The Second Journey, Part 6: Corinth

Call to Worship

Psalm 135:1–4 “Praise Yah! Praise the name of Yahweh; Praise Him, O slaves of Yahweh, You who stand in the house of Yahweh, In the courts of the house of our God! Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is lovely. For Yah has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His treasured possession.”

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

Consecration

Law Homily

Q. 112. What is required in the third commandment? A. The third commandment requires, that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, and writing; by an holy profession, and answerable conversation, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves and others.

“...whatsoever there is whereby God makes himself known...” ought to be reverently used in thought, word, and deed. We are to profess whatever God has revealed, and live accordingly, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves and others.

We believe that God has revealed Himself through creation, and even through our own selves made in the image of God. He has also specially revealed Himself in His Word. If God has revealed Himself in these ways, then it is sinful to treat that revelation as light, optional, or irrelevant.

God has also revealed Himself in His name, titles, and attributes. We learn of these things in creation and in the Word of God. God’s names—Yahweh, Adonai, Elohim—reveal something about God to us. His titles—Father, Almighty, Alpha and Omega—declare truths about His rule, care, and eternity. His attributes—His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, transcendence, immanence, and so on—more obviously reveal truths about God. When we do not profess these truths, or when we profess them and do not live according to them, we take God’s name in vain. To say “God is everywhere” and then sin as if He is not there, is to use His name emptily.

God has also revealed Himself in His ordinances: the Word, the sacraments, and prayer. Anything that God has instituted visibly is a means by which God reveals Himself to us. When we gather as the church, when we hear the Word read and preached, when we celebrate baptism or the Lord’s Supper, when we pray together, these ordinances all reveal truths about God. Because of that, they ought to be used reverently, to the glory of God and the good of ourselves and others. They are not to be treated as empty rituals, background noise, or something to endure and then forget.

The end of the list includes oaths, vows, lots, His works, and “whatsoever else” by which He makes Himself known. We talked last week about how this commandment is connected with blasphemy and societal trust. If a person is taking an oath of office, they are promising to uphold certain things while operating within that office; they are taking an oath before God. If they fail to do what they have promised, they are breaking the third commandment by taking the Lord’s name lightly and in vain. They have lived as if God does not judge and as if He is not listening.

Vows are different from oaths. An oath is imposed by a lawful authority. An oath of office is the example that we still utilize in our formerly Christian society. A vow is something that we ourselves undertake before God. We take wedding vows. We take church membership vows. Now ordinarily, vows ought not to be anything more than is naturally required. For example, our membership vows at this church are basically asking: are you going to live in accordance with what you profess? A wedding vow asks: are you going to be faithful as God intended? Vows are self‑imposed; oaths are imposed by others. In both cases, the name of God is invoked, and therefore both oaths and vows must be kept with reverence.

We also see in Scripture that God’s people at times cast lots as a way of seeking His decision. In Acts 1, the apostles prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen,” and then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. The lot was not a game of chance; it was an appeal to the God who reveals His will, and it had to be used reverently. That is why the catechism even includes “lots” under the third commandment.

The obvious question we end up with is: are you living up to what God has revealed? If God has revealed it, then you are responsible for it. The honest answer is: no. We have not and cannot live up to this in its fullness in our sinful state. We have all used God’s name lightly, treated His worship casually, and lived in ways that contradict the truths we confess. But we ought to desire obedience in this area by the power of God’s Word and Spirit.

We have forgiveness in Christ for all the times that we have failed to properly live in accordance with the truth we profess. Jesus never took His Father’s name in vain. He always honored the Father in His words, His prayers, and His deeds. He bore the punishment that our careless use of God’s name deserves, so that we might be forgiven and made holy. But a just man falls seven times and rises again. Just because we have forgiveness in Christ does not excuse our sin, nor does it justify any future sin. We are obligated as God’s people to live in accordance with His revealed truth. Forgiveness restores us to God and then sends us back out to walk worthy of the name we bear.

