 Says.

And so pilot willing to content the people Released barabbas unto them and delivered jesus when he had scourged him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall called praetorium. And they called together the whole band.

And they clothed him with purple and plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head And began to salute him hail king of the jews and they smote him on the head with a reed and Did spit upon him and bowing their knees worshiped him.

And when they had mocked him they took off the purple from him And put his own clothes on him and led him out to crucify him. It's just a few hours earlier from this moment that we're reading about right now.

That jesus was in that upper room with his disciples gathered around that table and he took a loaf of bread and when he Took that bread. He broke it. And he said this is my body which is broken for you.

And he passed it to his disciples and he said take and eat. We read further in mark 15. And they bring him under the place gaga which is being interpreted the place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh.

But he received it not. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments casting lots upon them what every man should take. And it was the third hour. And they crucified him. And when the sixth hour was come there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

And at the ninth hour jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eloi, eloi lama sabachthani Which is being interpreted my god My god, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by when they heard it said behold he called elias.

And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink saying let alone. Let us see whether elias will come take him down. And jesus cried with a loud voice And gave up the ghost.

He gave his body to be broken And his blood to be shed and again at that table the night before After the bread was passed and each partook Jesus took the cup a single cup filled with wine red. Speaking of his blood He says this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

As he passed it to his disciples he said all of you drink of it our father and our god. We are reminded in the partaking of these elements this morning what our savior did for us. That we might have pardoned for our sins.

We might be justified in your sight. We might have hope for eternity. We might be saved saved from the Saved from the penalty of sin From the power of sin and ultimately from the presence of sin. And so we are grateful our father we are so very grateful this morning that the lord jesus god in the flesh Was willing to take upon himself our sins he who knew no sin.

That he might become sin for us that we sinners Might be made righteous in christ. We're thankful for that sacrifice today. We're also thankful father that We can come before you because of that sacrifice confessing our sins even as david did his.

We can appeal to you to blot out our transgressions to cleanse us From every sin. And we're thankful father that on the basis of the work of christ we can appeal to you and plead for you to Restore to us the joy of our salvation.

And we're grateful today That you have promised to do so because of the work of jesus. And so our father we also come before you today grateful that we can intercede in behalf of others. And we pray today for sam and amy slobodian and their ministry leading Missionary pastors and national pastors in russia and ukraine.

The service that they minister and the materials that they provide for these churches helping them to minister more effectively. And the training that they also provide the teaching of the word. I pray that you would bless them richly in that work.

We also continue to pray this week for larry and emily shedder and thank you father for the good report. They shared this past week larry Finding employment that is meaningful and gainful for him and his family also finding housing a house that they could purchase and Helping them settle in the father we continue to pray for their emotional health and stability and well-being.

Encourage them we pray. We thank you father for the the progress that harold is making following his surgery. And thank you for the success of that surgery and we pray as he Undergoes some rehab very soon that this would be effective and he would make good progress.

Pray also for kathy that she would also know good progress in rehab and Thank you for that Already begun and what's already occurring there and just for the significant improvement that she has She has experienced.

We pray for bob today and thank you for how you are sustaining him through these days. So he faces another round of chemo this week. I I pray continue to sustain him give him strength When he faces the fatigue following it.

Pray for jerry continue to encourage her and strengthen her emotionally. As she is such a such a good strong support for bob. And then father we pray for our church family and for those who are here today who are hurting struggling in some way and Lord, you know each heart, you know each need.

We're so grateful of your Omniscience, we're grateful for your spirit's presence. And we're thankful that even right now your spirit is praying for us as a body of believers a congregation in ways that we don't know and Can't understand.

And yet he is perfecting our prayers. I pray for the encouragement of those who are Discouraged and downtrodden today. I pray for the health and strength of those who can't be here and are physically struggling this morning also pray for.

