Because of His Great Love for Us - Ephesians 2:4-5, Sermon Video

The Apostle Paul offers us hope with a well placed "But."  Immediately after proclaiming that humanity is spiritually "dead" Paul continues by telling us that God didn't leave us in that woeful state, but did something about it "because of his great love for us."  Love was the answer to humanity's turmoil, God's love.  God worked with mercy to provide salvation through Jesus Christ.

The (Spiritually) Living Dead - Ephesians 2:1-3, sermon video

The diagnosis is terminal.  The patient will not survive.  That's what the Apostle Paul wants us to understand in the verses prior to his great ode to salvation by grace through faith in Ephesians 2:8-9.  He demonstrates the seriousness of humanity's plight by calling those who are Lost apart from God "dead."  They are physically alive, but spiritually dead.  The grip of sin is tight upon them.

This is the state of humanity, individually and collectively, apart from our Creator.  For this reason we need to be saved, we cannot save ourselves.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #33 Acts 5:29

Acts 5:27-29     New International Version

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

One of the things that has fascinated me as a parent is how silly words, phrases, even jokes, get passed down from one generation to the next.  My daughter Clara has come home from school with all sorts of things that I recall from my own childhood, it just goes to show that time-honored concepts like the cooties will never really die.

A phrase we haven't heard yet from our daughter, and don't care to, but one that teens have been using for quite some time is, "You're not the boss of me."  In the sitcom that ran from 1984-1992, we learned that Tony Danza's character Tony Micelli was the boss, sort of.  At the same time (1984-1990), another sitcom starring Scott Baio was telling us that Charles was in charge.  This is a fundamental staple of sitcoms, much of the humor of I Love Lucy, All in the Family, or Everybody Loves Raymond is the never ending struggle for the upper hand. 

In the real world, the struggle for power often takes on a deadly earnestness.  It is well understood that many people throughout history have been willing to kill to obtain or maintain power over others, but it has also been demonstrated over and over that other people are willing to die rather than live under tyranny.  World History is many things, among them it is a story of would-be dictators/tyrants and the revolutionaries and martyrs who opposed them.

When it comes to ultimate authority, the kind with real legitimacy that doesn't depend upon the threat of violence, the most common struggle in human history has been between material and spiritual lordships.  For much of history kings and priests have take up common cause, propping up the same dynasty that benefits them both.  It doesn't hurt that these two classes often came from the same aristocratic families, making cooperation between them more likely.

But when the vision of secular and religious power do come into conflict, who has the true claim on being the final authority?  There is no doubt, no doubt at all, that the Word of God proclaims that final authority rests in the spiritual realm with God himself.  We see this play out in God's liberation of the Israelites from Egypt as Moses asserts his authority over that of Pharaoh.  It is central to the story of the first king of Israel, Saul, whose power was dwarfed by that of the prophet Samuel.  And prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel again and again proclaim that God's will is above that of kings and even empires.  In fact, the prophets make it very clear that it is God himself who reserves the right to raise up, and tear down, kings and kingdoms to suit his purposes.

Which brings us to yet another reason why 'Christian' Nationalism is doomed to fail: It overvalues secular power.  Power in this world is fool's gold, it won't last and it can never be the ultimate authority.  The people of God are called, instead, to imitate the Apostles by defying the powers that be when they go against the revealed will of God.  Rather than bow before them willingly, or bend before them under duress, we must follow the example of the heroes of our faith who stood for righteousness and against evil in whatever form it took, including their own government.

Who is the boss?  Who is in charge?  God.  God alone.

Sermon Video: Jesus: The Name Above All Names - Ephesians 1:19b-23

In one of the Apostle Paul's beautiful rabbit trails in his letters, he muses on the power of God that both works in/through his people and raised Jesus from the dead.  This thought leads Paul to contemplate the glory and authority that belongs to Jesus, as the risen Lord, declaring it to be above all others that every will be.

The Church in Franklin (Venango County) PA: How are we doing? - What serving here more than a decade has shown me.

