Christ Church

The Personality of the Holy Spirit (Troy)

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SERMON TEXT

Titus 3:4-7

INTRODUCTION

When I was young, listening to music was a big part of our family dynamic. I have very vivid memories of seeing my parents’ CD collection neatly lined up on the shelf. Mom and Dad liked to listen to a lot of things, but smooth jazz was a staple genre in the house. So Dad would push the button on the Sony, the tray would extend, and the five-cd-carousel would spin as it jutted out, revealing which discs were currently in rotation. He would take a disc out, replace it with something, push the button again to retract the tray, push play, and the dulcet tones of Geoge Benson would fill the family room over the hi-fi speakers. If they wanted to discover music they would listen to 94.7 The Wave, and I would sit there on the couch and listen to Kenny G, Lee Ritenour, Candy Dulfer, Earl Klugh, and Larry Carlton. And so my love for music began at a very young age. When I was in college I played bass for the gospel choir, and I fell in love with the genre. So now that’s in rotation at our home. One of my favorite albums is called The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin, a live gospel album recorded in the year 2000.

OUR TRIUNE GOD

There are three pillars to trinitarian theology. First, there is monotheism. We worship one God. We do not worship three Gods; we worship one God. Two, God is three persons. God exists in three persons. And lastly, each person is fully God. How do we skate the accusation that we are not monotheists and that we actually worship three gods? To properly represent the trinity, we must understand the distinction between being and person.

A human retains both being and personhood. This time, a bidirectional confirmation of existence occurs when you shake a person’s hand. A very unique experience transpires when you look another human in the eye, so much so that it is bound up in the fabric of our socialization. Too much eye contact is creepy, too little eye contact communicates a lack of care or concern. Our senses serve to confirm the existence of the other person and we can interact with one another. A human, therefore, is one being and one person.

THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Bible also describes for us various appearances of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord was baptized by John, the Spirit of God descended like a dove coming to rest on him. When the great flood covered the earth and the wrath of God submerged the great mountains and every man, woman, and child suffered a watery grave, the ark floated atop the surface and weathered the storm. The tides beat against the bow of the ark, the current pulled the lumbering ship whichever direction it willed, the rains buffeted the upper decks, and yet those who were in the ark were protected from God’s anger. And so the symbol of Christ emerges, pictured through a wooden barge. As people of faith, we see ourselves in the family of Noah, hunkered down inside the hull, while the ark of Christ takes the full brunt of the waves and is battered by the wind and the tempest. When the wrath of God subsides and Noah peers out the window, feeling the sun on his face for the first time in 40 days he sees nothing but water. 150 days later the gopher wood beast comes to rest on the mountain of Ararat and Noah releases a black raven out of the window. An unclean bird that feeds on carrion. Similar to the vulture, the scavenger doesn’t have to search long before it finds a food source floating on the surface. And so the black bird, a symbol of death, does not return to Noah because it had all the sustenance it could ever want. Noah releases a 2nd bird, this time a white dove, who has a diet of seeds and grains. And the bird returns. He tries it again and this time the bird returns with a promising result, an olive leaf sticking out of its beak. He tries a third time. and this time the bird does not return. The waters had receded and the bird no longer had to rely on Noah for sustenance. And so the dove symbolizes a new beginning. God, out of his regret for ever having made humans wiped the face of the earth from its wicked inhabitants. The flood waters, which dominated the planet for over a year, finally relented. Like a bear coming out of hibernation, Noah and his family step out of the ark onto dry ground.

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN REDEMPTION

In 597 BC, the son of Buzi who was born in Judah was transported to Babylon along with the rest of the Jews. A judgment of exile had come upon the Israelites. The prophet Ezekiel, whose name means “God will strengthen” was God’s messenger to the Jews while they were in captivity. The prophecy communicates a message of hope for the jews that were in captivity 2500 years ago. In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a decree is made and the Babylonian exile is finally over. The Israelites can return home. And the Holy Spirit worked in the heart of the jews to return to God, to forsake their idols, and to walk in His statutes. And so we learn that the Holy Spirit is a catalyst for change, the type of change that can only be described as a miracle.

THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

At one time, God’s presence filled the tabernacle through the form of a cloud. But in these latter days, our body being the temple of the Lord, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. What beautiful furnishings and renovations have been undertaken to make the abode of the Holy Spirit fitting and proper. He cannot dwell in filth. He sweeps our hearts, shines light in the dark corners and clears the cobwebs so that He can set His mind to work. Speaking first, He is the comforter. Jesus says, “But when the comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

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Water Into Wine (Troy)

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SERMON TEXT:

John 2:1-11

INTRODUCTION

There are some things in scripture that are very easy to understand. There are some things that are very difficult. Some passages qualify as milk for the baby Christian. But God also provides meat for the mature. For those who came to know the Lord later in life, you can attest to the fact that when you first started to read God’s Word on a daily basis not everything was clear. Some things were disturbing, some things were confusing. But there also was a sense that there was more to be discovered. Many of us have benefitted from a study-Bible, where the commentator explained the historical context or brought to life a connection from the old testament. And even for those who have read through the Bible multiple times we understand that there are many biblical treasures yet to be discovered, insights that are not readily apparent on the surface. How can we truly understand the Lord’s supper, if we know nothing about the passover? If we don’t know about Zechariah’s prophecy, how can we fully appreciate the triumphal entry? How can we venerate Jesus as High Priest, if we know nothing about the priesthood. But scripture will often drop us hints that the passage conceals deeper truths waiting to be uncovered. And I believe that is what John does in our text this morning when He says, “Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification.”

WORSHIP IN THE OLD COVENANT

To understand John 2, we must begin with the levitical system. And the levitical system had at its center a sacred space. And this sacred space contains sacred objects, holy implements, used to perform various rituals. The tent of meeting is a portable sanctuary characterized by a series of meticulously crafted elements. First, there is a wooden frame that makes the shape of a rectangle. The frame was covered by woven fabric and constructed in such a way to facilitate efficient assembly and disassembly; it needed to be mobile. God had consigned the jews to a nomadic life. They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness due to their lack of faith. Now the frame which acted as fencing, establishes the first principle of jewish worship, separation. There’s an inside and an outside. The inside has the main courtyard, which was accessible to all the Israelites, and it contains the main sacrificial altar with a large ramp that led up to the fire. Next to that is the bronze laver for ablutions, where they would perform ceremonial purification washings. About halfway in, stood the shrine proper, where a small screen would admit only those of the tribe of levi. Inside is where the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the incense altar were housed. And then there is a shrine, within a shrine, The Holy of Holies, an inner sanctum in the shape of a perfect cube.

TRANSITIONING TO THE NEW COVENANT

Let’s look at Mark chapter 1. At this time, the disciples of John the Baptist were fasting. This is likely due to the fact that it had become customary to fast, on occasion, especially during periods of mourning. The prophet Isaiah drew this connection in Isaiah 58. And so the disciples of John were in mourning as John had recently been imprisoned. And the Pharisees were also fasting, but for a completely different reason. In the old testament, the only day where fasting was a requirement was the day of atonement according to Leviticus 16. But a pharisaical tradition had arisen and the Pharisees were fasting every Monday and Thursday. The genesis behind this practice remains a mystery as does its significance in their religious devotion. But similar to the hand washing tradition, the Pharisees were adding more and more unprescribed, external displays of righteousness to the religion. 

CONTRAST #1: EXTERNAL WATER / INTERNAL WINE

The water is external, the wine is internal.  if you had a skin disease, if you came into contact with an unclean animal, if you came into contact with a corpse, if you had a bodily discharge, if you touched the bed of someone with a bodily discharge, if a man lies with a woman, you had to wash your external body with water to obtain ritual purity. In contrast, the wine isn’t used for your skin; it is not a surface cleanser. The wine is ingested; it goes in your body. Christ is concerned about truth in the inward parts. 

CONTRAST #2: WORK / REST

The water is characterized by toil, work, and labor. The wine is characterized by rest. The six stone jars would’ve held 20-30 gallons each. To try and visualize how much water that is, it’s approximately 6 bathtubs full. How many trips to the well would it take to fill all those? How many times per week would you have to use that water? Ritual washing had become such a chore that people avoided being made unclean at all costs. 

