Westminster – Josh Hanson Ministries

The Rich Man’s Boast

Josh — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:39:46 +0000

‌SCRIPTURE: James 1:9-11 (ESV)

DATE: 2-8-26

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

PASTORAL PRAYER

Today we’re going to start something new — a time of pastoral prayer. It’s actually not really new — just an old practice that we’re going to renew in our worship time together. Where — each week — we’ll be more intentional about praying for people, circumstances, and situations going on in our congregation, community, country, and the world. One critique of the contemporary church in the US is how prayer is often just a time of transition — a time for the worship team to get on or off the stage. Yet prayer — historically — has been a sacred practice by God’s gathered people. So we’re going to take time each week to develop this sacred practice even more than what has been our practice around here.

Feel free to take these prayers — or the topics prayed for — and use them throughout the week. For — when God’s people unite together in prayer — quite often — amazing things happen. So — with that — please join me in prayer.

Gracious Father, we begin by praising you for being a God who is full of generosity towards your creation and especially your people. You are the God who meets our every need according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus. And you have called us to be a generous people.

Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching us what it means to be generous. We ask you to inspire in us an ever increasing spirit of generosity as a congregation. Thank you for the faithful giving of your people in this local church — and stretch us towards even greater generosity.

For our local community, Father, Son, and Spirit, I want to bring before you other local pastors in our city — friends of mine — my co-laborers in ministry. For pastor Blair at Living Hope, pastor Mike at First Naz, pastor Chris at Cedar Creek, pastor Travis at Bible Methodist, pastor Kirk at College First, and pastor Ken at the Upper Room — may you speak through them in a mighty way this morning. Change lives for all eternity as your Word is preached through these men. May they trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to speak through them to awaken many to new life in Christ.

As we turn our attention to our nation — tonight is a night when many will be gathered to enjoy a football game. Enjoyment of such things are good gifts from you. So my prayer for our nation is that this evening — for many people — hundreds of thousands of people even — that the joy they find in watching the Super Bowl would point them to the infinitely greater joy that’s found in Jesus. For football games come and go — even Super Bowl victories for our team are nothing more than fleeting moments — but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the joy that’s found in him endures forever.

Finally — as we now pray for the world — we lift up to you the Arora people group. Nearly four point one million people who — today — don’t believe in Jesus because they haven’t heard about him. Your Word tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” — may men, women, and children of the Arora people group look up to the sky, recognize that you exist, and see their need to be in right relationship with you. And Father we ask that — at the very moment when they recognize their need — may someone you’ve called and anointed for this very purpose bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ. Though this may seem impossible to us — nothing is impossible for you. For you are the God who is orchestrating all things for the good of the people that Jesus came to seek and save.

Thank you for hearing our prayers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in the book of James this weekend. We’ll be in James chapter one today. James chapter one — looking at verses nine through eleven. There we read…

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

This is the first of a few warnings that James will give to the rich. And — immediately — our thought is, “Well, I’m glad he’s not speaking to me. I’m not rich!” Be careful with that thought. Most of us are rich in James’ estimation. Either way — the principle James is teaching applies to the rich and the humble — interestingly — that’s the two categories of people James uses in our verses. The rich and the humble.

But — today — we’re going to — first — explore an echo of the Bible — I’ll explain what I mean by that in a moment. Then we’ll briefly look at two false gospels. Then we’ll face the fact that life is fading away. But we’ll end on a high note of being amazed by Christ.

An echo of the Bible. Two false gospels. Life is fading. And Christ — that’s where we’re headed.

THE BIBLE’S ECHO

First — the Bible has an echo to it. By that — I mean — when you get to know the Bible better — you’ll find repeated themes — or echoes — throughout it. Where something said early on in the Bible is echoed later in another part of the Bible. And then it echoes again. And again. And again.

James — if you recall — is writing to Christians of Jewish background. And — for the most part — the Jews knew their Bibles — what we call the Old Testament — really well. And they would’ve immediately recognized the passage that James is echoing in our verses.

Maybe you recognized the echo as well. It’s in his words about the rich when he writes…

James 1:10–11 ESV

10 because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.

The Old Testament passage that James is referring to — or echoing — is from the prophet Isaiah. For some context — the people of God have been living in exile. They’re being punished for abandoning God who had graciously warned them to come back to him or face the consequence of their sin. They refused to do so and their punishment was being conquered by another nation.

Now — you can imagine how demoralizing, depressing, and disheartening it must have been to experience being defeated by another nation. And it’s in the midst of this situation that the prophet — on behalf of God — says…

Isaiah 40 NLT

1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.” 3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” 6 A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” 9 O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. 16 All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? 19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 20 Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down! 21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God — the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 22 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Even though the people are presently in exile — experiencing the punishment for their sins against God — God speaks words of comfort and hope and of power to them. He tells his people that their sad days are over. Their sins have been forgiven. A path will be made which will lead them back to God — back to the Promised Land — back from the wilderness to their home.

I can’t help but think that some among us need to know that God’s words still echo to his people today. That your sad days are coming to an end. Your sins have been forgiven. God has made the path for you to walk on which is leading you to an eternal Promised Land — heaven — for this wilderness of a world is not your home.

Now for the people in Isaiah’s day — this is all an echo of an earlier part of their history. For — just like when they wandered in the wilderness during the Exodus — some of the people in Isaiah’s day will fade away — they will die before the promise is fulfilled when God’s people return to the Promised Land. But what will never fade away is the Word of God — it stands forever.

The Word of God which declares — and tells us to shout from the mountaintops, “Our God is coming to rule! He’s coming in power and is bringing his reward with him. He will feed his people like a shepherd — and he’ll carry them in his arms. He’ll hold them close to his heart and will lead them gently back to him.” Words of comfort for his people. Words that I hope give you comfort today — if you believe in Jesus.

And the Word of God — which will never fade — says some amazing truths about God. For example…

He holds the oceans in his hands.
And has measured the heavens.
And knows the weight of the world.
And he is all-knowing and needs no one to instruct him on anything.
He knows what is good.
He knows what is just.
And all people — along with all of creation — are mere dust compared to him.

Isaiah goes on and on and then concludes by asking, “What compares to God?” The answer? No one and nothing — that’s what. But oh how easy it is to get excited about — and distracted by — and give our lives to things — like money — that don’t even come close to the awesomeness that is our God.

This is the passage James is echoing in our verses. For he wants his original readers — who were living in exile — dispersed from Jerusalem because of persecution — and us — his people living in exile as we await the return of our King — to remember — and have great confidence in — who our God is so that our lives become more and more committed to living for him alone. And — by the way — the benefits of living this way are countless.

For example — if you’re feeling weak right now — remember — your God is the God who gives strength. If you’re feeling powerless — remember — your God gives power to his people. For — as Isaiah says — those who trust in him will find new strength. They will soar like eagles. They’ll run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

If you’ve been with us during our journey in James — which we’re just a few weeks into — me mentioning that I memorize books of the Bible a few weeks ago may have made you think that I’m pretty weird — and if you talk to folks who know me — they’ll tell you that I’m weird. One of my other weird habits is that I have a list of life resolutions. These are statements of who God says I am in Christ that I know I’m prone to forgetting — so I’ve collected them as a list and read them regularly to remember who I am and who God’s called me to be.

Resolution number twenty-seven is based on the passage from Isaiah that we just read — in fact — it’s based on the last verse. My resolution number twenty-seven is this: To be thankful during soaring seasons. Faithful in running seasons. And to persevere in walking seasons.

And the way you and I can be thankful, and faithful, and even demonstrate perseverance — when life is soaring or when it’s soul-crushing — is by remembering who our great and mighty and powerful and saving God is as he’s told us in his never-fading Word.

TWO FALSE GOSPELS

Which leads us to two false gospels I want to point out to us. But — first — our verses again. This time in a different translation.

James 1:9–11 NLT

9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

There are two false gospels that are a constant source of division in the church: the prosperity gospel and the poverty gospel. The prosperity gospel is the false teaching that God rewards our faith with health and wealth and that Christians should expect God to bless them with health and wealth in an ever increasing way. The poverty gospel — on the other hand — is the false teaching that God requires poverty — or denying oneself of material goods — as a sign that your faith is genuine.