 

My wife Nicole and I moved to Franklin, PA in January of 2012.  I'm not a native Pennsylvanian, but we've invested our lives in this town for more than a decade, and raised our daughter here.  We hear a lot about trends, good and bad, with respect to the Church in America, in various other parts of the world, and globally.  But what about the Church, the collective Body of Christ, here in Franklin (with some thought spilling over, by necessity to the larger Venango County)?  How is it doing?  Is it healthy?  Growing or shrinking?  United or divided?  On mission or distracted?  I'd like to try to answer those questions from my own, admittedly limited and potentially biased, point-of-view.  My answers are drawn from my own interactions with pastors, church members, and non-Christians in this community.  I've also been instrumental in organizing and leading ecumenical ministries and worship for most of my time here, so my chances of knowing what is going on are better than most.

Let's leave the question of whether or not the Church here is healthy to the end, that's a fitting conclusion.

1. The Church in Franklin has neither significantly grown nor significantly shrunk in the last decade.

Since we arrived in 2012, our area has seen several elementary school closures, and the loss of most of the workforce at Joy.  Those losses fit with the trend of the population in this town and this county slowly declining for the past several decades.  At some point, unless the percentage of people choosing to be a part of the Church rises significantly, we would expect to see church closures as well.  For the most part, that hasn't happened yet.  On the contrary, we actually added a couple of growing congregations in the area, including Oil City Vineyard (Pastor Charlie Cotterman) and Redeemer Anglican (Pastor Eric Phillips, they worship here in 1st Baptist's building down the hall from us).  Over the past decade plus, some of the local congregations have grown and some have shrunk.  Here at 1st Baptist we've experienced both trends in that time period.  Overall the congregations of the churches have grown older, along with, on average, the residents of the county.  Unless my sense of things is mistaken, we have neither seen great revival, nor significant loss in recent years.  We have challenges on this front to be sure, but certainly no reason to panic.

2. The ecumenical spirit of cooperation and corporate worship remains strong.

As with many things, the Covid stoppage sapped the momentum of our two primary county-wide worship opportunities (Thanksgiving and Palm Sunday)  Prior to 2020 they had grown to 150 or more including upwards of a dozen pastors.  Since they restarted, we've only been in the 40-50 range with 5-6 pastors on average.  The numbers are disappointing, but the spirit of joyful fellowship and worship remains strong with those who continue to participate. 

As a contrary bit of evidence, the Franklin Good Friday crosswalk has not suffered a loss in participation after Covid, we're still in the 125+ range (weather dependent).  

I would be happy to see more opportunities for ecumenical worship, and more people enjoying that Spirit honoring worship, time will tell if we can better recapture what had been one of this community's best features.

3. Distractions are tempting, but Gospel-inspired ministry in the community continues to be central to our daily mission.

We have had a few flare-ups of things that don't truly impact our calling to Gospel mission, but by and large the cooperative church ministries and para-church ministries have grown and continued to impact the lives of those in need in our area.  I'm thinking of our multiple food pantries (shout-out to the hosts St. Patrick's and St. John's) as well as ABC Life Center, Mustard Seed Missions, and Emmaus Haven.  Along with other partners like Salvation Army, Community Services, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Youth for Christ, Meals on Wheels, and on and on.

I grew up in a small town with a minimal amount of this kind of para-church ministry happening, particularly missing were intra-church cooperative efforts.  Some of you reading this may not understand how good we have it here in Franklin because you haven't known what it is like to be in a community without these blessings.  As a pastor it is deeply refreshing and encouraging to see so many lay leaders and lay volunteers doing their part to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Don't take this blessing for granted, be a part of it moving forward.

4.  The health of the Church here is strong and vibrant, but with significant challenges.

In the end, irrespective of how our community might compare to generations past here, or how it might compare to the Church in other portions of rural America, we still will answer to God for what we have done with the opportunities and resources that were available to us in this time and place.  I, for one, think that we've done well.  Without minimizing the failures that have occurred, we have much to be proud of with respect to working together to make a difference, worshiping together, and being a representation of the "salt and light" that Jesus has commanded us to be in the world.  We could always be doing better, Christ-likeness is after all our sky-high standard, but in this case the perfect is not the enemy of the good, Christ is our inspiration and we've made progress in that direction.

For more specific thoughts on the health of the local Church, see the 4 further points below:

4a. Historic / orthodox Christianity is being taught consistently, but it is also being attacked by a Hebrew Roots inspired cult.

