Tag: Waco Reformed Church

“Take Courage, Son.”

The following is an excerpt from the Sermon: “Take Courage, Son,” in which Jesus heals the paralytic after declaring the man’s sins forgiven. 

Forgiven Sins

“Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

The second monumental statement is one the paralytic did not expect… But it is what the paralytic needed the most: his sins were forgiven.

Do you see that? We want the miracles, the relief from suffering, the healings. Yet, what we need most is the forgiveness that Jesus gives us. We need the atonement. We need the cleansing.

And so often, we forget this truth. We need the forgiveness Jesus brings, more than temporal success. We need forgiveness more that temporal peace.

While the temporal healings, peace, and provisions, are helpful to us in the here and now, the forgiveness found in Christ is the eternal blessing that we need the most.

You can listen to the full sermon here.

Waco Reformed Church: Is Tithing Still Required Under the New Covenant?

Steve Deace, a political Christian commentator, also loves to dabble in theology on his show, as well as on X. He puts forth the question, lets the conversation follow its course, and sometimes, takes the issue up on his show.

One such question is truly important for the believer, the question of tithes. Since he asked, we would like to answer. Our answer is based upon a sermon preached at Waco Reformed Church on December 11, 2022.

Introduction: A Call to Biblical Giving

Recently, we shared how the pastor from a large, Reformed church in Dallas spoke for four Sundays (in the late 1990s) about the subject of money and the Christian. The pastor prided himself on being able to preach four straight Sundays, and yet, say nothing about tithing until the last sermon, in which, he pointed out he had said nothing about tithing, and that he would continue saying nothing about tithing, in which, he concluded his four-part esoteric thought process on money.
There were many in the congregation who felt disappointed, questioning the conviction behind such an approach. One would expect THE shepherd of the flock, to instruct his followers on the tithe, since it is such an important part of the ministry.
While the church had an annual speaker who passionately urged its 8,000 members to give, using guilt and manipulation, in order to meet a multi-million-dollar budget, this abdication by the pastor felt insufficient. Instead of teaching what God’s word said about tithing, and the need for obedience to God’s Word, the church’s approach resembled more of a marketing campaign.
The problem with the sermon series on money, was that it did not answer core questions for those under the New Covenant: Are we obligated to tithe under the New Covenant? If so, how much? What’s the difference between a tithe and an offering?
We believe the pastor of that church, failed to shepherd his flock by being reluctant to address tithing. It seemed like he was driven more by fear than faith.
His course of action stemmed from fear of appearing self-serving and being like greedy televangelist. In other words, instead of letting the text and the topic drive his preaching, he was letting fear set the agenda. This is a shoddy approach to the work of a pastor, and is actually self-serving in the end.
Yet, if the principle of tithing is biblical, which we believe it is, then members of church should be instructed on the matter, and tithe.
As we will see, there are many reasons that we are instructed to tithe. The first reason that we deal with is what the Apostle Paul was dealing with in his first letter to the Corinthians: the right of the minister to live off the tithe. This is really the thrust of this article. We are given the principle for tithing, and that tithing is mean for our well being, in providing for the one God has ordained to feed us spiritually: the minister in the local congregation.
The second reason, which we deal with below, deals with our need to tithe as believers. We need to understand that we are giving our tithes to the LORD, even though the tithes are being used by the church to support the minister. This idea of giving tithes to the LORD is actually found in the negative, when the covenant people quit tithing, the LORD accused them of stealing from Him (see Malachi 3:8).

Supporting Gospel Ministers

Paul makes a great case for the support of gospel ministers in 1 Corinthians 9. In the context of that passage, Paul was facing constant attacks as ministers often do, from the false teachers who had moved into Corinth in his absence. One of the areas of accusation by these false teachers was in regards to the fact that Paul never received any financial support while in Corinth, even though he was entitled to do just that. His defense not only affirmed his role as an apostle but also provided a blueprint for supporting those who preach the gospel faithfully. Paul taught that apostles and ministers have the right to basic needs—like food, drink, marriage, or side work—decisions that belong to them, not a council or congregation. The congregation’s role is to help support the minister through their tithes.
Paul supported his case with practical examples: a soldier in the army is provided for by the country he represents. A farmer is provided for by the food he grows. A shepherd benefits from his labor taking care of the sheep. He then cited God’s Law, referencing Deuteronomy 25:4, which forbids muzzling an ox while it treads grain. This law ensures the animal eats while working, reflecting God’s care for His creation.
More importantly, Paul applies this same care to ministers, emphasizing that humans, made in God’s image, are of greater value than animals. If we care for an ox, how much more should we care for those who bring us the gospel?

The Principle of General Equity

Paul explains this principle in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10:
Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
This is an example Paul uses is what has become known as the the principle of general equity of the law. that Paul is using when he uses a law about oxen, for the support of pastors. The principle is based on the reality that all of  God’s Law remains relevant for us today, however, the application may vary under the New Covenant. Therefore the care that was to be afforded to the oxen under the Old Covenant, is now to be afforded to the minister under the New Covenant. He is to be granted an income from the tithes of the congregation.
In verse 11, Paul continues:
If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?
Using a rhetorical question, Paul is driving home the point: “you have been fed spiritually, which leads to your eternal salvation, therefore, is it anything at all that we reap from your temporary material things in order to live and continue to feed you spiritually?”
Paul’s point is that ministers do have a right to material support. The purpose of the tithe is to be used to support the minister that brings spiritual food. Though Paul chose not to exercise this right to avoid hindering the gospel, he affirms the expectation of tithing. If tithing were obsolete in the New Covenant, Paul would have said so here, but he doesn’t.