Obviously, our verses in James would be correcting those who believe the prosperity gospel — as the rich — in our verses — are given a warning. And the prosperity gospel — if nothing else — is about being rich. Yet our verses have the potential to be used to justify the poverty gospel — which again — like the prosperity gospel — is false. It’s a lie. And it’s to be rejected.

The Bible has much to say about the poor — but never is being economically poor a way to judge the spiritual state or maturity of a person. Maybe the person was foolish with their money. Or maybe they were called by God to exercise the spiritual gift of generosity in a way that few have been called to. Their bank accounts may have the same amount in them — but for very different reasons. And — generally speaking — we’re all pretty terrible at judging people’s motives.

I bring these false gospels up to warn you to be careful with what you consume in books, podcasts, and sermons. There are many prosperity gospel preachers and teachers in our country today. They sell a message that entices our sinful desire to be rich. And these false teachers cause many people to be disappointed in God when he doesn’t live up to the lies they’ve been sold — which is why you must know who God says he is on his own terms in his unfading Word.

And though not as popular — poverty gospel false teachers are also out there. And — ironically — they make quite a bit of money selling a false message — telling their readers and listeners to denounce wealth and give everything away as a sign of spiritual maturity. Both the prosperity and poverty gospels can be quite lucrative for the false teachers selling such lies.

So — remember — God calls his people to — one — love him and not money — because you can’t love both according to Jesus. Two — God calls us to be generous with our money — really, I should say — be generous with his money because it’s not our money anyway. Which is why generosity is one of the values we hope to see in all who follow Jesus here at Gateway — and I’m continually blown away by your generosity. And — three — we must remember…

2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT

9 The generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

We’ll reflect more on this truth in a moment.

LIFE IS FADING

But — before we get to Jesus — let’s face the fact that life is fading for all of us. James tells us this a few times in our verses.

James 1:9–11 ESV

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Passing away. Withering. Falling. Perishing. Fading away — they all mean the same thing: The rich — and the poor — the proud and the humble — all of us are experiencing the fading away of our lives. I recently heard someone say, “I’ve got a lot of good years behind me.” That’s not how we expect that sentence to go, is it? Most of the time we talk about good years that are ahead of us — and often people talk as if the years are never gonna run out.

But — according to James — life is like grass in a field. The sun rises and dries out the grass — and it withers and dies. The flowers wilt and the petals fall off and the flower’s beauty is gone forever. Later James will say…

James 4:14 NLT

14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

The morning fog is something we’re all familiar with living in Northwest Ohio. Growing up in Florida — I didn’t have fog delays when I was a student. But — here — we occasionally get a fog delay or cancellation. And — inevitably — when school’s cancelled — the sun comes out — warms everything up — and the fog burns off leaving a beautiful day for the students to enjoy. Our life — James says — is like that — fog. It’s here in the morning and gone in a few hours.

In the Old Testament our lives are described as a handbreadth.

Psalm 39:5 ESV

5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

A handbreadth — if you don’t know — is this — four fingers. Essentially each finger represents a quarter of a person’s life. Some of us are under twenty years old. So this first finger — though not all the way up — hasn’t completely closed. Some of us are between twenty and forty. The first finger is down — and the second is on its way down — but you’ve still got two full fingers of life left ahead of you. Some of us have passed forty — which is middle age by the way — not sixty — we’re not living to a hundred and twenty these days. Once you pass forty — the third finger is starting to creep its way down. And when you pass the sixty year old mark — you’re on the last finger — and it’s started its way down.

And — in response to this truth — the psalmist says, “Selah.” Which means — pause, reflect, meditate on the reality of how brief your life is — for this is the only way to not waste your life — but to live it to the full.

Our culture wants us to not think about such things. Ignore your mortality. Ignore the wrinkles — botox them away even. We idolize youthfulness and despair when there’s nothing more we can do to cover up the fact that our life is fading away.

If you saw a picture of me from my twenties — you’d recognize it’s me — but you’d probably think, “What happened?” A few years ago — during a sermon I quoted from a television show I watched growing up and someone said to me, “When you said that, I realized I never imagined that you were a kid. I just always think of you as being this age.” I remember hearing a pastor lament because he was already up there in age when recording sermons on video became a thing. He said something like, “People will always think of me as an old preacher even though I’ve been doing this for decades.”

But age happens. Gravity’s been pulling on my body for nearly five decades. I don’t dye my hair — so gray is happening. My life is passing away.

I’ve had to give up on many pursuits I once dreamed of accomplishing — there’s just not enough life left to pursue everything — which is good — because now what matters makes it to the top of my priorities — at least I hope it is. Life has a great way — if you allow it — to prioritize things for you.

And — to what should be the biggest priority — for those who follow Jesus — we now turn.

CONCLUSION: CHRIST’S HUMILIATION AND EXALTATION

In our verses — two words kept sticking out to me over and over again. Humiliation and exaltation. The lowly — or the humble — are exalted. And the rich are humiliated. And here’s where my mind kept going.

A few weeks ago I read our Essentials of the Faith. Think of them as the standard of beliefs that Christians have always held regardless of denomination, church affiliation, and so on. They unite us together with other local churches in Findlay — like Living Hope, Cedar Creek, First Naz, College First, Bible Methodist, the Upper Room, and so on. Churches in town whose pastors I’m friends with and meet with on a monthly basis.

Yet — in our church tradition — we’re part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church if you’re newer to Gateway — in our church tradition we also hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith and its catechisms. Catechisms are a list of questions and answers — which are very helpful as they cover many of the questions people have about the Christian faith.

What does any of that have to do with humiliation and exaltation? Well when the two words kept sticking out to me — where my mind went to was the Larger Catechism. It’s called “larger” because it has more questions than the shorter catechism. And the forty-sixth question in the larger catechism is this.

Q. 46. How was Christ humiliated?

The answer.

A. For our sakes, Christ emptied himself of his own glory and took on the form of a servant, and so was humiliated in all the poor circumstances involving his conception and birth, life on earth, death, and after his death until he was resurrected.

Paul speaks of this when he writes…

Philippians 2:6–8 ESV

6 [Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The next few questions are…

Q. 47. How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?

And…

Q. 48. How did Christ humble himself in his life?

And…

Q. 49. How did Christ humble himself in his death?

And…

Q. 50. How was Christ humiliated after his death?

And what the answers to these questions reveal — and I’d encourage you to go read them for yourself — the answers reveal that Jesus — the Rich Man of Heaven — left his infinite riches and humbled himself — in love — for our sake. What love displayed for you and me. What compassion towards us who are spiritually poor. The Rich Man gave up everything for us — he gave up everything for you. Christ humbled himself in love for you.

Yet that’s not all. Remember — there were two words that stuck out to me: humiliation and exaltation. The last question we just read — on Christ’s humiliation — was number fifty. The next question asks this.

Q. 51. How was Christ exalted?

A. Christ’s exaltation includes his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and coming again to judge the world.

The catechism goes on to ask.

Q. 52. How was Christ exalted in his resurrection?

And…

Q. 53. How was Christ exalted in his ascension?

And…

Q. 54. How is Christ exalted by sitting at the right hand of God?

And what the answers to these questions reveal is that — the Rich Man became poor for your sake. And — just like James tells us — the humble man — Jesus Christ — is now exalted to the heavenly places. And because of all that he’s done in love — for you and for me — we’re to exalt the name of Jesus together. Meaning — we’re to lift up the name of Jesus in song and praise — and we’re to honor him in how we live as we show the world that — though the flower fades and its beauty perishes — not so with Jesus Christ.

Though you and I age and get old, and bare the physical scars of medical procedures and surgeries to help fight off sickness and diseases and decay — the Word of the Lord — the Bible — will never fade away — just as the Word of the Lord — Jesus Christ — though he still has the scars in his hands and feet from the cross — he will never fade away. For he considered his humiliation a small price to pay to save his people from their sin — and to rescue them from the wilderness — so that they might experience being lifted up to Heaven where they’ll be with their exalted Savior for all eternity.

Wisdom has been speaking to us today. Wisdom’s told us much about who God is, who we are, and what Jesus has done for us. How will you respond to what wisdom has said to you today? May you receive the advice that wisdom has graciously taught you today and turn to the humble — and now — exalted Savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, your ways are not our ways. If anything — we’ve learned that today.

Spirit of God, may you take the truth of your Word — which is never-fading — and apply it deep into our hearts at this very moment. Maybe it’s the truth of how awesome God is, or how fading our lives are, or how beautiful Jesus is, or the love that is ours because of what Christ has done.