In the fall of 2022 I first became aware of an organization that was now operating in our community: First Fruits of Zion.  They had started what they call Torah Clubs and were teaching something I hadn't seen before.  After some research, I spoke with the men and women who serve the church alongside me at a Franklin Christian Ministerium meeting.  The response was both a deep testament to the shared commitment to orthodoxy that connects our various churches, and what a community needs from its pastoral leaders when facing a difficult challenge: They unanimously supported a public statement affirming orthodoxy and warning people not to participate in this group.

Long story short, and those of you who follow my blog and/or YouTube channel know it is a long story, the ministerium stood firm on the Trinity, salvation by grace through faith, the historic and apostolic Gospel, and everything else associated with this controversy.  I was, and am, proud of them.  {For more on this matter: The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs}

4b. Nationalism has divided the devotion to the Gospel of some, but it is not at an endemic level.

The response to Nationalism has been more difficult to gauge given that it is a much more subtle danger to the hearts and minds of those in our congregation than it would be if it was a defined cult like FFOZ.  I certainly have been troubled by some of the local social media posts, including a upsetting furor aimed at local business people about a rumored (but untrue) arrival of immigrants {Venango County businesses were harassed on social media, again, based on rumors. We need to be better than this.}  We have also seen a local couple attempt to turn property in the area into a haven for Nationalism, but so far this seems to have failed to gain the traction that they hoped for. {Why plans to build a "Christian" Nationalist Retreat Center in Franklin, PA is not a good idea for the local churches or our town.}

Would I like to see a healthier understanding on the part of the Christian community that our kingdom is not of this world and our citizenship is in heaven?  Certainly.  Would I like to see less politics and more theology in our discussions and fellowship?  Absolutely.  That being said, there have been much more dangerous reports of churches around the country going all-in on a political / culture war version of the Gospel, we have largely avoided that trap here locally; thanks be to God.

4c. Finding new pastors is becoming an increasing challenge, but the men and women who serve here now are Christ-honoring leaders.  This area is blessed to have them.

One of my responsibilities for the NW area of the American Baptist Church of PA & DE is to help congregations in the pastoral search process (Baptists don't assign pastors, we're all independently employed).  In that capacity I've come face-to-face with the demographic realities confronting every church in America that show we have a significant pastoral leadership shortage, something that will only get worse in time.  I can't speak to who might serve in these roles in the future when finding new pastors becomes more difficult, but I can absolutely endorse the men and women who have served alongside me in the spiritual trenches.  We are truly, and powerfully, blessed by God with honorable servant-leaders.  Some of these have moved on to other places since I got here, I deeply miss Bill Hastings, Mother Holly, Scott Woodlee, David Janz, and my dear friend Jeff Little, and a few of them have gone on to their reward, the losses of Tim Tygert and Steve Henry were felt far and wide.  Yet we have retained some amazing men and women, and gained some new leaders who have risen to the occasion.  I won't name names lest I leave out someone who deserves the praise, but I would gladly recommend a couple dozen pastors in our area whom I know to be honorable servants of Jesus Christ.  We are truly blessed here.

4d. Reasons for pessimism can be found, but most of those regularly connected to an area church maintain hope for our future.

A last thought: We could find reasons to be pessimistic about the Church in the Franklin area today, and/or about its future.  There are problems and challenges, some of which we will overcome, some perhaps not so much.  I'm not in that camp.  I've served here since 2012, which makes me, somehow, one of the longest tenured pastors in the county, and I can say that I remain strongly positive about our present, and deeply optimistic about our future based on the countless conversations, interactions, and joyous moments I have witnessed.

How are we doing?  We are doing well.  We are doing well together: One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Optimism?  Yes, I have it, and you should too.

Sermon Video: Thanking God for you - Ephesians 1:15-19a

After reminding the church at Ephesus about God's wondrous blessings given to them in Christ, the Apostle Paul continues by sharing that he personally thanks God for them.  Not only is Paul thankful to God for saving them, Paul also prays for them that they might grow in their faith and know God more.

Sermon Video: The Holy Spirit is our guarantee - Ephesians 1:11-14

Already in Ephesians Paul has shared with us the awesome benefits of being "in him," that is, in Jesus Christ: (1) We have become the adopted sons and daughters of God, (2) and we will be a part of the unification of all things with God at the final fulfillment of God's will.  Here he offers yet another blessing: We have a guarantee that the first two things will certainly come to pass.  That guarantee is none other than the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God himself now dwells not simply among us, but within us.

