Our small groups meet on the 1st and 3rd weeks of each month. Even though we’re meeting online, God is still powerfully using our love, our counsel, and our prayers to build each other up. The coronavirus hasn’t stopped him or his church.
If you haven’t yet joined a small group, get your invite here. Newcomers are welcome. We want you to know us and be known by us.
On Sunday Pastor Eric preached from Genesis 21:1-34. He reminded us that Abraham’s lives and ours prove that God alone deserves all the glory. He remains faithful even when we are faithless. He makes promises to us and keeps them no matter what the cost. Trust him today to keep his promises to forgive all of your sins, to never send you away, to hear all of your prayers, to provide for all your needs, and to work all things for your good.
Politics is the topic for Summer School this upcoming Tuesday, August 8th. The Zoom call starts at 7:30pm. We’ve titled this class, “Politics: Matters of Wisdom, Conscience and Love.”
To whet your appetite, check out the following quotes from How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?:
“The gospel does not automatically resolve all our wisdom-based political judgments in the here and now. It helps us love and forbear with one another amid those different wisdom-based judgments. It creates unity amid diversity, not uniformity.”
“Just think about the epistles. They are not primarily tracts on how to do justice outside of the church. They are primarily tracts on living justly and righteously inside the church. Our political engagement outside should flow out of our justice- and righteousness-seeking lives inside. Jesus, Paul, and the rest of the apostles could have spent a lot of time talking about Caesar and the political world of that day. They did say a few things but not much.”
Bring your questions or submit them ahead of time to the church office.
Watch your email for an invite to the call.
Pastor Eric recently interviewed our denomination’s Director of Theology, Jeff Purswell. They spoke for half an hour on the government’s God-given role in the world, why we should submit, and when it’s appropriate to disobey. Set aside 30 minutes and consider this crucial topic with them.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
James 1:5
On Sunday Pastor Eric asked all of us to pray for the pastoral team as they plan for the fall. Normally, we would be announcing events and opportunities for September and beyond. But with the coronavirus still deeply affecting our lives, wisdom is needed as we make plans for our church. God has called us to make disciples. That doesn’t change. But it’s safe to assume our ministry plans and approaches will look different this coming year.
Please pray that God would give the pastors and all of our ministry leaders wisdom as we seek to serve you in 2020 and 2021. Let’s ask and believe that our Great Shepherd will lead us into fruitful ministry in this season.
On Sunday Pastor Eric preached from Genesis 20:1-18. He reminded us that we are just as in need of God’s grace today as we were when we first believed. Our besetting sins discourage us, but Jesus Christ has liberated us from their power. “He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free; his blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me” (O for a Thousand Tongues, Charles Wesley).
Tuesday night was our first Summer School class. A big thanks to the brothers and sisters from both churches who attended on Zoom. Your participation glorifies God and strengthens the church.
The topic we covered was “Church and State: Deciding When to Submit or Rebel.” We have just two suggestions for those of you who’d like to study the topic further:
(1) R.C. Sproul’s Lecture series on Church and State.
(2) “Covid, Christians, and the Civil Magistrate” by Keith Mathison. It’s a 20-minute read but worth every minute. Here are a few highlights:
“God does not pit obedience to Himself against obedience to civil magistrates. We are most certainly to obey God, but as Romans 13 indicates, one of the ways we obey God is to obey those God Himself has sovereignly and providentially put in authority over us. This includes civil magistrates. Even those we don't like.”
“The various civil magistrates at the federal, state, and local levels have to make difficult decisions. Can they wait until there is a worldwide consensus on the seriousness of the virus in every circumstance? No…One of the legitimate tasks of the civil magistrate is to protect the lives of citizens. In the midst of a storm of conflicting and ever-changing information, they have to attempt to protect lives when they believe there is a legitimate threat.”
“I have no idea whether face masks are an effective means of slowing the spread of this virus, but if the biblical principles summarized above are true, it matters little because the mandate to wear them in public indoor places for the time being is not contradicting any command of God. Does it infringe on my ability to do what I want to do when I want to do it? Perhaps, but autonomously doing what I want to do when I want to do it is not an axiom of biblical ethics.”
“If Christians disagree, should they simply ignore these mandates? Given what Romans 13 and other texts clearly say, a Christian needs to ask whether he is 100% certain that what the civil magistrate is requiring is the principled equivalent to bowing to a statue of Nebuchadnezzar before disobeying the magistrate. According to Romans 13:2, God takes very seriously resistance to the authorities He has placed over us: ‘those who resist will incur judgment.’ We cannot take that lightly.”
“I don’t think anyone is being asked to deny Christ yet or not preach the Gospel. If that happens, then Acts 5 does come into play, and you absolutely have to obey God. What we are being asked to do right now is more akin to what churches have been asked to do for a time in past pandemics (e.g. the Black Plague, the Spanish Flu, etc.) and what churches have been asked to do for a time during war in some places. In other words, we are being asked to put up with temporary inconveniences. That requires patience.”
Join us for our next Summer School class on Tuesday 8/11 when we cover “Politics: Matters of Wisdom, Conscience, and Love.” Contact the church office and we’ll make sure you get the Zoom call info.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much in our lives. Even how we get to know new members at Sovereign Grace Church. Normally, you’d hear a testimony in a service. But now we’re moving it online.
We’ve asked our newest members to record a brief video that we can share with you.
Church membership is a responsibility, a privilege, and a joy. Jesus saves us and makes a part of a local body of believers where we can learn, serve, and grow. Learn more about membership at Sovereign Grace Church.