Somerset Church of Christ

April 12, 2023

God Gave the Growth

Paul addressed divisions in the church in Corinth and in the process he describes quite well how God provides the increase in His church. Paul’s demonstrating what can and should happen when people are unified in purpose. Paul said, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants or waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-7 ESV).

Paul says that he who plants and he who waters are one, and each receives his own reward for the work they did. When we look at the very early church after Christ ascended, it grew quite rapidly. The church today is still in a fast decline and we could easily model what the early disciples did to plant and water. Afterall, God is still the one who gives the growth. The early disciples did not have a goal of reaching masses. In fact, they often traveled to small towns and villages to preach. But they still planted and watered. And God gave the growth.

This message is very important for us as families, because we can (and should) work together to plant and water. Our theme this quarter is God and family. There’s no better way to connect to God than to work together to bring people closer to God. There are ample opportunities to do so too. If we really believe that it is God, not us, who provides the growth then we will easily share the Good News with people and see what God does with that!

April 6, 2023

The Empty Tomb

The resurrection of Christ will be celebrated across the world this coming Easter Sunday. John’s account of the resurrection is very telling. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb before the sun had come up but saw that the stone had been moved. She ran and told Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:2 ESV). Peter and John ran to the tomb, only to find it empty. John said that once inside the tomb, he believed.

John remembered that Jesus had been talking about raising from the dead but “they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (vs. 9). Seeing the linens made the lightbulb turn on and John immediately believed. He and Peter ran home. This is interesting and important. They didn’t run to tell the other disciples. Instead they ran home to be with their families.

It appears that Mary wasn’t quite as convinced. She stood at the entrance to the tomb weeping. She saw two angels sitting where Jesus’ body once was. When they asked her why she was weeping, she said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him” (vs. 13). It wasn’t until Jesus revealed himself to her in person that she believed. It was her, not Peter and John, who went an told the other disciples! This is, by far, the most important story for us as Christians. Paul says that if the resurrection didn’t happen then “our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:14). But we know that the resurrection did happen and therefore we have hope, confidence, and salvation!

March 29, 2023

The Triumphal Entry

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which recalls Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before he was crucified. All four of the gospels record this story. Matthew says that it was to fulfill Zechariah 9:9. Luke records Jesus weeping over Jerusalem upon entering the city. And John records the raising of Lazarus immediately before the triumphal entry. Each author is telling a story within the story, putting an emphasis on something a little different than the other authors.

But in the story itself, Jesus is riding on the colt of a donkey, something that kings would do if they were entering a city in peace. If they were entering for war they would ride a horse, a sign of power and war. In Matthew’s account, the people laid their cloaks and palm branches on the ground, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9 ESV). Hosanna means, “Please help!”

Upon entering the city Jesus cleaned out the temple. Again, according to Luke’s account Jesus first wept over Jerusalem because they didn’t know the things that make for peace. Instead of following Jesus, they chose to crucify him and Jesus knew that destruction was coming to the city. In 70 A.D. Jesus’ words came to fruition and the city was destroyed, including the temple. This Sunday we celebrate the peace we have in Christ our Savior.

March 22, 2023

We Are Being Transformed

We all know that Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church was pretty harsh. Paul spoke very boldly concerning their divisiveness that was driving Christians back into their former paganism. There was little tolerance for such behavior in the church. Christians were fighting over spiritual gifts, were living in rampant sexual sin–the kind that even pagans were ashamed of, they were getting drunk at the Lord’s supper and excluding the poor, their worship was complete chaos, and women and men volleyed for status in the church, to name a few.

In Paul’s second letter, he reminds them again that that behavior belongs to a former life. Now they have hope through Christ Jesus. Then he made an extremely bold statement: “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” (2 Cor. 3:12, 13 ESV). We are very bold, not like Moses! Now that’s a bold statement! Last time I checked, Moses sort of led the Israelites across dry ground in the middle of the Red Sea. Moses also appeared and spoke with Jesus when he was transfigured on the mountain!

Speaking of being transfigured, Paul goes on in 2 Corinthians 2, after telling them that they are bolder than Moses, to say that they “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (Vs. 18). The word he used is the same word Matthew and Mark used to say that Jesus was transformed or transfigured in front of them! So now we Christians, through the Spirit, are also being transformed with Christ the same image. In other words, we are becoming just like Christ by mirroring his image. This, in turn, gives us absolute boldness to tell other people about Christ.

March 16, 2023March 17, 2023

Seeking God

When Jesus preached the famous sermon on the mount, he told his disciples not to be anxious about their life, what they will eat or drink tomorrow or what they will wear. He assured them that God cares more for them than he does all the other creatures he takes care of. He asked an important rhetorical question: “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 ESV).

Jesus then did a compare and contrast with what the Gentiles seek verses what Christ-followers should seek. The Gentiles seek after food, drink, and clothes. Jesus said, “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:32-33).

It seems counterintuitive to seek God instead of food, drink, and clothing but God is clear that seeking the kingdom and God’s righteousness first will ensure that the food, drink, and clothing will be taken care of. As our theme suggests, we must always put God first in everything!

March 8, 2023

The Humble Prayer

Our theme this year is God First. This quarter’s focus is on God and you. As children of God, we can’t talk about our relationship with God without focusing on prayer. Prayer is vital to our faith, spiritual health, and for building our relationship with God. Without prayer, we have no communication with God. Jesus showed the importance of prayer in the garden when he said to Peter, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 ESV).

When God established the Temple as his house, he told Solomon that he will tune his ear to the people who humbly pray and seek his face: “. . . if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). God promises that “Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place” (vs. 15).

Over and over God is calling his people to repent, pray, and seek him. God always says that he heals them when they seek and pray. A case-in-point is when Hezekiah prayed for the Israelites when they repented but celebrated the Passover in a way that was not commanded. Hezekiah poured over the people in prayer “And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people” (2 Chronicles 30:20).

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023

Fearless

Happy Summer Solstice Northern Hemisphere

This year’s theme is God first. We’ve been talking about God and you–developing a deeper relationship with God. John says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7 ESV). God loved us enough to send his only son for us. Therefore, John concludes, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (vs. 11).

We have confidence that God remains in us because he gives us his Spirit. Furthermore, “whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (vs. 15). This gives us absolute confidence for the day of judgment and we know that we will spend eternity with God.

John concludes, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (vs. 18). If we’ve really been perfected in love, Christians should have no fear of death or judgment. This gives us peace of mind and courage to teach others, knowing that we are secure with God.