Sermon Video: The Endgame of God's Grace - Ephesians 1:7-10

What is the ultimate goal and purpose of God's grace?  There are many amazing purposes that lead to this conclusion, among them the adoption into the family of God of the redeemed, but the endgame of God's grace is unity.  Unity of everything under Christ to God.  At present, everything suffers from disunity, even the world itself.  The final triumph of God's grace will be the full reunion that restores the original created order and purpose of God.

Sermon Video: An Introduction to God's Grace - Ephesians 1:1-6

The first half of Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus is an ode to the wonders and majesty of the grace of God.  Fittingly, Paul delves into that very subject as soon as the customary introduction is completed.

As Philip Yancy's book asked, "What's so amazing about grace?"  Paul has the answer for you.

Sermon Video: A Grieving Abraham is Swindled - Genesis 22:20-23:20

Following the death of his beloved wife Sarah, Abraham seeks to buy a plot of land from his neighbors for her tomb.  For both religious and cultural reasons, Abraham rebuffs their offer to let him "borrow" space, and the offer to take the tomb for free.  After Abraham's need is well known, Ephron offers to sell him the cave, with its adjoining field for an exorbitant price.  In other words, he takes advantage of Abraham's desperation.

The parallels to our modern legal and economic systems are legion.  Payday advance schemes, legalized gambling corporations beyond count, cryptocurrencies, medical scams, religious and political fundraising designed to line the pockets of those on the receiving end, Wall street get rich quick schemes, fraud in government programs, unscrupulous landlords and tenants, and last but not least, the straight-up scammers who lie to steal from the most vulnerable.  We are awash in people trying to take advantage of the vulnerable.

What do we as followers of Jesus do about it?  We refuse to participate in such things, even when legal, we warn others about them, and we stand with the vulnerable to protect them.

Sermon Video: Abraham: A foreigner in a foreign land, Genesis 21:22-34

The interactions between Abimelek and Abraham serve as a template for God's teaching on the respect and kindness God expects from his followers with respect to those on the outside-looking-in.  Whether those in need are foreigners or outcasts in our own society, the followers of Jesus are called to imitate his compassionate outreach.  For Abraham, this meant promising Abimelek that in the future when his descendants had the power to do so, they would treat Abimelek's descendants with kindness.

The modern Church has struggled, especially in the West, to fulfill this calling, we need to set aside our own political or cultural notions and instead truly embody the Fruit of the Spirit.

The Dangers of the First Fruits of Zion and their Torah Clubs: summarized in one page

To everyone who follows Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,

While we all ought to enthusiastically support deep study of the Bible, including its Jewish cultural and linguistic roots, all such study should occur within the framework of a Church history-based orthodoxy, and an Apostolic understanding of the Gospel.  The First Fruits of Zion with their Torah Clubs, are not an acceptable option.

Why are groups associated with the Hebrew Roots Movement, like the First Fruits of Zion dangerous?  Ample documentation* has demonstrated from primary sources, in their own words, that the First Fruits of Zion organization, and the Torah Clubs materials they publish, are replete with the following theological errors and/or heresies:

1.        A non-Trinitarian view of God in the forms of two ancient heresies rejected by the Early Church: Modalism and Subordinationism.  Through these heresies, they deny full personhood and/or full deity to Jesus Christ.

2.        A foundationally flawed hermeneutic {including the use of paraphrases, “my translation,” out-of-context quotations, and word substitutions resulting in more palatable texts} for interpreting scripture that proclaims that all relevant passages have been wrongly understood throughout Church History, and in fact mean nearly the opposite of what the Church has nearly universally taught.

3.        A consistent hostility toward the Church which is seen as the ‘mission field’ in need of correction to bring it back to its supposed roots as a Torah observant movement within Judaism.  They teach the Church should never have existed.

4.        That the books of Moses, the Torah, are more fully the words of God than other portions of holy scripture, making them the lens through which all scripture must be interpreted.  Even Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God, has no authority to establish anything beyond the Mosaic Law.

