Thursday, September 17, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I will return soon to some more Biblical insights on time. Please be patient.

  I have opened the last two worship services with quotes from Charles Spurgeon who is considered to be one of the greatest preachers ever. I came across one of his quotes that reminds us of the incredible nature of God’s grace:

"Men seem to think that God is under obligation to grant salvation to guilty men;
that if he saves one he must save all. They talk about rights,
as if any man had any right before the throne of God,
except the right to be punished for his sin."

  Spurgeon shows how sinners have twisted the holy character of God. They think the Creator somehow must be obliged to serve those He created. You might think the effects of evolution had already crept into the culture. That could be true as Spurgeon lived from 1834-1892 and publication of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” came in 1859. Yet since Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden man has rebelled against God and sought to be the arbiter of what is right and wrong. Certainly the mythology found in the Greek, Roman and Norse cultures (as well as almost all ancient civilizations) feature humans forming “deities” that reflect how humans want their gods to act.

  God answers this accusation of His “obligation to grant salvation to guilty men” in Romans 9:20-12, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? (Then quoting Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9) “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this.’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” We must ever marvel and worship the fact that God saves anyone. He has no such obligation except that He promised after the fall to send a Redeemer who would crush the head of Satan.

  Indeed our sins must be punished. God sent His only Son to be our substitute. He bore the wrath of God for those chosen to be His people. Again the temptation to think our good works have somehow redeemed ourselves remains. We must reject and run from it.

  As John MacArthur, who could be considered a modern Spurgeon, has preached, “One tragic element of our fallen nature is the inclination to evaluate our actions according to our own standards. Little wonder so many people perceive themselves as “good people.” But God is our Judge, and He will adjudicate based on His holy standards.” 

  By faith in Christ we have the hope of standing before our Judge and being welcomed into His eternal presence. May we live with that hope today!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  God is eternal. He created time. He rules over time. His timing is perfect. I could list many more truth about God and time. These facts impact how we live. Violating them can lead to danger. The Bible gives many illustrations of this. Let’s look at one.

  In Genesis 12, 15 and 17 God issues a series of promises to Abraham that He will make him a father of a great nation and all the world will be blessed through Abraham. For that to happen, Abraham and his wife Sarah must have a son. God did not give a specific time to Abraham as to when this would happen. God even did two separate ceremonies that sealed His promises in covenant ritual in Genesis 15 and 17. By doing so God stated that should He not fulfill His vow to bless Abraham He should be torn in two as the sacrificed animals had been split in chapter 15.

  After God confirms His covenant with Abraham in chapter 17 a short time later He appears to Abraham in the next chapter. There He promises that “about this time next year…Sarah your wife will have a son.” At last, 24 years after God first promised him a son, God gives Abraham a due date. Now Sarah heard this and laughed. She described herself self as “worn out and my husband is old.” Though thought impossible from a human perspective, God kept His promises and in Genesis 21 Sarah gives birth to Isaac.

  It would be a joy to say the family lived happily ever after, but that would not be true. A major problem existed in Abraham’s house. Ten years after God had promised Abraham a son, Abraham and Sarah developed a heart problem. They failed to believe to believe that God would be faithful in keeping His covenant. They got impatient. Their lack of being willing to wait on God’s perfect timing resulted in grave sin. Sarah had remained childless, so as custom but not God allowed, she gave her maidservant Hagar to Abraham so he could have a child with her.

  In Genesis 16 Hagar meets an angel who blesses her by saying her son will have descendants “too numerous to count.” The angel also pronounces a curse, “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his had will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all people.” No doubt the angel’s words stung Hagar. She would have plenty of grandchildren, but they, like Ishmael, would be nothing but trouble. Indeed the Middle East and the world have been beset by trouble due to the line of Ishmael. The lack of patience to wait on the faithful God caused this mayhem.

  Beware of this type of sin in your life. We like to glibly say, “Patience is a virtue.” Certainly that saying contains much truth. Sadly it can also be said that a lack of patience [that is, a failure to wait on the Lord] will lead to misery in the lives of many. May we live to the glory of God as we wait with patience on His promises. He will fulfill them in His perfect timing! 