Jesus Affirms Tithing

But what about Jesus? Does He affirm the principle of tithing, or remove the principle?
We believe that Jesus upholds the principle of tithing in Matthew 23:23:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
Jesus doesn’t rebuke the Pharisees for tithing but for neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. He affirms they should tithe while also pursuing these weightier matters, showing tithing’s place in the New Covenant. Had He wanted to remove the admonition to tithe, this was the time for Him to do so, just as Paul could have done so in 1 Corinthians. But neither Christ nor His apostle remove the admonition to tithe.

The Biblical Principle

Now please note that a biblical principle on interpretation needs to be stated: just because the New Covenant does not say the formulaic words, “thou shalt tithe,” doesn’t mean the principle doesn’t remain from under the Old Covenant. In fact, what we hope that you see, is that tithing actually predates the Old Covenant given under Moses, showing that it is a principle for all times, no matter the covenant.

Why do we tithe?

So, to be clear, let’s ask the simple question: why do we tithe? We tithe for two primary purposes:
  • First, our tithe honors God in that we recognize all we have is from Him.
  • Second, our tithes supports those who minister God’s Word.
To the first, we see this principle found in Deuteronomy 8:17-18:
…then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…
It is God who has granted us the ability to earn wealth. In fact, in every area of life, God has granted us the ability to live. Every true blessing we have is from Him. Therefore, as we grow in wealth, we are to remember where that wealth comes from, and return a portion to Him. This is our way of honoring God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. 
As I have laid out above, Paul illustrates what the tithe is to be used for in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14:
Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
In the Old Testament, priests lived off tithes and offerings, as John Calvin notes: priests received portions of sacrifices, tithes, and firstfruits to sustain their families. This pattern continues today.
Ministers sow spiritual seeds and rightfully reap material support through tithes, which are ultimately given to God. By giving a portion of what we have been given, we honor God in that we recognize all we have been given is from Him.

The True Foundation of the Tithe

Where is the foundation of the tithe found in Scripture? As we mentioned above, this practice actually predates the Mosaic Covenant, originating with Abraham in Genesis 14:18-20, where Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek, a priest and king who foreshadows Christ. Abraham’s tithe shows that we give to God through His appointed ministers. Melchizedek was acting as a king and a priest for Abraham in bringing him wine and bread, along with preaching the truth of God’s word.
What do we know about Melchizedek? His name means “King of Righteousness, King of peace.” His actions of bring the bread and wine to Abraham, symbolizing communion and fellowship with God. His blessing reminded Abraham that God, the Possessor of heaven and earth, gave him victory. Abraham responded by giving a tithe of the his booty, setting a pattern for God’s people.

Tithes vs. Offerings

Under the New Covenant, the principle of the tithe continues, and we tithe to Christ, the greater Priest and King, as Hebrews 7 and Colossians 2:9-10 affirm. Our tithes go to the church where we receive God’s Word and sacraments. We are not to divide up our tithe with other ministries as many people do. Our first priority is to provide to the congregation where we are being blessed by the faithful preaching of God’s word, and the administration of the sacraments. 
We can support other ministries, but that should come from our offerings, which are above our tithes.
We see the principle of the offering in 2 Corinthians 9:7 :
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
This verse refers to a special offering for suffering Christians in Jerusalem, and does not come from the tithe. Offerings are voluntary gifts given out of mercy, while tithes are an obedient 10 percent for the church’s ministry. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 supports the principle of the tithe as well, stating that elders who labor in preaching deserve support, echoing the principle of not muzzling the ox.

How Much Should We Give?

One other point needs to be stressed. We are to give a tithe to the church where we are fed spiritually, and a tithe is 10% of our income. The question then comes up: are we to tithe 10% on the gross of our income, or upon the net of the income. Or another way to ask it: are we to tithe on all the wheat we have in our field, or only that wheat which we get into the barn?
I hope you see the clear answer on this. The LORD knows that the crows will eat some of the wheat before we get it to the barn, and we are to leave some in the fields for the aliens. Therefore, we are to tithe that which we get home. Caesar will take his portion before we get it home to our barns. To require a tithe on all the wheat in the field, is an onerous burden. Not too many could actually do this.
But tithing on our goods that we bring home is a possibility. Yes, we need to budget for this and take steps to reach the goal of 10%. The more we strive to obedience to the LORD in this regard, the more a blessing the tithe becomes to us.

Conclusion: Giving Reflects Our Hearts

Jesus warns in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and money. Tithing really does reveal where our heart is on the matter and if we are honest, we find that the thought of tithing is a burden we don’t want to mess with. But this should not be. We are to grow in our trust of the LORD, especially in being obedient to His calling on our lives. We do believe there is blessings in tithing. But we will not say as many do, that we will always be blessed even more financially if we faithfully tithe.
However, we will say that there is a spiritual blessing that is far greater when we tithe. We may not see it, but giving in return to the LORD, with a heart of gratitude, is a true spiritual blessing. It helps us to refocus on where are hearts should be, with the King and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Links:

Waco Reformed Church: What Makes us Different?