And — Jesus — the Rich Man of heaven, our humble and exalted Savior — we now prepare our hearts to join together in praising your awesome and mighty name. May you receive our praise. If it’s praise from those who are soaring like eagles. If it’s praise from those who are running. And especially if it’s the praise coming from those whose lives are in a season of walking. May our praise bring you honor and joy. In your name we pray. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

In love — Christ humbled himself for your sake. Therefore — in love — may you go and exalt his name by living for him. Amen

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

Authority (pt 2)

Josh — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:02:42 +0000

‌SCRIPTURE: Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)

DATE: 7-27-25

INTRODUCTION

We’re continuing our series in Romans this weekend and we’re in the practical application section of Paul’s letter. You may remember that — after eleven chapters of rich theological truths — Paul gets to the “so what” in chapter twelve. Meaning he addresses how all of the theology — that’s found in the first eleven chapters — is to play itself out in how we live. That’s the journey we began earlier this year with Paul’s big “therefore” statement — when he writes…

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Because of the theology he’s taught us — Paul now tells us to live our lives as sacrificial offerings to God — where our lives are acts of worship that make our God look glorious to the world. And one way our lives can make God look glorious to the world — that Paul addresses in our verses — leads us to what may be the most controversial subject I’ve ever preached on.

So with that teaser — if you have your Bible — please turn with me to Romans chapter thirteen. We’ll be in Romans chapter thirteen today — looking at verses one through seven. There Paul writes…

Romans 13:1–7 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Last week we saw that what this text teaches us is pretty straightforward — it’s not hard to understand. But we’re returning to this passage because — though it’s straightforward and easy to understand — applying this text is where things get hard. Which is why we’ll spend today — and next week — looking at some implications of this text and how we’re to live differently — in our submission to authority — because of our faith in Jesus Christ.

Now — if you’re here and wouldn’t call yourself a Christian — know that — just like last week — today’s sermon will include talking about politics — but not how you might think. You see, when we talk about submitting to authority, one area of life where this can’t be ignored is in the area of government. That’s why I said this may be the most controversial subject I’ve ever preached on because — generally speaking — politics is a religion in our country. And we’re a nation full of fully devoted followers of the religion of the Republican and Democrat parties. And these religions — like all religions — don’t like to be messed with — even when a truer and more authoritative religion comes along.

So we’ll be addressing submission to political authorities — in addition to submission and authority in other areas of life beyond politics — the home, the church, the workplace, and so on.

Last week we focused on what Paul says in our verses and the important doctrine of the sovereignty of God that this text teaches us — a doctrine we must first believe in order to have any hope in knowing how to apply what this text teaches. Next week — we’ll focus on many implications and scenarios and “what about’s” you may’ve been thinking about all week long — including when to obey and when to disobey authority.

But before we can talk about when to obey or disobey — we need to look at authority from two perspectives — which is what we’re going to do today. We’ll look at authority from the perspective of being in authority over others. And then we’ll look at authority from the perspective of being under the authority of others. Being in authority — which — if we have to pick one or the other — this is most people’s choice over being under the authority of others.

But before we get to these two perspectives on authority — we need to first turn somewhere that may surprise you — to the Ten Commandments.

AUTHORITY AND THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Back in 2023 — if you were with us — you may remember that I preached through the Ten Commandments. One of the sermons was titled God’s Family. Does anyone remember what commandment I preached on for that sermon? The fifth commandment which is…

Exodus 20:12 ESV

12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You may be thinking, “What does this commandment have to do with submitting to authority?” In that sermon, I said, “The word honor means to consider someone or something as worthy of respect. It means to show them reverence — meaning appreciation — and awe — which means a sense of admiration. To give someone honor has the idea of giving weight or a heaviness to them. And — to honor someone — is to treat them as significant.”

I also said, “You can dishonor someone by physical actions and you can dishonor someone by your attitude towards them. And this second one — in particular — is the part of the commandment we don’t want to submit ourselves to. We get that spitting in someone’s face or calling them a derogatory name is dishonoring and unacceptable — so we’ve learned to control our actions and — most of the time — our words. But breaking this commandment is just as easily done by our thoughts about people. Hoping that their plan fails. Wanting to see them get what they deserve. Not even saying a bad word about them, but deep down — in the depth of your soul — desiring ill will towards them.”

We then looked at how this commandment applies to the local church — which is a spiritual family — and how the authors of the New Testament use the same language — one of honor — to describe our relationship with those in authority over us.

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

And just as children are commanded to obey their parents — Christians are commanded to…

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

In response to these verses I said, “And the way you help your leaders give an account for your soul with joy is by obeying them — and submitting to them — as your pastors submit themselves to Christ and to each other. And this is not something to be taken lightly — neither on the part of the elders who will give an account to God some day for how they lead — nor on the part of you — the congregation — who will give an account to God some day for how joyful you made it for your pastors to lead you. Pastors are not to imitate ungodly, abusive authority just as congregation members are not to imitate rebellious, unsubmissive, ungodly children.”

Last week I had us turn to the Westminster Confession of Faith — our denomination’s doctrinal standard. Today I’m going to have us look at the Westminster Larger Catechism. As you may know — when I’m not preaching — staff and elders have been preaching a series based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The shorter catechism was written for children and has less questions and answers — which is what a catechism is — questions and biblical answers. But with less questions it was shorter in length — thus its name — the shorter catechism.

The larger catechism was written primarily for adults and has more questions and answers making it longer in length — resulting in its catchy title. The one hundred and twenty-third question of the larger catechism is…

Q. 123. What is the fifth commandment? A. The fifth commandment is: Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

The next question asks…

Q. 124. To whom does father and mother refer in the fifth commandment? A. Father and mother refer not just to our parents but…specifically to those whom God has ordained to be over us in positions of authority, whether in our family, the church, or civil government.

Now I just reviewed the sermon I preached two years ago on this commandment — but know that there’s much biblical warrant for applying this commandment to these other relationships. For example — in First Timothy — Paul describes our relationship with our fellow Christians using familial terms.

1 Timothy 5:1–2 ESV

1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

And — in the Old Testament — there are examples of those in authority being referred to as a father — Naaman being one example in Second Kings. All that to say the application of this commandment goes beyond our earthly parents.

Continuing in the larger catechism we read…

Q. 125. Why are those over us referred to as father and mother? A. The terms father and mother remind those in authority that, like fathers and mothers, they are responsible for and should act in a loving and tender way, appropriately reflecting their particular relationship, toward those under them; and those under them are also encouraged to accept their authority more willingly and cheerfully, as if they were their parents.

Leading us to the next question…

Q. 126. What is the general scope of the fifth commandment? A. In general, the fifth commandment outlines our obligations to others, depending upon our particular relationship to them, whether over, under, or equal to them.

Over, under, or equal to them. We’re not going to focus on the “equal to” relationships in our lives today — just the relationships where someone is either over us — in authority — or under us — in submission. And we’ll begin by addressing those who are in authority.

TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY

Something interesting I discovered — while preparing for this sermon — is that some scholars believe that Paul expected Caesar to read his letter. Paul’s writing this letter to Christians living in Rome — which the Roman Empire is named after. Paul had some run-ins with the Roman government by this point. Some date his arrest in Jerusalem to be as early as 55 AD — and he wrote Romans around 57 AD — so potentially after his arrest. Paul also knew that Christians in Rome were experiencing the beginnings of conflict with the government.

But with this expectation — that Caesar may read his letter — imagine the boldness in making the statement…

Romans 13:1–4 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Paul calls Caesar God’s servant. “Caesar, I know your title is emperor — I know that you have people worship you like you’re a god — but I want you to know that you’re accountable to the One true God — for you are his servant.” Talk about fighting words. Who tells the emperor that he’s not at the top of the pecking order? Only someone who really believes in the sovereignty of their God, that’s who — see last week’s sermon.

Next week we’ll touch on the purpose of government — to promote what is good and stop what is bad — as God defines good and bad — but for now — let’s return to the Westminster Larger Catechism and the instruction it gives to all who are in authority.

Question one hundred and twenty-nine asks…

Q. 129. What is required of those in authority towards those under them? A. As is appropriate to the position of power they have received from God and to the particular relationship involved, those in authority should love, pray for, and bless those under them. They should teach, advise, and warn them, approving, praising, and rewarding those that do well while disapproving, blaming, and punishing those who do wrong. They should also protect those under them and provide the things they need for soul and body. Those in authority should also be examples of serious, wise, and holy behavior so as to bring glory to God and honor to themselves and thereby maintain the authority God has bestowed on them.

