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Introduction: Pastor Keith
[General comments about Single Focus in 2012 – around 100 young adults identifying with us; God’s work in salvation and discipleship.] This year's service will flesh out the theme "Better!" At this time of year, every one is using that term — "I want to be a better dad/mom"; "I want to do better in my classes"; "I want to have a better diet"; “I want my football team to do better”; etc. Tonight, we don’t want to add to these messages of self-improvement (which soon turn into guilt-trips); rather, we want to trace three of God's resolutions to us. We don't usually use that term in reference to God; instead, we talk about His promises or truth. Certainly, God doesn't make New Year's Resolutions towards us, for He never changes. He has, however, made incredible resolutions. God has indeed resolved Himself toward us with three key ideas that we'll consider by way of encouragement as we enter 2013. And, regarding each one, we'll use this idea of “better.” "Better" in regards to value — something better than another; "better" in regards to cure — something being made better; "better" in regards to hope — something will be better in the future. First, Christ is better — value (Psalm 84:10); second, we are better — cure (Matthew 2:17); third, the future is better — hope (Hebrews 10:34). |
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CHRIST IS BETTER – VALUE (Psalm 84:10)
Bible Exposition: Pastor Keith
REFERENCE vv. 1-4 – Longing to be with God [not an actual desire to see God's house as if it were a Pinterest board], evident by such phrases as "longeth, yea, even fainteth for" and "my heart and my flesh crieth out [for joy] for the living God" (v. 2). The Psalmist kind of envies the sparrows (v. 3), for He recognizes the blessing of those whose house is with God (v. 4).
REFERENCE vv. 5-9 – God provides strength for those who seek His presence [ways = to Zion, where God is] (v. 5); His presence is their source of strength, even in the worst of situations. For, when God is their dwelling place, the Valley of Baca (which was probably an arid valley, but some translate as "valley of weeping") becomes a watered, fertile place (v. 6). The teaching is that the strengthening presence of God is sufficient to refresh and enable, even in the wastelands of life — indeed, "they go from strength to strength" when they are in His presence (v. 7).
READ vv. 10-12 – "For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere]. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee."
All of us have enjoyed many "good" days. The Psalmist says here that even if he strung together 1000 of those "good" days together, they would be inferior to 1 day spent in the presence of God. That's crazy talk, apart from a faith-filled perspective! That perspective is explained in verse 11.
Surely, then, His presence is better!
TRANSITION TO 2 Peter 1:2-4 – God's resources to us are mediated through Christ, which is why Paul exclaimed in 2 Peter 1:2-4 — "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us [by His own] glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Christ is better! Nothing else in life promises what He guarantees! This is why our Single Focus ministry mission statement is "to enable single young adult believers to glorify God through a vibrant relationship with Christ by daily knowing Him, loving Him, living Him, and giving Him." Christ is better! And we encourage you to grow in your knowledge of and relationship with Christ in 2013.
I've asked Andrew Engle to come this evening and share with us all how this reality — that Christ is better! — has been personally affecting Him. Our hope is that it will provoke your own applicational mediation on this truth.
Testimony Application: Andrew Engle
Special Music: I Run to Christ (Karla Beasley & Stacey Smith)
Congregational Song: Complete in Thee
REFERENCE vv. 1-4 – Longing to be with God [not an actual desire to see God's house as if it were a Pinterest board], evident by such phrases as "longeth, yea, even fainteth for" and "my heart and my flesh crieth out [for joy] for the living God" (v. 2). The Psalmist kind of envies the sparrows (v. 3), for He recognizes the blessing of those whose house is with God (v. 4).
REFERENCE vv. 5-9 – God provides strength for those who seek His presence [ways = to Zion, where God is] (v. 5); His presence is their source of strength, even in the worst of situations. For, when God is their dwelling place, the Valley of Baca (which was probably an arid valley, but some translate as "valley of weeping") becomes a watered, fertile place (v. 6). The teaching is that the strengthening presence of God is sufficient to refresh and enable, even in the wastelands of life — indeed, "they go from strength to strength" when they are in His presence (v. 7).
READ vv. 10-12 – "For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere]. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee."