So, this week, keep in mind that everything we say, think, and do is before the face of God. Live accordingly. There are two areas where we must be faithful:

We must learn what God has revealed. We must study God’s Word and pay attention to His revelation in creation and providence. If we do not know truths about God, then how can we live in light of them? We must search the Scriptures and study life itself. By these things God has revealed Himself to you.

We must obey what we know. If you are not being obedient to what you already know, then there is no reason to keep searching for new things. God requires obedience now. Obey what you know, and then keep growing in what God has revealed.

Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God, for we live not unto ourselves, but before the face of God, for His glory, and the good of ourselves and others.

Let’s pray.

Old Testament Reading

Exodus 17:1–7 “Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of Yahweh, and they camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you test Yahweh?” But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to put us and our children and our livestock to death with thirst?” So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the contending of the sons of Israel, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us or not?””

New Testament Reading

Romans 5:1–11 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we boast in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Sermon: The Second Journey, Part 6: Corinth

Title: The Cause of Christ

Review

We will now have the preaching of God’s Word from the book of Acts. Our text today is Acts 18:1-22, the end of the second missionary journey.

Overview of Acts

You can see briefly the overview of the book of Acts. We are currently in the section titled “Mission to the Ends of the Earth,” particularly looking at the second missionary journey which is highlighted in red.

Map of Paul’s Journey

The first red arrow points to Galatia, the region of the first journey. The second arrow points to Macedonia, the region of the second journey. This second journey ends in the province of Achaia, and Corinth is its capital.

Corinth commanded a strategic location on the isthmus (the narrow stretch of land between Athens and Corinth) with access to two major ports and the sea in both directions.

Just like in other major cities of the Greco‑Roman world, idolatry, sexual immorality, and the usual social ills of city life were prevalent in Corinth. The very idea of a “Corinthian lady” was used in Greek as a suggestive term for a prostitute, which gives you some sense of the city’s moral reputation.

According to Keener, some in the ancient world spoke of old Corinth as so notorious for its prostitutes that a proverb arose that “not every man can afford the voyage to Corinth,” since many ship captains squandered their money there. So Paul has come to the epicenter of the Roman province of Achaia—and at the same time, to a kind of epicenter of depravity as well.

Review of Last Sermon in Acts

Last time, we looked at Paul in Athens, who was being examined at the Aeropaus regarding his teachings. His spirit had been provoked by the idolatry of Athens and so he was proclaiming a supreme Lord who will judge the earth, Jesus, the resurrected one. And our exhortation from this was, let your spirit be provoked. Proclaim the truth of the resurrection of Jesus and the judgment that is to come even in our secular society. Withstand the scoffing, all for the furtherance of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

The theme for today is: The Cause of Christ.

Everyone needs a cause—something that drives them forward. For Adam in the garden, it was the creation mandate: the command to rule and subdue the earth. It was a goal he would not be able to accomplish by himself, nor easily, nor quickly. It would require patient, daily labor. Before the fall this would have been good and pleasant; after the fall it would be by the sweat of his brow, and the filling of the earth with offspring would be by the sorrow of the woman.

When a person does not have a cause, they flounder. It is easy to lack a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. When a person is depressed, they often feel purposeless, as if they have no cause.

Not every cause is good. We can have unjust causes; we can simply pursue money, fame, power, prestige. These things can become our cause. We can pursue pleasure as our cause. Whatever the cause, people will order their life around it. If your cause is wealth, you will make that the priority in your life. If it is fame, the actions you take will be in service to that cause.

When a nation goes to war, the question always arises: is this for a just cause? Our own national anthem recognizes this in its final, often unsung stanza:

“Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto – ‘In God is our trust.’”

We all either have or need a cause—something we are seeking to accomplish.

Paul’s cause was obvious. He said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). Paul’s driving force in his life and ministry was the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the supreme Deity who rose from the dead and who is coming back to judge the living and the dead.

In our passage today, we will see Paul work bivocationally to see this cause advanced. Then, when opportunity arises, he will devote himself more fully to persuading unbelievers with the gospel. He will engage in spiritual warfare against the cultus of Corinth: what was their cause? Pleasure, commerce, prestige. Paul came preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ— to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to Paul, the power of God unto salvation.