I pray for the joy to return to the sorrowing grieving heart today. Lord do a work of grace in our midst as only you can do. And then we continue to pray for our nation and it's. It is at a crossroads it seems father.

There's so much Violence, there's so much hatred and anarchy. There is so much anger. And there is anxiety and there is fear. And father we we understand we realize that the root of all of this Is a people who has abandoned you.

It is an abandonment of your word and your prince of the principles of your word. Father we pray above all things that you would use the chaos of our day to bring conviction of heart. And bring sinners to christ.

Who is the ultimate only real source of peace? And joy and happiness. May many find him. We pray now father as we Continue on in our worship service this morning. I pray that you would use your word in our hearts and lives and Challenge us to be the soldiers of christ that you would have us to be.

And this we pray in the name of jesus our savior. All right before our next hymn before the message just a reminder that on lord supper sundays. We receive a benevolence offering and that will be Available to do that at the end of the service.

There'll be a silver plate on the table there in the foyer. You can use that for your benevolence offering today. Other than that your regular ties and offerings giving. You can use that little box. There's a box on the table there.

You've been there a few weeks now. You're probably getting used to that. Of course, you can also continue to give online. So jim, please come lead us in that next hymn our scripture reading this morning.

We want to read ephesians chapter 6 verses 13 through 18. Ephesians 6 13 through 18 actually going to be parked in these few verses for a couple of weeks. I hope that doesn't get old but there's just way too much in there to gloss over quickly ephesians 6.

Follow along as I read beginning in verse 13 Paul writes wherefore take unto you the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth.

And having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. And watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Just a brief prayer. To speak oh lord as we come to you to receive the food from your holy word. Plant these truths deep within us. We pray in jesus name. Amen. Well, i'm a little bit more than halfway through ron chernow's book ulysses s grant his biography of That great general and then president of the united states.

You may have heard me mention that book a few weeks back and you're wondering man. It sure is taking a long time to work your way through that book. Well, it is after all well over 900 pages long, so You know i'm on page 566 or seven something like that.

I'm in a couple of chapters past the assassination of president lincoln and the responsibility that's been placed on lieutenant general grant to.

Provide.

Protection for the nation. He's the general overall the armies of the union and also to work toward he's involved in In in Enforcing enforcing peace in the reconstruction efforts and he's he's highly involved in that as well.

But of course, you know general grant maybe not only because of the president because but because he was the general that led the union army to victory in the civil war. He has been described at his up to his time in history.

As.

One of the greatest if not the greatest general military general That history has ever known. He was an exceptional military leader. He was charged with coordinating a million man army that stretched from the east coast To the state of texas.

And coordinating all of their movements and all of their efforts to try to bring about a conclusion to that civil war. There are several things that made grant a very effective military leader. For example, he had this incredible ability to perceive Accurately where the enemy was and what the enemy was going to do not only in a given battle.

But even for the whole war, I mean he he knew where he's stationed in. He's stationed in virginia, for example, and he knew what the enemy was planning to do In tennessee and in missouri and in georgia.

And so forth he had this incredible ability To perceive the enemy and to perceive its strength he also he also Was very effective at making sure that his army Was well supplied was he was well equipped with? the resources necessary to fight but also just the basic necessities of food and clothing and shelter and that's in stark contrast to What the confederate army had to deal with especially as the war was winding down.

And then grant was also very effective at motivating his regiments to hold their position. And oftentimes, I mean he made that charge but oftentimes Initially in a particular battle a ground was lost by the union, but he made sure That whatever ground was lost one day was regained the next and then some the next day.

So I think about that in contrast to for example His predecessors that led the army of the potomac. There were several armies that made up the union forces the army of the potomac some of the generals that preceded grant Leading the army of the potomac they would uh, they would Enter into some battle and they get pretty soundly defeated by robert e lee and some of those confederate forces.

And then those generals retreated Not grant Not grant. He persisted in holding the line holding the position now I share all that because of the The tone and the the text that we're reading today in ephesians chapter 6 paul is talking about taking on armor as soldiers in a spiritual battle.

