Meet David Haburchak, who will preach this first Sunday of our Mission Emphasis Month.

David is a physician, Ruling Elder at ECPC, Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, at the Medical College of Georgia. A native of Ohio, he is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the ROTC program at Johns Hopkins University where he earned his B.A. and M.D. degrees, a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a graduate of Moody Bible Institute. He completed a 24-year active-duty career in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, 25 years at the Medical College in Augusta, and 5 years at Kennestone Hospital in Marietta. He currently volunteers at Grace Village Medical Clinic in Clarkston, Georgia.

Dr. Haburchak is the author of Kingdom Connection: Redeeming Childhood Sexual Abuse and was a member of the PCA Commission on Abuse. He has worked in Kazakhstan, Russia, Cuba, Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, North Macedonia, and Indonesia while on short-term medical/evangelical mission trips. David also participated in missions trips to Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, and China.

David is the proud husband of Janet, father to daughters Kathryn and Lauren, father-in-law to Nick and James, grandfather to Hudson and Wyatt.

I want to post a question to you. How do you tend to approach the new year? Do you marvel at the excitement of a fresh start with New Year's resolutions, new possibilities, and adventure in store? Or do you approach the new year with some skepticism and fear of the future? If you’re anything like me, there’s a mix of modest excitement and a little bit of fear underneath. Whether we grab the bull by the horns or bury our heads in the sand, the plans we make in life can often be dictated by the perspectives that have shaped us. 

When it comes to the book of Ecclesiastes, the preacher invites us to consider a different approach to the plans we make for the new year. Often when we make plans, we make them generally based on three things: fulfillment (happiness), purpose (direction), and security (safety + peace). And so often, our plans fall short of perfection because we live in an imperfect world marred by sin. Our hearts long for completeness in these areas, and since that isn’t possible in this life, our hearts groan with restlessness. What then is the cure for our restless hearts? Join us Sunday morning to find out!

ABOUT ERICSON
Ericson met his wife, Rachel in 2014 in Johns Creek, Georgia doing Middle School ministry together. Two years after getting married, they moved down to Orlando, Florida where he attended Reformed Theological Seminary and served in ministry. In 2023 Ericson joined ECPC as the Director of Student Ministries. The Jouberts have three young children: two girls and a boy. Outside of spending time with his kids, he enjoys athletics, reading, action movies, watching premier league soccer, and traveling. 

Sunday, we’ll address one more Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Matthew records that after his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus begins his ministry in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee in the region of the original tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew states that this fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 9 where God promised to honor and bless this region with the light of the promised descendent of David.

This region had been invaded so many times and so many foreigners had settled there, it became known as “Galilee of the Gentiles.” These foreigners had brought their pagan deities, and God’s people had adopted their worship. This is why Isaiah says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Is.9:2) Jesus is that great light who brought the message of God’s grace to Jew and Gentile alike. It’s a great prophecy that offers hope for us today. Join us Sunday as we worship!

Matthew tells us that Joseph found his fiance' with child and was considering separating from her because he knew the child was not his. That night, the Lord spoke to him in a dream and told him that her child was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that the child would save God’s people from their sins. When Joseph wakes, he did as he was told, keeping her as his fiance’. Matthew says that this fulfills the Old Testament prophecy that a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, calling him “God with us” (Immanuel).  

This prophecy comes from Isaiah 7, when the young King Ahaz begins to rule during one of Judah’s weakest moments. Assyria was invading the nation, and two local political leaders team up to fight the Assyrians. Ahaz refuses to join the coalition, so they try to conquer him and replace him with someone who will join the cause. The prophet Isaiah encourages Ahaz that they will not succeed, and that Assyria will not succeed. Judah and Jerusalem will not fall to these threats. Isaiah offers Ahaz a sign of God’s promise, but he refuses to ask for one, so Isaiah gives him the sign of a child, born to secure his people and bring the presence of God. Sunday we’ll consider this prophecy and what it means for us.

Do you know the name Errol Musk? He was an electrical and mechanical engineer from South Africa. He got involved in politics, opposing the Apartheid laws. You probably don’t know much about him, but you do know his greater son, Elon Musk. Elon has changed the world with the Tesla company, SpaceX, and recently the purchase of Twitter, now “X”. 

We find a similar dynamic in the Old Testament with King David. We know the name and we know much of his story, but it’s his descendent who would eclipse him. The New Testament writers, especially the gospel authors, emphasize Jesus’ connection to David, but always as his greater son. This Sunday, we’ll explore Jesus’ connection with King David and some of the ways this frames our understanding of Him. Join us as we worship the Lord.

What do you know about Winterset, Iowa? In the 2020 census it had just under six thousand inhabitants. It’s a small town with not much to talk about. What about Glendale, California? This is a larger city in the Los Angeles area with just under 200,000 inhabitants. What about New Port Beach, California? Each of these locations is different in size and significance, but what makes each of this meaningful to me is that Marion Robert Morrison, aka John Wayne, was born in Iowa, moved to Glendale, and died in New Port Beach. Each of these towns are recognized in part for their celebrity member.