5.        That Jesus did not fulfill the Mosaic Law, rather it is still operative and normative for all of God’s people, Jews and Gentiles alike.  That it was designed by God to be the only rubric for holy living for all peoples, in all places, and at all times.

6.        That there is no covenant with the Gentiles, thus all followers of Jesus Christ who accept the Gospel must be grafted into Israel by ‘becoming a Jew’ in spirit through Torah observance.

7.        That on this basis true Christian discipleship requires the keeping of the Mosaic Law, including the dietary (kosher), Sabbath, and festival provisions, which is how Christians demonstrate their love of God as these have been redefined by FFOZ as the true “fruit of the Spirit.”

If the tree is diseased, so will its fruit be.  Christians have already been warned against the use of bible study materials produced by the Watchtower Tract Society (JW) or LDS (Mormon) organizations, and would not use them even if locally 100% of the parent organization’s theology was not being adopted.  The risk that heretical teachings would gain a foothold is simply too great.  The same danger exists when using materials published by FFOZ.  If the desire is to learn about Judaism or from Messianic Judaism, a host of materials from an orthodox point-of-view are available for Christians to utilize.  To use that which comes from the FFOZ is an unnecessary risk, in addition, purchases support an organization whose stated goals would harm the Church and warp the Gospel.

In the end, while protesting that they do not offer a works-based salvation, and claiming that faith in Jesus is sufficient, this movement is built upon and structured around the claim that all faithful Christians will begin observing the Law of Moses once they become followers of Jesus, that faithful Christians will, in essence, live like Jews.  They may not outright claim the Law of Moses as the gatekeeper to salvation and Christian discipleship, but when you make it the gauge of genuine faithfulness you are adding it to the Gospel message, casting dispersion upon the faith of 99% of the world’s Christians, both past and present, and spreading doubt and division within the Church.  This movement is no benign appreciation of the scriptures, but rather an aggressively proselytizing misappropriation of them contrary to the established teachings of Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant Churches, and Messianic Jewish congregations, alike.

Given this, it is necessary to warn individual Christians and congregations against participation in these groups, and call upon those who do so now, and especially those who are promoting them, to repent and return to the faith our ancestors rejoiced in as, “you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12)

* For documentation, see the page on this blog with the same title.

Sermon Video: The God of the downtrodden - Genesis 21:8-21

After the birth of Isaac, both Sarah and Abraham fail to treat Hagar and Ishmael with kindness.  In fact, Sarah seems to hate them both, and Abraham does little to provide for either of them.  God is different.  God chooses to intervene and protect them both.  When they are at their lowest point, having lost hope of even living to see tomorrow, God provides.  Why?  Among others reasons, it is because God is the God of the downtrodden, the lost and forgotten, the outcasts and rejects.  Why?  Because God's love and mercy delights in it.

Sermon Video: God's Promises - The Birth of Isaac, Genesis 21:1-7

 

After decades of waiting, the promised son of Abraham and Sarah arrives. What does this miracle birth tells us about God's promises? About us as we wait for them to be fulfilled?

Sermon Video: When the sins of God's people harm others - Genesis 20

In this chapter, Abraham returns to an old ruse, one he used disastrously back in chapter 12 of Genesis.  Like then, Abraham's plan involves deception and causes harm to others.

So, what do we do when the people who hurt us claim to be God's people?

The first step is to determine if they really are God's people, sadly many charlatans abuse God's name for their own ends.  Abraham was certainly God's guy, God even calls him a prophet in this text.

The second step is to remember that God's people are still flawed people.  Redeemed they may be, but perfect they are not.  They will fail, and those failures will at times harm others.  This isn't God's fault, it is ours.

Lastly, what ought to come next is repentance and an attempt to repair the damage coming from God's people.  In Genesis 20 Abraham does not repent, but God still requires that he be a part of the solution to fix what he has broken.  If/when God's people fail, they ought to be the first ones trying to make it right.

Sermon Video: Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? - Genesis 19:30-38

In a disturbing episode that speaks to the trauma and hopelessness of those it involves, Genesis relates the origin of the two tribes that would occupy the land east of the Jordan River when the Israelites were journeying through Sinai.  The Moabites and the Ammonites were both connected with Abraham's nephew Lot which doesn't make them part of the Abrahamic Covenant (like the descendants of Ishmael and Esau) with respect to the general blessings upon Abraham's offspring, but it does mean that they are distant kin to Israel and they will have a role to play, for better and for worse, in the years to come.  The most famous example of this interaction is of course Ruth who is called "the Moabitess" over and over in her story.