So this whole passage ephesians 6 beginning in verse 10 and down through 18 Is a passage it has to do with warfare, and so I find very instructive and very illustrative of our responsibility as soldiers in christ's army if you will.

How.

Grant carried out his function and responsibility As a general leading the union forces. You and I. You and I who are believers in christ followers of christ. We're engaged in a cosmic conflict a spiritual warfare.

It's one that involves us corporately as a church. Corporately as christians around the world. But also involves us individually. And we need to soldier on and we need to soldier.

Effectively.

But to do that to soldier effectively. Several things are necessary on our part. Individually and the first of these I just by way of review just a reminder. The first of these things that we need to do if we're going to soldier effectively.

Is that we need to have our eyes open to the threat? That is all around us. Verse 12 speaks of that threat. Paul says we wrestled not against flesh and blood. But against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The threat that is all around us is not. Primarily I get this. It's not primarily a physical one. It's not primarily a physical one. Now our enemy and in this warfare and his tactics that he employs. He uses physical things material things and People and things that we can see and feel physically.

But the battle itself the warfare itself the threat itself is not primarily physical it is spiritual and it is therefore more dangerous. I mean if you're. If you're if your threat is simply something that you can see right in front of you and that's all it is.

You have a much better chance of being able to deal with that. But if there is something sinister behind it and it's broader than that. It's deeper than that. It's higher than that. It's more powerful than that one thing you're looking at.

It makes the threat all the more dangerous and that threat is varied and subtle. You notice in the last part of verse 11 Paul speaks of being able to stand against the wiles. The schemes the methods of the devil he's very very effective at deception.

We'll say more about that later. We also need to realize that that threat is all around us and these different uh categories if you will of the devil's army. Different regiments maybe if we could look at it that way of the devil's army described here in verse 12 principalities of powers rulers of the darkness of this world spiritual wickedness in high places.

We might think of it like this. The threat that is all around us is a threat that includes and involves government and politics at every level principalities are Influencing the governmental processes in this world also, this threat influences decision makers the powers the Authorities that are over us and that wield their authority in this world it influences the concepts of morality and ethics in our world.

Why is it that something that doesn't seem? So bad today. Seem to be terribly.

Immoral.

A generation ago. Why is that? Why is there such change in what's considered right and wrong and what's considered moral and immoral?

Why?

Because of the spiritual warfare that's going on the spiritual threat to your very soul. And that threat influences the very culture in which we live. And that culture Um that culture expresses itself in all kinds of different avenues through the the printed page through the screen.

Whether it's The television screen or the theater screen or your ipad screen or your phone screen? The screens that reflect our culture influence have an influence on us and they are influenced by.

The.

The enemy forces of the wicked one you can think of the culture the spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies as the end of verse 12 speaks of. You could think of them as the instigators and the propagators of corrupt ideas that filter throughout the cultural expressions of our world.

So this threat is Not primarily physical. It's spiritual. It's varied and subtle the wiles of the devil. It's all around us. And then verse 13 makes it clear to us that that Threat is inevitable because paul says That you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

There is not a a hint of there being a possibility of there being an evil day. There is the declaration that there will be an evil day. What exactly does he talk about here? What does he mean by the evil day?

He's not referring Primarily to evil in a moral sense. Is that's the way we normally would take the word. He's the word that's translated. Evil here uh speaks more of a Of an incredibly difficult time period.

The word communicates challenge and struggle and grueling difficulty. So for example. Think of um in recent couple of months The police officers in some of our cities who have had to work 12 hour shifts Day after day after day without any day off.

And that is just that's wearing them down and they get halfway through their shift. And it's grueling to continue on to get through the next half of the shift. And some of them are doing having to pull double shifts and getting very little sleep.