The obvious question we can ask is: what is your cause? Is it Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Are you shaping your life and activities around the implications of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and return? Or are you living your life for some other cause and trying to attach Jesus to it? Or perhaps you are not thinking about causes at all and you just want to live your life.

No matter the situation, my appeal to you will be the same: embrace the cause of Jesus Christ. Study His Word so that you will know how you ought to live. Work your life around the revelation of God. Do not take His name in vain. What is your cause?

This passage can be broken down into three sections:

The Gospel in Corinth – Acts 18:1–11

The Dragon in Corinth – Acts 18:12–17

The End of the Second Journey – Acts 18:18–22

Our application will circle back around the question: What is your cause?

Let’s pray as we consider God’s Word.

The Gospel in Corinth

Acts 18:1–11 “After these things he departed Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, and his wife Priscilla, who recently came from Italy because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he was staying with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly bearing witness to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a God-fearer, whose house was next to the synagogue. And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

Luke points out that Aquila and Priscilla had come from Italy because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. Many commentators connect this with historic reports regarding disputes among Jews about Christ. The point is that controversy over Jesus had already reached Rome, and that is why Aquila and Priscilla find themselves in Corinth when Paul arrives.

Paul resides with this couple and works with them in their trade in order to support himself while he reasons in the synagogue with Jews and God‑fearers every Sabbath. He is doing whatever it takes for the cause to go forward. His mission from Christ is to bring the good news of the Messiah first to the covenant people of God, and so he goes into the synagogue as an emissary of King Jesus.

Notice that those in the synagogue “resisted and blasphemed.” That word is significant in light of the third commandment. Blasphemy is not only cursing God’s name; it is refusing to live in accordance with what God has revealed, or flat‑out denying it. Here, in rejecting Christ, they are blaspheming, because Christ is God revealed and offered to them.

Paul responds by shaking out his garments and declaring that he will now go to the Gentiles. This symbolic act says, “Your blood be on your own heads; I am clean.” He has discharged his duty as a watchman; their rejection is on them, not on him.

And immediately Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believes in the Lord with his entire household, and “many of the Corinthians,” when they hear, believe and are baptized. God is gathering a people for Himself from both Jews and Gentiles in Corinth.

Finally, the Lord appears to Paul in the night and reassures him: “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent…for I have many people in this city.” On that promise, Paul remains there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. The cause of Christ advances through ordinary labor, public reasoning, sharp rejection, surprising conversions, and the steady ministry of the Word under the Lord’s protecting hand.

The Dragon in Corinth

Acts 18:12–17 “But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I am not willing to be a judge of these matters.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat. And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.”

This kind of public dispute has become an expected event in Paul’s mission. In Philippi, he was accused by Gentiles of disturbing the city and promoting customs that are not lawful for Romans. In Thessalonica, he was accused by Jews of turning the world upside down by proclaiming another king, Jesus. In Athens, he was accused by Gentile philosophers of proclaiming foreign deities. And here in Corinth, he is accused by Jews of persuading people to worship God contrary to the law. You can almost trace a pattern: Gentiles/Philippi, Jews/Thessalonica, Gentiles/Athens, Jews/Corinth.

Gallio is thought to have been proconsul of Achaia roughly between July 51 and July 52 A.D., so this scene gives us one of the few firm chronological anchors in Acts. The Roman proconsul hears the charge and immediately frames it as an internal religious dispute: “questions about words and names and your own law.” In other words, in his view this is a matter of Jewish theology, not Roman criminal law. So he refuses to intervene.

A modern analogy would be something like a Muslim and a Christian asking a secular judge to rule on whether Jesus is divine. A magistrate might well say, “I’m not willing to be a judge of these matters; that belongs to your own communities, not to the state.” Add to that the sheer volume of cases a Roman governor had to hear; there was constant pressure, and so Gallio’s impatience is understandable. Commentators differ on his motives—whether he was anti‑Jewish, simply annoyed by what he saw as a trivial case, or unclear what law was even at stake. In any event, he declines to judge and drives them away from the judgment seat.