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Monday, September 14, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  Most of us wear a watch or (much to the chagrin of Timex) use a cell phone to let us know the time. Many have a calendar to help remind us of things we need to do and to get us there on time. Yet over the last six months time has seemingly taken on a new dimension. For a lot of you the routine of life has disappeared. As one writer says about her life, “Every day is ‘Blursday” and she first wrote that in early April. After just two weeks of being isolated with her family due to the virus restrictions, her life had become a train wreck. I need to check back and see how she is coping after six months. Another commented that after six months “Our sense of time is still broken.” With the help of the Bible I hope to repair that sense of brokenness.

  Genesis 1 lays out a basic understanding of time. It clearly states several times that God created all things in the space of six twenty-four hour days, “There was evening and there was morning.” In verse 14 we learn that God put the sun and moon in the sky “as signs to mark out the seasons and days and years.” God created time. Man did not invent it. God created the order of time. After six days of creating all things “God rested from all His work.” Being all powerful, God did not need to regain His strength. He did so to set a pattern for all humanity to live by as taught in the Fourth Commandment.

  Years later in Leviticus 23 God instructed His people to observe certain dates to help them remember His works of salvation in their history. First, there was to be the weekly observation of the Sabbath. This gift reminds all people that God created all things and calls them to rest in Him. Then God tells Israel to have a sacred assembly on the most important day of celebration – the Passover. This yearly feast reminds them of God’s incredible act of delivering Israel out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt as detailed starting in Exodus 12. This points to the Passover Lamb’ who would come 1,400 years later.

  This coming Friday Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah as a new year starts on the Jewish calendar. It serves as a time to seek forgiveness of sin and celebrate the faithfulness of God. Today a rabbit blows the shofar (ram’s horn) to call people to rejoice as they eat bread with honey as they look forward to “a sweet new year.”

  Ten days later comes the sober observance of the Day of Atonement. On that day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (and later in the Temple) to offer up sacrifice for the sins of the people. Only then Moses writes, “will you be clean from all your sins.” This yearly commemoration forced Israel to acknowledge their sin and rest in the mercy and grace of God. Looking at time as God instructs points us to His holy character and His great love for us.

  I am out of time today and will have more to say tomorrow.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Friday, September 11, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I read the following words of Charles Spurgeon at the start of worship this last Lord’s Day:

O Lord, teach us this very morning the art of praise. Let our soul take fire,
and like a censer full of frankincense, may our whole nature send forth a delicious
perfume of praiseful gratitude unto the ever blessed One, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  This amazing statement points out many principles that help better worship God. Let’s unpack the power of these 45 words, so we might weekly, daily and moment by moment, give God the glory that He alone deserves as we worship Him.

  God alone must be the object of our worship. To worship anything else but the true and living God constitutes idolatry – a gross sin of which no one wants to be guilty. Worship requires the discipline to focus on God – His character and all He has done. Letting our minds wander to lesser things is not an option. This is why Spurgeon describes worship as “the art of praise.” It requires practice with purpose. True art does not simply happen. Any acclaimed artist plans his efforts and employs painstaking diligence to produce a beautiful work.

  God-honoring worship involves a cost. The phrase “Let our soul take fire” shows worship runs on the energy of the heart and the body. Knowing God’s love has been showered on the worshiper leads him to respond in love to the God who has first loved him. That divine love stirs the emotions, as the head informs the heart anew of how deep God’s is the measure of God’s love. Remember that this Sunday as we sing, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling!”

  As we offer heart-felt and Gospel-informed worship to God, our Maker enjoys it as “a delicious perfume of praiseful gratitude.” Our worship must have a Trinitarian focus. We sing and pray to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We worship in Spirit and in truth.

  May our lives daily and our gathered worship practice the art of praise!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  What would you say to someone who gives you the following reasons why they are not a Christian? “Christians are hypocrites. They say you should do one thing, but they do the opposite. They just follow a bunch of rules. Who needs to be constantly told to do this list of things, but you better not do any of these things. No two people seem to have the same list. I could never keep all the rules and I would have a hard time even remembering all of them. No one really wants a God that makes you do stuff that is hard to do. A life like that sounds like no fun at all. I would be worn out just trying to do all that and might not do enough good to make God even like me.”