Waco Reformed Church: Substack

Waco Reformed Church: YouTube Channel

Waco Reformed Church: Facebook Page.

Waco Reformed Church: Website.

 

Waco Reformed Church — What About Feeding the Sheep?

In our previous post on what makes Waco Reformed Church different, I stated that the worship is not about feeding the sheep. Many people make the mistake of thinking this is the point of worship. The question even came up on x.com last week when Meg Basham posted the following:

As you can see, this is a common error that most people make when it comes to the purpose of the worship of the church. The purpose of worship is to focus upon and glorify God in the liturgy of the church. The focus is our Father, not the congregation. We are not looking to the congregation to dictate what we do in worship to glorify God. We are looking to His word.

Feeding the sheep is actually the stated purpose of the pastor. He is to feed the sheep “in worship.” Feeding definitely takes place “in worship.” But feeding the sheep is not the purpose of the church in worship.

We get the foundations of feeding the sheep from John 21:15-17. In that passage, we see Jesus reinstating Peter to the ministry by asking him three times, “Do you love Me?” With every affirmative answer that Peter gives, Jesus stated that Peter’s focus was to tend and feed His sheep.

He wasn’t speaking of literal food, although we do literally eat the bread in communion, as well as drink the wine of the table.  Jesus could well have been speaking of communion. The pastor is to serve communion every LORD’s day, and in this, as we partake by faith, the literal bread and wine feed us both physically and spiritually.

Milk and Solid Food

But primarily, when Jesus told Peter to “feed My sheep” HE was speaking of the word of God as the means for feeding them. The word of God is often referred to as milk or solid food (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Hebrews 5:12-13, 1 Peter 2:1-3). It is, in the spiritual sense, the most important food there is, as we will see below. When the word of God is faithfully preached to the congregation, the congregation is being fed on a spiritual level.

Living Upon Every Word

We also know the word of God to be spiritual food from the Temptation of Christ in the wilderness. Satan tempts Jesus by challenging Jesus on being the Son of God. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

This was after Jesus had fasted for 40 days. Jesus was being tempted on His identity and for His basic physical needs. Yet, He did not give into the temptation, but responded by saying: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

The word of God is what sustains us spiritually speaking, for in His word, life is found. This is why the word as the food is the most important food we shall every dine upon. God’s words feeds us spiritually.

But please note also what Jesus said to Satan. Jesus says that we shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. This means we live from the entirety of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.

Far too many evangelicals want to “unhitch” themselves from the Old Testament, as if it were somehow holding us back from true spirituality. But please note: when Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, He preached from the Old Testament. The same was true for Paul, and Peter, and Stephen, and all the rest of the men God ordained to preach in the first century.

We point this out because worship has to be informed by the entirety of God’s word, not just the New Testament as so many wish to believe. The Apostle Paul endeavored to preach the full counsel of God’s word to the Ephesian elders, and we should to the same (Acts 20:27).

Conclusion

The point of this post is to help you see that we are indeed fed spiritually by God’s word when we come to worship. But this feeding is not the purpose of worship. The purpose of worship it to actually worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. When this is done, God graciously feeds us the food we so desperately need. We can trust Him to serve us the meal we need. We will be nourished, cleansed, and sent out every LORD’s day for the purpose of His glory. But let us not make the mistake that many make: when we gather, we don’t do so for what we get out of it. We do so because He has called us to worship and He is glorified when we do.

Links:

Waco Reformed Church: What Makes us Different?

Waco Reformed Church: Substack

Waco Reformed Church: YouTube Channel

Waco Reformed Church: Facebook Page.

Waco Reformed Church: Website.

Waco Reformed Church — What Makes Us Different?

What would I say if someone were to ask: “What makes Waco Reformed Church different?”

That’s a hard question, simply because it’s difficult to know where to start. But I believe the best place to start is with the verse that is foundation to our worship, John 4:23-24. Just the fact that I felt a need to start with the subject of worship, should tell you something about who we are. As we learn from John’s Gospel:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers willworship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.”

This verse is the starting point in informing our worship. There are two key points that should stand out. The first is that the Father is seeking such to worship Him. Since He is seeking us, then our gatherings on the LORD’s Day should be focused upon Him and worshipping Him. In seeking us, He is making the first move, to bring us into fellowship with Him, to worship Him.

This is a departure from much of what many churches do. Many seek to worship God, by focusing on evangelism, or feeding the flock, or entertaining the flock, or meeting the felt needs of those people who join them in worship. Hopefully you can see the difference already. Most church focus on the flock and what the flock needs in worship, instead of turning to God, and looking to His word to drive our worship.

This misguided focus is born out of a misunderstanding of the verse above and the second point that needs to be driven home, which I hope jumped out of you in the verse I quoted. Notice the capitalization added in verse 24.

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.”

Most translations do not capitalize Spirit and Truth. However, I believe it should be capitalized. To not do so, is again the same mistake that many churches make in forming their understanding of worship, which it is to be focused upon the one worshipping, and not the One worshipped. When we are not specific about worshiping in spirit and truth, then this leads it open to interpretation, and much error.

We need to turn it back around, and see Spirit and Truth as being rooted in God Himself. Without the Holy Spirit and the Truth (Christ) we cannot worship at all.