All of us have enjoyed many "good" days. The Psalmist says here that even if he strung together 1000 of those "good" days together, they would be inferior to 1 day spent in the presence of God. That's crazy talk, apart from a faith-filled perspective! That perspective is explained in verse 11.
- The LORD is a sun and shield = "sovereign protection"
- The LORD gives grace [favor] and glory [honor] = sufficient provision
- The LORD promises to withhold no good thing = sure promise
Surely, then, His presence is better!
TRANSITION TO 2 Peter 1:2-4 – God's resources to us are mediated through Christ, which is why Paul exclaimed in 2 Peter 1:2-4 — "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us [by His own] glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Christ is better! Nothing else in life promises what He guarantees! This is why our Single Focus ministry mission statement is "to enable single young adult believers to glorify God through a vibrant relationship with Christ by daily knowing Him, loving Him, living Him, and giving Him." Christ is better! And we encourage you to grow in your knowledge of and relationship with Christ in 2013.
I've asked Andrew Engle to come this evening and share with us all how this reality — that Christ is better! — has been personally affecting Him. Our hope is that it will provoke your own applicational mediation on this truth.
Testimony Application: Andrew Engle
Special Music: I Run to Christ (Karla Beasley & Stacey Smith)
Congregational Song: Complete in Thee
YOU ARE BETTER – CURE (Mark 2:17)
Testimony Application: Matt Lipinski
Bible Exposition: Pastor Keith
Matt's story echoes a story that we read about in Mark 2:17. [Review the story.] Many fascinating aspects to this story and important principles for us to glean, but we'll just state one — God knows and can meet our deepest need.
When these friends tore the roof open and dropped their friend down to Jesus, their implicit request was clear — please physically heal our friend. Jesus responded to that demonstration of their faith by declaring, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (v. 5). Now, He would shortly heal the man physically to prove His ability to pardon (vv. 10-11); but, His grace is magnified in this passage in that He didn't just answer their physical request, but went beyond that and dealt with the spiritual needs, rendering their lives completely changed on more than one level. Knowing that He would soon die on a cross as a payment for this sins, be buried in demonstration of that death, and then rise from the grave declaring His triumph over our enemies and His victory to save — on those merits alone, Christ provides pardon and heals the physical and spiritual sickness of this individual.
When confronted by those who disagree with what He had just done, Jesus replied, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
All of us can review our past and most of us can remember our state before Christ. Perhaps, like this man, you didn't really know what was wrong with you — you just knew you were broken…that you were sick. And, when you finally came to Christ, you discovered that He really could make you better…He really could cure even your deepest needs! God gives the healing and grace that our hearts have hungered for.
Congregational Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior
Special Music: It Is Well (Sarah Bennett)
Bible Exposition: Pastor Keith
Matt's story echoes a story that we read about in Mark 2:17. [Review the story.] Many fascinating aspects to this story and important principles for us to glean, but we'll just state one — God knows and can meet our deepest need.
When these friends tore the roof open and dropped their friend down to Jesus, their implicit request was clear — please physically heal our friend. Jesus responded to that demonstration of their faith by declaring, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (v. 5). Now, He would shortly heal the man physically to prove His ability to pardon (vv. 10-11); but, His grace is magnified in this passage in that He didn't just answer their physical request, but went beyond that and dealt with the spiritual needs, rendering their lives completely changed on more than one level. Knowing that He would soon die on a cross as a payment for this sins, be buried in demonstration of that death, and then rise from the grave declaring His triumph over our enemies and His victory to save — on those merits alone, Christ provides pardon and heals the physical and spiritual sickness of this individual.
When confronted by those who disagree with what He had just done, Jesus replied, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
All of us can review our past and most of us can remember our state before Christ. Perhaps, like this man, you didn't really know what was wrong with you — you just knew you were broken…that you were sick. And, when you finally came to Christ, you discovered that He really could make you better…He really could cure even your deepest needs! God gives the healing and grace that our hearts have hungered for.