I don’t think any of us would have issues submitting to authority if those in authority fulfilled these requirements established by God. Love, pray for, and bless those under your authority. Teach, advise, and warn them. To those who do well — approve, praise, and reward. To those who do wrong — hold them accountable — because you love them. Protect those under you. Provide for them. Be an example to them.

As Paul tells Timothy — who’s pastoring in Ephesus…

1 Timothy 4:12–16 ESV

12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Pastors — who have authority in the local church — are to be an example to their congregation — something God expects of all in authority to be for those who are under their leadership.

Husbands — set an example to your wives.
Parents — set an example to your children.
Those in government — set an example to the citizens.
Bosses — set an example to your employees.
And so on.

Returning to the catechism — the next question asks…

Q. 130. What are the particular sins of those in authority? A. In addition to failing to do what is required of them and using their position for self-aggrandizement and for their own glory, ease, profit, or pleasure, the sins of those in authority include: commanding things that are unlawful or that cannot be accomplished by those under them; persuading, encouraging, and rewarding those under them for doing evil; dissuading, discouraging, and not rewarding them for doing good; excessive punishment; carelessly exposing or allowing them to do wrong and to be put in the way of temptation or danger; provoking them to anger; and anything that dishonors themselves or undermines their authority by being unjust, imprudent, too severe, or lax.

These are the behaviors that concern us when we’re under authority, right? But does the fact that authority can be abused give us biblical justification to not submit?

TO THOSE UNDER AUTHORITY

That’s where we turn now because Paul’s command is about submitting to authority. Our verses aren’t about how one should behave when in authority — though Paul does imply some things for those in authority — but the thrust of his mandate is to those under authority.

So back to the behaviors that concern us when we’re under authority: Does the fact that authority can be abused give us biblical warrant for disobeying Paul’s mandate? It doesn’t.

For example, David submitted to King Saul’s authority even after God had anointed him — David — to be king. David even refused to speak ill of Saul — much less rebel against his authority. Did he flee for his life? You bet he did! But he still respected the fact that Saul was king — so he fled while submitting himself to Saul’s authority as king.

And don’t forget that Paul’s words about submitting to authority come after he wrote…

Romans 8:35–37 ESV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Paul acknowledges that Christians are being slaughtered and killed — he didn’t forget this a few chapters later when he writes about submitting to authorities. And — listen — I’m just like you. This is incredibly challenging to everything I want to be true. I want God’s Word to say something like, “Don’t submit to those who slaughter you” or something like that. But Paul — inspired by the Holy Spirit — doesn’t write that. He acknowledges that the Roman Empire is killing them — and yet — he says, “Submit to them anyway.”

And — when we reject this mandate to submit — we sin. For when God’s Word mandates or commands us to do something — when we don’t do it — we sin. Like I said last week and this week — this isn’t going to be a popular sermon.

And since this sermon can’t lose much more popularity — let me ask: What’s your favorite sinful way to respond to authority? Few of us are bold enough for straight up — in your face — rebellion — we like our paycheck too much for that — we don’t want to go to jail — and so on — so what’s your go to sinful response to authority that still keeps your life pretty comfortable?

Complaining to your spouse.
A growing resentment towards a government official.
Social media slander.
Wasting time at work to “pay back the man.”

The sin of those in authority over us does not excuse our sinful response. For our submission to them is — as I said last week — ultimately a display of our submission to Christ — who submitted himself to sinful authorities even when it cost him his life.

What does the larger catechism have to say to those of us who are under authority?

Q. 127. What kind of honor is owed to those over us? A. Those over us deserve respect in our hearts, our words, and our actions. We must pray and give thanks for them, emulate their virtues and gifts, willingly heed and obey their lawful commands and advice, submit to their correction, be faithful to them, and defend and support their persons and authority, as is appropriate to their rank and position. We must also tolerate their imperfections and infirmities and cover them with our love, so that we will be an honor to them and to their authority.

And question one hundred and twenty-eight asks…

Q. 128. What are the particular sins against those in authority by those under them? A. The sins of those under authority against those over them are: any failure to perform what is required by them; being envious of, holding in contempt, or rebelling against their person or position as reflected in their lawful advice, commands, and correction; cursing at or making fun of them or any kind of stubborn resistance and disgraceful display that brings shame and dishonor to their person and authority.

And if you’re looking for a scriptural escape clause — know that the Bible is unified on this topic.

Titus 3:1–2 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

No escape clause. Submit to rulers and those in authority. Speak evil of no one.

Colossians 3:18 ESV

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

No escape clause. Wives submit to your husbands.

Ephesians 5:18–21 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

No escape clause. Christians submit to one another.

1 Peter 2:13–19 ESV

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

No escape clause. Submit to every human institution and — by the way — honor the emperor. Yes. The guy who’s slaughtering you.

Next week we’ll look at times when we must disobey those in authority and — spoiler alert — biblically justified disobedience to authority usually results in extreme persecution — like getting thrown into a fiery furnace, a lion’s den, or actual death.

Which may cause someone to wonder, “Are we free to publicly disagree with those in authority over us?” Yes. But how we do so is incredibly important

What do we see biblically? We have the example of Daniel who publicly criticized two kings in his day — Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. After interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream — the dream where God warns him about his pride — Daniel concludes his interpretation with…

Daniel 4:27 ESV

27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

As you probably know — Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t listen to Daniel’s warning. But notice how respectful Daniel was to the king.

John the baptist publicly rebuked King Herod for his relationship with his brother’s wife.

Mark 6:18 ESV

18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Which resulted in John’s imprisonment and eventual beheading because — even when respectfully given — some will want our heads for what we say.

And then there’s Paul — the guy who wrote the words that are challenging all of us. He’s been arrested…

Acts 22:30–23:3 ESV

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”

Paul’s not a fan of having his face beat in. Yet watch what happens next.

Acts 23:4–5 ESV

4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Paul immediately acknowledges that his reaction to getting punched in the face went against God’s Word. When he first spoke — in reaction to being struck — he wasn’t aware that Ananias was the high priest — and thus an authority over Paul in the Jewish religion. But as soon as he’s told what position Ananias held — Paul confesses that what he did — in response to getting hit — was wrong. He doesn’t justify himself. He doesn’t point the finger at what caused him to speak out. He admits to being wrong. What submission to God’s Word and those he placed in authority.

CONCLUSION

Oh there’s much we can learn from Paul when it comes to submitting to God’s Word on this issue! Yes — those in authority will be held accountable for how they steward their responsibilities — but when their accountability becomes our main focus — we lose sight of what we will give God an account for: Our submission to those he’s put in authority over us. For every authority God puts in your life is there to make you more like Christ. And that’s God’s goal for you — to become more like Jesus.

So pray for the salvation of those in authority over you.
If they’re a Christian — pray for their growth in godliness and Christ-like character.
Ask God to lead them in their responsibilities.
Pray for their success — for God will only bless success that brings him glory.
Pray for your response to those in authority over you.
And thank God for the opportunity he’s giving you to grow by submitting to the authority he’s put in your life.

For when you do — and when I do — we’ll show the world the submission that our Savior displayed while here on earth. For Jesus did say…

John 6:38 ESV

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

And he said…

John 8:29 ESV

29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

And we can — and will — please God when we submit to him — by submitting to those he’s placed in authority over us — trusting that there is no authority in our life except which comes from him. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, you are sovereign. We continue to meditate on what it means for you to be in control of all things — including all who are in authority. For none are in authority except those whom you’ve put there. That’s true for those who make you look glorious by stewarding their responsibilities well. And that’s true for those who — like Caesar — need to take heed that they’re working for you whether they realize it or not — for they will give an account for how they use the authority you’ve given them.

Spirit, give comfort to those who fear authority — who’ve been abused by authority — who’ve seen the destruction that those who misuse authority can cause. Remind them that all in authority will give an account to you. You’ll make the final judgment — and your decision will be just.