In the end, there was no need for Lot's daughters to follow the course of action that they chose, because we serve one God whose character and power can be counted upon, his people never have to choose immorality.

Sermon Video: The LORD rescues Lot from Sodom - Genesis 19:1-29

Once again Genesis focuses on  Abraham's nephew Lot, a secondary character in the story Moses is telling, but one whose life has impacted Abraham's twice before, and has yet a further impactful role to play.  Here we see the grace of God playing out in Lot's life as Abraham's bargain with the LORD to not let the righteous be swept away with the wicked plays out.  Because Lot is so deeply rooted in Sodom, the angels sent by the LORD actually end up taking an active role in pushing him out of the city before the judgment falls.  In the end, the destruction of Sodom is less a story about evil been punished and more a reminder that God's grace is amazing because Lot and his daughters were saved when the day of judgment arrived.

The Pastoral Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees has been delivered: How will they respond?

Our Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees: With Signatures has now been sent.  If you wish to see the name of each pastor and stakeholder who chose to attach their name to it, click on the link. 

The letter itself was the result of robust conversations happening among those who care about Cornerstone University and who also share deep concerns about the vision/direction in which President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño has been leading it, and the unethical ways in which that vision/direction has been implemented.  

[To learn more about the journey to this point read: A Pastoral Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees - Fall 2024, "A singular focus on preparing students for meaningful jobs and careers" would be the death of Christian Higher Education - A response to the essay by Cornerstone University's President Moreno-Riaño on Fox News, and The Cornerstone University I graduated from is no more, my daughter won't be going there.  Or, listen to Pastor Noah's Filipiak's podcast conversation:  Power and Politics at Cornerstone University with Dr. David Turner, and for a wider range of resources on this topic, visit: Voice of CU]

Now we await a response, officially or otherwise, from President Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, other administrators, staff, or students at Cornerstone, and/or the Board whether that be individual board members or a collective statement.  Will there be a response?  We have no way of knowing.  How will those to whom this letter was written respond to it?  The Lord alone knows that answer.  We have filled the role of the Watchmen.  We stood upon the wall and warned that danger is coming, how those to whom that warning was given will respond to it was never in our power.  As Ezekiel learned from the LORD, that power is never in our hands when we try to warn others of the dangers that our wisdom allows us to see, it rests with those who will choose to listen to it or not.  We believe that we have reflected the concerns of God's Word related to how a Christian community should function and the moral standard to which it ought to be held.

Ezekiel 3:16-21  New International Version

16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

The warnings have been given, the seeds have been sown, now the responsibility shifts to those who have the power to make morally upright change at Cornerstone University.  Our role at this point is to pray and hope.  Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will work in hearts and minds, will guide, direct, correct, and empower.

What we can learn from looking at who signed the letter:

Pastors who signed: 55 [CU Alum: 7, GRTS Alum: 40, Both: 6, Neither: 2]

Others who signed: 110 [CU Alum: 52, GRTS Alum: 33, Both: 7, Neither: 18]

Given that I didn't have any way of gauging how many people would see the letter, let alone be willing to sign, I think that 55 pastors (mostly alumni) and 110 other concerned stakeholders (again, mostly alumni) ought to be a significant enough demonstration that not everyone is on board with what has happened at Cornerstone in recent years.  Others share our concern, we are not alone in seeing this danger.

It was an honor to play the small part that I played in this effort, and much appreciation belongs to Pastor Noah, Dr. David, and Voice of CU.

A personal thanks to everyone who signed the letter, thank you for standing with me.

Sermon Video: The Light that was seen from afar, Matthew 2:1-2,9b-11

 

The Light seen by the Magi of the East is powerfully symbolic in Matthew's Gospel.  This astronomical phenomenon brought them on a long journey to see the newly born King of the Jews.  For us it serves as a reminder of our need, as disciples of Jesus, to also reflect his light in our world.  Our task is to draw those in the darkness to the light of Christ that they too may be saved.