True wisdom from God has value for everything. This is true of Jesus, who is Wisdom from God. It is also true of the wisdom that the Spirit gives and works deeply in us. The writer urges us: Do not let this go! Do not let this out of your sight but hold it tightly. Wisdom is what the Teacher calls us to love and desire above all things. (Proverbs 3:11-24)
The Way of the Wise #2 - Wisdom is
What is Wisdom? Why does it matter and how do we get it? This week we’ll begin to answer those questions this way: On the one hand, our Father calls out to us and urges us to tune our ears to wisdom and to seek it with all of our hearts. Yes, open up your ears to hear! And, at the same time, he reminds us that wisdom from him is truly a gift from him. Wisdom is a Spirit-worked, spiritual gut instinct that is truly a gift from our God. And so, we pray, “Lord, give me this wisdom!” Proverbs 2.
The Way of the Wise #1 - The Beginning of Wisdom
As we enter 2025, we hurry with the Wise Men to worship Jesus. Jesus himself walks beside the Sea of Galilee and calls us to follow him with a lively faith. But how? What does such a lively faith look like? Solomon has something to say about that. He calls us it “the Way of the Wise.” In this four week series, we’ll begin to learn to walk the way of the wise.
Today, we learn from Solomon that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:1-7
O Come, Redeemer
O Christ our Redeemer, Come.
The one who paid the price
With your life and death.
O Intercessor before the Father’s throne
To welcome us into our eternal home, come.
A sermon on Matthew 25:1-13
O Come, Emmanuel
O God Among Us, Come. Great king, who gives the Law To gather nations nigh, O Lord our God, Redeemer, To save your children, come. A sermon on Isaiah 7:14
O Come, King of Nations
12/25 (Isaiah 28:16)
O King of Nations, come.
The hope and cornerstone
Who makes from many, one,
You fashioned us in Eden –
Your earthly vessels, save.
O Come, Dayspring (Christmas Eve)
12/24 (Isaiah 9:2-7, especially 2)
O Glorious Dayspring, come.
The bright eternal light
And sun of righteousness,
On those who sit in darkness
And death’s dark shadow, shine.
O Come, Wisdom #5 - Waiting for Wisdom
We are now in the season of Advent. “Advent” means coming or arrival. This means that it is a season of anticipation, longing and hope. We look forward to and long for the coming of Christ even while we celebrate the fact that he came.
We sit right at the edge of our celebration of Christmas. It just a few days away now. It is so close we can almost taste it. Oh, how good it will be when he walks through the door and ushers us into eternity.
Today, Wisdom speaks to us through the Scriptures and tells us, “Blessed are those who wait at my door… for those who find me find life.”
O Come, Key of David
12/18 (Revelation 3:7-13)
O Key of David, come.
Unlock what none shall bind,
And lock what none shall loose:
The captives in the darkness
Imprisoned, now set free.
O Come, Wisdom #4 - Wisdom's Delight
The countdown is on. Each Sunday that passes in this season of Advent brings us one Sunday closer to our remembrance and celebration of Christmas. Hope begins to grow. Expectation and joy begin to increase. This only grows when we consider who Wisdom truly is: He is Christ, the Lord. The One who sits on heaven’s high throne. The One who gives all gifts for body and life, for soul and eternity. The One who is the eternal Son of God, truly God and truly human being, in one person. Today, we learn another thing. He was there at the very beginning, creating this world together with the Father and the Spirit, delighting in what was being created and finding joy in us, the crown of God’s creation. He is Wisdom, the one who is delighted with us.
Today we see that Wisdom was not only there before the world was created, but he was also there at creation. He was constantly at the Father’s side, rejoicing in his presence and delighting in humankind.
O Come, Root of Jesse
12/11 (Isaiah 11:1-10)
O Root of Jesse, come.
This ensign raised for all
To whom the nations pray,
Before whom kings keep silent:
To rescue quickly come
O Come, Wisdom #3 - The Best Thing God Did
We are now in the season of Advent. “Advent” means coming or arrival. This means that it is a season of anticipation, longing and hope. We look forward to and long for the coming of Christ even while we celebrate the fact that he came.