CONTRAST #3: SORROW / JOY

Thirdly, unlike the toil characterized by the water, the wine represents joy. I love this interaction between Mary and Jesus. It says, “When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ I don’t know exactly what happened, but it seems to be written in a way where Mary doesn’t even acknowledge Jesus’ statement. There’s an unspoken mother/son connection.

CONCLUSION: NEW COVENANT JOY ROOTED IN HOPE

Jesus wept at the death of his friend. The truth of this fallen world and the reality of death reigning over this planet cut Jesus to the heart. Grief and sorrow brought him to tears. But he did not lose his joy because Jesus knew that joy thrives and flourishes and feeds on the hope of the promises of God. The death of death is near. The promise of Isaiah and Hosea says, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Jesus foreshadows his mission by raising Lazarus from the dead. The professional mourners and wailers have nothing to cry about anymore. Mary and Martha have their brother back. And we have an example to look at. Bad things will happen in this life. People will do evil things and get away with it. Loved ones will die. Natural disasters will destroy things. We’ll be strapped with incompetent leaders. But the difference is, our joy is not diminished by any of these things because we have hope in the promises of God.



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A Train of Moral Excellence (Troy)

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SERMON TEXT

2 Peter 1:3-7

INTRODUCTION

In 1996, Dr. Michael Behe wrote a book called Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. In the book, he coined a new phrase to describe the complex inner workings of the bacteria flagellum; he called it Irreducible Complexity. The flagellum is a slender thread-like structure, a spinning appendage which propels the bacteria through liquid. It works similar to an outboard motor on a boat. But instead of a gearbox, an engine, and a propeller—these large objects that we can physically manipulate with a socket wrench—the flagellum is composed of proteins, tiny building blocks so small that we need an electron microscope to look at them. When the proteins combine in the flagellum, they make a driveshaft, a universal joint, a rotor, bushings, a stater, and even a clutch and braking system. Our God is an exquisite miniaturist, engineering on a scale that is truly hard to comprehend. In his book, Dr. Behe uses some analogies to explain the concept of irreducible complexity.

OUR DESTINATION

Our destination is conformity to Jesus Christ. Verse 3 says, “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!” Ephesians 2, puts it this way, “…we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” John 15, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” And from Titus 2, “Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

CAR #1: THE LOCOMOTIVE OF FAITH

And so we’ve come to our first train car, the most important one. It is the car on which all the others depend for movement. It stands proud at the front of the train, with its fire box and smoke stack. Pure white steam billows out of the top. The turbine generator is the powerhouse strong enough to pull all the other cars. It is the locomotive of faith.

CAR #2: A LIFE OF MORAL EXCELLENCE

(To be addressed later in the sermon)

CAR #3: KNOWING GOD

Would you like to know God better? If you are a Christian and you are hesitant to answer that question in the affirmative, then it is likely that you have an idol in your tent. There is something hidden—gold, silver, a robe from Babylon—that is preventing you from growing closer to God. Isaiah 59 says, “…your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Proverbs 28, “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.” Micah 3, “Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done. So the double-minded Christian lives in conflict within himself. He wants to know God, but on his own terms. He doesn’t like the exclusivity clause.

CAR #4: SELF-CONTROL

The command is: keep control of yourself. Putting it that way is a reminder to us all; there is something wild within us. Usually when we say, “Keep control,” it is in a certain context. “Keep control of your dog.” “Keep control of your troops.” “Keep control of your team.” The idea being that if you do not keep control, things will start to decay on their own.

CAR #5: PATIENT ENDURANCE

How many different aspects of our lives can we connect to the virtue of patient endurance? It is at the forefront of parenting, our constant witness to non-believers, beside us in suffering, sustaining us through trials. We need it in marriage, we need it to study. We need it to plant a church, to grow a church. It is our tool of great precision when people hate us, exclude us, insult us, and reject us as evil. It is our shield to block mistreatment and slander. It’s one thing to simply endure affliction. Prisoners in the penitentiary are doing that now. It is a completely different thing to endure patiently.

CAR #6: GODLINESS

To be godly is to be like Him. Hebrews 1 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” We have many examples of godly men in the scriptures.