  Just the last sentence gives you a wide open door to present the message of God’s grace. No one can keep God’s law perfectly. Only Jesus has done that. By believing that one has sinned against the holy God and that Jesus has paid the penalty for sin, can one be forgiven. Jesus did the good works for us. One writer notes how most people view the end of life with these simple words, “The day of judgment is understood to be a straightforward day of reckoning where God weighs a person’s good deeds and their bad deeds. If the scale is heavier on the side of the good, then that person will go to gardens of paradise. If the bad is the heavier side, then that person will begin suffering right away in fiery torment.”

  Theologian Doug Eaton provides three reasons why God’s commands are not burdensome. I hope you will meditate on these profound truths.

  First, “we are motivated by our love for him.” We love God because He first loved us per 1 John 4:19. Earlier in verse 11 John wrote, “Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” We have seen God’s love at the cross and that love provides great impetus for His people to overflow with love for Him and His gracious commands.

  Second, “the Holy Spirit empowers us” to do what God’s commands. To produce spiritual fruit one must have the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus makes this clear in John 15:5, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” You can honestly tell anyone (including yourself) that trying to obey God in your own strength will result in failure, frustration and falling on your face. 

  Third, “His commands revive our soul.” Eaton explains with tender wisdom that, “the commands of God, when viewed in the light of the Spirit, revive our soul. They become a source of strength and happiness. In Psalm 19:7-8 David rejoiced saying, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Did those key phrases jump out at you? “Reviving the soul,” “rejoicing the heart,” and “enlightening the eyes.” There is no happier state for the believer than holiness, and there is no righteousness apart from his commands. When we are living outside of the will of God, the weight of sin drags us into the mire and makes our brightest day dull. On the contrary, the joy of the Lord and his holiness lifts our spirits to the heavens and can make us rejoice even on our darkest days.”

  Pray that God will give you the opportunity to give an answer for the hope that is in you and may these words equip you to share words of life with those who need to hear them.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  As I write this I am watching the live-stream of the funeral of Sandy Curnow – a retired member of our presbytery. There have been words of praise for the faithful pastor who held without reservation to the truth of the Bible. His booming voice and jovial character have been noted. Yet most of all Sandy wanted to be known as one who lived to the glory of God and in total dependence on Him. Words from a favorite hymn appeared to the worship order:

When I am far from friends and home, Upon the land, or sea,
My Savior’s near, whate’er may come, I know He cares for me.

Refrain:
He watches o’er me day and night, He makes my many burdens light,
I know my Savior cares for me. Whene’er I call, He hears my cry,
And wholly on Him I rely - I know my Savior cares for me!

Upon the cross, in wondrous love, He died, from sin to free,
And now prepares my home above, I know He cares for me.

The darkest clouds may o’er me roll, Undaunted I shall be;
My faithful friend will keep my soul, I know He cares for me.

I’ll sing His praise with heart and voice, Now, and eternally;
And in His strength and love rejoice, I know He cares for me

  I had not heard of this hymn “I Know My Savior Cares” before this service. The richness of the words provides comfort to God’s people. I planned to just give you one stanza and the refrain, but the power of the lyrics demanded that I share all of them. With the help of Bing (instead of Google) I discovered the hymn writer, Katharyn (sic) Bacon, composed well over 100 hymns – not one of which appear in any hymnal published after 1960. The lyrics of hymns by this lady, who was “born and lived in the hills of Tennessee” according to a bio, reflect an intimacy with God “Under His Wings I Hide” and would “Serve the Lord with a Happy Heart.” With good reason Sandy chose this hymn to be in the worship bulletin.

  Sandy not only picked the hymns for his funeral, he also chose what his pastor preached. Mike Thompson proclaimed from Luke 18 the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. One man thought his own good acts made him righteous, while the other knew he was a sinner and begged God for mercy. Sandy knew he needed that mercy as his only comfort in life and in death.

