What to Expect at a Reformed Church

By church (and if we could just square this away as niftily as can be) I mean church. AKA the assembly. The gathering. Sunday worship. Church is church, baby.

Reformed

You’ve heard of it. Maybe you find it intriguing. Perhaps you find it lofty, intimidating, or even prideful. Or you’ve never heard of it at all. But, if you were (only in our little thought experiment, of course) to attend a Reformed worship service, what would it be like?

Serious

Church is serious. What could be more serious than God? Service will be attended by serious Christians, in other words, people who very much want to be there. It will be led by people who are mindful of God’s majestic presence. It’s a serious thing to approach the living God. It’s not a game, it’s church. Would you want it any other way?

Simple

Reformed worship will be simple and straightforward. It sticks to the stuff the Bible says to do on Sunday. This tends to produce a sophisticated yet very simple worship experience. Call it simple gospel worship. You will hear God’s word, you will pray God’s word, you will sing God’s word, and you will partake of the Lord’s Supper. The whole Christ will be presented from the whole Bible to the whole room. Jesus will be easily found everywhere.

Sublime

The loftiness of God will be evident in a Reformed service, but this loftiness will be seasoned with joy. It is the gladness of those who know their Heavenly Father’s embrace. They are certain of it. You will see views of God’s overflowing goodness to you that will take your breath away. “What is Reformed worship?” you ask. It is heaven ahead of time.

The Best

“Beside our doors are all choice fruits.” Canticles 7:13

Suppose you are hosting a special guest, for whom you have saved a special drink. Perhaps your guest doesn’t know how much you favor them and feels left out when you distribute lesser beverages to others first. But when you bring out that choice bottle, you may assure them of your favor by saying something like, “For you, only the best.”

We are so prone to feel left out. But in Christ that is rubbish. In him we are never left out. He knows what he has for us and he just wants us to be convinced that he is as good to us as he says he is. To feel left out by God is, in the end, a matter of unbelief. Faith sings a different tune: Whatever my Lord brings me, it will be the best of the best.

Why does he give us the best things? He gives us the best to make us the best, the very best us. All that he gives, he gives to make us grow. Isn’t that his great work in our lives, to make us like him? Dear Christian, know that the things in your life are there by God’s perfect design for you. They are the choice things of his love.

For you, only the best.

Still Here

“oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD” Isaiah 61:3

I recall a friend’s rap lyric: “We’re posted on your block like trees.” Well, that’s trees for you. A pretty good simile if you ask me: trees stay where they are. God likens his people to trees, and sturdy ones at that: “oaks of righteousness.” There is something about godliness that steadies a person, that plants them where they are and keeps them there.

This image is metaphorical, of course. Righteousness is not literally staying where we are (stationariness is next to godliness?). In our modern times, we are more mobile than ever, and it is very Christian to use the advances of industry and technology to better our lives. We may even follow great opportunities when God opens doors. Being oaks of righteousness isn’t about staying put in life. It’s about being steadfast in God’s truth, unmoved by sin, and restful in Christ.

Being steadfast in this way means that people may come back into our lives years later and find that we’re still here, trusting in Jesus. We are unmoved. By God’s grace, we are where we want to be, resting in our Lord’s love and obeying his marvelous word.

The Salvations

“You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matt 1:21

I’ve been saved so many times. I don’t mean like when I asked Jesus into my heart 5,000 times before the age of ten. I mean like, there are lots of things Jesus has saved me from. From bad accidents to bad habits, and everything in between, it was his hand which delivered me from danger. It is the same with you. Every escape we’ve ever had was his doing. Is he not the Watchman of our souls? In this way even the unbeliever has been saved many times by the Savior.

But alas, to taste but not to eat of the feast! I’ve lost count of how many people have assured me they are eternally safe because God has protected their earthly life up to the present moment. Well, yes, of course he has, praise his name. All those earthly salvations are his wonders to us. But by themselves they are incomplete. Their real purpose is to bring us to the Great Salvation which Jesus offers us from our sins. His mini salvations are little worlds in which I can see the reflection of my eternal redemption. Experience them that way, and let them raise your gaze to heaven.