Have you ever stopped to consider the locations that Jesus is said to have come from? In Matthew 2, he records three locations, each a fulfillment of an Old Testament promise: Bethlehem, Egypt, and Nazareth. Each of these locations has spiritual significance for God’s people and are highlighted because of the person who lived there. Bethlehem is a reminder of God’s covenant with Abraham and David but it also represents God redeeming a place of paganism. Egypt reminds us of Israel being redeemed from slavery. Nazareth highlights the lowliness of Messiah. These locations are tied to spiritually significant messages. Join us as we explore each of them.

Have you ever been talking with someone, and they go historical? Not hysterical, historical. This happens with my brothers sometimes, where they will mention evidence from my past to prove their point. The Apostle Paul does this in the next part of his argument, that sinners are justified by faith not obedience or good works. He goes all the way back to their prime ancestor and father of the Jewish people, Abraham. He asks how Abraham was justified, by faith or works? Not only would the Mosaic law-covenant not come for another 430 years, but even the rite of circumcision came after Abraham was justified by faith.

Paul lists another great ancestor, King David, who after committing adultery and murder rejoices in his full acquittal before the court of God. How fortunate are those whose sins are forgiven? But it raises the questions, “How can such tragic sin be forgiven? How can God justify the ungodly?” By pouring out his wrath and judgment on Jesus God can justify the ungodly. Faith in Jesus enables our full acquittal. Join us Sunday as we study this text and worship our Redeemer.

Remember Steve Austin? No, not the wrestler, the Six Million Dollar Man. When I was a child, I watched that TV series. The tag line was, “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.” My friends and I would run in slow motion making the noise that highlighted his powers. He was better, stronger, and faster than anyone else. Every child wanted to be Steve Austin, better than everyone else. This tapped into a common human desire and drive, distinction (partiality).

We need something that distinguishes us, that sets us apart from others and confirms how we view ourselves, our self-identity. We bring this pattern into our faith, using our religious practices or obedience to God as leverage to exalt ourselves. This reveals that we are living in a world of comparison with others. We see this played out in the Roman church as the Jewish believers hold their ethnic heritage and religious practices over the Gentile believers, exalting themselves over their brothers and sisters.

But if God is impartial, not favoring one ethnicity over another, and the law condemns everyone as sinners, and our obedience doesn’t meet the standard of righteousness, then we’ve got nothing to hold over one another. As one friend of mine said, “the ground at the foot of the cross is level.” The point is that gospel humbles us and changes our identity, fundamentally changing how we think about ourselves and how we relate to each other. Join us Sunday as we consider the ramifications of the gospel.

This week, we continue to unpack an essential passage that explains the gospel of salvation by grace. Paul says that God has revealed his righteousness by making the payment of redemption through Jesus (remittance). He is answering the question, “How can God pardon ungodly people and still be righteous, or just?” God can declare us righteous because he punished Jesus in our place. This justification is received by faith as a gift of God’s grace. This is how we come to the table, receiving grace by faith, not works, obedience, or performance. This means that whether I’m a highly religious, moral person or a rebel pursuing all the pleasures of life, salvation is granted by faith in Jesus’ redemption.

This has deep ramifications for the interpersonal relationships within the church and the conflict between the Jewish and Gentile believers. Who can boast over another in the church? Who can claim a greater status with God? To do so actually makes God schizophrenic. Join us Sunday as we unpack this powerful text.

The Roman church was deeply divided between believers of Jewish and Gentile descent. The Jewish believers couldn’t reconcile God’s forgiveness of the Gentiles without requiring obedience to Jewish covenant traditions and laws (circumcision, food restrictions, festivals, etc.). In addition, they claimed a privileged status over the influx of Gentile believers within the church, expecting submission to their leadership. How can God be just and pardon these Gentiles without conversion to Judaism? How could God welcome these pagan people into his family so freely?

This division is rooted in a deep misunderstanding of the gospel and the path to acceptance with God. While the Apostle has agreed that the Gentiles are pagans, deserving God’s wrath (1:18-32), he has also corrected the Jewish thinking that their covenant relationship and obedience has merited them something with God (2:1-3:20). No one, not even the most obedient Jewish believer, is justified by obedience to the Law, no matter how advanced their obedience.

In our text this week, 3:21-31, Paul presents the path of righteousness, not in personal obedience but through faith alone in Jesus’ redemption, for both Gentile and Jew. While this is jarring to the religious moralist, it is liberation for the soul to know that I no longer have to live my life wondering if I have “made the grade.” God can be just and justify sinners by faith, because of the sacrifice of Christ. Join us Sunday as we consider the implications of God’s salvation in Jesus.