Sunday we’re going to take two weeks and discuss an important function of our gospel community: exhortation. The church has three primary reasons for her existence: maintaining faithful worship of the true God, expressing the grace of Christ to the world, and building up the people of God. Often churches focus exclusively on one aspect its calling. The evangelical church has become “missional” to the point of minimizing faithful worship and ministering to the body. The reformed church sometimes focuses so much on getting worship right, it can minimize community life and mission. Most common is to focus so heavily on church life that a church becomes ingrown and feels more like a social club.

We believe the Scripture presents a progression: faithful worship should create and stimulate a vibrant community characterized by loving edification (building one another up) which moves out, as love expands to our neighbors. Our text will be Hebrews 10:24-25, where the author says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The apostle’s emphasis is on our consideration of each other so that we can wisely exhort one another, stirring one another up to greater expressions of love and service. The “consideration” requires knowing each other, which depends on our participation in gathering. Consideration also requires thoughtful interaction so that we stimulate love and service not anger or division. Because exhortation can create defensiveness, it proves to be a “Crucial Conversation.” (Crucial Conversations, Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler) Crucial conversations are marked by opinions, emotions, and values. Whenever we engage in spiritual conversations surrounding our growth in grace, we handle the fine china of people’s lives and need to be thoughtful.

Join us Sunday as we invest time considering the importance of our interactions in gospel community.

So far in our Advent series, we have examined some of what the Scripture teaches about our adoption into God’s family through sonship in the Son. While we have touched on some experiential elements, like being conformed to Christ’s likeness, it has largely been focused on the theology of God’s gracious work to make us His own. This Sunday we’re going to examine the Scripture’s teaching on the sonship experience. What does sonship mean for us experientially?

Our primary text hints at a change in our experience when Paul says, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” Notice the change in our relationship and particularly the emotion being communicated. First, we don’t cry out, “Maker,” as though he is a distant, unfeeling Creator. We don’t cry out, “Judge,” as though he is constantly evaluating our performance. We don’t cry out, “Santa,” as though he is a gift giver we hope to sway. His is our Creator, a righteous judge, and a benevolent giver, but none of those capture our relationship with him through Jesus. No, our relationship is now joined to the Son of God who gave us His Sonship. While on earth, Jesus related to him as “Father” and now, so do we. How we think about God is crucial to our experience of God.

Secondly, recognize the emotion being communicated. Paul says the Spirit within cries out! This word is a common Greek word that is used in moments of desperation. For example, in Matthew 9:37 two blind men “cry out” as Jesus passes by, asking to be healed, “Have mercy on us Son of David.” In James 5:4, the cries of the harvesters who are being cheated out of pay rise to the Lord and “cry out.” Finally, Jesus “cries out” while dying on a tree, Matthew 27:50. The word carries all the emotion we’re experiencing as we speak to our heavenly Father. The Spirit of the Son knows God as Father and enables us to “cry out” to him with filial emotion.

Through sonship in the Son, our relationship with God has changed. Join us Sunday as we explore some uniquenesses of the sonship experience.

What grace from the Father, that we would be given sonship in the Son. He legally transfers us into his family, spiritually regenerates us making us natural born children, and transforms us ethically so that we share in his holiness. You might be tempted to think, “That’s amazing grace. God has done so much for me.” It’s like getting an expensive Christmas gift that overwhelms you a bit. Well, there’s another gift under the tree. God isn’t done!

Sunday we’re going to look at another aspect of our sonship, “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) Our sonship in the Son anticipates something in the future, an inheritance. Whatever this inheritance is, it is only ours because we are joined to Christ. His inheritance is ours to enjoy. But what is this inheritance? What are we to anticipate?

Being “heirs” has several components to it. One is the resurrection of our bodies and the final, permanent freedom from the corruption of sin. But what good is freedom without the ability to exercise and experience it? That’s like a prisoner being told he’s free to go but his cell is never unlocked. But what if God had something more in store? He does. Join us Sunday and we’ll consider what God has prepared for us in the Son.

Sunday we considered the type of sonship given us through Jesus Christ. The righteous Son of God became man to live successfully under the law. The Father chooses him to be the firstborn of his family and lead his children in righteousness. The sonship we receive is a righteous sonship.

Sonship comes with family responsibilities though. As adopted children we are called to be holy, aligning ourselves ethically with our righteous Elder Brother. But as we read in Scripture, no one is able or successful at that. This is where the richness of grace shines brightly. The Son gives us his Holy Spirit to transform us into his likeness. Peter says that through Christ we escape corruption and share in the “divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Paul says God chose us to be “holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:4) and that our holiness is accomplished through his adoption (Ephesians 1:5).

In order to present us holy before him, he adopts us in his holy Son’s family and gives us his Spirit of holiness to transform our lives so that we actually become holy and share in his divine nature. This development in our lives is called sanctification and it is carried out by the Son’s Spirit. Paul tells us that we put to death the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit, Romans 8:13. Our development in holiness is not dependent on us, but on the Spirit of God.

Without holiness, we cannot fellowship with God. But the grace of God is bigger than our legal transaction, it includes our moral transformation. Truly he thought of everything! Join us Sunday as we explore the fulness of our adoption.

Sunday, we began to study our adoption in Jesus Christ walking through Paul’s presentation to the Galatian church. The Apostle builds a case against the distortion of “meritorious” salvation. He emphatically states that no one is justified through obedience to the law. In fact, to seek justification through obedience misunderstands and misuses the Law of God, which functions not as our savior but as our guardian. God’s deliverance comes through God’s Son, who joined our race, lived under the law, accepted our condemnation, changing our status to full sons/daughters of God.