  It was good to go to the house of mourning for this funeral. May we praise our Lord who cares for us!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Friday, September 4, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  Almost 50 years ago my eighth-grade brain heard for the first time John Lennon’s “Imagine” for the first time. The song would be Lennon’s best-selling single and captured the hearts of many. Reviewers wrote of how captivating its “serene melody and pillowy chord progression” resulted in it becoming “a hymn” for the turbulent times of the Vietnam Era. I just found out it has been played at every Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop since 2005. So it remains a song that reflects many hearts today.

   After “Imagine” was played at a school event, a teacher used it for a class discussion. By the end of those 40 minutes I was at odds with many of my classmates. As we began someone proposed that we take a vote that the opening concepts “there’s no heaven…no hell below” were good to believe (not just imagine) and it passed by a wide margin. The discussion came after the vote. All the cool people thought the song deserved all the praise it got and contained words to live by.

  At last a nerdy guy with thick glasses had his turn. He knew one day he would be a pastor (maybe even your pastor). He had to speak up about the shear absurdity of the lyrics, even though a large majority stood hand-in-hand with “no religion too.” Finally, I raised my hand. With more than a little fear I told them the song resembled a fairy tale. We had been taught that a good speech begins with a statement that grabs people’s attention.

  Needless to say I had everyone’s ear (as well as many glaring eyes). Even then I had to the authority of Scripture, so I said we can dream all we want, but the truth of the Bible will remain true. I gained some steam and was still a Baptist so I proclaimed one day each of us would die. After that we would face God’s judgment and would spend eternity in heaven or hell. I could continue the story, but to jump to the end, it was a topic of conversation out of class for a couple of weeks. I still wonder what the spiritual state of my classmates is today.

  I give you that story to call you to rejoice that “Imagine” is not true. We know there is a heaven and that by faith in the saving work of Jesus we will spend life everlasting with Him in heaven. We live life with hope in the promises of God. We live with purpose knowing that in all we do we are to glorify God and in relationship with Him. We live with confidence that God will never leave us or forsake us. In 2 Corinthians 5:1 Paul encourages them as they groan and long for something better than what is on earth, “we have a building from God, an eternal house is heaven, not built by human hands.” Now these things are worth imaging!

  Contrast “Imagine” with words sung this past Lord’s Day in ‘Christ our Hope in Life and Death:’

Unto the grave, what shall we sing? “Christ, he lives; Christ, he lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life with him.
There we will rise to meet the Lord, then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy, when Christ is ours forevermore.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I forgot on Tuesday to wish you a blessed welcome to the month of September. So I trust you will have a blessed month though the weirdness of the pandemic seems like it will never end. I hope these words below will strengthen your faith in our Lord.

  This time continues to offer God’s people to grow in grace in ways that we have not before. In this time we truly must live by faith and not by sight. Psalm 103:2 tells us to do two vital things that are crucial to not just surviving, but thriving, these days. I will let you pick them out, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” Yes, I helped by bolding them. Offering praise God is what we were created to do. It brings glory to God and it keeps our focus on our Heavenly Father. It also helps us recall of the abundant blessings that God bestows on His chosen people. 

  Our country is blessed with the best medical care in the world, but still we are headed to almost 200,000 deaths by the end of the month. The way this virus should be treated remains a work in progress. It baffles the experts, but God remains firmly in control. Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…” Remember God is God and we are not! Nor is anyone else.

  Our land faces a great racial divide. We must beg God to heal us. By His grace we must love others and treat all people with the dignity that every person created in the image of God deserves. I talked with Officer Ray of the Weaverville Police last week. He grieves over the anger and hate that he has seen in his hometown. Reggie is black and loves our Lord. Children love him as he serves as the Resource Officer at the Primary and Elementary Schools during normal times. Pray for the safety of our police and may they be used to bring unity to our town. Thanks be to God for His peace that passes all understanding.