Both Christ and the Holy Spirit are essential for us to worship the Father. Christ is the atoning sacrifice needed to enter into God’s presence. The Spirit is the means by which we do. The blood of Christ washes us clean. The Spirit carries into the Holy of holies, or brings us to Mt. Zion (Hebrews 12). Without Christ or the Spirit, there is no amount of genuflecting we can do to please the Father. We must have the Spirit and the Truth.

When we are off of these things, then we err in thinking worship is about us, and for us. It is not. It is always about the Triune God and worshiping Him.

The sad reality of those who miss the directional change,  is that in the end, evangelism doesn’t take place, the flock isn’t truly fed, the entertainment never satisfies and demands more and more of the spectacular, and the felt needs simply change their feelings with each passing week.

When we begin our focus upon what God desires, then we begin to see the need for all of Scripture to inform our worship. We know and understand that we are not free to do anything we please when it comes to worshipping God. Simply see Leviticus 10:1-7, the story of Nadab and Abihu offering profane fire before the YHWH. YHWY brought immediate judgment upon them for doing so.

This simple principle shows us the need to look to Scripture to inform our worship. This of course, is more than I want to say here. But I would say that this is the biggest item that makes our worship different from the average evangelical church. The focus begins and ends with the Triune God.

In changing the focus from ourselves, to God, then true evangelism will take place. The feeding of the flock will occur. The need for entertainment will righfully be replaced with the desire to honor our Father. The felt needs we think we have, will melt away with the realization that our real needs are being met because we re letting God’s Truth, His Spirit, His word, work in us, instead of trying to replace all these things with what we think should be there. It really is about trusting in God, His word and His provisions for us.

Now, I’m not saying we are the only church in town with such and understanding. There are other parts of the body of Christ who are spot on, but this point itself sets us on the right path. And this is one of the key differences that set us apart from others in the evangelical world.

You Have Heard It Said — Gospel of Matthew Sermon 27

Old Covenant Reading (read first):  Genesis 4:1-12

New Covenant Reading: Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon – You Have Heard It Said

Jesus says:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’”

He finally begins to preach upon the Moral Law itself. This is the section of the Law that most people are vaguely familiar with (Yes, contradictory terms).

As Jesus teaches on the Moral Law, please notice what He doesn’t do. He doesn’t turn this into a morality lecture. He is indeed speaking on the Moral Law, but not in such a way that we come away with the reductionistic trope of “be good, do be angry.”

There are far more complexities to honoring this law than we like to think about. What Jesus says here, requires much more that a simple statement of moralism. He is requiring us to use wisdom in our lives, in order to keep the commandments.

Peter Leithart writes about this portion of Christ’s sermon:

“These instructions are not just membership qualifications. They are redemptive commandments, and Jesus is laying out the specifics of the redemptive righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.”

 

Three Sermons on Head Coverings and More…

Women wearing head coverings in worship has become controversial here in the past few years. There are those who are steadfastly against it, declaring that it was merely cultural in Paul’s day, and now no longer necessary for women today.

For example, since I started putting this post together, Doug Wilson has come out with 21 Theses on Head Coverings For Women. You can read his position for yourself. But I would like to draw you attention to one of his points. Wilson asks:

Thesis #6: At Corinth, the men were covering themselves and the women were not. This leads us to wonder why.

Sixth, the men in Corinth were for some reason covering themselves in worship, because Paul tells them not to, and the women were uncovering themselves, because Paul makes a point of saying that if they pray during the meeting, or if they bring a prophecy, they must do so covered. What might those reasons be?

Apart from Doug’s added question, this is exactly what we believe the text to be saying. Men are not to pray covered. Women are not to pray uncovered. Wilson grants this point in this statement, and also shows that the issue is not cultural, because it is dealing with worship.

Those who oppose head coverings love to offer all kinds of cultural and Old Covenant references to show how coverings were viewed, and used, but miss the main point: Paul is telling the church in Corinth, and all the churches, what the cultural setting should be in the church, and he is rooting that cultural setting in creation.

Paul bases his arguments on creation, the hierarchy of Christ, the husband, and the woman, and for the purpose of the angels. In other words, it doesn’t matter what the Jews use to do, or what the Jews were doing. It doesn’t matter what the Romans used to do, or what they were doing. In fact, it doesn’t matter what the church has been doing today, but what we should be doing. Paul sets the culture for us, by rooting his arguments in the created order, and we are to submit to his instructions, as do all the churches (1 Corinthians 11:16).

We also believe, as Bnonn Tennant so beautifully shows, that only God’s glory is to be seen in worship, therefore, women are to cover their hair. Bnonn writes:

The way in which we worship matters. To have another glory on display—a glory that simply by merit of being present is competing with (H)is, suggesting itself as worthy of appearing alongside (H)im—is embodied blasphemy. And glory that is present alongside (Him) suggests also that we may worship the creature, rather than the creator, who is blessed forever! Amen—and is thus implied idolatry.

You can read the full article here. You can also listen to Bnonn and Smokey (Bnonn’s wife) answer questions to objections here. Most of the objections they address, will deal with the statements in Wilson’s article, and others as well.

Just by looking at what the text actually says, like I do in my sermons below, and what Bnonn and Smokey do, we answer most of the objections people have.