“Adoption” we learned is the “placement of sonship” which only the Son could provide. This week we’ll consider Paul’s statement, “born of woman, born under the law.” Paul presents Jesus as joining our race to live under the guardian (God’s Law) and release us to new status. The author of Hebrews drives home Jesus’ ministry (Hebrews 1-2:18) saying, “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.” (Hebrews 2:10,11)

Jesus joined our race, to live under the law, fulfilling its requirements, so that he could become our elder brother, the firstborn of mankind. Where all God’s image-bearers have failed, Jesus succeeded. He is the only good Son. By faith, we receive the sonship that he earned. The implications of our sonship are fascinating. For one, he is not ashamed of us! Let’s look at this more closely Sunday.

Sunday we begin a new series, Making Us His Own. The graphic, which was created by Abby Fisher, has our theme with two arrows, one pointing down and another pointing up. It pictures for us Jesus’ descent to become man and our ascent, becoming children of God. The text that will be our central focus is Galatians 4:1-7. The Apostle Paul is describing the state of God’s people prior to the incarnational work of Jesus. They were children of God, but under a guardian and manager. In Galatians 3:24, Paul says, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Paul views Israel as underage “heirs.” But now, in Christ Jesus, the Son of God who became the Son of Man has redeemed us to full sonship (daughter-ship).

He says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5)

Our study will take us into the purpose of the Son’s incarnation (in flesh) to envelop us in his Sonship. We will also explore what it means to be sons and daughters of God in Christ: in our transformation into his likeness, the presence of the Spirit of the Son, and our heirship. I look forward to this study of the work of Jesus to adopt us into his divine family. I pray it deepens your love for God and enhances your celebration of God’s grace to send his Only Son!

Sunday we’re going to look together at the final chapter in the gospel of John. While the chapter splits into two interactions, one with his disciples and the other with Peter, they are linked in their message. In the first scene, seven of the disciples, sometimes referred to as the Galilean seven, are fishing together but caught nothing. As morning dawns, they hear a voice from the shore encouraging them to try the other side of the boat. Fisherman love advice from shore dwellers. They catch a massive haul, and like any fishermen tell the story of “153 whoppers.” John says this scene is a revelation, and we’ll consider what it reveals.

The next scene is with Peter. Breakfast is over and Jesus calls to Peter. They walk just a few steps from the fire and Jesus asks Peter repeatedly, “do you love me?” Peter has failed. He boasted that he would die for the Lord, but then denied he even knew him, not once, but three times. What’s amazing about this story is that Jesus not only forces Peter to face his failure, asking him the same question three times, but re-entrusts him to care for his people, charging him to spend his life nurturing them. We’ll explore the lesson of grace.

John presents two scenes with a gracious message of grace. Join us as we hear from our risen Lord and worship him.

Sunday we’ll consider John’s presentation of Jesus’ resurrection. John carefully lays out the evidence surrounding his resurrection, forcing his readers to grapple with their response. It’s not just John’s testimony at play, but evidence from multiple witnesses and the detail they present in the case. As a reader, you have the evidence before you and are forced to make a decision. Will you respond like those who are witnesses? Here is where Thomas’ response stands out, “My Lord and my God.” John urges his readers to respond in faith.

But John does something else in the text, utilizing the state of each of the witnesses, he shows the transformation of Jesus’ followers. Mary is filled with grief; the disciples are filled with fear; Thomas is bound by doubt. Each in their condition are tenderly addressed by Jesus who liberates and commissions them in service to his kingdom.

He ends his presentation with the beatitude or “blessing” of Jesus, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Here John uses Jesus’ words to address you and me! So bring your grief, your fear, and your doubt to Jesus and be liberated by the risen Lord.

As we move through John’s gospel, he highlights elements that bring out the nature of Jesus’ identity and ministry. Now we’re in the final moments of his life, and again, John highlights things the other gospels don’t because he’s emphasizing something important to his presentation. Our text is the crucifixion, death, and burial of Christ. While we know the story, John highlights the scriptural fulfillment of the specifics. They didn’t tear Jesus’ tunic but cast lots for it; he expresses thirst so that they will give him sour wine; God will pierce him and open up a fountain of grace. Each of these instances testify to his identity in prophecy as King David’s descendent.

In addition, John keeps the Passover before us as we read and the text explains why. Two more fulfillments are mentioned: he is not left overnight and none of his bones are broken. Both fulfillments attach to the Passover meal: the Passover Lamb is to be whole and unbroken and it is to be fully consumed before evening.

All of this comes together in the final words of our Lord, who says, “It is finished!” Christ Jesus, David’s greater descendent, lays down his life to open for us a fountain of grace. Join us Sunday as we consider these themes and worship our Savior, the Lamb of God.

John is presenting Jesus to us as the Messiah, the King of heaven. The Jewish leaders have handed Jesus over to Pilate, who makes a mockery of him with a crown of thorns, a royal robe, and a salute, “Long live the King of the Jews.” Pilate presents him to his accusers hoping they will be satisfied. Instead, the religious leaders threaten Pilate by challenging his loyalty to Caesar, saying, “You are not Caesar’s friend.” They cry for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your King?” Their response is the darkest expression of the human heart, “we have no king but Caesar.” Israel’s leaders have rejected God’s anointed One (Christ). They have abandoned the promise of God to Israel. They align with Caesar.

Why does John highlight these elements of the narrative? What does he want us to see about Jesus? What does he want us to think as readers? All this happens as the Jewish leaders prepare to celebrate Passover and the lambs are being slaughtered. The picture clarifies. On this night, Israel is rejecting her King, while her King is becoming the Passover Lamb to rescue them from themselves.

Join us Sunday as we unpack these gracious themes. Come and see the King rejected, so he could protect his people from God’s judgment.