And and this is these are grueling days for those police officers. In the in the doing of their job and the carrying out of their responsibility. Now you think about that struggle that difficulty that Grueling effort that they have to go through in the carrying out of their job.

This is the kind of day that paul is talking about he's talking about a spiritually grueling day. Where it seems difficult just to get through the day on a spiritual level. You know emotionally you're struggling physically.

You're feeling fatigued and weary. Mentally you're having a hard time staying focused just because of all that's going on. And and it's a pressing upon you. This threat is a very real threat and you need to have your eyes open to this threat.

But secondly To soldier effectively not only do you have to have your eyes open to the threat. Paul tells you in verse tells us in verses 11 and 13 that we need to hold our position. So he says in verse 11 put on the whole armor of god that you may be able to stand Against the wiles of the devil.

Verse 13 He says that you may be able to withstand an evil day and having done all to stand. And and this it's not talking so much about a Physical standing rather than falling down. He's talking about holding your position.

This is what this is what general grant meant when he oftentimes Sent a communique to a commander in battle who was being sieged by the confederate the rebel forces rebel army and he would send a communique and say something to the effect that.

That you need to hold your position at all costs. No matter what it takes hold your position. And and that's what that's what paul is talking about hold your position at all costs. Now when grant sent those communiques he off almost always had a message of hope to go with it and that was.

Reinforcements are coming. Hold your position until the general so-and-so makes his way with his with his regiment in your place. Hold your position. This does involve a certain posture. The word stand communicates that posture, but it's not so much a posture of physically standing.

As what is implied in that physical standing? When the enemy is approaching you Stand your ground. Hold a position that is one of courage a a courageous posture not cowering in fear. As paul told timothy In second timothy chapter one.

He says stir up the gift of god that is in you. Why? Because god has not given us the spirit of fear. But of power and of love and of a sound mind. That's true for Those of us in pastoral ministry, but it's also true for every believer in christ.

What is the gift of god that he has given to you what is the place Where he has placed you. Well, whatever that place is you are going to be threatened by the wicked one. He he definitely wants to attack you.

He will he shall. And what do you do? Stand. Hold up your posture. Be courageous. Don't cower in fear. But this word also communicates the necessity Of a particular position. Stand. Don't run. Don't hide.

Don't retreat. Don't give ground. Like in ephesians chapter 4 back a page in your bible probably verse 26 verse 27 paul says. Neither give place To the devil. Don't give any ground to the devil, you know, you notice what that's on that statement's on the heels of right?

Verse 26 he says be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil. Why did paul write verse 27 after he wrote verse 26? Because paul understood the spiritual battle that's going on when you're feeling angry.

When that emotion of anger wells up within you he knows exactly What you may be tempted to do. How you may be tempted to act giving place to the devil and doing something that. An hour or two or day or two or maybe a week or two later.

You're going to look back on and regret. I tried to narrow down the number of times and I have um I've had to deal with that and I I remember one particular incident that comes to mind. I know this is this will totally blow you away thinking that no way you got that time.

You couldn't. There was something that occurred.

I won't.

Say what that was. But it was a definitely a terrible thing and it was a thing that rightly incited anger. And if I you knew what it was you would say yeah, that's a totally understandable that you would get angry over such a thing.

So the anger itself was an appropriate response. But the giving place to the devil in that anger was not. And in my anger over that situation I was standing in the dining room of our house and we have a stairway that stairwell that goes upstairs.

And there's a door to that stairwell and that that door Was open wide open and I got this news that was so angering to me.

That I.

Closed my flip phone tells you how long ago it was right? I closed my flip phone. Slammed it down on the table and I took that door and I just slammed it as hard as I could in anger. Now, what did that accomplish?

What what did that? Well, you say you vented. I did. And i'm grateful that it was a door and not a person. But had the person who created such an angry response been standing in front of me it's hard telling.

What I might have said. I wouldn't have physically hit the person. That's not not me. I I don't think I could do that but I'm i'm afraid to think of what I might have said in such a situation giving place to the devil, that's why.