We then read that “they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat.” There is division among commentators as to who “they” are—whether this was the hostile Gentile crowd turning on the Jewish leader, other Jews angry with Sosthenes, or even court officials. Luke does not tell us, so we should be cautious about over‑specifying it.

Some comment is warranted on the wider situation. In this period, Roman authorities often regarded Christianity as a sect within Judaism. That association meant Christians could share, at least for a time, in the tolerated status of Judaism and so avoid compulsory participation in the emperor cult. If the Jewish leaders in Corinth had succeeded in persuading Gallio that Paul’s movement was not truly Jewish, then at least in principle his followers could have been exposed to charges of an illicit religion and to pressure to honor the emperor. For Paul, who is both a Christian and a Pharisee, that would have been intolerable.

But Gallio refuses to rule on the theological dispute. Ironically, the attempt to use Roman power against Paul ends with the accusers humiliated and their own leader beaten in front of the bench. What they meant for harm to Paul, God turns back on their own heads.

And notice how this sits in the flow of the chapter. In verse 6, the synagogue blasphemes—rejecting Jesus, the Logos of God, as He is freely offered to them. In verses 9–10, the Lord reassures Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Then, when these Jews bring their blasphemous accusation before Gallio, the promised protection is fulfilled: no one lays a hand on Paul, and the violence falls elsewhere. Whether Gallio intended justice or simply wanted to clear his docket, he ends up functioning as an unwitting instrument in God’s hand to preserve His servant (Romans 13:4).

There are echoes here of Joshua: the Angel of Yahweh assures Joshua, “I am with you,” and then the enemies of God’s people are driven back. In the same way, Jesus tells Paul, “I am with you,” and the dragon’s attempt to devour the work in Corinth is frustrated. Whatever human courts may do, Yahweh does not ultimately allow those who despise His Son and take His name in vain to go unanswerable and unjudged.

The Jews’ blasphemy does not go unanswered. They try to enlist Rome to punish Paul, but Christ has promised, “No man will lay a hand on you.” So Gallio dismisses the case and drives them off, and their own leader is beaten in front of his court. The Roman magistrate, without meaning to, becomes the instrument by which God justly turns their evil accusation back on themselves.

The End of the Second Journey

Acts 18:18–22 “And Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brothers and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. And they arrived at Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.”

So Paul ends his journey back where he started, in Antioch (Syria). I view his minor excursion here to Ephesus as foreshadowing since all of Acts 19 is dedicated to that city. And we will talk more about it when we get there.

What is up with the hair cutting?

I think Jim Jordan gives a great explanation in his lectures on Acts. He makes a biblical-theological case that the Nazirite vow, in Numbers 6, was a vow that would grant temporary priesthood. It was a setting apart to God for a task. You don’t see this explicitly in Numbers 6 but rather throughout the Scripture where elements of the Nazirite vow are alluded to. We will not go into detail; suffice it to say that in Judges and Samuel there is evidence that the Nazirite vow was associated with warfare.

Then in the New Testament, John the Baptist and Jesus both seem to take Nazirite‑like vows. John is set apart to the Lord, it is well known. And Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 26:29 that He will not drink wine until He finishes His task, which was holy war. And then in John 19:28–30, it says that “...knowing that all things had already been finished...” Christ takes a drink of wine and says, “It is finished!” He had finished the holy war.

And now, here in Acts 18, what is Paul doing? He is finishing his holy war, which was the second journey. We will see something like this again in Acts 21:23–26 at the end of the third journey. Paul has been under a vow, and the cutting of his hair marks that vow’s completion. Most likely he will present what is required at the temple. He is fighting a war as a Nazirite, set apart to the Lord’s service. It says in the text that he “went up and greeted the church”; I assume that the “going up” is to Jerusalem, which we have seen before. And then he goes “down to Antioch.” After completing his vow, he returns to Antioch. This war is over.