I am sharing the three sermons I have preached on the subject of head coverings from 1 Corinthians 11. I did this back in April and May of 2023 at Waco Reformed Church. Most of our congregation has since adopted the practice. However, even those who do not accept the practice, are welcome to worship with us.

You can also read other articles here and here.

 

First sermon: Head Coverings and Hierarchy

This first sermon not only deals with the hierarchy of those in the body of Christ, but also the culture in which Paul was working. It does answer the question: are head coverings a result of culture?

 

Second Sermon: Head Coverings and Prophecy

 

Third Sermon: Head Coverings and Glory

At Waco Reformed Church, we believe that it is right and proper for women to wear head coverings in worship. However, we accept that there are many men and women who are not convinced from Scripture to do so. Therefore we allow for those who are not convinced to act upon their conscience, as long as they don’t teach otherwise in our congregation.

Work vs. Worship

There are times when I will be talking to believers about worship, and they will say something along the lines of, “well, I worship every day. All of life is worship. I’m worshipping now as I do my job.”

I know that they want to believe this, because it sanctifies their job. There is nothing wrong with the desire to see our callings as ordained by God. The work we do is a calling from God. When we take up a job, we are to do it for the glory of the LORD, taking dominion of the task before us, so that when it is done in faith, He is glorified. In doing our jobs, we are being obedient to the LORD. All Christians should have this view towards their jobs.

The problem is that even though we are told to do all things for the glory of the LORD, we are not to assume that we are worshipping God in our daily callings. Work and worship are quite different. In fact, when we worship God, we are to cease from work. The two do not overlap. In both the Old and New Testament, we see the different words used for “work” and “worship,” showing that the two words are not the same. One can work, or worship, one cannot do both since the spheres are different callings from God.

We get this in our instructions of when we are to worship found in the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

This is one of the foundational principles for worship, showing us that we are to cease from work on the Sabbath, or as we do under the New Covenant, the LORD’s Day. But more importantly, we see the worship and work are not the same. One might say: “well, the commandment doesn’t say to worship.” The rest of Deuteronomy details worship. But here in the commandment, we are given the principle of 1 day in 7. We work on 6 days, and 1 day we worship. Work is to cease on the LORD’s Day.

But to be more clear, we need to look at the Hebrew word for work. It is: mᵊlā’ḵâ. It means to labor. It points to our occupation, and we are commanded to work for six days. Strong’s put it this way:

מְלָאכָה mᵉlâʼkâh, mel-aw-kaw’; from the same as H4397; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor):—business, cattle, industrious, occupation, ( -pied), officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).

What about worship? What are we to do for worship? Fundamentally, when we worship, we are to make sacrifices to the LORD. Work is about producing. Worship is about sacrifice. We see this when Abraham took Isaac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, as YHWH had instructed Abraham to do.

Genesis 22:5

And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

The worship that Abraham is to do, is sacrifice. He thinks he will sacrifice his son, knowing that if he does, the LORD will raise him up again. But he ends up sacrificing a ram that the LORD provided. This is a key to our worship. It is about sacrifice. We go to worship for sacrifice. But the LORD provides the sacrifice. We just offer ourselves, and He cuts us up with His word, then works in us, and then feeds us, all through the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made on the cross.

Back to the word for worship in Hebrew. It is: šāḥâ. It has the idea of bowing down, prostrating oneself, humbling oneself before a superior. Strong’s puts it this way:

שָׁחָה shâchâh, shaw-khaw’; a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):—bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.

Hopefully you can see the two concepts are different. We work unto the glory of the LORD during the week, but it is not worship. We gather with the people of God on the LORD’s day, but it is not work. The two have different goals and function.

What about the New Testament?

The best passage for this is one of God’s stated purposes in sending Christ.

John 4:24

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

A lot of evangelicals miss the mark on this verse, because they don’t give it the value that it should have. They are so often focused on John 3:16 (thereby missing the fulness of the John 3), that they come to the conclusion that we are to focus merely on missions. But the Father’s purpose in missions is worship. Worship takes priority. The Father sends the Son, so that there will be true worship. (For more on this, you can listen to the sermon on this subject here).

Hopefully here we can lay this to rest, because the Greek word used for worship is: proskyneō. It means to prostrate oneself before another. As Strong’s puts it:

προσκυνέω proskynéō, pros-koo-neh’-o; from G4314 and a probable derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):—worship.

This is not the picture of work at all. In fact, let’s look at “work” in Greek as well. The Greek word for work is: ergon. Strong’s explains it this way:

ἔργον érgon, er’-gon; from a primary (but obsolete) ἔργω érgō (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:—deed, doing, labour, work.

We are to ergon during the week, and proskyneo on the LORD’s day. To say we worship during the week is to confuse the meaning of the two words.

Conclusion

To work is labor. It is a calling, and we should treat it as such. But work is not worship. These are two different functions for the Christian. We work during the week, and worship on the First Day of the week. Yes, we should see our work as a calling from God. But let us not mix up the two.

If you would like to learn more about Covenantal Worship, then go here for a series of sermons on the topic.

For Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven — The Gospel of Matthew Sermon 24

Preparation for Worship: Psalm 73:25-26

Call to worship: Hebrews 12:18-24 (Keep it, same as last week).