  September brings change as the weather begins to cool, the fall harvest delivers a bounty of food and the trees start to color. Perennial plants will get ready for winter and annuals will be dug up to be tossed on the compost pile. Humans qualify as perennials and God has numbered our days. As the seasons continue their cycles what change is God bringing about in you? If you are still breathing, God has you here for His ordained purpose. May Philippians 1:6 encourage us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

  The pandemic continues and God’s abundant (hyper) grace continues in much greater measure.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I used the following quote from my college professor Bob Webber during Sunday’s sermon (it was not in the online version), “The crushing blow to all evil is found on the hard wood of the cross and in Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Here God enters into the suffering of the world, literally, embraces the sin and suffering of the whole world, taking it into himself on the cross and destroying its power over us in his resurrection.”

  I cited this text to call us to live under the reign of grace. Paul tells us in Romans 5:21 God’s grace reigns “through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Dr. Webber’s rich words remind us that in Christ the Holy God came to our fallen world. At the cross Jesus embodied our sin and suffered the wrath of God so that the power of sin would be destroyed. I got chills just tying those words! Implicit in the quote is that either Jesus has stood in our place on the cross or one day we will suffer the punishment we deserved.

  Praise God for the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement! [You did talk about this at the dinner table on Sunday, right?] To refresh your memories in a few words, Jesus took our place (substitute), suffered for our sins (bore the penalty), and as a result, our sins are covered by His sacrificial blood (He atoned for our sin). Without this truth we are without hope. 

  I love how Dr. Webber vividly declares the victorious nature of the cross. Jesus’ death and resurrection gave the “crushing blow” to sin in the lives of God’s people. We will see this truth in the coming weeks in Romans 6. Our mortal enemies of sin and death have been defeated – the empty cross and the empty tomb prove it.

  Dr. Webber told us many times in his class on “The History and Theology of Worship” that true worship is a heart-felt response to the redemptive work of Jesus in His death, resurrection and ascension. In light of the “crushing blow” of Savior dealt to sin and death, may we live all of our lives in worship to our great God.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

PS. I must take a minute to admit I made a mistake during Sunday’s sermon. Mary and Joseph were not the first people to have a “gender-reveal party.” A few months before that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was told by the angel of the Lord his wife Elizabeth would bear a son. The name ‘John’ means ‘God is gracious’ and indeed God would show his ‘hyper’ grace to His people. [This pastor who shares that name remains ever grateful for the grace of God.] The point of the “gender reveal party” was to focus on the Sovereign God who sent His only Son as Jesus – “the God who saves” – to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Monday, August 31, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I thought you could use some words of comfort on this last day of August. Four months remain in this year that has been like none other in our lifetimes. Many of you can remember life at the end of the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the moon landing and the destruction of September 11, 2001. None of those events upended our lives as the current pandemic has – and it is not over. I was drawn to the first and last paragraphs of the Westminster Confession chapter on Providence.  Chew over these words in the first paragraph. I challenge you find at least five truths that give you comfort.

“God—the great Creator of all things—upholds, directs, disposes, and governs
all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least. He exercises
this most wise and holy providence according to his infallible foreknowledge
and the free and unchangeable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory
of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”

  Did you find at least five facts for comfort? Here is my summary of those words. As Creator, God has a vested interest in the events of the world. He did not sit back after His work of making all things and just watch to see what would happen. He by His sovereign and perfect will directs and governs all that happens to the smallest detail. The Confession builds on the teaching of the Bible that all things will take place to the praise of His glory. We worship God for His works of providence in all areas of life.

  The chapter closes with special words for God’s people. They remind us of the practical nature of God’s promise to His people first stated by Him in Exodus 6:7, “I will take you as My own people, and I will be Your God.” Grab hold of the comforting message of this paragraph:

“As, in general, the providence of God reaches to all creatures, so, in a very special way,
it cares for his church and disposes all things for its good.”

