March 21, 2024 – The Ultimate Glory

“O children of Zion, be glad, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before. The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army that I sent against you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel  and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame.” Joel 2:23-27

“Here’s what you need to understand: only two types of glory exist—sign glory and ultimate glory. Sign glory is all the wondrous display of sights, sounds, colors, textures, tastes, smells, and experiences of the physical world that God created. These glories were not designed to satisfy your heart. They were not made to give you contentment, peace, meaning, and purpose. They have no capacity to give you life. Earth will never be your savior. Rather, all of creation was designed to be one big sign that points you to the One of ultimate glory who alone has the power to give you life and to satisfy your heart. God alone is able to give you life.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March 24; Paul David Tripp)

Where will you look for life today? Too many people look to this world, to this society, to this planet for their ultimate satisfaction. Too many people believe that Disney World is their ultimate destination in life. Others believe they find their greatest reward in the mountains. Those are wonderful and magical places, but they are not the Glory of G-d. Jesus is the one who offers us not only life now, but eternal life. When we strive to live the Christ-like life, we are truly choosing to seek G-d’s glory. It is G-d who gives us the rains and the sun, the winter and the spring, the earthly struggles and rewards. But nothing on this earth will compare with the glory yet to be revealed to us in G-d’s kingdom. It really is true that your heart will only ever be satisfied when it finds its satisfaction in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave

March 20, 2024 – Prodigal Grace

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” Hebrews 12

“You do not have to live in fear of God’s anger. On your very worst, most rebellious, and most faithless day, you can run into the holy presence of your heavenly Father and he will not turn you away. Your acceptance has not been, nor will it ever be, based on your performance. You have not been welcomed into an eternal relationship with God because you have kept the law, but because Jesus did. If you obey God for a thousand years, you will not have earned more of his acceptance than you were granted the very first moment you believed. Here’s how radical the gospel of grace really is—you do not have to be something before God because Jesus accomplished everything on your behalf.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March 19; Paul David Tripp)

The story of the Prodigal Son is most likely the best story that highlights the human condition – one son separates himself from the loving father while the other has always been faithful to the father. We know the sins of the youngest son – while the oldest son believes that he has never sinned against his father.

The youngest son, once he recognizes the depth of his sin runs to the father with a contrite heart, and is welcomed home by the compassionate father. The oldest son sits outside the story stewing in his self-righteousness. This is why the presence of the oldest son is so important to this story. Jesus could have stopped with the father running to welcome home his prodigal son – but then Jesus could not address a central problem within religion in his day – and in our day as well – that of the self-righteous who believe they are less sinners than others.

On our worst days, we still can run to the father and will receive grace upon grace. If we stray seven times, and seven times come running to the father, we will be welcomed. It may feel like discipline once in a while – for the sins we commit have their consequences. But in the end, when we run to the father, we are welcomed home again and again.

Pastor Dave