Reading of the Law: Proverbs 10:30-32 (Dichotomy continues: righteous and wicked)

AOPG: Isaiah 1:18; Hebrews 12:24

Old Covenant Reading (read first):  Ezekiel 47:1-5

New Covenant Reading: Matthew 5:1-10

(This is the inspired and holy word of God.)

Sermon – For Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

Introduction –

Our text reads: “He sat on a mountain…” I’ve tried to show that more is going on than meets the eye. If we remain in an elementary understanding of Scripture, we will never see the true richness of what Jesus is doing. This is why I spent much of last Sunday’s sermon showing the significance of Jesus sitting on a mountain, teaching the people of God.

This means something. It shows us the greater spiritual reality of what takes place when we gather for worship, on the mountain, with the people of God, sitting at the feet of our Savior.

He is the Temple of God. We are the building blocks of that Temple. When we gather, true worship takes place. When we gather, He feeds us, and gives us drink.

The Apostle John also hits upon this theme as well, but not directly.

John gives us another picture of this reality.

Revelation 21:2-6

2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Part of the already/not yet reality)

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Including us) And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

As Jesus sits on the mountain to teach, He is laying the foundations for this new city, this Tabernacle. He is setting up the fountain of the water of life, which we know from Ezekiel that it becomes a flowing river.

When Jesus started preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” the trickling of the river of life began. It then continued to grow into a stream. As Jesus teaches on the side of the mountain, that stream becomes a river flowing to all the people who hear. As His ministry continued, and He ascended into heaven, then the river flowed to the point that no one could cross it. It was too deep, too wide.

In other words, as we sit here this morning, the waters of life are a river that …(we) could not cross… for the waters of life flow around the world… the waters of life seek to sustain those who are citizens of the kingdom.

And it is the citizens of the kingdom that Jesus is speaking to.

Jesus Went About — The Gospel of Matthew Sermon 22

Preparation for Worship: Luke 4:36

Call to worship: Isaiah 61:1-3

Reading of the Law: Proverbs 10:26 (Note to me: we have been called by our LORD to work… where we find ourselves being lazy, we need to repent).

AOPG: Romans 4:7-8

Old Covenant Reading (read first): Isaiah 61

New Covenant Reading: Matthew 4:23-25

(This is the inspired and holy word of God.)

Sermon – Jesus Went About

Introduction –

It’s not often that you can read a book of fiction and find true biblical insight. That is what happened when I was reading the Lord of the Rings to Heidi recently. I had finished reading about the Ride of Rohirrim, and in the chapter called The Houses of Healing, I had the “aha moment.”

The old wife, Ioreth, was tending to the wounded Faramir, afraid for his life. She then said, “Would that there were kings in Gondor as there were once upon a time, they say! For it is said in the old lore: The hands of the king are the hands of the healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known.”

It was at that moment, that I realized where it was that Tolkien came upon this idea, of the king being a healer.

He got the idea from the gospels, that show that our King truly is a healer.

And, this is what we should expect to find when it comes to the Messiah. Remember what was promised about the Messiah in the Garden of Eden: And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

We are also told:

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus has come to reverse the curse. He is not only coming to defeat Satan, but also the work of Satan. Jesus is our sacrifice. He is the One who redeems us. He is the One who heals us.

All this is necessary for us to be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are beneficiaries to all of these things in Christ and without the regeneration that is necessary, we cannot be citizens of His Kingdom.

In this, we begin to see that Christ’s Kingdom is a different kind of Kingdom, with a different kind of King. The world offers us messiahs that can only lead by applying different levels of coercion.

But not Christ. He leads us by regenerating our hearts so that we believe. He leads us by working faith in us to believe. He leads us by bringing freedom from sin. He leads us and works in us by giving us the Spirit of God Himself. He leads by dealing with all that plague us. He leads us by dealing with His and our enemies. He is a different kind of King. He is a healing King.

You Shall Not Tempt — The Gospel of Matthew Sermon 18

LORD’S DAY WORSHIP – JANUARY 19, 2025

Preparation for Worship: Hebrews 3:12-13

Call to worship: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Reading of the Law: Proverbs 10:8-11 (Solomon’s tidbits…).

AOPG: Psalm 85:1-3

Old Covenant Reading (read first): Deuteronomy 6:10-20

New Covenant Reading: Matthew 4:1-7

(This is the inspired and holy word of God.)

Sermon – You Shall Not Tempt 

Introduction – 

Last week we began working our way through the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. In that temptation, Jesus recapitulated Adam in the Garden of Eden.

(Recapitulation is to repeat something in concise form. For the purposes of Christ, He is repeating what Adam went through, without falling into sin. He is doing what Adam failed to do, but under far more severe circumstances).

For Adam had everything he needed to live in the Garden. There was only one thing withheld from Adam in the Garden. It was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam did not need the fruit of that tree to live. The tree was meant to be a blessing, once Adam proved his obedience.

Instead of living in obedience to YHWH, Adam stretched out his hand, and ate of the one thing God did not give him. He took what was forbidden to him.

At that moment of sin, Adam obtained for the first time in his short life, the knowledge of evil. His heart had become evil. He didn’t believe the LORD, and believed the serpent instead. In that moment, he fell from God’s grace.

Hopefully you see the contrast with Jesus, who is the Last Adam. He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 days. Then at the end of that fast, the devil came and tempted Him in two areas: the first on his Hunger, the second on His Deity.