  As a part of the church of Jesus Christ - redeemed by faith alone in His work on the cross – we are a peculiar or special people. This leads us to hold on to the great promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Handle this verse and the doctrine of providence with great care. At the same time, rest in the divine comfort they provide.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Friday, August 28, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  A pastor friend challenged me this week to make sure I take good care of myself during the pandemic. I appreciated his advice and promised I would eat right, exercise and try to get enough sleep. Before I could tell him about other areas of my life that I would tend to, he lovingly cut me and let me know he was pretty sure I would take care of myself in a variety of areas – physical and spiritual. He then encouraged me to let the church help me in one major way. So I now ask you to help me. The way he thinks (and I concur) the best way you as my church family can assist me as your pastor is by praying for me. Let me share some ways you can pray. [These ideas come from a variety of ministry sources.]

  Pray that your pastor would fear God and not man. It is easy for pastors to get this backwards. I am ultimately accountable to God though as a human I want to be liked. As one veteran pastor said, “Pray that your pastor would stand in awe of God above all else. Pray that he would be, as John Piper often says, a “God-besotted” man who treasures, loves, savors and fears the tribune God.” As I have written about the glory almost exclusively for two weeks, you would think this happen easily.

  Pray that your pastor would have great confidence in God’s Word and the gospel. The temptation always lurks to use worldly means to produce spiritual fruit. Pray that I would without apology hold to the authority of Scripture and that it alone is the power of God unto salvation. Pray also that I would preach “the whole counsel of God” and not just cherry pick passages that people will like.

  Pray that your pastor would grow in godliness. The day a seminary professor said the average church is only as holy as its pastor almost became my last day of seminary. By the end of the class he had persuaded all of us to continue in our studies. A study of the requirements for an elder in 1 Timothy sees its focus on character. It is humbling to think that any man can match up to those standards. God uses imperfect people to serve His church. Pray that I would be found worthy of the high calling of pastor.

  Pray that your pastor would have great wisdom. James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom with the promise that He will give generously. Ministry in its many forms requires great wisdom. Many decisions require much thought while some must be dealt with right away. Biblical wisdom must guide all this church does.

  Pray that your pastor would rest and rejoice. Pastors tend to be workaholics. That deadly disease hits me only a few times a year. I have learned I should strive to be efficient yet not a slave to the to-do list. Certain items must be checked of the list each week. I have learned that I am not a machine and must take at least one day off a week. I am grateful for the sabbatical I was given last year. Somehow the church functioned well while I was gone six weeks. I could rejoice that this church belongs to Jesus and not me.

  Pray that your pastor would love well. These words sum it up well, “Pastoral work is people work, which is why pastoring is rewarding. And it’s also why pastoral ministry is hard. People disappoint. People sin. People attack. People typically grow very slowly. The Bible often compares the work of ministry to farming. Making disciples of people can be slow, exhausting, heart-breaking labor. ..Ask the Lord to give him faith in God’s promises to bring the elect to maturity so that he would not grow weary in making disciples.”

  Thank you for praying for your pastor. He certainly needs it. May God be glorified in and through Him!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I started to state that I am sorry for what I am about to write, but it is a wonderful truth that I should never apologize for. Yes, I will give you a little more about the glory of God by restating a section of my sermon on “True Hope” based on Romans 5:2-5. There we saw that true hope is found in the glory of God. God inspired the Holy Bible to give His people hope. Hope is the confident expectation that God will work all things to His glory and for the good of His people. Here are several points that teach us that God’s glory is a big deal and worthy of our praise.

  Romans 11:36 tells us the glory of God is eternal. We live in a world where just about everything will come to an end, but 1 Peter 1:24 tells us the glory of the world will pass away. Isaiah 40:12 informs us His glory is mighty as God measures the seas in the palm of His hand.

  A few points remind us, as John 1:14 does, that in Jesus “the Word became flesh and lived among us and we beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Hebrews 1:3 opens with the fact that Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory. He is the exact representation of God. Jesus could pray in John 12:23, “Now is the time for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Paul observes the fulfillment of that in Romans 6:4 by telling us Jesus came back from the dead by the glory of the Father.

