As we have come to the first Sunday of Lent, I’d like to review our approach to the church calendar here at King’s Cross and why we do not have Ash Wednesday services or encourage corporate fasting during this season. We’ll begin with a story from the Reformation which illustrates pretty well how our forefathers in the faith approached Lent.

It’s the year 1522, and a group of prominent Christian men have gathered in Zurich, Switzerland, for a special brunch featuring home-cooked sausage prepared by the host’s wife. Now, it may sound odd to remember a meal 500 years later, except this really was a big deal, for this took place during the season of Lent, and the eating of meat was strictly prohibited by the church.

Over time these obligatory fasts took on an almost sacramental and salvific role in the church—meaning many sought to merit or earn salvation by their faithful and required observance.

And so this was not a mere brunch, but a bold act of reform, which led to the host’s arrest. In response, the reformer Ulrich Zwingli preached a famous sermon on the doctrine of Christian liberty, declaring that the church had no authority to require that which Scripture did not mandate and that Christians were no longer bound to the observance of seasons or food laws (Col. 2:16–17, Gal. 4:9–11).

He summarized his main point as this: “If you want to fast, do so, if you do not want to eat meat, do not eat it; but allow Christians a free choice in the matter.”

And so due in part to this recovered doctrine, the Reformed churches stripped away the obligatory penitential seasons like Lent and maintained a simplified church calendar consisting of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost—edifying feast days all centered on celebrating the life of Christ. This then is the general Reformed practice that we follow here at King’s Cross Church. 

And so my exhortation this morning is this: Regardless of your Lenten practice, remember and rejoice in your liberty and freedom in Christ. Rejoicing in liberty means both eating all the sausage you want (or not)—but also sincerely blessing and honoring brothers and sisters who differ.

As the Apostle Paul wrote regarding holy days and food, “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14). But let everything be done with a thankful heart unto the Lord.

Shawn Paterson – February 18, 2024

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There is a nefarious lust within us as humans. It’s a craving for uniqueness, originality, and innovation. This is seen clearly in how insistent modern man is on society’s unquestioned acceptance of every person’s supposedly unique identity. It also shows up the erasure of great men and women from history. We don’t want to be reminded of the glories of past generations because that would cast a shade on our lame livestream.

No matter how dearly we believe in our individuality and uniqueness, there’s a truth that haunts at every turn: absolutely everything you are and do is imitative. Peter tells us that we receive a “vain tradition” from our forefathers; a tradition of conformity to sin (1 Pt. 1:14,18). Solomon tells us there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). Generations rise and fall, but they invariably follow each other’s footsteps of folly.

This craving for uniqueness is a race to escape the reality of our human nature. You were made to mirror God’s glory as a free creature of a Sovereign God. To despise this truth is to despise your humanity, and to succumb to beast-hood; descending into the thoughtlessness of a herd creature.

Every glory of art, science, literature, music, and mathematics accomplished by mankind is a borrowed glory. It is a grain of sand on the shore of the brilliance of God’s creative decrees. Our sub-creations borrow every molecule from the Mouth which spoke it into being. Our symphonies are mere echoes of the vibrations of the Spirit over the waters. Our inventions are more accurately described as unveilings of God’s infinite innovation.

So then, to be truly human is to be humble before the Triune God. Acknowledge Him as Lord over all, and so make and be and do in the light of His splendor. Content in Him we find true goodness.

It was pride which drug Lucifer from his height, and so too our first parents were deluded with the notion of partaking of “god-ness” without first humbling themselves before God. Our cultural obsession with being unique and standing out and being different are all irritating notes that are too flat or sharp; this song of our arrogance carries no melody and will abide no harmonies. May God forgive us for rejoicing in the dimness of our own light, when everything we are and have and do come from the light of His glory. May we be humble, that we might be raised up in the glory of our union with Jesus, the true image of the invisible God.

By humbling yourself before God, confessing your sins to Him, you do not lose yourself, instead you find glory. Scripture makes it plain that the path to glory comes first through humility before God.

Ben Zornes – February 18, 2024

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Given the recent uptick accusations that have come our way, there are many exhortations I want to give you. Things like “let your reasonableness be known to all.” “rejoice not when your enemy falls.” “Vengeance belongs to the LORD.” “don’t be a hot head.” So more along those lines will certainly be coming your way. But I want to lead off with this one: 

Amid accusations from the enemy, you must keep up the full court press. 

You must keep the tempo moving. In the words of the apostle, you must be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). When the enemy hurls his accusations at one of the saints, one of his strategies is to get the others to flinch. And you must not flinch. He wants you to lay off, and lay low (granted, you may be in a particular season where you need to lay low in a certain regard, if that’s you then make sure you do that). But, on the whole, you must understand that the false accusations come when you have started to do something that the enemy does not like. And that is why we rejoice.

This is an exhortation particularly to those of you who might be thinking, “If this keeps up, what are they going to do my son? What are they going to do to my grandchildren?” 

This is the kind of thing that a follower of our Lord might have thought when the rumors had boiled over and out of Jerusalem that the power brokers in town were planning to kill Jesus. And imagine sitting there with our Lord only a couple days journey from that Jerusalem, and he tells you by the fire, “When I get there, I will enter the temple with a whip and turn over their tables.” “Oh,” you say, “so you will be turning the dial up, not down. I see.” 

Note well, we can turn the dial up. Because the dial we are turning up is righteousness and good works. We can keep the pressure on. Because the work we are doing is the work of kindness, godliness, indeed works of love, the work of the Lord. So don’t get in the flesh. And if the flesh is the only thing that can motivate you then you must remain unmotivated and repent.

But, don’t for a minute slow down or hesitate in your public Christian living and your bold witness, and your work of dominion. You can’t work at the plow while looking back, and our Lord has told us that such a man is not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). 

Jared Longshore – February 18, 2024

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Let me begin with a seemingly awkward question. How do you smell? Now, before you take offense, I am speaking metaphorically. Scripturally, our bearing is likened in many places to an aroma. Steadfast faith in the resurrected Christ will be the smell of a rotting corpse to those who are themselves spiritual zombies. Whereas communing with Christ is likened to having perfumed robes, dripping with the potent aromas common in the ancient eastern cultures (Ps. 45:8).

This image is a helpfully palpable one. If you spend time in Matt Gray’s garage for a men’s forum, you’ll come home with the scent of cigars clinging to you. If you go into one of those perfume shops at the mall you’ll come out smelling French. Spend an afternoon working at a coffee shop or working in a mechanic’s garage and you’ll bear the scent of beans or gasoline. Your aroma processes before you and loiters behind.

Where you spend your time, and what you spend it around, will be discernible by those around you. If you dwell in God’s presence you will bear a sweet savour. Now, this aroma will be simultaneously offensive to those who are spiritually dead but unmistakably wonderful for those who share in the new life in Christ. However, if you live as a hypocrite, God says your offerings are a stench unto Him.

Reflect for a moment, though, as to what sort of aroma your life has borne this past week. Was it the fragrance of nearness to Christ, or was it the acrid notes of deception, manipulation, seething enmity, or simmering unrighteous anger? You cannot abide in Christ and not bear the fragrance of His presence; peoples’ response to it is outside your control. You also cannot live duplicitously and imagine it is a delight unto the Lord. So, I’ll ask again, “How do you smell?”

Ben Zornes – February 11th, 2024

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