This wilderness setting also shows us that this is a recapitulation of Israel’s time in the wilderness, when they were without water, and they tested God, instead of trusting Him.

Jesus is not only walking the steps of Adam, but the steps of Israel. The reason for this is because Israel was considered to be God’s son. By this, we mean the entire nation was to be a son to God, and He was to be their Father. Therefore, the true Israel does what is necessary to please the Father. He goes to wilderness, goes through a fast which included water, and please the Father.

Baptized with the Spirit — The Gospel of Matthew Sermon 15

Sermon – Baptized with Holy Spirit and Fire 

Preached December 29, 2024

Introduction – 

Last week, we left off this monumental verse that quotes John the Baptist calling the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers. It’s monumental because John is making a theological statement about the leadership, confronting them with their wickedness. They are wicked, because they are in positions of leadership, as shepherds, yet they are not being the shepherds they should be given the blessings of God that have been given to them.

What blessing have they been given?

Well, for one thing, they have the word of God at their disposal. Therefore, they should know the requirements for being in the covenant with God, the blessings and curses that come along with the covenant.

Now, one might hear that and think that it is better to not be in covenant with God at all. But all that means is that the attendant curses of the covenant rest on you continually, while being in the covenant, leads to true blessings.

The Pharisees and Sadducees should have known these things.

But they did not. They have become more a political group than a group that truly shepherds the people.

Yet, when given the sign of the covenant, which they boasted in, they were agreeing to be God’s covenant people. They had in their possession Deuteronomy 27 & 28, which spells out those blessings and curses, and makes it clear that blessings come to those who obey the voice of the LORD our God. The curses come when we reject the covenant, and live in disobedience.

All these things had been given to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but they chose their own way, instead of God’s way.

This is what leads John to saying what he does.

To Exclude Our Children from the Table, is Excommunication

A fellow pastor from my previous denomination posted this on his Facebook page: “Paedocommunionsists practice a form of baptismal regeneration.” He was taking a dig at those of us who joyfully practice paedocommunion. I’m sure most people are thinking: “paedo-what???”

What is paedocommunion?

It is the belief and practice of allowing our children to partake in the LORD’s Supper, also known as communion. We do this because they are already members of the church through the sacrament of baptism, which is, paedobaptism.

In paedobaptism, we completely agree with our Reformed Brethren. We believe that children should be given the sign of the covenant, shortly after they are born. This isn’t because we believe in baptismal regeneration, but because they are a part of the covenant, and need the sign of that covenant. We don’t know if the child is spiritually regenerate at baptism. We know they could be, just like John the Baptist was regenerate inside the womb of his mother Elizabeth, but there is no way of knowing.

Our argument is that all the reasons we hold to paedobaptism are the same reasons we should hold to paedocommunion. Most Reformed Presbyterians disagree.

Now, the rift between us and our Reformed brethren is over the admonition in 1 Corinthians 11, that a man should examine himself:

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Paul was addressing two sins that were occurring among the Corinthians. The first sin was sectarianism, which was reflected in the fact that when they partook of communion, they were not waiting for one another, and leaving the poor out of communion. The second reason was that they were getting drunk and abusing the table. Both sins were missing the entire point of communion, and leading to the death of some of the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:30).

This sickness that was taking place, wasn’t brought on by the elders of the church, but by the Holy Spirit. This is important to notice because far too many elders think they have the responsibility to fence the table. The LORD is quite capable of fencing His own table. The Holy Spirit was fencing the table in Corinth, not the elders.

Fencing the Table

In our arrogance, we have come to the belief that it is our responsibility to fence the table. What hubris.

For those who don’t know, fencing the table is the part of the service where the pastor will say something along the lines of, “all are invited to partake, who have been baptized, and are members of an evangelical church in good standing, and are not in any gross or heinous sins.”

This is the idea of a men examining themselves. But there are a lot of problems with this concept. For one, when Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper, Judas Iscariot was right there in the mix. Judas, who was involved in a gross and heinous sin of betraying Christ to the the Jewish authorities, was served communion by the LORD Himself. Jesus said nothing to Judas that would indicate that we are to “fence the table.” Jesus didn’t fence Judas from the table.

Another huge problem with fencing the table in such a way, is that you are setting up the table, which is a table of grace, and making the table a place of works. In other words, one has to perform certain works in order to approach the table. He or she (and notice that the admonition in 1 Corinthians is not to the women, but to the men, in the singular), who wishes to partake of the table, must do so by works righteousness, not grace.

Baptism? Check.

Church membership? Check.

Good standing? Check.

No heinous sins? I got this! Check!

This is one of the very reasons I believe the Reformed church is so weak and deficient in bearing fruit. Those who practice fencing the table, are actually practicing works righteousness. They are setting up standards for which the believer must meet in order to come to the table.

I do believe that those who come to the table should be baptized. However, if I have someone in my worship service who desires to partake of the supper, who is not baptized, I would let them. If they hunger for the supper, let them eat. Christ did. He fed the 5,000 because they hungered. The same grace should be shown at the table.

This doesn’t mean that the person partaking should not get baptized. But we must recognize that babes often have food before they are washed.