Congregational Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior
Special Music: It Is Well (Sarah Bennett)
THE FUTURE IS BETTER – HOPE (Hebrews 10:34)
Congregational Song: Joy to the World (#194)
Bible Exposition: Pastor Keith
We just sung what we typically refer to as a Christmas carol, although it really refers to the future reign of Christ following His second, not His first, coming. And what we sung about was that the future is better — there is hope!
This hope has always been for the believer a tremendous source of encouragement and a motivation for faithfulness. Consider the early church believers in Hebrews 10:34 — "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods [confiscation of your property], knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." When their stuff was taken, they maintained their joy, because they knew their future was secured in hope.
Again, in the eyes of the world, this is crazy talk. But for those who "live by faith" (v. 38), this is just a firm belief in the utmost reality — that the best is yet to come…that the future is better and guaranteed!
Brenda Moeckly is going to come and share a testimony with us regarding who the promise of a better future has been a source of hope and encouragement to her, and by extension to us.
Testimony Application: Brenda Moeckly
This is hope indeed, which by definition is a belief in an invisible future (Romans 8:24-25). However, although it is unseen, it is neither science fiction nor unrevealed. To conclude our service tonight, by way of special music and a dramatic reading, we're going to consider afresh what the Bible tells us about our better future. Listen first to a special music number that reminds us of the specifics from Revelation.
Special Music & Scripture Reading: There is a Higher Throne (Ruth Rankin) & Revelation reading (Jeremy Sherrill)
Poetic Reading: "Glorfied" by John Piper (Pastor Keith)
Bible Exposition: Pastor Keith
We just sung what we typically refer to as a Christmas carol, although it really refers to the future reign of Christ following His second, not His first, coming. And what we sung about was that the future is better — there is hope!
This hope has always been for the believer a tremendous source of encouragement and a motivation for faithfulness. Consider the early church believers in Hebrews 10:34 — "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods [confiscation of your property], knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." When their stuff was taken, they maintained their joy, because they knew their future was secured in hope.
Again, in the eyes of the world, this is crazy talk. But for those who "live by faith" (v. 38), this is just a firm belief in the utmost reality — that the best is yet to come…that the future is better and guaranteed!
Brenda Moeckly is going to come and share a testimony with us regarding who the promise of a better future has been a source of hope and encouragement to her, and by extension to us.
Testimony Application: Brenda Moeckly
This is hope indeed, which by definition is a belief in an invisible future (Romans 8:24-25). However, although it is unseen, it is neither science fiction nor unrevealed. To conclude our service tonight, by way of special music and a dramatic reading, we're going to consider afresh what the Bible tells us about our better future. Listen first to a special music number that reminds us of the specifics from Revelation.
Special Music & Scripture Reading: There is a Higher Throne (Ruth Rankin) & Revelation reading (Jeremy Sherrill)
Poetic Reading: "Glorfied" by John Piper (Pastor Keith)
The following reading describes the scene immediately following the Day of the Lord in which our Christ destroys His enemies
with the power of His Word and continues His awesome recreation for those whom He has saved. This is our hope!
As far as any eye could see
There was no green. But every tree
Was cinder black, and all the ground
Was grey with ash. The only sound
Was arid wind, like spirits' ghosts,
Now gasping for some living hosts
In which to dwell, as in the days
Of evil men, before the blaze
Of unimaginable fire
Had made the earth a flaming pyre
For God's omnipotent display
Of holy rage. The dreadful Day
Of God had come. The moon had turned
To blood. The sun no longer burned
Above, but, blazing with desire,
Had flowed into a lake of fire.
The seas and oceans were no more,
And in their place a desert floor
Fell deep to meet the brazen skies,
And silence conquered distant cries.
The Lord stood still above the air.
His mighty arms were moist and bare.
They hung, as weary, by his side
Until the human blood had dried
Upon the sword in his right hand.
He stared across the blackened land
That he had made, and where he died.
His lips were tight, and deep inside,
The mystery of sovereign will
Gave leave, and it began to spill
In tears upon his bloody sword
For one last time.
And then the Lord
Wiped every tear away and turned
To see his bride. Her heart had yearned
For thousands of years for this: His face
Shone like the sun, and every trace
Of wrath was gone. And in her bliss
She heard the Master say, "Watch this:
Come forth all goodness from the ground,
Come forth and let the earth redound
With joy." And as he spoke, the throne
Of God came down to earth and shone
Like golden crystal full of light,
And banished once for all the night.