And — Jesus — you submitted yourself to your Father’s authority and to the human authorities who used what God had entrusted to them to bring about your death. You are our Savior and our example of what a life looks like that makes our Heavenly Father look glorious through our submission to authority. Ultimately — may our submission to others come from our lives being first and fully submitted to you.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — these are tough thoughts — challenging ideas — yet a clear picture of the “therefore” life we’ve been called to live. We need your power to do so. Your grace to do so. Your protection to do so. Your mercy to do so. Please give us everything we need to make you look glorious through our submission. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go — submitting your life to Christ — and trusting him as you submit to others. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

SERMON TITLE: Authority (pt 2)

‌SCRIPTURE: Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)

SPEAKER: Josh Hanson

DATE: 7-27-25

TURN MIC ON / WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

Romans 13:1–7 ESV

So we’ll be addressing submission to political authorities — in addition to submission and authority in other areas of life beyond politics — the home, the church, the workplace, and so on.

But before we get to these two perspectives on authority — we need to first turn somewhere that may surprise you — to the Ten Commandments.

AUTHORITY AND THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Exodus 20:12 ESV

12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

And just as children are commanded to obey their parents — Christians are commanded to…

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

Q. 123. What is the fifth commandment? A. The fifth commandment is: Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

The next question asks…

1 Timothy 5:1–2 ESV

1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

Continuing in the larger catechism we read…

Leading us to the next question…

TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY

But with this expectation — that Caesar may read his letter — imagine the boldness in making the statement…

Romans 13:1–4 ESV

Question one hundred and twenty-nine asks…

As Paul tells Timothy — who’s pastoring in Ephesus…

1 Timothy 4:12–16 ESV

Pastors — who have authority in the local church — are to be an example to their congregation — something God expects of all in authority to be for those who are under their leadership.

Husbands — set an example to your wives.
Parents — set an example to your children.
Those in government — set an example to the citizens.
Bosses — set an example to your employees.
And so on.

Returning to the catechism — the next question asks…

These are the behaviors that concern us when we’re under authority, right? But does the fact that authority can be abused give us biblical justification to not submit?

TO THOSE UNDER AUTHORITY

So back to the behaviors that concern us when we’re under authority: Does the fact that authority can be abused give us biblical warrant for disobeying Paul’s mandate? It doesn’t.

And don’t forget that Paul’s words about submitting to authority come after he wrote…

Romans 8:35–37 ESV

Complaining to your spouse.
A growing resentment towards a government official.
Social media slander.
Wasting time at work to “pay back the man.”

What does the larger catechism have to say to those of us who are under authority?

And question one hundred and twenty-eight asks…

And if you’re looking for a scriptural escape clause — know that the Bible is unified on this topic.

Titus 3:1–2 ESV

No escape clause. Submit to rulers and those in authority. Speak evil of no one.

Colossians 3:18 ESV

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

No escape clause. Wives submit to your husbands.

Ephesians 5:18–21 ESV

No escape clause. Christians submit to one another.

1 Peter 2:13–19 ESV

No escape clause. Submit to every human institution and — by the way — honor the emperor. Yes. The guy who’s slaughtering you.

Which may cause someone to wonder, “Are we free to publicly disagree with those in authority over us?” Yes. But how we do so is incredibly important

Daniel 4:27 ESV

As you probably know — Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t listen to Daniel’s warning. But notice how respectful Daniel was to the king.

John the baptist publicly rebuked King Herod for his relationship with his brother’s wife.

Mark 6:18 ESV

18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Which resulted in John’s imprisonment and eventual beheading because — even when respectfully given — some will want our heads for what we say.

And then there’s Paul — the guy who wrote the words that are challenging all of us. He’s been arrested…

Acts 22:30–23:3 ESV

Paul’s not a fan of having his face beat in. Yet watch what happens next.

Acts 23:4–5 ESV

CONCLUSION

So pray for the salvation of those in authority over you.
If they’re a Christian — pray for their growth in godliness and Christ-like character.
Ask God to lead them in their responsibilities.
Pray for their success — for God will only bless success that brings him glory.
Pray for your response to those in authority over you.
And thank God for the opportunity he’s giving you to grow by submitting to the authority he’s put in your life.

For when you do — and when I do — we’ll show the world the submission that our Savior displayed while here on earth. For Jesus did say…

John 6:38 ESV

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

And he said…

John 8:29 ESV

29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

PRAYER

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go — submitting your life to Christ — and trusting him as you submit to others. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

Suffering and Unrepentant Sin

Josh — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 05:30:00 +0000

‌SCRIPTURE: Psalm 32 (ESV)

DATE: 6-8-25

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our series looking at some of King David’s psalms that address the topic of suffering. There are many aspects to suffering — many reasons for our suffering that David touches on in his psalms — and each is important for us to consider. And though you may not be in a season of suffering — suffering has a way of showing up — often unexpectedly. Yet — for the follower of Jesus — suffering is an opportunity: suffering is an opportunity to spiritually grow for those of us who follow a Savior who experienced suffering.

Now — for sure — suffering is not an easy opportunity to grow — often suffering comes when life is most challenging. But — in another sense — suffering is one of the easiest opportunities to spiritually grow — because — when life is most challenging we’re forced to change in some way. The question for us is: Will our change be to become more like Christ?

So let’s continue to see how our Christian faith offers a different opportunity in these hard moments of life: an opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — you name it — he experienced it so that we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

And I say all of this knowing that not all of us believe in Jesus. But all of us have experienced suffering — or know others who’ve experienced it. And — if you’re honest — it’s scary. Because there’s no good answer offered by our culture as to why we suffer — and even more importantly — how to suffer well. That’s why so many turn to coping mechanisms to numb themselves — drugs, alcohol, overeating, sex, binge watching Netflix — or give up on life altogether in a seemingly never-ending depression.

But is that all there is — is that the best offer on the table in a world full of suffering? It’s not.

Which is what we’re exploring in this series as we look at some of David’s psalms — including today’s psalm — psalm thirty-two. So — if you have your Bible — please turn there — to psalm thirty-two. And while you’re finding psalm thirty-two — last week — if you weren’t here — we looked at the relationship between suffering and our prayer life. And — in the coming weeks — we’re going to look at the suffering we experience at the hands of others, we’ll see the important relationship between our suffering and worship, as well as the relationship between suffering and salvation. But — today — we’re looking at the suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives. Not a topic many want to address when it comes to suffering — especially in the victim mentality age in which we live — but we must face the reality that — there are seasons of suffering that are a result of decisions we’ve made. David addresses this in our psalm for today — psalm thirty-two — when he writes…

Psalm 32 ESV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Today we’re addressing an unpopular aspect to suffering: Suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our life. But there’s good news in this not so good news — unrepentant sin need not be the cause of our suffering. There is hope — even for those whose suffering is due to our own sin.

THE UNREPENTANT

Let’s return to our psalm — but — before we do so — it’ll be helpful to know that many scholars believe that David wrote this psalm in response to his sin with Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba is a biblical story most people have heard about — but to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind — here’s what happened.

At this point in history — David is king of Israel. And one day — while his army was off at war — David was back at his palace when…

2 Samuel 11:2–27 NLT

2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.” 6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. 8 Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. 9 But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. 10 When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?” 11 Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.” 12 “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. 14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. 18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls? 21 Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’” 22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23 “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.” 25 “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!” 26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

Around a year goes by before God sends a man named Nathan to confront David and — eventually — David responds with repentance. But it’s this year of unrepentance that David’s probably describing when he writes — in verse three of our psalm…

Psalm 32:3–4 ESV

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

And skipping to verse nine we read…

Psalm 32:9–10 ESV

9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10a Many are the sorrows of the wicked…

Did you notice how David describes the consequence of his unrepentance? Similar to last week’s psalm — David says his bones were wasting away. Last week — when David used this phrase — I mentioned how we don’t know if David’s suffering was self-inflicted or caused by others. But — here — we’re fairly certain that this is self-inflicted suffering. Yet he uses the same phrase — “my bones waste away” — which means his sorrow and suffering has affected all of who he is — down to his bones. I’ve been reading a book titled Counseling the Hard Cases and — in one chapter — there’s a repeated idea: The mind affects the body, the body affects the mind, and a downward spiral begins.

In David’s case — it could’ve been the anxiety of being found out — someone doing pregnancy math and saying, “This doesn’t add up.” Or someone blabbing about the orders he gave to have Uriah murdered. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.

I wonder how many of us can relate? Have you ever done something and waited in angst for the consequences?