Summary: Paul’s second journey in Corinth shows Christ advancing His cause through a consecrated messenger: the gospel is preached, blasphemy is judged (the dragon is defeated), and the “campaign” is completed with Paul back in Antioch.

Application: The Cause of Christ

Paul is shown to be this consecrated warrior‑priest who boldly reasons with the adversaries of Jesus and who is also granted the protection of Jesus in the presence of his enemies. Paul is dedicated to this cause to which he has been consecrated (Acts 13:2).

He exhorts Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus: “Fight the good fight.” (1 Tim 1:18; 6:12) “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one, while serving as a soldier, entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Tim 2:3–4) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7)

And in Ephesians 6, Paul uses warfare imagery to describe how the Ephesians were to think about this fight against the dragon:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

Paul’s cause is Christ and Him crucified. And we can extrapolate further: how we ought to live in light of Christ’s resurrection. Will we blaspheme and reject Jesus? Or will we accept Him as Lord and take our stand in the ranks of the hosts of Yahweh?

The questions for us in light of this: Is your cause Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Are you shaping your life and activities around the implications of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and return? Or are you living your life for some other cause and trying to attach Jesus to it? Or perhaps you are not thinking about causes at all and you just want to live your life.

No matter the situation, my appeal to you will be the same: embrace the cause of Jesus Christ. Study His Word so that you will know how you ought to live. Work your life around the revelation of God. Do not take His name in vain. If this were a physical war, then you would be forced to think in terms of war. This is a spiritual war—but it is difficult for us to think in those terms.

If this were a physical war, we would do whatever it took to bolster our defenses, to make our homes secure, to make our community secure; we would practice with our weapons the art of war; we would strategize ways to bring about the enemy’s destruction; we would all be well‑versed in Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

Well, Paul tells us that we are in a war with a much more terrifying enemy than mere humanity. We fight rulers, authorities, darkness, spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. Are we prepared to fight? What is your cause?

The Scriptures are our weapon. Do we know them? Are we practicing? Are we disciplined spiritually in the ordinary ways—reading our Bibles, praying, worshiping individually and as a family? Those simple disciplines which are often neglected.

Paul is willing to do whatever it takes for the advancement of the cause. He is willing to work, to travel, to be beaten, stoned, shipwrecked—whatever it takes. Are we willing to do whatever it takes for the cause of Christ to advance?

We must own the cause of Christ. It must infuse everything that we do. Whether we are in the home or in our workplace, no matter where we are, we must be willing to order our lives around the cause of Jesus.

This does not mean that everyone needs to sell their belongings and take long, painstaking trips throughout Europe and the Middle East proclaiming Jesus. It does mean that, in order to maintain a proper witness here in Warsaw, we will need to practice spiritual discipline, exercise strategic war planning, and think about our personal, familial, and ecclesiastical defenses against the wiles of the devil. And I would say, a good offense is the best defense. How are we going to advance the cause of Christ here in Warsaw? How much of your time is spent in thinking about how you can be a better warrior for Jesus in your spheres?

I just want to note too, we are very thankful for you all here who have, and continue to, contribute to the mission: whether it is preparing things for the service, cleaning up after our gathering, managing the Facebook page, being willing to do security, doing crafts with the children, preparing food to share with each other and guests—these things are all necessary for the benefit of our church, and we are very thankful.

And so, let’s continue on for the cause of Christ, who says to you, “Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen!

Pastoral Prayer

Father in Heaven,

We come before you, the rock of our salvation, with thanksgiving and songs of praise. You are a great God and a great King above all gods. In your hand are the depths of the earth and the peaks of the mountains. We come before you in worship, bowing down before Yahweh our Maker. You are our God. We are your sheep and we seek to follow you.

But how often have we hardened our hearts against you as the Isrealites at Meribah? How often have we tested even though we have seen your good works? How often have we wandered in our hearts?

We confess that we have failed to own your cause. We have taken your name in vain.

We have done those things we ought not to have done, and we have not done those things which we ought to have done.