Excommunication

The other problem I have with the way that my Reformed brethren fence the table, and this is the biggie, is that they are excommunicating members of the body from the table. When a church denies a child, who has been baptized, and given the sign of the covenant, from they table, they are in effect, excommunicating the child from the LORD’s supper. They are telling the child that they are not worthy to eat the bread and drink the wine that the LORD has given to His people.

On what grounds? They say this is because a child cannot examine himself, as is prescribed in 1 Corinthians 11. Yet, that text wasn’t written to to the children, or the women. It was written to the men. Have the men been divisive? Have they become drunkards at the table? Were they excluding people who were poor, and taking communion  before them, leaving the poor to fend for themselves? If any of these things were true, then the men were not to partake.

The verse said nothing to the women. It said nothing to the children. The women, and the children, were not guilty of those sins, just the men. And if the men were not guilty, then they were to partake. But if they were guilty, then they should abstain.

The dirty little secret is that those men in Reformed circles who are excluding the children, the poorest of all, are guilty of the sin Paul is writing against. So the very verse they use to qualify someone for the table, is the very verse that disqualifies them from the table. They are guilty of sectarianism, of dividing the body.

Conclusion

The major point in all this is being faithful to God’s calling in the church. He has called us to be a body, the Body of Christ, and nothing symbolizes this more than the LORD’s supper. Given His passion for children, for the weak, and for the poor, it just makes no sense that the Table of the LORD should ever be divided by the haves, and the have nots. In the Reformed camps, this has fallen into those who have correct theology, and those who don’t. Yet, Christ desires to feed the have nots. So to restrict them from the Table, is the very sin that Paul was writing against in 1 Corinthians 11. This is why we insist, that our children partake.

No, they don’t understand. But with the feeding of God’s grace, we are trusting that the Spirit will work in their lives, and they will, one day, understand the rich grace they have been given in the simple bread and the wine.

Jacob Begat Judah: Gospel of Matthew Sermon No. 3

Drawing from the prophecy of Judah in Genesis 49:8-12, we see that Judah gives us a true picture of Christ’s sacrificial love, in the earlier chapters of Genesis. He truly acts in a kingly fashion, willing to lay his life down for the love of his father, and the safety of Benjamin.

For more information on Waco Reformed Church, go to our website here, or our Facebook page here, along with our Youtube channel here. Waco Reformed Church is a candidate church of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC).

 

Son of Abraham: Gospel of Matthew Sermon No. 2.

Jesus is identified by several titles in His genealogy by Matthew. One is, the Son of Abraham. In this sermon, we look at Abraham’s call, his fear, his faith, his obedience, and his legacy as the patriarch of the faith. He is the father of all who believe, and it should not surprise us that his life is the pattern most typical for the Christian life.

For more information on Waco Reformed Church, go to our website here, or our Facebook page here, along with our Youtube channel here.

Jesus Is Israel: Gospel of Matthew Sermon No. 1

The following is the first sermon in our series on the Gospel of Matthew. It deals with the reality that Jesus is true Israel. I know many claim to be Israel, as in the modern nation. But as Paul astutely and divinely wrote: not all Israel is Israel. To be the true, and lasting Israel, one must be in Christ, who replaced Israel and the true Son of God.

Next, I also deal with the date that Matthew wrote his gospel. Modern scholarship seems to think that the gospel was written in 60 AD or 70 AD. But this makes no sense. Why would Matthew, who was use to taking notes all the time as a tax collector, and a Pharisees, wait 40 years before writing the gospel. I make the case, along with others, that Matthew wrote the book within a few years of Pentecost. After all, this is when there was the greatest need, with all the Jews coming to know Christ on the Day of Pentecost.

I then turn to the central point of Matthew’s gospel, that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.

For more information on Waco Reformed Church, go to our website here, or our Facebook page here, along with our Youtube channel here.

Early on in my pastoral career, I had a crisis of belief. This is not uncommon for pastors, or to Christians everywhere, however, for me, I thought at the time that something was clearly wrong with me.

I was right. There was something clearly wrong with me, and Jesus was working some of that wrong out of me through the crisis.

It was not only a crisis of calling, but also a crisis of understanding. For when I took the pastorate of that small, dying Baptist church, I thought for certain, I had what it took to right that ship, and get it going on the right direction.

This is what seminary does for a fella.

Yet, in that, the LORD continued on in His faithfulness toward me, and one of the things that He took away from me, was my fleshly understanding of His Kingdom.

He did that through one verse.

Matthew 2:14-15

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

 It was actually two verses, but verse 15 was the key. “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

What Matthew was doing in this verse is showing that it wasn’t the people who were His Son, but Jesus Christ. If you look at Hosea 11:1, we see where Matthew found the quote.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

Now when you first look at that verse, it seems simple enough. Hosea made the prophecy that the Messiah would be called out of Egypt, and we will see that He does go to Egypt for a time. (This also shows that Jesus makes the same journey as the patriarchs did, and the people during the Exodus. But will get to this in a few weeks.)

When Matthew quotes from Hosea, he knows that his audience will know Hosea 11 and what is found there. It is not just a prophecy about the coming Messiah, but a description of Israel at the time. They had fallen into idolatry, and rejecting the loving hand of YHWH. (Go to the text ).
2 As they called them,
So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.

What Hosea 11 actually shows us is that the nation of Israel, was and is not true Israel, Christ is.

Listen to the full sermon.