  Living with a focus on the glory of impacts our lives as 2 Corinthians 4:17 comforts us with the reminder that any affliction we endured is minor compared to the glory that will be revealed. As a result we can look forward to life everlasting in heaven. Per Revelation 21:23, the glory of God will replace the sun and provide light. We must learn now to worship as God desires because Revelation 5:11-12 lets us know that the glory of God is and will be the focus of life in heaven.

  Sadly, 2 Thessalonians 1:9 warns those who suffer eternal punishment will miss out on God’s eternal glory. Lastly, Romans 1:21-25 and 3:23 diagnose the ultimate issue that causes the many problems found in our world. These passages say rebellious man has failed to give God the glory that He alone deserves. In our fallen world people do not glorify God; they exchange the glory of the immortal God for man-made images and exchange the truth of God for a lie.

  In our world beset by various problems, there appears to be a lack of hope. Do not despair – in Christ we have an abiding hope that can never be taken away from us His people. Take comfort and rejoice in the glory of the Creator God who has loved you with an everlasting love!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  The last phrase of Romans 5:2 set me off on the exploration of God’s glory with the words, “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” In other letters Paul teaches the glory of God is far greater than the glory of any other thing in the universe. Let’s go on a short hunt for His glory.

  In Romans 9:23 Paul explains the God work of redeeming a chosen people for Himself was done “to make His glory known to the objects of His mercy whom He prepared in advance for glory.” John Piper writes, “The glory of God is all that God is for us in his greatness and his excellence. And God is infinite. So his glory is infinite. It has no boundaries, no limits, no end. Sometimes Paul stresses this with the phrase "riches of his glory."

  In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prays, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” God shows His glory now and will show it more fully one day in the inheritance that His people now and will enjoy.

  Then in Philippians 4 Paul shares that he has “learned the secret of contentment whatever the circumstances.“ We live in a world that is seemingly allergic to being content. Advertisements bombard us from every direction – TV, radio, billboards, internet pop-ups, etc. – telling us we must buy this or that product so that we will be fulfilled, liked, beautiful, healthy and more. In verse 19 Paul reveals the ‘secret’ with the simple words, “And my God will greet all your needs according to His glorious riches.” Just a few verses earlier Paul wrote in this joyful letter, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” In whatever he did Paul focused on the goal stated in verse 20, “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

  I encourage you to continue to hunt for the glory of God in His world and in His creation as you live to His glory. May “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Monday, August 24, 2020

Dear Church Family,

  I opened my first sermon on the glory of God by noting I had gone to Amazon and other sites to shop for glory. I could not find it except for movies with the word in the title and brands of smoked sausage, chalk and beauty scrub. I encouraged you to look for the glory of God each day. We can be like Moses and ask that God show His glory. Let’s look at how another hero of the faith saw the glory of God.

  After the ark of the prophet Nathan relayed to King David God’s promise that His love would rest on David’s descendants forever and his kingdom would never end. David marveled at the actions and character of God. [I must note that God reveals Himself in history through glorious actions that also show His holy character.] God had given many military victories. 2 Samuel 7 records David’s prayer of praise – a prayer we can echo and learn from.

  David expresses awe that God would even think of blessing his family in such a way. David rests in the future plans of God and wonders, “Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?” To the chosen people of God, the answer is yes! God glorifies Himself by communing with His people. He is a personal God who knows His beloved by name. No other god is like that nor is it capable of doing so.

  In v21 David recognizes God’s work must never be seen as just some random act. Ponder these words of insight, “For the sake of Your word and according to Your will, You have done this great thing and made it known to Your servant.” God has a vested interest in the affairs of His people and He will be honored in and through them. The doctrine of adoption further brings glory to God. His people call Him ‘Father’ and strive to bring Him glory as Jesus brought Him glory. God’s people pray to their ‘Heavenly Father’ who not only hears His children when they pray, but He answers according to His perfect will. Again, no other god is like that nor is it capable of doing so.

  David follows in v22-24 with words that remind us that God will be glorified:

     “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you,
     as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on
     earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself,
     and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from
     before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people
     Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.”