If our favor in your sight was founded upon our obedience, we would all be damned.

We would be as those against whom you swore in your anger that they would never enter into your rest.

We give our sin to you and we thankyou for the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus.

We have been washed, we have been taught your ways; despite our many failings, you have taken us out of the field, washed our wounds, dressed us, and restored us to fellowship again.

I pray that we would never take your grace and forgiveness for granted.

Please, by your word and spirit, lead us in the paths of righteousness for your namesake.

We bring our petitions before you this day:

We pray for Hunter Bailey’s mother, who had open-heart surgery yesterday. We thank you that the surgery was successful and we pray for continued healing.

We pray for our brother, Ryan Eras, as he seeks ordination in the CREC. Grant him favor, Oh Lord.

We pray for the candidate church, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA and their pastors, Nate Devlin, Peter and Kyle. We pray that their witness would be faithful and powerful in Pittsburgh.

We pray for James Brick, the chairmen of the board of supervisors in Wyoming County. That they would stand for justice and equity in your sight.

We lift up our national leaders, President Trump and Vice President Vance, that they would be given great wisdom. I pray that they would understand the gospel and submit themselves to the authority of Jesus truly.

We pray for your church in the world, that you would protect your people. Particularly in those areas torn by warfare.

We pray that if any are causing war unjustly that brings harm upon your people that you would bring what they intend for evil on their own heads as you did for your servant Paul.

We also pray for Covenant Reformed Church, that we would be faithful to the cause of Jesus Christ. I pray that our community would be joyful and full of life. That we would be a true light in the world.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Communion

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all word and all knowledge, even as the witness about Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, beyond reproach in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth. He wanted them to know that God is faithful. He called you into this fellowship we have with Christ our Lord. And this is what we sit to celebrate now: our fellowship with God through Christ. We re-enact the sacrifice of Christ by tearing the bread and pouring the wine as a memorial to God, proclaiming Christ’s death on calvary.

We declare by this meal which we share together that we have peace with God in Christ.

And if we can keep in mind that our sins are forgiven in Christ, then this must dictate how we view our brothers and sisters in the Lord. If a great debt of sin, an unpayable debt of sin, was forgiven me. Then how can I justly withhold forgiveness from my brothers and sisters? We will be reminded shortly by Christ’s words immediately following the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

If you are not forgiving others, then you have no evidence that will assure you of your own forgiveness. Christ forgave us, we then forgive others. Thanks be to God for the forgiveness which we have in Christ.

This is one aspect of the cause of Christ: forgiveness. When we apply the gospel of Jesus Christ to our lives it results in restored relationships grounded in forgiveness. Christ is king, He has forgiven you. Do you believe this? Do you believe that God is faithful? Paul says that He will confirm us to the end, beyond reproach in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There will be no grounds upon which any accusation will land against us. We can remember our baptism, our washing. We are clean. How can we be accused if we are clean? And if you are thinking about all of the ways in which you are unclean, then you have not grasped the significance of what Christ did for you on the cross. Christ took that sin and paid for it. He did not despise the suffering and the death on your behalf. He consecrated Himself for this purpose: to go to a holy war by taking up His cross and being sacrificed on Calvary.

Christ has redeemed us. He has won this fellowship which we enjoy. How can we be bitter or angry? Christ has forgiven you. So, let us break bread together and drink wine, for the victory of Jesus and for the peace we have with God.

If you are not baptized, or you are harboring unrepented sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor then we ask you to refrain from the Supper. But we invite you to repent, receive Christ, and seek membership in His church.

If you are baptized and in good standing with the body of Christ, harboring no unrepented sin against God or your neighbor, then we invite you to eat and drink with us in remembrance of Christ. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God which is why we remember this sacrifice of Jesus. If, in your spirit, you are oppressed by your sin and desirous of being free of it, then come to the Table and be comforted by the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

By sitting at this table, may our spirits be built up in their zeal for the Christ. May we be built up as faithful servants, set apart for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom of grace. Amen.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 95

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

John 4:5-42

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’