Today, we meet John the Baptist who cries out, running ahead of Jesus, preparing the way for him. And what does he say? What does he tell us about Jesus, true Wisdom of God? He declare the greatness and eternity of Jesus, of Wisdom: “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” (John 1:15). That was his clear and loud testimony. “I am not worthy to stoop down to untie his sandals” (Luke 3:16).
O Come, Adonai
12/4 (Exodus 3:1-14)
O Lord of Israel, come.
Through bushes breathing fire,
To Moses you gave Law;
O come, redeeming Ruler,
With arms outstretched to save.
O Come, Wisdom #2 - Wisdom's Gifts
This is about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, but not the practical, know-how kind of wisdom. This wisdom from God is his very own Son. As we end one church year and move into another, we call out for true wisdom from God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1) to come. Last week we learned that Christ is true wisdom. Today, we see that since Christ is wisdom on his throne, he comes with and gives gifts to meet all our needs. Proverbs 8:17-21.
O Come, Wisdom #1 - Wisdom on the throne
This is about wisdom in the book of Proverbs, but not the practical, know-how kind of wisdom. This wisdom from God is his very own Son. As we end one church year and move into another, we call out for true wisdom from God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1) to come. In this first sermon Pastor Chris explores who Wisdom is and what that means for our lives. If Christ is true wisdom, he is the power behind all thrones since he is on heaven’s highest throne. Proverbs 8:12-16.
Fighting for Family #6 - Charge it to Me
It’s such a beautiful letter. So, moving and touching. With a deep desire for so much forgiveness. Paul writes with such passion and love that he would even pay the debt in the place of the sinner. He told Philemon, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me” (18). Yes, like I said at the beginning, this is such a tender letter of love and a desire for reconciliation that both Philemon and Onesimus would fight for the family.
How can I say anything more than that? Our pastoral hearts beat with a desire that confessions would be made, forgiveness would be given, and God’s people would be restored to one another. How sweet would that be for our family here at Mount Lebanon and beyond if we would “fight for the family” and live together like this? How sweet would this be for our families at home and at work if we would “fight for the family?” If we would confess our sins to another when we have sinned against them? If we would forgive their sins when they have sinned against us (even if they don’t confess)?
What would that say to the community around us if we were known as the church that “fights for the family?” What if we were known as the church that, in love, confronts sin in others and among us – and then forgave it!?! What if we were known as the church that lives together like this?
Oh, dear people of God, “Refresh my heart in Christ” and let’s live together in love like this.
A sermon on Philemon.
New Series: O Come!
During Advent and Christmas, we will cry out, “O Come!” The title of the series comes from the O Antiphons. These are short sentences and prayers that historically have accompanied the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer from Dec 17-23. These sentences embody a a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative “Come!” embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.
Beginning on Christ the King Sunday (11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22)
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
12/4 (Exodus 3:1-14)
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
12/11 (Isaiah 11:1-10)
O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
12/18 (Revelation 4:1-8)
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
12/24 (Isaiah 9:2-7
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
12/25 (Isaiah 28:16)
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
12/29 (Isaiah 7:14)
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
Fighting for Family 5 - The Cost of Forgiveness
Many scholars, even Christian scholars, agree that forgiveness includes a wrong that is committed. One writer states that “when an individual forgives, his resentment is overcome not by restraining themselves the right to the resentment, but by making an effort to view the transgressor with understanding, kindness, and compassion, while acknowledging that he has deliberately surrendered his right to them.” In this explanation, she admits that something is owed. Another notes that forgiveness is defined as “a willingness to abandon one’s right to resentment, negative judgment and indifferent behaviour toward one who unjustly injured us.” Again, he notes that a debt is owed to the one who ultimately forgives.