Maybe you’re sixteen and you accidentally ran a red light. You didn’t tell your parents, but live in fear that — every ring of the doorbell is the police.
Or a night out having fun and partying and too much to drink led to a night you can’t remember. And — as you wait for the pregnancy test result — your stomach’s upset, your head aches, you experience involuntary shakes. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.
Or you’ve maxed out your credit card and know you can’t even make the minimum payment. Your body is tense — your temper is short.

One of the reasons why self-inflicted suffering is so hard is because — deep down — we know we don’t have anyone else to blame for our situation. We were the ones looking at our phones while driving. We had the extra drink. We saw our version of Bathsheba and — like David — made sure we got what we wanted.

“Well how do you know that what David’s referring to was self-inflicted?” By the way he personally takes responsibility in other verses in our psalm. David uses the phrases “my sin” — which he uses twice — and “my iniquity” and “my transgressions” to describe the cause of his suffering.

But it’s not just the act of sinning — that’s the cause of his suffering — David’s unrepentance is also a contributor. To repent means to turn away from sin — which includes confessing — or admitting — the wrong you’ve done. Unrepentance is what David describes in our psalm when he gives the command to not be like a horse or mule which must be curbed — or restrained — by a bit in its mouth.

What a picture of how stubbornly unrepentant we can be. That I can be. That you can be. God help us all to respond to our sin with repentance — and to respond to those who lovingly point out our sin with gratitude. For rare is the friend who loves us enough to call us to repentance. It’s much easier — isn’t it — to distance ourselves — “if I don’t see him I won’t have to talk to him about…” — or explain away — “that’s just her personality” — it’s tempting — and all too easy — to avoid doing what Nathan did for David.

Yet none of us are without sin — we’ve all sinned. And — if we’re honest with ourselves — some of the suffering we are — or have experienced — is due to sin that we’ve committed. And — until it’s repented of — it will waste away our bones and dry up our strength and cause us to groan — which is what we experience if we’re blessed. Because many — instead of groaning and dried up strength and wasting away bones — many continue in their stubbornness and unrepentance and will experience far more serious — and eternal — consequences.

THE BLESSED

But — for those who are blessed — the groaning and wasting away and weakness — is not God’s end goal. Instead — as we read in verse one…

Psalm 32:1–2 ESV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Let’s be mesmerized by the blessing of forgiveness. David says that blessed — or happy! — is the one whose transgression is forgiven. Transgression is a word that means “rebellion against God.” So blessed — or happy! — is the one whose rebellion against God has been forgiven. And blessed — or happy! — is the individual whose sin is covered. Sin means “turning away from the true path.” So blessed — or happy! — is the person whose turning away from the true path has been covered. And blessed — or happy! — is the person who the Lord counts no iniquity. Iniquity means “distortion, evil, perversion, or disrespect for God.” So blessed — or happy! — is the man, woman, or child whose disrespect for God is no longer counted against them.

What’s being described here are the actions that happen to us — and our sin — when we repent — when we turn from our sin and turn to God in faith.

First, we’re forgiven — which means that our transgressions are removed from us — our rebellion against God is removed from us. Second, our sin is covered — it’s concealed from sight. And — since our sin has been removed from us — that’s what forgiveness means — this concealing of sin doesn’t mean that the sin is still present with us — remember it’s been removed from us — but this sin which has been removed from us — God no longer regards — he no longer considers — it’s not on his mind. Which results in God not counting our iniquity — or are disrespecting him — against us.

This is what it means to be blessed — which results in us being happy! For what could possibly make us more happy than to know — I mean think about this — that the God who created everyone and everything — who we’ve had the gall to disrespect — because we’ve turned from our sin and turned to him — he forgives us and no longer counts our transgressions against us — and puts it all out of his mind.

Which — with great hope — should cause all of us to ask: How do I receive this blessing? Meaning — how does one go about having their transgressions forgiven? Who are these people that God counts no iniquity against them?

REPENTANCE LEADS TO BLESSING

We find out in verses five and six of our psalm.

Psalm 32:5–6 ESV

5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

How do we receive this blessing — what’s the key to true, lasting happiness? Repentance — acknowledging our sin to God. No longer covering it up and trying to hide it away. Instead we confess our sins to God as we turn to him in faith — trusting that he forgives all who come to him truly repentant of their sin.

What sin might you need to acknowledge to God — to stop covering up and pretending as if it’s not part of your life?

We often think of sin as bad things we do — and that’s definitely an aspect of sin. But — equally important — sin also includes not doing the good things that we’re commanded to do. Here’s an easy example.

Stealing — stealing is sin. It’s wrong to take from someone what’s rightfully theirs. We get that — Christian or not. But the Bible goes further. For you can not steal — and yet — still sin in regards to money. For example, you can be selfish with it — greedy — and not be generous towards others which is also a command in the Bible.

“OK. I get all of that Josh. So what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that this tells us that sin isn’t just the presence of evil — sin also includes the absence of good. After all, Jesus’ younger brother did write…

James 4:17 NET

17 So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.

Thus the biblical goal — in regards to money and wealth — isn’t just “don’t steal” — though it’s one of the ten commandments and should be obeyed — but the biblical goal — in regards to money and wealth is to be generous. The absence of generosity is sin in a person’s life — which I know can be hard for us to grasp — that the absence of something good can be just as sinful as the presence of something evil.

To which — one theologian said…

If I have a hole in my sock, the hole is not anything at all, it is just an absence of wool or cotton or whatever, but it is a perfectly real hole in my sock. It would be absurd to say that holes in socks are unreal…just because the hole isn’t made of anything…Nothing in the wrong place can be just as real and just as important as something in the wrong place. If you inadvertently drive your car over a cliff, you will have nothing to worry about; it is precisely the nothing that you will have to worry about. (Systematic Theology 13.3.5. Sin as Privatio)

I wonder how many of us are comfortable with the absence of something good in our lives — not realizing that its absence is just as sinfully serious as accidentally driving your car off a cliff?

Now you’ve heard me say the words repentance — which I’ve said is turning from sin — and confession — but what is confession? Confession means either to admit sin or affirm belief. Both aspects are important for us to understand. Most of us — I think — when we define confession usually focus on the admitting sin part — and it’s an important part. But — similar to what James taught us about not doing the good we know to do — confession also has a positive side to it: confessing what we believe.

In church history, confessions — or statements of belief — have been written to positively articulate what Christians believe. And confessions have been used — not only to guide us in knowing when we’ve sinned — but also in fighting temptation before we sin by reminding us of the truths we believe. In our church tradition — the Westminster Confession of Faith is a positive statement of what we believe.

What does the Westminster Confession have to say about repentance? It says…

Repentance which leads to life is the blessed product of the gospel working in believers’ lives. (WCF 15.1)

Jesus connects repentance to the gospel — the Good News of what he accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection — while explaining how all of the Bible was about him to his disciples after his resurrection.

Luke 24:44–48 NLT

44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

What good news indeed! There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.

The Westminster Confession says…

In this repentance the sinner is able to see his sins as God sees them, as filthy and hateful, and as involving great danger to the sinner, because they are completely contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God. Understanding that God in Christ is merciful to those who repent, the sinner suffers deep sorrow for and hates his sins, and so he determines to turn away from all of them. And turning to God, he tries to walk with him according to all his commandments. (WCF 15.2)

The Bible distinguishes repentance from the sorrow of being caught. Paul explains it this way to Christians in Corinth who had received a letter calling them to repent.

2 Corinthians 7:8–11 NLT

8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

Repentance leads to change — a change of direction — a change in our choices. Repentance leads us away from sin and towards God. True repentance even results in thankfulness for the one whom God used to call us back to him — no matter how severe and painful it was to hear.

About repentance — the Westminster says…

Just as there is no sin so small that it does not deserve damnation, so there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent. (WCF 15.4)

Two truths we must remember. First, there are no insignificant sins. Every sin is worthy of eternal judgment — may this humble all of us and call us to repentance. Second, no sin is so great that forgiveness can’t be offered to those who repent. As the apostle John tells us…

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And as the prophets of the Old Testament remind us…

Micah 7:18–19 NLT

18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. 19 Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

And…

Isaiah 43:25 NLT

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

For as the Westminster Confession says about God…

He is completely loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. He overflows with goodness and truth. He forgives wickedness, transgression, and sin, and rewards those who diligently seek him. (WCF 2.1)

Friends, this is why it’s important to know what you believe and to have Scripture that backs it up. This is why the historic confessions of the church are so helpful — and necessary — in our day when many believe that biblical illiteracy is at an all time historic high. May the truths we’ve looked at today lead us to repent when we sin and fight against sin when we’re tempted.

