Christ Church Troy Exhortation

“You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:19-22

Jesus Christ is the cornerstone and on him the apostles and prophets laid the foundation upon which saints of the church in Ephesus were put into place. And you saints of Christ Church Troy, 2000 years later are being built into that same building. But examining Paul’s description, our stone in the wall does not rest directly on the cornerstone. The building does not consist of just your stone on top of Jesus. No. just as the Ephesians were built on the apostles so we are fit together, chosen by God in our place in history. Down below us in the wall are the saints in Ephesus, Galatia, and Corinth, above them those in Constantinople and Rome, then above and to the side are Canterbury, Wittenberg, Geneva, Westminster, Northampton, and right below us you would find saints in Christ Church, Moscow Idaho, those who have laid the mortar on which we stand. Now these stones are being fit together by the Spirit lest anyone should boast that man did this. But likewise, the Spirit uses men and women throughout history to build his church lest anyone should think we arrived at the truth apart from the faithfulness of others. Man’s pride can find a pothole in any road. Are you different from other believers? Does Christ Church Troy have its own distinctives? Is it in a different part of the wall? Are we above some stones and below others? Maybe a different shape? If you have ever taken the time to look at a stone wall built by a master craftsman, you would see how rocks of all different shapes are perfectly placed. No two stones could be switched out without the wall losing integrity. But what foolishness for one stone to boast to another about its shape or placement or worse yet to think that it could stand as a wall by itself. If you are to boast, boast in this, that your cornerstone is Jesus Christ. That the Spirit took you, all of grace, and formed you and fit you into place together with all the saints into the temple of the living God.

Zach Browning – July 7, 2024

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What is your job here? What are you doing here in worship. First it is important to recognize that each one of us has a job. The congregation is not passive but is renewing covenant during worship. All audibly joins in responsive reading and song, all physically join at the supper, and all spiritually join in prayer. But what about during the sermon? The Pastor’s job is to proclaim the Word of God faithfully, week in and week out. The congregation is commanded to listen. “He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9.

This is not a passive task. To be a good listener takes hard work. It takes active hard work. You are called to hear that truth and apply it to your hearts and lives. 

Now it is only by the power of the Spirit that men are converted, and without conversion the truth proclaimed will make no sense, it bounces off the forehead. Unconverted hearts cannot understand. Unconverted ears cannot hear. 

But conversion does not instantly make you a good listener. Your ears can now work, they are able to hear, but they need training. You will need to work at it. This takes time and faith. 

To listen well you must remove any hindrance. To remove spiritual hindrance we confess our sins at the beginning of the service. Holding on to sin in your life is like holding your hands over your ears. You refuse to hear. 

But there are other hindrances. It has been said that the mind can only absorb what the body can endure. And so, you must prepare your body for listening. This means getting good rest on Saturday night and getting up early enough to eat a good breakfast. We are given human bodies; we cannot ignore them. Emergencies arise, babies stay up all night, but you should be planning within your control to get the rest needed. And if you are tempted to sleep during the sermon, it might be a good week to sit in the front row. 

You can also prepare to listen by reading the sermon text. Pastor Josh has given us all heads up that we will be in Isaiah for the next few years, so there’s really no excuse. Get familiar with Isaiah and you will hear more each sermon. I especially encourage young parents to practice this. If you know you are going to miss half of the sermon due to faithfully taking care of your kids, it will be incredibly helpful to already have the context for the parts you get to hear.

And lastly pray for wisdom. God wants you to hear more clearly and to grow in truth. So as James says, pray without doubting. 

Zach Browning – May 26, 2024

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Men are called to be leaders. Men are called to responsibility; to go out and take dominion. This is part of the creation ordinance. The idea that some men are alpha males while others are beta males is a false Darwinian lie about man. No, all men are called to lead and be leaders. God created men to be men. 

A man not leading his family, is abdicating, and he hates his family. A man that is bulldozed by the woke regime at work hates the truth and hates his neighbor. That’s because being passive is not being neutral. This is what is referred to as the sins of omission, not doing what God has commanded you to do. And these sins will send you to hell just as fast as any other sin. 

Now you might say, what about Paul’s teaching on the parts of the body? We can’t all be hands; we can’t all be mouths. My role is to be the quiet man, who doesn’t say anything but loves God in his heart. I am not really good at leading. I don’t speak well. I get easily confused and don’t want to blunder. I just mess things up when I try to take the lead. My wife is so much more organized than me, she does things so well when I just stay out of the way. 

This is the same argument that has brought our culture to the place of thinking a man’s role can be a woman. He can just mutilate himself, take some drugs and “Presto!”, he’s a woman. No, the different roles or talents given to men in the body do not include no longer being a man. They do not include abdication of responsibility and they never include sinning. Men, you are to stand for and defend the truth. Every one of you. Husbands, you are to lead your wife and children, every one of you. Men, you are to rule over sin in your life, every one of you. 

Now each one of you should also prayerfully be considering whether you are called to lead in the church, serving as an elder or a deacon. This is a part of the body that you may or may not be called to. But whether you are or not, we are all called to strive to meet the qualifications for Church leadership. To be honest, blameless, a one-woman man, to be watchful, self-controlled, hospitable, able to teach, not drunk, not violent, not greedy, not quarrelsome, not immature, but patient, content, and one that rules his household well.

Zach Browning – May 19, 2024

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Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Parents, this exhortation is aimed at you.

The foundation for childrearing is a firm reliance on God’s covenant promises. This is no different from anything else you do. Christ is the foundation. The answer is not to work harder and then hope to God for the results. No, first trust God for the results and then work hard. Your faith in God’s promises is what drives you to work hard. 

Faith is what teaches you that on a Thursday evening when you are worn out from the week. Those minutes you spend patiently admonishing your son will have generational impact. As RC Sproul would say, “right now counts for eternity.” God promises you results for your faithfulness today. Belief in this promise should fuel every minute of training with your kids. 

So, what is the practical application of this? Parents, never miss an opportunity for training. When your 3-year-old has a bad attitude. Your response should be joy because God has given you a training opportunity. Thank Him for it and get to work. Your kids will sin, they will sin a lot, and that is no time to panic. When your kids sin while you are right there to correct them, you should thank God, and correct them in joyful obedience. 

This principle applies the same when your kids sin or misbehave in public. Don’t turn a blind eye and hope no one noticed. No – God has once again given you an opportunity. He planned this situation. And so, do you trust Him? Then stop whatever you are doing, stop the conversation, get up from the table, and go correct your child. Do not let the fear of man, what we call embarrassment, keep you from your responsibilities. 

But the embarrassment should remind you to prepare your kids better next time. If they’ve never been in that situation before, think about what temptations they will have. And then talk about it and practice ahead of time. For example, your first grade son will be playing capture the flag with his class at school. Talk to him about how he plays with girls. Tackling the enemy may be a great move to win the game, but that is not how you treat a lady.

Zach Browning – March 24, 2024

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