  David rejoices at the greatness of God who is unlike any other god ever. God reveals Himself. God redeems a people for Himself. God will be with His people forever. His people, also known as Israel and the church, serve as visual representatives of our glorious God. Again, no other god is like that nor is it capable of doing so. As David praised God for His great works, may we do so as well.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Friday, August 21, 2020

Dear Church Family,

A cosmic battle continues throughout the universe. A victor has been declared, but the losing side refuses to concede. The war features good versus evil and truth opposing falsehood. An honest look at the world leads one to think evil and falsehood dominates good and truth by a wide margin.

I have good news. Please do not believe that “honest look” for it presents many lies. As the Bible teaches only that the Christian worldview that focuses on “It’s all about God and His glory!” can truly present an accurate analysis of the world. Bill Edgar in his book “Truth in All Its Glory” addresses this good news. He gets right to the point when he says the Bible “aims at nothing less than recounting the way things are. From the creation, to the fall of humankind, to the new creation in Christ, the story told by good theology is the right account of reality. It is at once sobering, convicting, and life-giving.”

Dr. Edgar goes to show that though the effects of Adam’s sin are many, fallen man “still has that insistent, clamant desire to prayer God: ‘You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you,’ Augustine tells us. Our desire to praise God is so deeply ingrained that it has led some skeptics to assert that all belief in a deity is merely a projection of our needs, the translation of human aspirations into the image of a heavenly father.”

He further diagnoses that all humans have a “hunger for God (that) takes many forms in our present world.” Sadly John 1:10 reports, “[The one true light] was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” Jesus is the good and the truth that people seek, but their spiritual blindness keeps them from seeing Him. They yearn for the good though they often choose the evil. People say they prefer truth, but readily reject it and believe lies.

There remains danger “by making God all too human or by making humanity all to divine…we can begin to see how critical it is to get it right.” While there are many things that can be called good such as “family, culture, friends, the arts, all that human life possesses that has worth, our highest good is not in these things but in knowing God and being known by him.”

No human philosophy, nor science, nor lifestyle can bring us to true knowledge of God. Only the Bible and the Holy Spirit have the power to accomplish that. Jesus has been declared the victor. He has shown us God’s goodness and God’s truth. May the truth of God’s Word bring us to a deeper knowledge of God and may we be known by Him!

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Dear Church Family,

We see God’s glory in creation. That was the first point I made in our five-part study of the glory of God that wrapped up this past Lord’s Day. Psalm 19 and many other psalms clearly state that the universe that God created by the power of His word in six days demonstrates His glory. Theologians call this general revelation. The Bible gives us God’s special revelation. It is full of the glory of God. With some help from John Piper [anything in quotes comes from him except Scripture], let me share some reasons how the Bible does this.

Many “religious” books claim to be holy, yet only one can truly say it “gives and sustains life.” When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus responds to Satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4). Later in John 6:63, Jesus states, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life.” Eternal life comes only from God. He will be glorified in that.

No false god or idol extends grace to those who worship it. The Bible “imparts grace and peace” to those who received God’s gift of righteousness by faith in Christ. Per 2 Peter 1:2 these wonderful gifts belong to God’s people “in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” In a world that rewards performance, the Bible provides knowledge of the Holy God who freely gives His grace to unworthy sinners and showers the peace that passes all understanding on them as well.

Simply looking at creation and being stirred by its grandeur will not make one a Christian. General revelation needs the addition of special revelation to bring anyone to saving faith. True conversion comes as the Holy Spirit and Scripture work together to bring one to an understanding of the sin against God and the redemptive work of Jesus. Only then can one act on the gift of faith given to them. Romans 10:17 backs this up, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Therefore, “Scripture saves and frees us from Satan.”

The Bible also “sanctifies.” In John 17 Jesus prayed that He would glorify His Father and then He prays that His disciples/all believers would glorify God. This would happen as they shown themselves to be holy – set apart from the evil of the world. In verse 17 Jesus prayed this for you and all who would come to faith, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” Faithful study of the Bible will sanctify you – make you holy.

With joy Jesus tells His true disciples in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” We will look at God’s truth and its glory tomorrow.

Living by grace to His glory,
Pastor Gillikin

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