REPENTANCE LEADS TO JOY

For all of this good news — this good news about repentance and forgiveness and who God is —what does it all lead to? It leads to our joy. In verse seven of our psalm — David writes…

Psalm 32:7 ESV

7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

And skipping to verse ten…

Psalm 32:10–11 ESV

10b but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Even when our suffering is self-inflicted due to sinful choices we’ve made — joy is still possible. How so? Because the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds those who trust him — who trust that he always forgives those who turn to him in repentance.

Earlier we saw the command to not be like the stubborn horse or mule. Here — the commands are much more positive. We’re commanded to be glad in the Lord and to rejoice and to shout for joy! Why? What’s the source of our glad rejoicing and shouts of joy? This truth: The steadfast love of the Lord surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Nothing else in all of creation can guarantee unwavering joy — even in the midst of suffering — accept knowing that you are surrounded by the love of God. A reality we so easily forget. A truth that our spiritual amnesia is the first to snatch from our hearts. This is why you hear from me every single week what? That God loves you. And that I love you too. Because no one hears these words enough — and none of us believe them to the degree that they’re true. We don’t. I don’t. You don’t. But here’s what I so love about us.

We’re believing in God’s love for us more and more every time we gather together. Our forgetfulness isn’t as quick as it once was. And — not only are we remembering God’s love for us — individually — but we’re reminding each other of God’s love for us. It’s the norm now — when I talk to you on the phone — for the call to end with us saying “I love you” to each other. And I pray that this isn’t just when it’s me on the call — but that we’re all loving each other and reminding each other of God’s great big forgiving love.

CONCLUSION: LISTEN TO GOD!

Therefore — may we all leave here today listening to God! As David writes…

Psalm 32:8 ESV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

This is God speaking and acting in these verses. It’s God who is instructing and teaching us the way that we should go. It’s God who’s giving us counsel — who’s attentive to what’s going on in our lives — even in our seasons of suffering. Therefore — may we all leave here today listening to his instruction — receiving his teaching and counsel on repentance and forgiveness and how loving, kind, and merciful he is. May we leave here knowing that he’s aware of what we’re going through. And may this bring us comfort — may it give you comfort — that the One whose steadfast love surrounds you is the God who so cares for you — that he offers relief from our suffering even when we’re the cause of it. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Gracious Father, what a marvelous truth: your love surrounds those who trust in you — even when we’re suffering. Even when our suffering is due to sinful choices we’ve made.

Holy Spirit, help us to trust — to really believe — that we’re loved by you. For when we know that we’re loved — repentance will be our heart’s desire. For our love for you will exceed our love for sin.

Jesus — you came to make forgiveness of our sins possible. For the joy set before you — you endured the cross — to pay the debt for our sins. And now — for the joy set before us — eternal life with you — we choose to trust in your never-ending, always pursuing and protecting love for us — and that you always forgive those who turn back to you in repentance.

For you — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — are completely loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. You overflow with goodness and truth. You forgive wickedness, transgression, and sin, and reward those who diligently seek you. May many more seek you today. May many trust in your love. May many repent of their sin. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available / Self-inflicted suffering)

May you go with great joy — even in suffering — knowing that the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds you. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

Episode 215: Q&A

Josh — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:57:57 +0000

Date: 3/26/2025

Questions / Topic

Question on spiritual gifts – How should we pray for them? Should we pray for the gifts that we think we have already – that they may be strengthened and more evident? Should we pray for the gifts that we want to have but don’t possess today – maybe the ones that we feel would fill the most need within the church? Should we pray more generally for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our spiritual gifts? Maybe it depends on how much we think we know already about our spiritual gifts, but any guidance on praying for our gifts would be helpful.
- Yes to all of the questions.
- Pray for the gifts you have to be strengthened.
- Pray for gifts that you desire but currently don’t see in your life.
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the gifts he’s given to you.
- In one sermon, I mentioned praying for the gift of faith and now it’s one of the clearest ways the Holy Spirit uses me.

Matthew 24:10 says many will fall away. A footnote is the ESV as well as the amplified Bible say “stumble” could be used in the place of “fall away.” So people who fall away (stumble) from the church, now or in the end times, psalm 27 or 37 interpretation? Are these the wolves in sheep’s clothing that were never true followers of Christ?
- Other Bible translations have “led into sin” (NET) or “turn away from the faith” (NIV; NLT) instead of “fall away”.
- This most likely is referring to apostasy which means “A public denial of a previously held religious belief and a distancing from the community that holds to it. The term is almost always applied pejoratively, carrying connotations of rebellion, betrayal, treachery, or faithlessness.” (Lexham Bible Dictionary)
- I don’t know if this is referring to Psalms 27 or 37. The stumbling/falling in those psalms refer to the enemies, not to apostasy.
- Finally, not necessarily wolves in sheep’s clothing, though they could be. There are sheep, undershepherds (who are also sheep), wolves, and goats. We tend to only think of sheep and wolves, but goats are people who aren’t believers but are part of the visible church.

Many evangelistic endeavors across the unreached world seem to include the use of audio Bibles-of course this is for many reasons like concealment, literacy, etc. However, it makes me think about how, in our western world, there is strong emphasis on “reading” Scripture. Most worship services in my life have started with “turn in your Bible to…” instead of “hear the Word of the Lord…” However, it seems that much of the intake of God’s Word described in Scripture focuses on hearing, listening, knowing, or meditating on God’s Law/Word. Literacy of course has fluctuated throughout the ages, but even in a very literate society, should our focus be on other means of intake? Have we elevated reading, assuming that because it takes more training it is a better means of intake?
- If you haven’t read my “how to make the most of your devotional time” booklet, I’d encourage you to go check it out. Copies at your campus Resource Center and on our church website.
- I mention the booklet, because in the first chapter — which is on the Bible — my first suggestion is to listen to it.
- Like the questioner mentioned, we live in a much more literate society than people in biblical times or in many countries in the world today. That’s why our emphasis is on reading.
- But know that reading God’s Word is a privilege not to be undervalued.

In Nehemiah 8:2 it says that Ezra read from the Law. I assume this refers to just the first 5 books of the Old Testament. Do you think that Nehemiah and Ezra taught the people just from these books or would they have read more from the Old Testament too such as the prophets and the writings? For by this time in history they would have had some of these as well.
- Nehemiah 8:1 tells us that Ezra brought “the Book of the Law of Moses” which is then referred to as the “Law” in verse two.
- By this time in history, they definitely had other parts of what we call the Old Testament, but — as far as I know — we only have evidence that Ezra/Nehemiah refer to the Law of Moses as what was being read and taught to the people.

In a recent sermon, you mention that faith alone, not works, will be the reason for our salvation. You then said that our faith is a gift from God. In the question of whether God is fair or unfair, is this more about whether or not we utilize the faith given to us by God vs whether or not God has actually given us faith? We are all created in His image, so I assume we should all be equipped with faith from the start, but then we make conscious decisions to utilize or not utilize that faith. If everyone receives faith, is it really considered a gift?
- I need to make a clarifying point right at the start of my answer to this question:
  - Being made in God’s image does not mean that we have faith from the start.
  - Which means, not everyone receives faith.
- This is why faith is a gift given to some by God.
  - Ephesians 2:8-10 — For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
  - WCF 14.1 — The gift of faith makes it possible for the souls of the elect to be saved by believing in Jesus Christ. This gift is the work of the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of the elect1 and is ordinarily accomplished by the ministry of the word. It is also increased and strengthened by the word, by prayer, and by the administration of the sacraments.
    - See episode 194

Episode 214: Westminster Chapters 34 and 35

Josh — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:55:12 +0000

Release date: 3/26/2024

Chapter 34: The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God and it’s OK to worship him!

Activities of the Holy Spirit:
1. He guided the authors of Scripture.
2. He regenerates spiritually dead hearts.

Continued activities of the Holy Spirit:
1. Convicts us of sin
2. Comforts us
3. Prays for us

Continued activities of the Holy Spirit:
1. Unites us to Christ
2. Calls pastors
3. Spiritual gifts
4. Preserves the church

Chapter 35: The gospel of the love of God and missions

Nothing to add other than the gospel is to go out to all people.