Fresh Starts

“Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5

The Bible doesn’t exactly have a category for the proverbial fresh start. It does, however, present us with something far more wondrous: redemption. God has not given us a fresh start in Christ. He has finished everything for us. Just as he will make all things new in the new creation, he has made us new creations now. We don’t get another shot at life. Jesus lived life for us, and died for our sinful lives, to make us right with God and give us something way better than a fresh start: a secured finish.

Now we run the race which is already won in Christ. Because of this, our walk ought always to be characterized by redemptiveness. Were we to give one another clean slates every day, perhaps we would feel better, but change would never come and the cycle would never stop. We would keep sinning against each other and needing to start all over again all the time. But because of Jesus, we can begin to view one another eschatologically. For we, as many as trust in Christ, are already clothed with his royal vestments and already indwelt by his Spirit. And even now his finished work has made us new.

Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Today Was A Beautiful Day

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Solomon was wise enough to recognize that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (3:1). The old, wise man famously ponders, “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (3:2, 4). Weeping is as beautiful in its season as rejoicing is. In fact, every activity is beautified by God when in its proper place.

Today was Inauguration Day. Today, I’ve seen a wide range of emotions among Christians, from celebration to dejection. This is not to say that I think both reactions are equally right—after all, I have my own opinions on the matter. But it is, I think, important to say that in their own appreciation of events Christians are rejoicing and lamenting from very different sets of concerns.

However you are feeling today, we must all firmly fix it in our minds that today was beautiful, because all things in it were done according to God’s eternal purpose. Let us always ride the wave of providence he sends our way! For there is no thwarting his mighty plans.

What Kind of Preaching Does the World Need Today?

2020. 2021. What is even going on? What do people need to hear in times like these? What do we need to hear from our preachers?

SIMPLE PREACHING

It is the age of Fake News. Who knows what to believe? And who really knows what is actually going on? It can all be so confusing and discouraging. In times like these, we need God’s men to tell us what God says as plainly as possible. People are filled with questions; God has provided many answers. It is a day for preachers to make their sermons easy to follow, so that God’s truth may ring out powerfully in our minds and hearts.

TRANSCENDENT PREACHING

The pandemic has pushed us home. Being isolated has pushed us to social media. Social media has pushed us to outrage (pro tip: the key to social media zen is to throw everything into meme acquisition). This tends to lock us into worldly mindsets. What we need most every week is to see Christ in all his heavenly goodness. He has overcome the world; he reigns now from on high. What is a true sermon but a transportation to the realms of God? This is the preaching we desperately need, now and always.

GOSPEL PREACHING

When bad news fills the headlines, we must hear good news from heaven. Gospel preaching is refreshing to weary earth-travelers: “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Prov 25:25). It satisfies. It nourishes. It rejoices the heart, and it makes us grow. We must often hear of God’s mighty love for sinners and of Christ’s completed work for us. It is what the world needs most of all.

Holiday Cheer

Christmas brings good cheer to lots of people, mostly of the kid variety. While it is is for many adults a time of stress, or materialism, it is a merry season of hearty rejoicing for others. This second group is where we want to find ourselves this year, and always.

the holiday spirit

This good cheer or merrymaking is an expression of an old idea. It is heard in the blowing of trumpets. It is seen in the unfurling of banners. It is felt when all seems right in the world. It is the reflection of the Glad King ruling in his gladness. His jolly laugh is present in the strong and childlike joy of Tom Bombadil, in the hearty gladness of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and even shows itself in the concept of jolly old Saint Nicholas. These are, as far as they go, derivations of the great gladness of the True King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns in joyful exuberance. And the holidays are a time when we can easily partake in the mighty voice of his good cheer.

