Reformed Presbyterian Church Sermon Audio

Reformed Presbyterian Church Sermon Audio http://www.rpcwc.org/sermon.aspx Dr. Stanley D. Gale Sermon Audio from Reformed Presbyterian Church, West Chester, PA raymond.rishty@rpcwc.org no en-us Song of Songs 1:5-8 Stan Gale "Grace-Scented Love" Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2012.01.15.mp3 12/18/2011 Ray Rishty Advent 2011 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.12.18.mp3 12/11/2011 Ray Rishty Advent 2011 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.12.11.mp3 12/4/2011 Ray Rishty Advent 2011 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.12.04.mp3 11/27/2011 Ray Rishty Advent 2011 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.11.27.mp3 Parable of the Prudent (Luke 16:1-9) Ray Rishty Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.06.26.mp3 Parable of the Justified (Luke 18:9-14) Ray Rishty Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:50:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.06.19.mp3 Hebrews 10:11-18 Stan Gale "God's Final Answer" Tue, 31 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.05.29.mp3 Hebrews 10:1-10 Stan Gale "Thy Will Be Done" Tue, 24 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.05.22.mp3 Hebrews 9:13-28 Stan Gale "Judgment of the Christ" Tue, 17 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.05.15.mp3 Hebrews 9:1-14 Stan Gale "Finished Furniture" Tue, 10 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.05.08.mp3 Hebrews 8:1-13 Stan Gale "The Shadow Knows" Tue, 03 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.05.01.mp3 Hebrews 7:23-28 Stan Gale "The Power of an Indestructible Life" Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.04.24.mp3 Hebrews 7:1-22 Stan Gale "A Priest Forever" Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.04.17.mp3 Hebrews 6:13-20 Stan Gale "Steadfast Hope" Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.04.10.mp3 Hebrews 6:1-12 Stan Gale "Hope-Full Faith" Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.04.03.mp3 "Sticks and Stones" Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Text: <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Numbers+15%3A32-36">Number 15:32–36</a> Preacher: Shawn Carafa Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:13:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.03.27.mp3 Hebrews 5:11-14 Stan Gale "Babes in Christ" Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.03.20.mp3 Hebrews 5:1-10 Stan Gale "God's Perfect Priest" Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.03.13.mp3 Hebrews 4:14-16 Stan Gale "Confident at the Throne of Grace" Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.03.06.mp3 Hebrews 3:7-19 Stan Gale "Perseverance of the Saints" Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.02.20.mp3 Hebrews 3:1-6 Stan Gale "Home Improvement" Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.02.06.mp3 Hebrews 2:10-18 Stan Gale "Divine Deliverance" Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.01.30.mp3 Hebrews 2:5-9 Stan Gale "Tasting Death" Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.01.23.mp3 Hebrews 2:1-4 Stan Gale "Warning Label" Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.01.16.mp3 Hebrews 1:5-14 Stan Gale "Jesus Was No Angel" Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.01.09.mp3 Hebrews 1:1–4 Ray "The Final Word" Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2011.01.02.mp3 Malachi Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Prepare the Way" The last of the minor prophets, the final old covenant prophetic word of God, exposes the people as utter failures in meeting the demands of their God--without hope, without recourse. On that note, God speaks to point the way to His provision for the people's sin that His promise might be kept. Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.12.19.mp3 Zechariah Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Righteous Branch" Zechariah sets the stage for the righteousness provided by God through Jesus Christ. Through humiliation, this Jesus, the Righteous One, would achieve a righteousness under law and atone for the sins of His people. The kingdom into which He would enfold His subjects would be one of righteousness, joy and peace. Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.12.12.mp3 Haggai Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Greater Glory" Through Haggai, God gives His people a wake up call. His message addresses what occupies our hearts and so what directs our steps. Basically, God deals with a vision problem that plagues each of us, a problem corrected with a grasp on glory. Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.12.05.mp3 Zephaniah Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Mighty to Save" Zephaniah is known for his use of the phrase, "Day of the Lord." The phrase holds the certainty of God's coming to settle the account of sin. The wages of sin is death. Yet, in Christ God has satisfied our debt and poured out upon us the riches of His grace. That Day will be a day of great dread for all of those outside of Christ but a day of great joy for those ensconced, by grace through faith, in His mighty arms of saving love. Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.11.21.mp3 Habakkuk Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Focus of Faith" "The righteous will live by faith." Both Paul and the writer of Hebrews employ this proof text, Paul for justification by faith; Hebrews for faithful perseverance. Habakkuk lays the foundation for faith that encompasses both and gives voice to our faith that rests in God in the face of confusion and contradiction of a fallen world. Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.11.14.mp3 Nahum Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Good News" Nahum might be the last place we'd expect to see the expression "good news," yet that it just what he speaks of in 1:15. The good news bursts on the scene so gloriously in 1:7-8 against the bleak backdrop of 1:2-6. The good news is that God Himself is the stronghold of safety for His people in the face of the wrath to come, a wrath poured out on the Ninevites as representative of those outside His mercy. Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.11.07.mp3 Micah Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Reform Versus Renewal" Micah recites a long litany of sins, transgressions of God's law, and prosecutes them as an indictment for covenant infidelity. The solution he makes clear, however, is not found in reformation but in redemption. God, in His faithful covenant love, will intervene through the One to be born in Bethlehem who would be the Shepherd King for His people. Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.10.31.mp3 Jonah Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Book of Jonah: "Salvation is of the Lord" The account of Jonah addresses not just the importance of obedience to God in the spread of the gospel of God, it portrays the gospel itself. Jonah 4, which seems anticlimactic to the story, holds a fundamental element for us as witnesses that leaves the question posed by God in the final verse of the book ringing in our ears and in our hearts as we look to those around us. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.10.10.mp3 Obadiah Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Obadiah - Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the Lord" Obadiah deals with judgment on the nation of Edom, descendants of Esau. On the one hand, the nations in the lines of Esau and Jacob/Israel remind us that God has a people for His own possession, according to His purpose in election. On the other hand, God reminds His people that though they may be persecuted now, one day He will bring vindication. Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.10.03.mp3 Amos Stan Gale "Amos: The Lion Has Roared" Amos is a book that overflows with wrath, in which a holy God pronounces judgment on all peoples for their sinful rebellion. Yet the note on which Amos leaves us is the promise that sets the stage for the Son of David given by God that His people might not perish but have everlasting life. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.09.26.mp3 Joel Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Joel: "The Spirit of Pentecost" The Apostle Peter selects as his text a portion from the book of Joel to explain to the confused crowds gathered for Pentecost what was happening. Peter brings together Joel's themes of judgment and mercy to point to the cross of Christ. The outpouring of the Spirit was a redemptive-historical event to bring the accomplished work of Christ to God's people. That same Spirit equips and appoints the people of God as witnesses to the nations of that accomplished salvation. Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.09.19.mp3 Hosea Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Hosea: Love of the Unlovely" God portrays the church in a number of different ways to help us understand its multifaceted beauty: the vine and the branches, shepherd and sheep, a temple with living stones, a body with many parts, etc. But the image given by which we might grasp the intimacy of God with His people is the church as the bride of Christ and Christ as the Bridegroom. Hosea gives us God's redemptive backstory on that image. He illustrates the church as a prostitute undeserving of love and unlovable in the vileness of her sin. Yet this God set His love on sinners and pursues them in their infidelity, calling for her steadfast love as she has been loved. Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.09.12.mp3 James 5:13–20 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Prayer of Faith" James brings his letter to conclusion by closing in prayer, not by praying but by teaching us about prayer. His teaching is not a tack on but carries the themes of the letter, especially genuine faith and Christian community. And in his pastoral tone and concern for practical theology, James' teaching on prayer prepares us not for a theological exam but for the trenches of life as the people of God. Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.06.13.mp3 James 5:1–12 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Between Two Worlds" Living in luxury. Indulging ourselves in all sorts of pleasures. Bulging bank accounts. Isn't that the American dream? Maybe, but should it be our dream as believers who live in the world but not of it. James leads us to take stock of where our treasure, our trust and our hope are found, both for us and our children. Tue, 25 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.05.23.mp3 James 4:1–12 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Power of Weakness" In speaking of conflicts and quarrels, James pulls back the curtain to reveal to us an enemy who is an inciter of our hedonistic desires and selfish ambitions. He shows us this spiritual enemy not so we can excuse our sin by shifting responsibility to the devil but so that we can be aware, alert and armed to thwart his efforts to distance us from Christ. What we find is the conduct of our warfare is not in our strength and bravado, but in weakness and humility that rests in Christ alone. Tue, 04 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.05.02.mp3 James 3:13–18 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Window on Wisdom" James highlights for us the contractor certified by God that we are to make sure is on the job in our hearts. It’s called wisdom. Wisdom deals with contaminants like selfish ambition and jealousy, that can defile us, pollute our relationships with others and poison the environment of Christ’s church. But we need to be careful. Just because a contractor is dressed in the uniform of wisdom doesn’t mean it is from God. We know genuine wisdom because it carries the credentials of God’s Word, spreads out the blueprint of His will, and produces the workmanship of God’s grace. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.04.25.mp3 James 3:1–12 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Taming the Tongue" The entire section on the tongue is couched in the negative. James says it may be little, but the tongue is an incendiary device, a deadly poison, a restless evil, a world of unrighteousness. Why does James speak in such strong negative terms? For the same reason parents tell their kids not to play with matches—to protect against danger and misuse, both for ourselves and others. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.04.11.mp3 James 2:14–26 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Functional Faith" Real faith is “a living, busy, active, mighty thing. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. Whoever does not do such works is an unbeliever. Thus, it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire.” (Martin Luther, preface to Paul's letter to the Romans in his 1522 edition of the German Bible) True faith saves not by the works it shows but shows itself true by those works in love for Christ who saves. Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.03.28.mp3 James 2:8–13 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Hey, No One's Perfect" Though the law of God disqualifies us from the ability to save ourselves from His righteous judgment, that law is to qualify our lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ, loving God and neighbor in the obedience of faith. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.02.21.mp3 James 2:1–7 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Selective Service" If we were to identify the top three sins of our lives, the sin of partiality would probably not make the list. It would probably not even make the list of sin candidates. Yet as James rolls up his sleeves to address particular issues, he starts with the sin of partiality. What is so heinous about it? Could it be that it reaches into the fabric of faith and the very heart of the gospel, touching a nerve in all of us as we might think ourselves better than others? Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.03.07.mp3 James 1:26–27 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Realigion" Religion tends to get a bad rap in the evangelical world. To those who would say, "Christianity is not about religion; it's about relationship," James would respond that relationship shows up in religion, in the ethics of our behavior, the priorities of our lives and in those practices that honor and cultivate a relationship with Christ. Saving faith that knows Jesus Christ evidences itself and expresses itself in action related to that relationship with Jesus Christ, encompassing all of life. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.02.28.mp3 James 1:22–25 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Workers of the Word" The gospel not only saves our souls; it changes our lives. The beating heart of genuine faith makes us to be doers of the word of life implanted in us by the Spirit of God, compelled by love for Him, expressive of His handiwork of grace in our lives. Grace makes the law not a beast of burden but a "perfect law of liberty" in which we delight and source of life in communion with our Father whose law it is. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.02.21.mp3 James 1:19-21 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Circumspection" When we “meet trials of various kinds,” as James says in 1:2, we have a tendency to react rather than act. Our knee-jerk reaction is to meet trials with fear or with anger or with worry. That’s not a surprise. The important thing is that we not stay in that state, that we take firm hold of the reins of our minds that we might handle the trial in wisdom for the glory of God and the good of His sanctifying purpose in our lives. We don’t allow anger or worry or fear to rule the day. Knowing we face spiritual opposition in our Christian lives, James calls us to be circumspect, as we watch out for folly and as we live out the faith our God has worked in us. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.02.14.mp3 James 1:12–18 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "The Gestation of Sin" So far we have seen that trials of various kinds are given by God for the exercise of our faith to prove its genuineness and to improve it like a muscle is strengthened by resistance. Trials give us that resistance to build us up in faith, toward the goal of our spiritual maturity in Christ. For that trial to benefit us toward that goal of our spiritual growth, James has told us we need wisdom. We defined wisdom as “the divinely given ability to evaluate life from a godly perspective and to live life in a godly way.” Wisdom brings God’s truth to intersect with our lives to navigate through the storms of trial to remain on course toward the goal of v. 4 of “being perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,” as God grows us in grace. Today James lays out for us the very first challenge we must address in trials, demonstrating why wisdom is critical for God’s outcome through those trials of our lives. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.01.31.mp3 Celebrating God’s Victory (Shawn Carafa) Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Revelation+19:1-4">Revelation 19:1-4</a> Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:39:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.01.24.mp3 James 1:5-11 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "A Word to the Unwise" How do we handle trials in a way that profits us and leads to our spiritual growth and maturity? James' answer is wisdom. We can define wisdom as "the divinely given ability to evaluate life from a godly perspective and to live life in a godly way." What does it mean to "ask" God for wisdom? It means more than just a one-sentence request. As the wisdom portions of Scripture make clear, wisdom discerns between the way of foolishness that seems right to us and the way that seeks to serve and please God (versus serve our own preferences). Wisdom makes choices to follow one direction and not another. Asking for wisdom says, "Lord, help me figure this out. What do You want me to think about this circumstance? How do You want me to honor You in the way I handle it?" Wisdom analyzes the circumstance in view of God's Word. Wisdom bring God's truth to intersect with life to the strengthening of the faith God has worked in us. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.01.17.mp3 James 1:1-4 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "A Test of Faith" At first glance, it seems that James' basic concern is works--Christian behavior, kingdom ethics. James' primary pastoral concern, however, is not works but faith--genuine faith versus counterfeit faith. He addresses those professing believers who 'claim' they have faith and those possessing believers to strengthen them in their faith toward spiritual maturity. James causes us to ask two questions: (1) Is my faith genuine? And (2) Is my faith growing? Is my faith real or am I just deceiving myself? In our private ways, we are disinclined to question a person’s faith. James has no such reluctance and is compelled out of pastoral love to press the question. He doesn’t want us to appear before the judgment seat of God with counterfeit faith and a cocky assurance that we are right with God when we are not. Saving faith is more than acing a theology exam or just saying we are Christians. The other question, Is my faith growing, looks to the goal of spiritual maturity. Are we spiritually immature, like a child that thinks Christianity revolves around us and Jesus is there to make me happy or like an adolescent wanting things our way, resisting authority and put off by demands made of us? The trials God as our Father brings to our lives not only prove our faith; they improve it, like building muscle and endurance, showing our faith to be real and ripening it in the fruitfulness of His handiwork of grace in our lives, growing us for glory. God's goal for believers in the epistle of James is to grow us in assurance of our salvation and spiritual maturity as His children. Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2010.01.10.mp3 The Christmas Gift Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+1%3A9-13">John 1:9–13</a> Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.12.13.mp3 The Christmas Light Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+1%3A1-18">John 1:1–18</a> Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.12.06.mp3 This Side of the Fall Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Our first foray from Genesis 1-3 into a post-fall world presents us with a pretty disturbing picture. We witness mangled worship, rebellion against God and unchecked emotion leading to murder, all a taste of what a world now riddled with sin will be like. We see how horrible sin is and what man in rebellion against God is capable of, especially if we allow sin to rule us to the neglect of the counsel of God. Yet in the midst of the darkness we see the sparkle of God's promise and grace that anticipates the coming of the seed of the woman that we celebrate this Christmas season. Those who look at a sin-infected world with all its horrors and conclude there is no God or an inadequate God, fail to take seriously the reality of the fall and neglect the great redeeming work of God to bring remedy and hope through Jesus Christ. Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.11.29.mp3 Expelled Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester As God prepared to expel Adam and Eve from the sanctuary of the Garden of Eden, where they communed with God, into a world made inhospitable because of the fall, God prepares them with highlights of hope that flow out of the gospel promise of Gen. 3:15. The story to come would feature the who of hope in the seed of the woman, the how of hope in God's provision for man's inadequate efforts, the what of hope in the blessings secured and distributed, and the when of hope marked by the angelic beings. These four features are realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ, as laid out by the Apostle Paul in Gal. 4:4-5: "But when the fullness of time had come (when), God sent forth his Son, born of woman (who), born under law, to redeem those who were under the law (how), so that we might receive adoption as sons (what)." Animating the whole is the why of it all, the undeserved, unmerited, unexpected grace of God, who sets His love on the unlovely. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.11.22.mp3 Cloak and Consequences Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Not only do we participate in Adam's sin, we emulate his dealing with it when the spotlight of exposure shines its beam upon us. We excuse ourselves by accusing others or blaming circumstances. In contrast to our first parents' effort to cover up their sin, David writes: "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover up my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." (Ps. 32:5). That forgiveness is bound up in the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15 and the deliverance from sin's power and guilt we find in him. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.11.15.mp3 A Match Made in Heaven Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester As the typical wedding ceremony puts it: "Dearly beloved, we are assembled here in the presence of God, to join this man and this woman in holy marriage, which is instituted of God, regulated by His commandments, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be held in honor among all men." We trace this institution back to Genesis 2 where God made good that which He declared as "not good," that the man should be alone. Man was incomplete in himself and inadequate for God's call, so God made a female version, who unlike the animals, was also made in God's image to solve man's problem of aloneness. Not only does God institute marriage, He gives it form in calling man to leave, cleave and weave in this most intimate of human relationships and basic building block of society. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.10.25.mp3 The Bonds of Freedom Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Being image bearers of God involves relating to him in keeping with that image. From the outset and throughout the record of God's Word, God regulates our lives through prescription, provision and prohibition. God speaks to direct us in the way that honors and serves him. God provides for us to meet our needs and to enable us in all that he calls us to. God gives us prohibitions, boundaries for the freedoms we have that we might be slave to righteousness. We dishonor God and abuse grace when we neglect to think in terms of image-appropriateness, what is proper and improper for us as God's holy people, called in Christ to be holy as he is holy. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.10.11.mp3 Paradise Explored Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Like building a house for a purpose, God made creation as a habitat for humanity in relationship with Himself. In Genesis 2:4 we move from the sweeping overview of God's creating all things, including man in His image, to the specific focus on man. The scene is Paradise and God sets the stage with the backdrop for a tragedy that would serve as the backstory for His grace in forming a redeemed humanity for Himself. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.10.04.mp3 The ‘Rest’ of the Story Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "...God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." (Gen. 2:3) Why did God create in six days? Why not one day? Why even a day? Could not God have spoken the entirety of creation into being in an instant? How long did God work those six days--8 hours? 12 hours? 24 hours? Was God worn out by his creating efforts that required him to rest? In the six days of creation and the seventh day in which he rested, God communicates and himself illustrates something for us as his image bearers in the temporal world he made, something summed up in the Sabbath. Scripture suggests that God instituted the Sabbath for three reasons: (1) to establish a rhythm to time, (2) to distinguish his people from the nations, (3) to anticipate the new creation in Christ. Just as God sanctified the Sabbath on the heels of surveying his creation and declaring it all "very good" (Gen. 1:31), so, like the bench positioned before the masterpiece in the art gallery, the Sabbath provides us with a perch to survey the vista of God's creation and now as the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, to survey the panorama of God's redemption in Jesus Christ. The Lord's Day, the Christian Sabbath, is a gift of God by which we refocus ourselves on our God and Father as the center of it all, to refresh ourselves in his grace in Jesus Christ, and to rejoice in his mercies that stretch into eternity. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.09.20.mp3 Reflections of Glory Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester God created us for relationship with Himself. The creation account not only displays the glory and wisdom and power of God , it also showcases God's intention in making man for relationship with Himself. The work of creation itself describes God's making a habitat for humanity. God makes man, both male and female, in His image. That image distinguishes us from the other creatures, defines us in our humanity and provides a lens for our redemption in that the image marred by the fall is restored in Christ. Our sanctification is described as "being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Col. 3:10). The image of God speaks to issues of our identity, ability and responsibility. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.09.13.mp3 First Things First Ray "In the beginning, God created..." (Gen. 1:1) Basically, Genesis is our schoolmaster in the fear of God, the GPS for our lives as Christians, helping us to live life with a proper regard for God, for ourselves and for life in relation to Him. In contradistinction to the so called gods of the nations and fanciful stories of origins that continue to this day, God speaks to reveal to us (1) His eternal being that shows Him to be uncreated and self-existent, separate from His creation and transcendent over it; (2) His wisdom and power in what He has made, showing us that creation is not a product of time and chance, but reflects God's direct involvement and purpose; and (3) His absolute authority. Genesis 1 shows God as the Potter, preeminent over what He has made with the right to do as He wills over it all. Genesis 1 teaches us a fear of God that prompts us to (1) give Him the glory due His name as the Creator who is to be forever praised; (2) form our understanding of God from His revelation rather than from our own imaginations or preferences; and (3) ascribe to God the right to to give life to whom He chooses, the crecendo of which is reached in the work of Jesus Christ, in whom is found God's new creating work that enfolds us by His grace. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.09.06.mp3 Rhett Dodson - 8/16/2009 Ray Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.08.16.mp3 1 John 3:1-3 (Shawn Carafa) Ray This past Sunday was father's day, so we began by looking at how our earthly fathers show their love to their children, and how we often misunderstand the love given. 1 John 3:1-3 clearly demonstrates that our Heavenly Father has given His children a remarkable love. The love the Father gives us is personal - He enters into a deep, meaningful relationship with us - He is our Father; we are his children. This love is also purposeful - it moves us toward the goal of becoming like God's Son, Jesus Christ as we live moving from suffering to glory. And, this love is particular - the Father has a unique love for those who are united to Jesus Christ by faith. Then we heard John's practical response to the Father's love - a call for God's children to live pure lives. And we discovered that one mark of a pure life is a prayer filled life. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.06.21.mp3 Where's the Joy? (Rev. Steve Smallman) Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Paul wrote a letter to the Philippian church as he was facing death in a way that he had not planned. But of all Paul's letters, this one is overflowing with joy and rejoicing. Most of us, myself included, have experienced the fact that life is not going exactly how we had planned. How could Paul still be full of joy in these difficult circumstances? I found three things in my rereading of Philippians that we should consider: <ol><li>Joy was not his goal--knowing Christ was, and joy was a consequence</li><li>The path to knowing Christ is fairly ordinary--prayer, meditation on God's truth and fellowship with the Body of Christ.</li><li>Joy comes to those who are given over to kingdom ministry.</li></ol> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.06.14.mp3 Diary of a Prophet (Bruce Howes) Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Habakkuk+1">Habbakuk 1</a> Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.06.07.mp3 Philippians 4:21-23 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Saints in Christ Jesus "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi..." (Phil. 1:1). "...Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.... All the saints greet you" (Phil. 4:21). As Paul opened his letter to the Philippians by addressing the saints, so he closes his letter with mention of the saints. This letter is for those set apart by God's grace and Christ's redeeming sacrifice to belong to God. At the outset Paul calls for the attention of the Christians to gain their ear and impart to them words of life. At the close, like students taught a lesson, Paul's address to the saints calls for them to attend to and act upon what He has spoken to them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The grace that greeted them in chapter one is the grace that sends them off and sustains them and enables them in chapter four. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.05.31.mp3 Philippians 4:10-20 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester The Secret What is the secret to contentment in the face of any and every circumstance? What is recession-proof contentment? What is prosperity-proof contentment? Is the secret that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13)? Yes, but that's only an expression of the secret. The secret is found in Paul's summation, that "God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). God is the one who supplies the strength of Christ. God is the one who has lavished his riches of love on us in Christ. God is the one who uses the community of Christ to minister to the needs of his people. Learning this secret prompts us to acclaim with the Apostle, "To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Phil. 4:20). Tue, 26 May 2009 08:30:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.05.24.mp3 Philippians 4:2-9 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Path to Peace One temptation common to us all is worry. Jesus offers us a peace the world does not know, a peace rooted in Him. In Philippians the Spirit of God instructs us in how to know that peace. The root of worry is idolatry, where we grasp for the prerogatives of control and knowledge that belong only to God, rather than trusting Him and submitting our will to His. We find peace in the face of worry by enveloping ourselves in the arms of our loving Father, expunging ourselves of our burdens by casting them upon Him and entrusting ourselves to the care, wisdom, direction and purpose of our God. Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.05.17.mp3 Philippians 3:20-4:1 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Patriotism" God establishes the nations of the earth and He establishes us in those nations. God instituted governing authorities. We are to submit to those authorities, to pray for those who govern us, to honor our rulers, to pay taxes. But there is no call by God to us to nationalistic patriotism. God calls us to heavenly patriotism. As citizens of heaven, our allegiance is to our Lord Jesus in all things, in all places, in all circumstances, in all roles and responsibilities. While Paul enjoyed and exercised his rights as a Roman citizen, he labored as an alien and sojourner serving his Lord Jesus and seeking the kingdom of God. It is as citizens of heaven that we discern morality, preach the gospel, pray for kings, help the poor and stand for righteousness, awaiting our Savior. Tue, 12 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.05.10.mp3 Giving God No Rest Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <div style="text-align: center;">On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7</div> Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.05.03.mp3 Philippians 3:17-19 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester WWPD Paul emphasizes two things to help us to press on in the Christian life that we might mature in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ: 1) the benefit of imitation, and 2) the importance of proper models to imitate. Paul holds himself up as an example, not as one who has arrived but one in the race with us. We are to imitate Paul (WWPD) as he imitates Christ (WWJD). Godly models show us what faith looks like with flesh on it, what honoring Christ looks like in the trenches of everyday life. Yet we are to be on guard against those counterfeit models who would deny the cross of Christ, preaching another gospel or teaching another pattern for life than the cross we are to take up daily as we die to self and live to Christ. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.04.26.mp3 Philippians 3:12-16 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Passionate Pursuit In Phil. 3:10, Paul expressed the goal: "that by any means possible I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Now in 3:12-16 he amplifies what that looks like in our lives as Christians. God's work of grace in salvation is not just something on paper. It more than justification. Salvation by grace encompasses sanctification and glorification as well. The resurrection of Jesus Christ in victory over sin and death involves a power that grants us new life in Christ (past), power that animates and advances us in holiness between now and glory (present), and the promise of a new resurrection body (future). These redemptive realities spur us to press on (vv. 12, 14) as God's workmanship to realize this reality in increasing measure in our lives. Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.04.19.mp3 Philippians 3:7-11 (Easter Sunday) Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Resurrection Return The Apostle Paul spreads before us two portfolios for heavenly inheritance. The first contains the impressive capital of righteousness accrued by Paul. The second holds the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Paul leads us in recognizing that his as well as our efforts are worthless, and calls us to divest ourselves of any righteousness of our own that we suppose commends us to God. Instead, we are to rest by faith in the righteousness of Christ. The dividends of grace enjoyed by us are justification in Christ's payment on the cross and resurrection victory, sanctification in living each day in the power of resurrection life, and the sure hope of glorification, anticipating our heavenly home and the resurrection bodies prepared for us. Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.04.12.mp3 Psalm 118:19-29 Ray Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.04.05.mp3 Philippians 2:1-11 Ray “Re-mind”; Dr. Edward T. Welch Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.03.29.mp3 Philippians 3:1-6 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Rejoice—in the Lord The only credentials sufficient to be accepted by God are those of Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, imputed to us and received by faith alone. Paul's academic credentials could not be loftier. His pedigree could not be purer. His experience could not be more extensive. His zeal could not be more vigorous. Yet the Spirit of God opened his eyes to see that resume as worthless, something to be repudiated that he might gain Christ and the resume of His righteousness. We are to rejoice in God's grace and love to us, rejoice in Christ's saving work for us, and rejoice in the Spirit's work in our lives to unite us to Christ and make us true worshipers, heirs of life. Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.03.22.mp3 Philippians 2:19-30 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Faithful Servants Following his call in Phil. 2:3–4 to humility and a servant's heart, the Apostle Paul holds up for us a lofty portrait of Jesus Christ as our model. To help us to see what this servanthood of Christ looks like in practice, Paul lays before us snapshots of two faithful servants—Timothy and Epaphroditus. From them we gather that the heart of Christ's servants is concerned for others over self, content to play a role rather than grasping for glory, and fully committed to Christ and His cause. As faithful servants we serve Christ as ordinary believers, in ordinary ways, with extraordinary dedication and sacrifice. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.03.15.mp3 Philippians 2:12-18 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Children of Light Our God calls us to live out our redeemed identity in Christ as children of light, reflecting the light of Christ in a "crooked and perverse generation." Our lives are to be distinguished by all that is good and right and true as a result of our "holding fast to the word of life" in belief and practice. To walk in license or laxity in respect to the law of God denies Christ into whose image our Father is growing us and repudiates our adoption as children of God, conforming more to the dominion of darkness from which we have been delivered rather than the kingdom of light to which we belong. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.03.08.mp3 Philippians 2:5-11 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Jesus Loves Us to Death They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The Apostle Paul wants to impress upon us what real servanthood looks like, the kind of servanthood that should characterize us in our relations with others, the kind that builds and protects and nourishes unity in the church. The picture he lays before us is of Jesus and His riches to rags to riches story for us and our salvation. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.03.01.mp3 Philippians 1:27-2:4 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester A Gospel-Worthy Life A gospel-worthy life looks to live in a manner worthy of our calling in Christ. If reflects what it means for us to be children of the King and citizens of heaven, living in but not of the world. The gospel is not just about evangelism. The gospel is about living in and living out the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It embraces all of life lived under, with and for Jesus Christ. A gospel-worthy life is constrained by the life, love and lordship of Jesus in our character, conduct and calling. Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.02.22.mp3 Philippians 1:18-26 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester To Live is Christ "To live is Christ, to die is gain" expresses not just a theological statement, but a personal statement of identify, purpose and mission to be embraced by every follower of Jesus Christ in every facet of our sojourning in this fallen world. Paul in his circumstance of imprisonment embraces this perspective when he says, "for to me to live is Christ...," giving him joy, resolve and contentment. "To live is Christ" directs our lives and transforms any and every circumstance in which we find ourselves by God's hand of providence. Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.02.15.mp3 Philippians 1:12-18 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Unchained Gospel Though Paul may have been in chains, the gospel was not. Contrary to expectation, his imprisonment served to advance the gospel. More often than not what silences us in our witness for Christ is not our circumstances, but our character. We silence ourselves by our lack of love for Christ and our neighbor, gripped in fear not love that casts our fear. The key to an unchained gospel is to see ourselves as prisoners for Jesus Christ, captives of His grace, bondservants in His kingdom cause. Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.02.08.mp3 In True God We Trust Ray Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.02.01.mp3 Philippians 1:9-11 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Transforming Prayer" In Phil. 1:4 Paul tells the Philippians he prays for them. In verses 9-11 he tells them what he prays for them. In this passage God shows us two things. First, He shows us something of how He is going about the building project of grace in our lives that he mentions in verse 6. Prominent in that building process is the renewal of our minds, through which we sow the seeds we want to harvest in our lives (cf. Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 12:2). Second, God shows us that we are subcontractors of Christ, used of Him to cultivate growth and maturity in our fellow believers, through our labors in prayer. Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.01.25.mp3 Philippians 1:3-8 Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester "Passionate Presbyterians"<div> </div><div>Passion for Christ and one another arises out of a Spirit-realized fellowship with Christ and one another. Paul describes this fellowship in three ways in the opening verses of his letter. As Christ's church, we are bound in prayer out of joy in one another. In Paul's model, we are to be faithful in prayer for all the saints, not just family or friends. As Sinclair Ferguson puts it, such prayer "involves entering into others' situations, needs, triumphs and failures, and carrying them into the presence of God." Second, we are partners in the gospel, dedicated and working together with one another for the cause of Christ, fueled by love for Christ and His love for others. As Paul will say later, our Lord's desire for us is for us to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side-by-side for the faith of the gospel (1:27). Finally, in the model of our Lord Jesus, compassion arising from our inner being should drive us to mutual care and concern and involvement as partakers of a common grace. The passion exhibited by Paul burns not from the straw of raw emotion but from the logs of the reality of fellowship with God and one another set in place and stoked by the Spirit of the risen Christ.</div> Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.01.18.mp3 Philippians 1:1-2 Ray "The Local Congregation" In his letter to the Philippians, Paul emphasizes the local congregation. He is writing to an identified group of individuals in a specific locality, under the care and supervision of officers established by Christ (elders/overseers and deacons). The salutation sets the tone of the epistle in the centrality of Christ: "servants of Christ," "saints in Christ," "grace and peace from...Christ." We can define the local church as "a congregation of individuals bound together in Christ, saved by God's grace bound up in Christ, to serve as bond servants of Jesus Christ." Membership in a local church relates to identity (saints), responsibility (servants) and accountability (subject to). The main reason for the epistle is "for our progress and joy in the faith" (1:25), the incubator of which is the local church. Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2009.01.11.mp3 When Temptation Strikes Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.12.28.mp3 Son of David Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Jesus' favorite title for Himself, "The Son of David," spoke of more than family tree. It pointed to Messianic promise and expectation, looking to Jesus as the greater David, who would fight the greater battle and establish the greater kingdom. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.12.21.mp3 Son of Man Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester Jesus is our Immanuel, "God with us." But Christmas is particularly a celebration of the humanity of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of the eternal Son of God as an actual and authentic human being, like us in every way except without sin. As the Son of Man, Jesus entered into our humanity to represent us, into our inability to save us and into our infirmity to give us hope and help. Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.12.14.mp3 Son of God Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester The writer of Hebrews wants us to know that the coming of Jesus is part of God's great plan of promised salvation and that this Jesus is God Himself. Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.12.07.mp3 Bonfire of the Vanities Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? (Eccl. 6:12)</blockquote> Basically, the book of Ecclesiastes vies for our hearts. God speaks to protect us from the futility of finding our delight in created things and to beckon us to Himself. Every area of life addressed—family, friends, relationships, money, possessions, alcohol, sex, entertainment, intelligence, academic degrees, religious activity, social causes, physical appearance and so on can become for us an idol and serve as a battleground for our heart. On each God places a warning label, telling us of danger. He wants to protect us from lies and disappointments and false hopes. Also on that label is found the inscription “made by God for enjoyment and provision in our journey under the sun.” Under that inscription are instructions for proper use—“fear God and keep His commands.” Family, money, sex, social causes—all these things are sanctified as we receive them with thanksgiving from the hand of God and honor Him in them all. The breadth of subject matter in the book of Ecclesiastes impresses this upon us—that there is nowhere and no thing in which we are NOT to fear God and keep His commands. Our God wants our whole hearts, our full allegiance, our undiluted devotion, our rapt attention. So He bids us to gather up the idols He has unearthed and the good things we have defiled and distorted by sin that He has pointed out through the inventory of our lives taken in our study of Ecclesiastes, take them to the bonfire of God's power and grace set by the Spirit of truth and throw them in, with this goal—that Jesus Christ might be our life, our love, our Lord. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.11.30.mp3 Vanity of Strength & Beauty Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. ...Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10</blockquote> The Preacher in Ecclesiastes acknowledges the benefits of youth. But he echoes what everyone who has sought to cling onto youth discovers. No matter how healthy we eat, no matter how far we run each day, no matter how often we work out, no matter how much time or what measures we take investing in our appearance, our bodies will age and wear out and we will die. Under the sun the strong man stoops with age and the eye grows dim. The only thing that stops the aging process is death, the lot faced by all, believer and unbeliever alike. While we can enjoy our youth, take care of our bodies and take pride in our appearance, they are a vain hope for deliverance and offer a superficial regard for life. The unnamed teacher, however, breaks through the vanity of the fallen created order to speak of the God who is and who has spoken and acted. Hope and life are not found in efforts to hang on to youth but in God. Hope for our physical bodies resides in the same hope for our soul--in Jesus Christ, risen and living (1 Cor. 15:50-57). We look forward to the redemption of our bodies (Rom. 8:23). We take comfort that though our bodies are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit in God's workmanship of grace. God lays out his beauty treatment, his workout program for us as we live under the sun but in the fear of the Lord, calling us to focus on inner beauty (1 Pet. 3:3-4) through discipline for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7-8) that we might be sculpted into the image of Christ, strong in the strength of Christ and adorned with the beauty of Christ. Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.11.23.mp3 The Hand of Providence Ray <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Psalm+139">Psalm 139</a> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.11.16.mp3 Vanity of Religion & Service Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." Eccl. 5:1</blockquote> "Change" has been the rallying cry of the recent presidential campaign. Christians have lined up behind one candidate or another in pursuit of change. The election results have provoked much angst and ardor as hopes has been dashed or buoyed. But what is God's agent of change? To what does God affix hope? The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that God is at work and hope and power for change are resident by God's design in his church. The church, however, must employ a religion that has God at its core, fearing Him and doing His will, rather than a religion in which God serves man or man manipulates God. Government is important but government is impotent for the change Christ seeks. How much genuine change has been achieved by having the "right" administration in office? The power of the church is not exercised in the voting booth but in the prayer closet. The influence of the church is not exerted at election season but in season and out of season, bringing God's truth to bear, bearing witness to Christ, being salt and light in the world. When it comes to government, Christians must take seriously their role as citizens but their hope resides in the God who directs the hearts of kings, who raises up rulers and kingdoms and brings them down. The church must be the church, faithful to its mission, faithful to its Lord, faithful to the end in whatever country, in whatever circumstance. May we repent of vanity on two fronts. First, we need to repent of the inertia of futile religion with its mindless prayers and meaningless rituals and routines. Second, we need to repent not being Christ's church, fertile and expectant in fear of the true and living God, crying out to Him to restore us to His role and function in this world, recognizing the church as God's agent for the change He desires. Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.11.09.mp3 Vanity of Education & Wisdom Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>"I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly.... Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?' And I said in my heart that this also is vanity."</blockquote> We can relate to the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes who knows that wisdom is a good thing, but who observes under the sun that the wise man often falters and the fool prospers. The Bible speaks of two kinds of wisdom: wisdom that begins with fear of man and wisdom that begins with the fear of God. James contrasts "wisdom from above" and wisdom that is "earthly, unspiritual, demonic." Paul differentiates between wisdom that is of the world and wisdom rooted in God. Wisdom from above and wisdom under the sun provide different answers to the basic worldview questions of Creation-Fall-Redemption. God's ultimate expression of wisdom in contrast to the wisdom of the world (cf. 1 Cor. 1-2) is Jesus Christ, "who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption." Wisdom "under the sun" is man-centered, trying to make sense of life and to find answers to life in the ingenuity of man without respect to God. God-centered wisdom urges: <blockquote>"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on our own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7 </blockquote>Godly wisdom is concerned not with results but with submission, trust and obedience. Wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord, to which the unnamed teacher in Ecclesiastes points us, sees God's world, serves God's ways and seeks God's glory. God is the point of reference. Wisdom is not street smarts to navigate the roadways of life. Wisdom is the compass of God to be used under the sun in this dark world where we can easily lose our bearings, the compass where due north is the glory of God and the magnetic pull is the fear of God that directs our decisions, thoughts, values, actions and goals Godward. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.11.02.mp3 Vanity of Pleasure & Entertainment Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of no pleasure, "What use is it?" Ecclesiastes 2:1-2</blockquote> God wired us for pleasure. He has filled our lives with good things and given us five senses to enjoy them. Throughout Scripture, God appeals to our ability to enjoy. The Promised Land He sensuously describes as a 'land flowing with milk and honey.' The Preacher in Ecclesiastes sees the pleasures of life as gifts of God and considers them wonderful distractions to the hardship 'under the sun,' balms to the weary soul and worn out body. But God warns us of being pleasure-driven. The good things of life can become idols as we put them before God and look to them for what only God can give. The quest for entertainment can drive our lives and dictate our agendas, to our spiritual detriment and ineffectiveness for Christ's kingdom. But in a life that fears Him and keeps His commands, God woos us to true delight. From this perspective on life, pleasure is received as a gift of God from which flows thanks and appreciation of what He has given us to enjoy. At the same time, our attitude toward these pleasures is regulated by His commandments. The Christian life will not be driven by pain-avoidance or pleasure-seeking but will model Jesus Christ, who 'for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame' (Heb. 12:2). And at the heart of life, God Himself will be our ultimate joy in whom we delight. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.10.26.mp3 Vanity of Financial Security & Possessions Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity... There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, 24</blockquote> Eat, drink and be merry—the motto of those at ease and secure with money in the bank. Certainly, finances and material possessions provide great sources of enjoyment and security. The problem, though, is when those things obscure our view of God and we focus on the gifts over the Giver, or when we look to find our security in our bank account instead of God. The Preacher noted "under the sun" how tenuous life can be. All we accumulated can be gone in an instant and with it the confidence and hope we had tied to it. Treasure laid up under the sun can be taken from us by thieves or investment failure. We can be taken from our treasure by death. Jesus called us out on this in His parable about the bigger barn builder (see Luke 12:13-20), pointing out the wayward thinking of being driven to lay up treasure under the sun. Jesus' answer echoes that of the unnamed teacher in Ecclesiastes, who calls us to fear God and obey His commands: "So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:21) In Luke 12:22-24 (cf. Matt. 6:19-34), Jesus exposes worry as red flag to idolatry and to where we are laying up our treasure, looking not just to calm our fear but to address our allegiance to God and His kingdom, the outworking of which Paul addresses in 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.10.12.mp3 Vanity of Family & Friends Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)</blockquote> Relationships are a blessing. In his observations, the Preacher sees the value of relationships. He notes how shallow and hollow life is without those special people in our lives. But this religious observer to life also notes under the sun how apt relationships are to disappoint and fail us. Broken marriages, friends no longer speaking, death itself as the ultimate severer of relationships. The Preacher admits that companionship is a good thing, given by God, but the risk is high that we may be left hurt and alone. Vanity of vanities, futile. The other voice in the mix, that of the unnamed teacher, informs us that the Preacher is right. People do let us down. We let people down. Relationships may and do crumble around us, leaving us to pick up the pieces. On top of that, even if the relationships don't crumble they can never give us what we often expect of them. His answer is to fear God and keep His commands. The faithful God who has reconciled us to Himself in Christ will never leave us or forsake us. As for us, we will obey God, loving as we have been loved, forgiving as we have been forgiven. The upshot of this perspective beyond the fallen created order is to enjoy our relationships with others as gifts of God, but not be surprised by betrayal that hurts so much. In our pain, though, we find comfort, security, strength and resolve as we live under the sun in the love that will not let us go. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.10.05.mp3 Vanity of Planning & Organization Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. (Eccl. 8:6-8)The Preacher in his observations of life 'under the sun' notes that the best laid plans can be frustrated and often come to naught. They are 'vanity.' He observes an order to life at the hand of God, but we are at a loss to know what is to be. We try out best to find some measure of stability and gain control over the 'what ifs' we face, but we identify with the Preacher's angst when we realize we cannot control. Into this vanity, the unnamed teacher calls us to look beyond the fallen created world—to fear God and keep His commands. So, instead of being gripped in worry, fear, grief, depression and despair, we relinquish the role of control and the right to control to our God, accepting our place as dependent, finite beings and according God the glory and rights and prerogatives that belong to Him alone. We trust and obey. We find peace and joy and hope in this life under the sun in the knowledge and strength of our God, assured by our Savior that we will have trouble in this world, but also that He has overcome the world. We enjoy the order God does give to what would be a chaotic life in a sin-riddled world, and we do plan and organize, not in competition with God, but in submission to His will (James 4:13-16). "<a href="http://gettymusic.com/USA/lyrics.asp?id=152">In Christ Alone</a>" Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.09.21.mp3 Making Sanity Out of Vanity Reformed Presbyterian Church of West Chester <blockquote>Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. (Eccl. 7:16)</blockquote> <blockquote>Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. (Eccl. 10:19)</blockquote> It's hard to imagine these passages are from the Bible, but they are. The question is, how do we make sense of them? The key to understanding the book of Ecclesiastes is to see its goal and how it achieves that goal. The goal is stated in the last two verses of the book (Ecc. 12:13-14) summarized as 'fear God and keep His commandments.' How the book takes us there is by way of two teachers. The first teacher is a religious observer to life. He looks at life 'under the sun' and concludes life is 'vanity' (empty, meaningless, pointless), a chasing after wind. What he sees doesn't jive with the idea of a sovereign, good God. The second teacher, whose comments bracket those of the first teacher in Eccl. 1:1-11 and 12:8-14, affirms what the first teacher says but insists that there is more than meets the eye. He lifts us to a vantage point above the sun, beyond the fallen created order, to a God who is and who reigns. The Apostle Paul speaks to God's answer in Christ to this 'vanity' and futility (see Rom. 8:18-21). Ecclesiastes frustrates our efforts to find hope and meaning in all the wrong places. It is written not only to make us realists; it is intended to make us redemptive realists, finding hope and life in Christ alone. "<a href="http://gettymusic.com/USA/lyrics.asp?id=152">In Christ alone</a>" Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:00:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.09.14.mp3 Love Note Ray <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ephesians+6%3A21-24">Ephesians 6:21-24</a> Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:30:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.09.07.mp3 Family Values Ray <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ephesians+5%3A22-6%3A4">Ephesians 5:22–6:4</a> Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:30:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.08.03.mp3 Life on the Alert Ray <a href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ephesians+5%3A15-21">Ephesians 5:15–21</a> Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:30:00 GMT http://www.rpcwc.org/sermons/2008.07.27.mp3