We’re Reformed — and believe in God’s sovereignty in salvation — and we believe that God desires for all to be saved.

Those who don’t believe the gospel will be judged for their unbelief.

Why our mission is to “glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ.” And why this is the mission not just of the church — corporately — but of every follower of Jesus — individually.

Episode 212: Westminster Chapters 30 and 31

Josh — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 12:28:08 +0000

Release date: 3/12/2025

Chapter 30: Condemnation by the Church

Sproul 631

Sproul 632

This paragraph tells us the purpose of church discipline.
1. Often people are more concerned about the individual who is sinning (are we being mean to them?) rather than Christ’s reputation.
2. Think of all of the recent church scandals. To a degree, all of them are due to a lack of church discipline.

Church discipline is to match the offense that’s taken place.

Chapter 31: Synods and Councils

This is the purpose of the various denominational meetings I go to.

Notice how important worship is.
1. Sproul 638-39

Denominations can be wrong / error.

As we’ve seen in earlier episodes, the church and state should not meddle in each other’s affairs. Yet, the church has a responsibility to be the religious conscience of its nation.
1. Sproul 640-41

Episode 211: Westminster Chapter 29

Josh — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 13:31:07 +0000

Release date: 3/5/2025

Chapter 29: The Lord’s Supper

A
1. A couple of things to highlight:
  1. The church is to continue the sacrament of communion until Jesus returns. It’s an act of remembering.
    1. Sproul 613-14
  2. Communion is spiritual nourishment for the Christian.
  3. It’s a sign of our being part of Christ’s body.
2. Sproul 614 (don’t be surprised if we start or have started doing this)

Jesus isn’t sacrificed again and again — every time the Lord’s Supper takes place. His sacrifice was “once for all.”

This is the part that happens before we take communion. Usually verses from 1st Corinthians 11 are read.
1. Elder discussion: comfortable changing “wine” to “juice”
2. Elder discussion: there is room in our church constitution to take communion to shut in and homebound folks.

This is a statement against some of the ways that communion was being abused when the confession was being written.

Read paragraphs 5 and 6 together
1. This is getting into the theology of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “This is my body. This is my blood.”
  1. Roman Catholic view – transubstantiation (bread and wine become the literal/physical body and blood of Christ)
  2. Lutheran view – consubstantiation (bread and wine have the physical body of Christ “in, with, and under” them)
  3. Zwingli – memorialist (nothing happens to the bread and wine; communion is merely a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice)
  4. Calvin Reformed view (the bread and wine do not change physically, but spiritually are the body and blood of Christ)
2. The differences arise because of a misunderstanding of the nature of Christ.
  1. Jesus was both fully God and fully man.
  2. Sproul 624
    1. For the bread and cup to physically be the body and blood of Christ is to give Jesus’ humanity the divine characteristic of omnipresence (being everywhere at the same time). Humanly speaking, Jesus is one place right now — at the right hand of God.
    2. Yet, memorialists make the opposite mistake. They take Jesus’ deity and confine it to his human location (meaning it’s as if Jesus is not omnipresent in his divinity). Thus communion is only about remembering.
    3. The Reformed view keeps Jesus’ humanity human and his divinity divine. Thus the bread and wine do not become the physical body and blood of Jesus (for he’s only in one place, humanly speaking), yet see Christ — in his divinity — being spiritual present in the bread and wine (thus it is his body and blood).
3. Elder discussion: Someone may want to soften the language, but must agree that the Roman Catholic view is incorrect.

Said everything I need to say above.

There is and will be judgment on those who take communion not in faith.
1. Sproul 629

Episode 210: Westminster Chapter 28

Josh — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:46:42 +0000

Release date: 2/26/2025

Chapter 28: Baptism

Key sentence: By baptism a person is solemnly admitted into the visible church.
- Baptism is the doorway of entrance into the church family. It’s what separates those who are part of the church from those who are of the world.
- Look at all that baptism represents (second sentence of paragraph)
- Sproul 596 (second quote)
- Sproul 593 (a little biblical baptism history)

No comment.

Let’s do a word study for the Greek word translated as baptize/baptism in the New Testament. (Josh needs to have Logos opened for the Scripture readings.)
1. Matthew 3:1, 6-7
2. Matthew 28:19
3. Matthew 26:23
4. Mark 1:8
5. Mark 7:4
6. Mark 14:20
7. Luke 11:38
8. John 13:26
9. Revelation 19:13

Paragraph 4
- Sproul 569
- Sproul 571 (second quote)
- Sproul 596 (first quote)
- Sproul 599
- Sproul 601
- Sproul 602
- Resources we have about infant baptism:

Baptism is not necessary for salvation nor is it a guarantee of one’s salvation.
- Sproul 603

This is where things start to get a little funky for folks who’ve only thought of baptism as a symbol of our decision to follow Jesus — where it’s nothing more than a memorial rather than an actual means of grace.
- In the Reformed tradition, the sacraments are means by which God’s Spirit confers grace to us. The same is true for how the Spirit uses the Word. Reading God’s Word and hearing it preached are not just mental exercises. They are means by which we experience God’s grace. And the same is true for the sacraments: in them we see signs of God’s faithfulness to us which the Spirit uses to impart grace to us.

A continual controversy in the church — regardless of infant baptism. The kid who got baptized at eight years old — whose parents thought he was ready — has a spiritual awakening in his twenties and wants to get baptized again. What do we do?
- Remember baptism’s Old Testament equivalent? Circumcision. Would that twenty year old want to be re-circumcised if we were still under the old covenant? I think not! So let’s not allow the pain free-ness of baptism turn it back into something about our faith in God rather than his faithfulness to us.

Episode 208: Westminster Chapter 27

Josh — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:18:29 +0000

Release date: 2/12/2025

Chapter 27: The Sacraments

I mentioned this in the last episode — in regards to children — and here we see that sacraments distinguish those who belong to the church and those who belong to the world. Again, more food for thought before we get to our episode on baptism and the implications of who should be baptized.
- Sproul 565

The sacrament points to something (it’s a sign).
- Baptism points to the death and resurrection of Christ and our being united to him.
- The bread and cup point to Christ’s body and blood.

The water used for baptism — and the bread and juice used for communion — are not significant or powerful in and of themselves. Nor is the one instituting and administering them.
- Sproul 575

There are only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

This final statement will lead to our next few episodes where we’ll look at baptism and the Lord’s Supper separately.
- Both New Testament sacraments have an Old Testament counterpart.
- Circumcision to baptism.
- Passover to the Lord’s Supper.

Episode 207: Westminster Chapters 25 and 26

Josh — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:20:09 +0000

Release date: 2/5/2024

Chapter 25: The Church

Catholic — here — means universal. Not Roman Catholic.

We’ll get to the sacraments in a later chapter. But — right away — we see the issue of children and the church come up. A great question for our listeners to wrestle with is this: What is the relationship of the children — who come to Gateway — and the church family known as Gateway? Do we consider them as guests? Regular attenders? Members? Children in this faith family of ours or something else?
1. Sproul 541 and 542 (quotes have nothing to do with children, statement above, but connect back to the WCF paragraph)

The Scriptures, and the sacraments — baptism and the Lord’s Supper — have been given to the church to continue the ministry that Christ began when he was here on earth. For the church is who Christ came for. Far too often, we’ve allowed others to do what God has ordained the church to do.

Like Christians, churches come in various degrees of sanctification and faithfulness.
1. My football field analogy works for churches just like it does for individual followers of Jesus.

What hope: God will always make sure that a remnant remains.

Jesus is at the top of the org chart. That’s why we practice a plurality of elders (as opposed to me — Josh — being the president/CEO of Gateway).

Chapter 26: The Fellowship of the Saints

This statement shows the importance of every believer in a local church.
1. Sproul 558 (both quotes above #2)

Notice the use of the word “bound” in this paragraph.
1. By our profession of faith (“I’m a Christian”), we are bound to maintain a holy fellowship in the worship of our God.
2. By our profession of faith (“I’m a Christian”), we are bound to help meet each other’s needs.
3. Both of these, without using the word, highlight the importance of church membership. Otherwise, which Christians are you bound to worship with and meet the needs of?
4. Sproul 558, 559, and 560

Our communion/fellowship with Christ doesn’t make us divine.
1. Our communion/fellowship with fellow Christians doesn’t make us socialists.