God’s holiday

The magic of Christmastime is an emblem of a greater holiday, the Lord’s own holy day. Every first day of the week is God’s holiday. That’s right, God’s people get a holiday every week. On this special day we are to embody a level of good cheer that surpasses the celebrations of Christmas. This does not mean that we always have happy Sundays (Christmas, after all, is a reminder of loss as well as love), but it does mean that we will celebrate the Lord no matter what. For he reigns in tremendous gladness and will bring all things to a good end for his people whom he loves.

The true holiday to come

The Lord’s Day is not the final holiday. It is an emblem of the coming eternal Day when good cheer shall reign in God’s children forevermore. Eternity is the real Sabbath Day. In that place we will taste joy and gladness undiluted by sin or sorrow. Then we will toast our accomplished salvation. We will be swept up in exhilaration and expectancy that never ends. Great wonders will come true before our eyes. Everything shall be wrapped up for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We will see his face, we will hear his voice, and we will partake in his mighty good cheer forever and ever. Amen.

How Important is Meeting Together?

It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it? We are facing curve balls on every side. But, at some point, the show must go on, and the churches must meet. Speaking of churches meeting, how important is that, anyway? Here are a few considerations for us to think about during the last month of the weirdest year ever.

Meeting together is what god commandS.

Believe it or not, God-fearing Christians fall on various sides of many things 2020. Why is that? Ultimately, it’s because God’s word simply isn’t equally clear on everything. Regardless of what Christians think the Bible has to say about COVID-19, masks, vaccines, elections, and whatever else this year from purgatory can throw our way, we hope every Christian can agree that God puts a premium on us meeting together. It’s crystal clear, and it’s all over the Bible. Aside from implicit references (such as Matt 18:20 and Rev 2:1) and explicit commands (such as 1 Cor 11:33 and Heb 10:25), it is assumed everywhere in the New Testament epistles, which were publicly addressed and read to these very gatherings. In confusing times like these, we cannot afford to forsake the most important matters of our faith.

Meeting together is whO we are.

The reason the command to gather is so clear in the Bible is because the gathering is literally what the church is. The Greek word behind our “church” is ekklesia, which means assembly. On Sunday morning we are the church. In fact, the church is the only reason the world still turns. And revolution 2020 (or what’s left of it) needs nothing more than Christians standing together as the church in unity of purpose and resolve to worship God openly, through Jesus Christ, come what may. Without church, there is no church. Therefore, every church has to figure this out for themselves or cease to exist. Lord help us!

Meeting together is where things are different.

Corporate worship is governed differently than the rest of our lives. It is more immediately governed by Christ, whose power is present in a unique way when we gather (1 Cor 5:4). He binds us together in the main things while allowing us to maintain our own convictions in our lives. This unique space allows us to work through strange problems and seek God’s wisdom in strange times. As we go through these growing pains (or birth pangs!), we must be prepared to bear with one another. We—at least those of us who haven’t found the perfect church yet—must be prepared to make wise compromises in order to protect what matters most. This is nothing new. At God’s glorious churches, messy sinners have always laid aside their many differences and convictions in order to fellowship, to pray, to sing, to hear, and to eat and drink the Lord’s death until he comes.

In conclusion, meeting together is everything for us.

An Obsession with Christianity

“Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” John 9:27

The man was born blind, but now he could see. No one disputed it anymore; a miracle had taken place. But instead of rejoicing with him, the religious leaders were triggered into judgment and wrath.

New religious leaders of new religions arise, but they are always made of the same stuff: legalistic tyranny. The problem is not so much lawlessness (that is the problem amongst the people), but the problem is legalism. Tyrannical leaders try to force their puritanical doctrines upon the consciences of all. They cannot bear to be ignored or cast aside by anyone. But now, just as then, there were some who resisted. And these resistance parties are very often made up of God’s own sheep. Leaders then become obsessed with them. We may well answer as did the blind man who could see: “You keep obsessing over this. Do you also want to become Christians?”

“Muslims who execute homosexuals don’t bother me. Cuban communists who threw them in prison don’t bother me. I wear them on my shirt. But those Christians! They must be stopped.”