CAR #7: LOVING THE SAINTS

The cargo of the train of moral excellence is love. And we are to deliver this love at various stops en route to the kingdom of heaven. Romans 12 says, “Honor one another above yourselves.”

CABOOSE: LOVING EVERYONE

The caboose is genuine love for everyone. There are different tiers of difficulty when it comes to loving non-believers. Loving your non-Christian mom is not going to be the same thing as loving the person who flips you off, ignores you, or cusses you out. So let’s jump straight to the difficult part, how do we love our enemies?

THE TRACK OF GOD’S PROMISES

The train of moral excellence is a comprehensive system that is irreducibly complex. The cars of knowing God, self-control, patient endurance, and Godliness need the locomotive of faith to pull them forward. They also are inextricably linked together, each car is dependent on the next. And the train as a whole rests upon a track, without which, it cannot move. What is this foundation that the whole train rests upon? The train finds its direction, its stability, and its understructure in the promises of God.

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Christian Conversation (Troy)

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SERMON TEXT

Proverbs 12:18

INTRODUCTION

As human beings there are many things that differentiate us from the animals. First and foremost, we are made in the image of god. Our penchant for creativity and our desire to invent is derived from this. We make things, design things, prototype things, tweak, bend, and reassess. And we end up with something on our work bench or computer screen or cast iron skillet that didn’t exist the day before. We have flesh like the animals, but we also have a soul. We have been given a conscience, and an innate sense of our place in the universe. And I also think that most men are aware that our purpose in this life has something to do with each other. 

PART I – NEGATIVE TENDENCIES IN CONVERSATION

  1. Complaining

Whether you go to school, work in a corporate environment, own your own business, or you’re a stay at home wife, you can always find common ground in a conversation by complaining about something or someone. Relating to one another is fundamental to relationships. We want people to celebrate our successes, empathize with our struggles, and feel sorry for our losses. But we as human beings are inclined to focus on the negative. 

  1. Corrupt Speech

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.” I don’t think we as Christians have much difficulty discerning what is wholesome and what is unwholesome in our speech. The difficulty is restraining the tongue in the first place. For most people the latency between saying something stupid and realizing it was stupid is low. How we all wish we had the ability to instantly retract a statement said in haste. In many cases, saying nothing at all would be an improvement. 

  1. Gossip

Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.” The ESV puts it this way, “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.” Walter Winchell once said, “Gossip is the art of saying nothing, in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” Again, there is subtlety here. God isn’t placing a cap on the amount of words we can use in a single day. Some people talk more, some people talk less. And talking about a person when they are not there is not inherently sinful either. The content of what we say is the issue. Does the information spread stop with you? Or, are you ground zero?

PART II – POSITIVE INTERSPERSIONS 

  1. Listen and Build Up

We are to say only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. If our tongue has a tendency to be divisive, cutting, disrespectful, or full of lies, then getting it to do the opposite, encourage, complement, assist, inspire, teach. This is going to be an enormous undertaking, that will require discipline, hard work, rigor, restraint and most of all prayer. As much as we would like to saddle a wild horse and ride into the sunset, the reality is, it’s not going to co-operate until we take the time to break the horse.

  1. Season with Salt

Matthew Henry said, “We are to make our conversation savory and palatable to others, so that it may be profitable to them.” We’ve all known the argumentative person who uses browbeating as a conversational cudgel. We know what it’s like to speak to someone who has no patience or is forceful. And if we don’t like it, what makes us think that the unbeliever will be attracted to it? We must be kind and gentle and loving.

  1. Slow to Speak, Quick to Listen

Ecclesiastes 5 says, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” And from Proverbs 10, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” And from James 1, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Whatever your opinions are about Elon Musk, It cannot be denied that he is a dynamic figure on the world stage. One thing that I’ve noticed about him, is that when he is questioned in an interview, he often will not respond right away. Sometimes the pause is so long that it’s a bit awkward. But the silence communicates a few things. It says, “I’m thinking about your question. I’m thinking about the best way to phrase my answer, I’m thinking about the implications of my answer, and I’m more concerned about giving your question the attention it deserves than I am about not appearing socially awkward.

