Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Lord,
What a blessed thing it was to finally be together yesterday in worship! It was so good to see many of you, even if we had to keep a little (social) distance between us. To me, it felt like a drink of cold water on a hot summer afternoon, and the sadness of being apart for such a long time was taken away as we gathered in the refreshing presence of our heavenly Father.
Once again, I want to express our great appreciation for all those who worked so hard and faithfully for the previous nine weeks to make our sermons available, and for their work in continuing to provide recordings of the services as we worship together again. Thank you Drew and D. J.! And very special thanks are in order to Jack, Al, and David, and our Deacons who have proven to be such committed servants our Lord’s Church during this time of difficulty, and are now working so diligently to make our in-person-gatherings possible!!
And for all who were able to be with us yesterday, thank you as well! Your patience and grace are so very appreciated as we learn how to conduct worship services in a manner that protects the health of all who are present. Your spirit of joy was powerfully evident, and I also rejoice in your hope and faith in our Lord, even in times such as these.
And then, for those who were not able to be with us, we missed you dearly! But we understand that this is surely a time of concern for many, especially those whose health may be compromised, or who are otherwise particularly vulnerable. We both pray for and fervently long for that wonderful day when the danger has passed and we may all be together again!
An Immediate Ministry Opportunity
Before I offer just a brief word of encouragement to you on this Monday, let me mention that there is a need for another camera operator who will work alongside of Drew Thompson as he records our services each week on video. If you have any interest in helping with these recordings, please contact me or Drew. And no previous camera experience is necessary!
Some Encouragement from the Apostle Paul
“ if we are faithless, he remains faithful”–2 Timothy 2:13
I wonder how many of you experienced what I did during the lengthy lock-down. During those long days, when the normal rhythm of our lives and work was seriously upset, I found myself engaging in much reflection and self-evaluation.
For some reason, I seemed to re-visit those innumerable scenes of failure and disobedience that dot my life’s history. An impulsive and unwise decision there. An unkind word here. And over there, a failure to do what I knew was right. And then those countless times that I have selfishly served my kingdom and not that of my Lord. And there is a massive mountain of other examples that could be named that demonstrate the same sad reality: I have proven to be unfaithful to Christ more often than I can even comprehend, much less remember. “ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
I don’t know all the reasons this seems to happen when life is painfully simplified by such conditions as we have been called to endure lately. It is certainly true that the “ accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10) is always ready to push us towards despair as he repeatedly brings up our past, as if our Savior’s blood has not cleansed every evil stain. And it is also true that some of us are more prone to introspection than others, more vulnerable to self-condemnation, which is the flip-side of the sin of self-righteousness.
Yet, regardless of the exact trigger, it is always the case that that when any of us honestly digs around in our past, we will be led to the same conclusion offered by Paul: “ Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Well, this is where the promise of 2 Timothy 2:13 comes powerfully into play!
When I consider my record, there is only one conclusion possible: apart from my Savior, unfaithfulness defines me. “ There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
But. . .
There is One who is always “ faithful,” who “ remains faithful”!
There are no examples of sin or transgression to be found anywhere among those twelve-thousand and forty-five days that Jesus lived on this earth! Each second, without fail, our blessed Lord conducted His life in perfect faithfulness to His Father! Not once did He transgress the will of God in the slightest way! No unwise choices. No words that He should not have spoken. No impulsive actions that He should regret. No thought that He should not have permitted to ferment in His mind. He was, in every way, “ without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Truly, He was the only Man to ever be “ faithful”! And to this very moment, “ he remains faithful”!
Now, this is where today’s encouragement may be found.
When you experience those unpleasant glimpses of your sin and unfaithfulness, let that observation do what it is supposed to do.
First, it should lead to repentance. That is, a turning to your Father in the full acknowledgment that you have, indeed, been an unfaithful child.
Then, it should lead to a plea. That is, an appeal to the One whose faithfulness counts for you.
It may sound something like this:
My Dear Father in Heaven, when I consider what I am apart from your mercy and grace, I am exactly what both my conscience and the devil say that I am: I am a wretched sinner. My record in this life is that of unfaithfulness to You. I have not earned, nor could I ever deserve, even the smallest fraction of a blessing falling from Your hand. If I concentrate upon what I am, what I’ve done, and what I have failed to do, my only fate is despair and judgment.
And yet, even now, I rejoice that my Savior remains faithful! My faithful Savior has lived, died, and been raised from death for me, in my place! And though I can’t even begin to comprehend this miracle, it is nevertheless true that when You gaze down upon me from Your Holy throne above, You see me in the light of Your perfect Son! His faithfulness is mine! His sinless record belongs to me! His eternal life is my life and my destiny! And today, I have peace and hope only in this: that Your love has covered all of my demerits, all of my transgressions, and my horrible record of faithlessness. And I am, in Him alone, forgiven, free, and enfolded in Your everlasting arms!
If there is just one thought that should determine your mindset for this day and this new week, let it be this: your Savior, Lord, and Friend “ remains faithful”!
Let us, then, joyfully serve His great Kingdom together on this glorious new day!
I love you all with all my heart!
Mike