The question that none of them seems to answer is: Who pays the price? If a person were truly wronged and a debt (guilt) was incurred, then who pays for that? God teaches us this very thing when we sin against him. He does not sweep our sins under the rug. He does not tell us that it is okay. He doesn’t just “forgive” it and move on. Instead, he takes guilt from us and gives it to his Son. In this way, his Son pays the price for our sins. His Son pays dearly, with his own lifeblood. This our God did for us not because we deserved it. In fact, we deserved the very opposite. It is grace from his Father’s heart that led him to this. It is something that is given to us. Yet, the question remains: Who pays the price?
The answer to the question must first be found in the cross of Jesus. Further investigation into the lived experience of these participants shows how vital and meaningful his cross is to them in their lives. They found hope, comfort, and strength in his cross. Christ paid the price. He paid the price for every sin that was ever committed against God and every sin that was or will be committed against another human being. Christ paid the price for all of them at the cross. It was a costly thing for him.
It is also a costly thing for the forgiver. Even when a form of restitution is made after a transgression, the forgiver pays a price. When I forgive my friend for failing to pay back the $500 he borrowed from me, this means I no longer ask him to pay me back. But who paid the price in this scenario? I did. I absorbed the loss of the money I loaned him. My forgiveness turned that debt into a gift to him. This is a concrete way of imagining how the forgiver pays the price. I admit that this is clear, but that in other cases, it is much harder to quantify and describe. Yet, it seems clear that forgiveness is costly. A cost is always paid, first by Christ and then by the one offering forgiveness. This is what Paul calls us to offer up to each other. Finding strength in the cost paid by Christ. And, then, paying the price of forgiveness toward those who offend against me. Ephesians 4:31-5:1
Fighting for Family 4 - Coming Clean
The process of conflict reconciliation has both a vertical and horizontal dimension. It has a vertical direction because it deals with each person’s relationship and standing with God. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ in this vertical relationship. We have reconciliation with God because God has not counted sins against us but has, instead, counted our sins against Christ. And, instead of counting sins against us, he credits Christ’s righteousness to us. We’re good with God.
But there still remains reconciliation in my horizontal relationships. There still remains reconciliation in the relationship with the people who sinned against me. There still remains restoration in the relationship with the people against whom I have sinned.
No one understood this better than Joseph and his brothers. Try to imagine what this conflict was like and how long it lasted until their reconciliation. His brothers sinned against him when they sold him into slavery. It was seventeen years or more before he saw them again. It was even longer before they had any sense of forgiveness and reconciliation between them. It was undoubtedly painful for them. Two things had to happen to move toward forgiveness and reconciliation: Sin had to be brought out into the open and confronted. It also needed to be confessed, not just to God but to the person against whom the sin had been committed.
As we seek to learn how to work through conflict toward reconciliation, these two acts are vitally important. Sin must be gently confronted and corrected. Sin must also be confessed. As we dive into the story of Joseph and his brothers, we will deal with these two acts: Confrontation and Confession. Genesis 50:15-21.
Fighting for Family 3 - Peace During Conflict
When conflict has happened, we often think to ourselves that something must be done for peace to be achieved, realized, and experienced. In one dimension, this is true. When we stand next to, in front of, or even just around people with whom we have had a conflict, there can’t be peace until something happens. That’s what this whole series is about: pursuing peace and reconciliation after sin has happened between two people, or even between groups of people. Sin must be confessed. Forgiveness must be given and received. Restitution and other steps to restore the relationship must be taken. Reconciliation does require work on the side of both parties. As we stand before people, something has to be done for peace to be achieved.
This is true as we stand before people. This is also true as we stand before God. Something must be done. Something had to be done. But it was not our doing. It is not something we need to do. There is no box that we need to check. God doesn’t look at us to say, “I’ll forgive you after you…” No, the work is all God’s. The work is all Christ’s. He has done the work to forgive. We have peace with God. We stand in a position of grace and righteousness.
Standing in this position of “recipient of grace” sets our hearts at ease as we move toward reconciliation with people after a conflict. In fact, this standing in grace is absolutely essential before we move toward the other people involved in the conflict. You are at peace with God. You have received grace from him. You are justified. Just soak this in and experience the peace that comes from this truth. Romans 5:1-5