That's why paul wrote that right after the anger thing because he knows we're in a spiritual battle. There's something that riles you. Hold your position. Hold your position. Don't give the devil ground.

To get into this situation. And make it all the worse. Hold your position. And then thirdly if we're going to soldier effectively We need to engage in powerful resistance engage in powerful resistance.

Verse 13 Paul says take the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand in the evil day to withstand. And that word withstand is a different word. That's uh than the one Earlier and later where he says to stand to withstand Requires more than simply holding your position.

It involves a resistance against That which would try to cause you to flee from your position or to lose your position you visit you personally. Powerfully resist against that thing. Whatever that force may happen to be.

So again by way of illustration it is because of what i'm reading right now. It's just easiest to to have these things come to my mind but i'm thinking of um I'm thinking of robert e lee if you know anything about if you civil war read civil war stuff one of the most challenging battlefields in virginia was what's called the wilderness area.

And uh, there was more than one Battle in that wilderness area. The army of the potomac got mired down in the wilderness area and uh the first time. And ended up getting defeated and the general that was leading the the army he retreated lee stood his ground.

But later on, um when grant brought his forces into the wilderness. Uh, they're they're on full attack. The union forces full attack through that wilderness area and it was challenging ground. General lee robert e lee knew that ground very well and so he was able to Withstand he was able to resist there was an awful lot an awful lot of horrific bloodshed in the wilderness area because.

Lee.

Resisted which is in stark contrast to some of his other officers the confederate officers in places like nashville and chattanooga. When the union forces Came to nashville. They didn't have too much of a fight on their hands and the confederate forces just pretty much Evacuated the city of nashville and turned it over to the unions that the union force they did not resist hardly at all.

Well. You and I need to resist the spiritual Warfare the the threats that come at us. We need to resist. Which demands in the first place a will to fight? It's not always there. Is it it's not always there?

Sometimes it's the last thing you want to do sometimes you want to just I give up. I'm, just tired of this. All right. Need a will to fight. Remind yourself of what is at stake? A will.

To fight.

Again I think of the closing days just before Lee surrendered at appomattox one of the things that Really caused him to do that. Was he watched lee watched regiment after regiment? Totally lose their will to fight and they just they just left their guns and walked away.

Hundreds of them thousands Of confederate soldiers. They just they were starving. They were their clothing was threadbare. They were tired. They were weary. And they just said i've had enough. And they left.

They walked away. You need the will to fight but that is not enough either. Is it? That's not enough either. You actually need to do so and in our Fighting against the wicked one and his devices and his wiles and schemes and so forth.

We need to fight like jesus. What do I mean by that? Remember in ephesians chapter 12. The ephesians 12 or i'm sorry hebrews 12 follows right on hebrews 11 hebrews 11 the faith chapter. Have all those people of great expressions of faith and how they showed faith and demonstrated faith then chapter 12 verse 1 says.

Seeing we have this great cloud of witnesses all these people who testify to the nature of the effectiveness of faith. Let's run with Run with patience the race that is set before us the writer of hebrews uses a different analogy, but it's the same idea.

The race the fight let us fight to fight. That we're in that we are in that we have to fight and then he says looking unto jesus. The author and the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him out in front of him.

The joy that was set before him endured the cross. He fought the fight of the cross we just Reflected on that this morning. Despising its shame. For the joy set before him then the writer of hebrews says this in verses three and four.

He says consider him jesus who endured from sinners such hostility against himself. So that why why consider jesus and the and what he endured in the hostility that was.

That was.

Played out against him It was expressed against him. Why consider jesus? So that you May not grow weary or faint-hearted in your struggle. Against sin. The writer goes on to say you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Fight like jesus. We need to engage in powerful resistance and fight like jesus and fight under our general. James 4 verse 7 Says to us submit yourselves therefore to god. There's our general. Submit yourselves therefore to god.