And from the throne a stream began
To flow and laugh, and as it ran,
It made a river and a lake,
And everywhere it flowed a wake
Of grass broke on the banks and spread
Like resurrection from the dead.
…
And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
…[note]
Of endless joy. And everywhere
I turned I saw a wonder there.
A big man running on the lawn:
That's old John Younge with both legs on.
And there's old Beryl, and Arnold too,
Still holding hands beneath the blue
And crystal sky: No stoop, they stand
Erect. No tremor in their hand.
The blind can see a bird on wing,
The dumb can lift his voice and sing.
The diabetic eats at will,
The coronary runs uphill.
The lame can walk, the deaf can hear,
The cancer-ridden bone is clear.
Arthritic joints are lithe and free,
And every pain has ceased to be.
And every sorrow deep within,
And every trace of lingering sin
Is gone. And all that's left is joy,
And endless ages to employ
The mind and heart to understand
And love the sovereign Lord who planned
That it should take eternity
To lavish all his grace on me.
O God of wonder, God of might,
Grant us some elevated sight,
Of endless days. And let us see
The joy of what is yet to be.
And may your future make us free,
And guard us by the hope that we,
…
Your glory will forever see.
with the power of His Word and continues His awesome recreation for those whom He has saved. This is our hope!
As far as any eye could see
There was no green. But every tree
Was cinder black, and all the ground
Was grey with ash. The only sound
Was arid wind, like spirits' ghosts,
Now gasping for some living hosts
In which to dwell, as in the days
Of evil men, before the blaze
Of unimaginable fire
Had made the earth a flaming pyre
For God's omnipotent display
Of holy rage. The dreadful Day
Of God had come. The moon had turned
To blood. The sun no longer burned
Above, but, blazing with desire,
Had flowed into a lake of fire.
The seas and oceans were no more,
And in their place a desert floor
Fell deep to meet the brazen skies,
And silence conquered distant cries.
The Lord stood still above the air.
His mighty arms were moist and bare.
They hung, as weary, by his side
Until the human blood had dried
Upon the sword in his right hand.
He stared across the blackened land
That he had made, and where he died.
His lips were tight, and deep inside,
The mystery of sovereign will
Gave leave, and it began to spill
In tears upon his bloody sword
For one last time.
And then the Lord
Wiped every tear away and turned
To see his bride. Her heart had yearned
For thousands of years for this: His face
Shone like the sun, and every trace
Of wrath was gone. And in her bliss
She heard the Master say, "Watch this:
Come forth all goodness from the ground,
Come forth and let the earth redound
With joy." And as he spoke, the throne
Of God came down to earth and shone
Like golden crystal full of light,
And banished once for all the night.
And from the throne a stream began
To flow and laugh, and as it ran,
It made a river and a lake,
And everywhere it flowed a wake
Of grass broke on the banks and spread
Like resurrection from the dead.
…
And as I knelt beside the brook
To drink eternal life, I took
…[note]
Of endless joy. And everywhere
I turned I saw a wonder there.
A big man running on the lawn:
That's old John Younge with both legs on.
And there's old Beryl, and Arnold too,
Still holding hands beneath the blue
And crystal sky: No stoop, they stand
Erect. No tremor in their hand.
The blind can see a bird on wing,
The dumb can lift his voice and sing.
The diabetic eats at will,
The coronary runs uphill.
The lame can walk, the deaf can hear,
The cancer-ridden bone is clear.
Arthritic joints are lithe and free,
And every pain has ceased to be.
And every sorrow deep within,
And every trace of lingering sin
Is gone. And all that's left is joy,
And endless ages to employ
The mind and heart to understand
And love the sovereign Lord who planned
That it should take eternity
To lavish all his grace on me.
O God of wonder, God of might,
Grant us some elevated sight,
Of endless days. And let us see
The joy of what is yet to be.
And may your future make us free,
And guard us by the hope that we,
…
Your glory will forever see.
Special Music: Come Quickly, Lord (Single Focus Group)
