Sermon Songs: Hebrews 9:15-28

Celebrate our joyful circumstance
Forever we have full forgiveness
Promised eternal inheritance
With God now, forever, through Jesus

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Dying for our sins He did appear
In heaven now appears – so draw near!
Of death and judgment we need not fear
For with salvation He will appear

(Repeat Chorus)

Come with your sin and guilt, heed the call
Turn and believe before it’s too late
His promises, now enjoy them all
For His return, eagerly now wait

(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Share the Awe

For God to stay his hand of judgment, to forgive and redeem rebellious sinners like us, would have been, in and of itself, a remarkable display of divine love, but our Lord went even further and made us his children!  We dare not pass quickly over this point; we must ponder it until we share the awe and wonder of the apostle at this truth.
– Ray Van Neste in the ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12

Passion Points

Here are some good posts for your Easter weekend reading:

Enter the Dragon Slayer – Jon Bloom (DG)
Weary years passed as the cursed earth and its depraved inhabitants languished in bondage to corruption. And then, in the fullness of the King’s time, the ancient, mysterious decrees began to unfold. In an unexpected place and an unexpected way, into the world stepped the Dragon Slayer.

10 Things You Should Know about the Cross – Patrick Schreiner (Crossway)
The Christian faith is distinctively Trinitarian and cross-shaped. Therefore, the cross must reveal the Trinity. God the Father sent the Son to save the world, the Son submitted to the Father’s will, and the Spirit applies the work of redemption to Jesus followers.

Salvation by Propitiation – Kevin DeYoung
The God who has always been for us in eternity sent his Son in time to be the wrath-absorbing sacrifice that we might enjoy peace with God for ages unending.

Hymn Stories – Christ The Lord Is Risen Today – Tim Challies
Here are all 11 stanzas published by the Wesleys. It is worth reading through each one thoughtfully, and perhaps especially the ones that we no longer sing. They are rich with biblical allusion and the wonderful implications of Easter.

Hope you have a great Resurrection Sunday!

Reflecting on the Five Solas

fivesolas

Solus Christus – In Christ Alone

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 (ESV)

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12 (ESV)

Questions for Reflection
What is the only way to come to God, the only way to be saved?
Are you looking to Christ alone?
In what ways are you tempted to look to yourself?

Passion Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Can I Sing ‘Amazing Grace’ If I Was Saved at Six? – John Piper (DG)
There are six reasons that Christians like me can feel the greatness of our sinfulness, and the wonder of grace, even if we have no recollection of ever being an unbeliever….

Envision the End of Your Sin – Garrett Kell (TGC)
Gracious Lord, we need help. Make us sober-minded. Keep us vigilant. Help us see the end of our sin.

Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of My Diving Accident – Joni Eareckson Tada (TGC)
Grace softens the edges of past pains, helping to highlight the eternal. What you are left with is peace that’s profound, joy that’s unshakable, faith that’s ironclad.

7 Reasons God Commands Us To Sing To Him – Mark Altrogge (TBC)
Our God is so great, and so good and so glorious, he’s worthy of all of our praise. And one of the easiest ways to praise him is by singing. Let’s “sing the glory of his name!”

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church singing praises to our gracious and glorious God!

Passion Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

You May Not Love What You Think – James K.A. Smith (DG)
How am I curating my heart? What liturgies and rituals am I giving myself over to? What cultural practices am I allowing to shape my heart habits, perhaps without realizing it? What am I learning to love without realizing it?

The Problem of Nice and the Promise of New – Michael Lawrence (Crossway)
No churches ever explicitly teach the religion of nice. In fact, they typically teach the exact opposite. But those same churches are filled with people who believe that God will accept them based on how good they’ve been. I’ve heard it on too many living rooms couches and nursing home beds. Not perfect—no one ever says that—but good enough.

Are You Content To Carry the Pins? – Tim Challies
God called some Levites to carry the ark, and some to carry the pins, the tent pegs. But whether they carried the most holy or the most common items, their responsibility was to answer God’s call and to faithfully and joyfully carry out their task. We can learn from them.

Spiritual Growth Comes From Community – Jen Oshman
My encouragement to young moms, or busy students, or stressed businessmen and women is this: put yourself in a role that will require you to show up at your local church week after week. Rather than sidelining activities that will feed your spiritual growth, put yourself at the very center of them. With both gratitude and humility I see clearly that I owe my spiritual growth over the last two decades to the accountability and community of the local church.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day growing with your local church.

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 1:16-19

MusicNotes

Open our eyes that we might see
Our hearts to really know
Your great blessings so vast and free
That from Christ ever flow

To know our glor’ous God above
Our hope in this dark night
His wonderful amazing love
The power of His might

To know these wonders of Your grace
And in them ever live
And offering unceasing praise
Our thanks to You we give

(To the tune of “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)