  1. Address Each Other with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

I commend to you the practice of memorizing scripture, but I am also quite happy to say the obvious, some verses we should prioritize. I’m not saying don’t memorize Nehemiah, it’s the word of God too, but Paul specifically says, “Address one another with these songs.”

  1. Be Gentle

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” If you were to ask a Christian, “Who do you love the most?” The answer would be, “My wife, husband, my children, my parents.” And yet, the most vitriolic statements of anger and rage are often reserved for these relationships, the people you love the most.

CONCLUSION

As we draw to a close, I’d like to encourage you in one more aspect of Christian conversation. And that is, to initiate a conversation. There are families that are new to the area. Let’s reach out and make them feel welcome. Some of them have no family nearby. There was a time when we first moved here to Troy, there was no one out here and we went through periods of loneliness. We had no family and didn’t know anyone. If we went through it, maybe somebody else is going through it. If we see a new face on Sunday morning, let’s be sure to greet them. Send texts to your friends. Ask them how they’re doing. Let them know you’re praying for them. Call your mother. Facetime your sister. If you say you’re going to call someone back, do it. If you say you’ll text someone later, keep your word.

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Biblical Sexuality (Troy)

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SERMON TEXT

Genesis 2:24-25

INTRODUCTION

From Andrew DeBartolo, Director of Operations at Liberty Coalition Canada, “On Sunday January 14th, 2024, Liberty Coalition Canada would exhort you to preach a sermon focused on a Biblical sexual ethic and God’s good design for marriage. We hope to have thousands of pastors worldwide participate in this initiative. We believe the Lord will use this united effort to both declare the sovereign Lordship of Christ over His Church and transform many lives through the life-changing power of the Word of God.” And so this morning we will take up the charge and unite with our other brothers and sisters across the globe to discuss this very important subject, biblical sexuality. First we will begin by asking, “How does the world define sexuality?” Secondly, we will discuss what the Bible teaches about sexuality. And lastly, we will answer objections from the gay Christian movement, those who teach it’s ok to be gay and Christian.

WHAT DOES THE WORLD BELIEVE ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY?

I’m going to focus my efforts on a particular segment of society, mainly those who are irreligious, agnostic, or anti-religious. And the reason for this is the difficulty level. When it comes to the big questions—”What is the meaning of life?” and “How did we get here?”—those who already affirm a higher power are much less squeamish about these topics. They believe that they have the truth, and proselytizing is on their mind as well. There’s a higher probability that they will be amenable to discussing these deeper topics. But with the irreligious person, it’s not uncommon to simply be stonewalled. They say, “Oh, I don’t talk about religion.” So the barrier to entry is much higher in these cases. But, God may put an atheist in your path one day, and maybe it’s an atheist who isn’t opposed to having a conversation. So when I say, “what the world believes about sexuality”, it is this type of person that I have in mind.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY?

Scripture References: Gen 2 / Lev 18 / Lev 20 / Rom 1 / 1 Cor 6 / 1 Tim 1

What are our foundational principles as Christians that inform our view of what a man and a woman is? Let’s start in Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. God created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th. The Psalmist says, “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.” Job says, “…ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

ANSWERING OBJECTIONS FROM THE “GAY CHRISTIAN” MOVEMENT

  1. If you condemn homosexuality as sinful, why don’t you condemn those who eat shellfish or those who wear mixed fabrics?
  2. The condemnation in Romans 1 only refers to pederasty.
  3. The word “unnatural” in Romans 1 simply connotes something “out of the ordinary,” not sinful.
  4. μαλακοὶ and ἀρσενοκοῖται are ambiguous terms.
  5. Aren’t we all sinners? Isn’t it the sin of pride to think that a gay Christian is less authentic than any heterosexual Christian?
  6. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is not about rampant sexual perversion, but rather, God destroyed them because they were inhospitable to strangers.
  7. David and Jonathan were in a homosexual relationship.
  8. Jesus is silent on homosexuality.
  9. The emotional argument

CONCLUSION

Section 1: I want to talk about the importance of sola scriptura when it comes to these issues. Ultimately, on virtually every apologetic issue it comes down to defending sola scriptura. And the gay Christian movement is no exception.

Section 2: I want to go back to 1 Corinthians 6 because this is the crux of the issue. It says this, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

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