Missio Dei Fellowship

In a world that is filled with the constant threat of chaos through natural disasters, the warfare of men, and even the schemes of Satan, the simple truth remains- God is bringing this age to an end, and the outcome is secure. God's Kingdom will reign eternal and the Lord shall be exalted in all the earth. Therefore, the rallying cry of the psalmist is that the people of God have no reason to fear, because their God is with them in the midst of impending doom and will not fail on His covenant promises. For us, the truth remains much the same. God is our shelter and strength in the midst of this chaotic world, but one great day, chaos will give way to everlasting peace under the rule of Christ.

In this psalm, the sons of Korah portray the beauty of the marriage covenant in all its grandeur. In its purest essence, this psalm is designed to teach us what the ideal portrait of a marriage looks like. It highlights the nature and role of a godly husband and his wife, and it calls us to look upon marriage, not only as a wonderful gift from God-but a gift that is to be exercised with great purpose and sobriety. But it is also a gift to be delighted in by others. When a marriage functions as it should, it is a thing of profound beauty to behold to all who see it. The reason for this is simple- witnesses to a godly marriage truly see it as an image of the gospel. In verses 10-17 then, we examine the portrait of the queen.

In this psalm, the sons of Korah portray the beauty of the marriage covenant in all its grandeur. In its purest essence, this psalm is designed to teach us what the ideal portrait of a marriage looks like. It highlights the nature and role of a godly husband and his wife, and it calls us to look upon marriage, not only as a wonderful gift from God-but a gift that is to be exercised with great purpose and sobriety. But it is also a gift to be delighted in by others. When a marriage functions as it should, it is a thing of profound beauty to behold to all who see it. The reason for this is simple- witnesses to a godly marriage truly see it as an image of the gospel.

The Israelites find themselves in the midst of a war they are suffering agonizing defeat in, and evidently, God is not with them in the battle. The dilemma of it all is that they are innocent sufferers who have not forsaken the covenant with their Lord. Like Jesus asleep in the boat with His disciples, God seems to be deep in slumber as their enemies ravage and destroy them. In spite of these circumstances, they continue to place their hope in God, all the while recognizing His sovereignty. Behind their affirmation of His sovereignty is an implicit reality that the New Testament makes explicit- all of God's children will suffer. Yet rather than despair, lose faith, or accuse God of wrongdoing as we undergo trials, we must rest confidently in God's redeeming, covenant love.

The Psalmist finds himself removed from Israel and the presence of God because of evil men who seek to do him much harm. Though his heart and mind waver between despair and hope, he ultimately grounds himself in who God is- the psalmist's exceeding joy. The only way he has come to see God as his exceeding joy is because he has made God his delight for years, and cultivated the habits of a godly man who trusts in the Lord. When the trial hits, he draws from a deep well of truth that reminds him of his exceeding joy. Thus, the question must be asked of us- what is our exceeding joy- What is the well we draw from-

In the midst of sickness, David finds himself facing men who have risen against him to usurp the throne, but worst of all, one of these men is David's closest friend. In spite of these circumstances, David focuses on the mercy of God to remind himself of a series of vital truths. In the midst of evil days, God gives mercy to the merciful, He rescues the afflicted from every foe, and He upholds the upright in their integrity, and therefore, He is worthy of praise. Whether or not David's prayer for healing and deliverance will be answered remains to be seen. What the psalmist knows most intimately though is that whether in life or death, he stands before the face of God eternally.

David once again finds himself in a destitute position, crying out to the Lord for deliverance. Rather than wallow in despair, he reminds himself that God's children have every reason to trust Him. They can not only remember His past faithfulness, but stand upon the firm foundation of His Word and character, and have every confidence that He will help them in their time of need. Regardless of what circumstances believers find themselves in, they can see that the Lord is a refuge for all who trust in Him.

David is near the brink of death and crying out to the Lord for relief. His body is failing him, his friends and family depart from him, and his enemies seek this as an opportunity to surround him. Yet astoundly, he recognizes his current agony is largely the result of personal sin. The Lord is disciplining him, and quite harshly so. Amazingly, he does not plead for the consequences of his sin to be removed from him. Instead, David shows a genuine repentance and godly sorrow over his folly that ultimately looks to the Lord with much faith. All throughout this psalm we find a startling reminder of the seriousness of sin and its consequences, and our own need for genuine repentance before the Lord.

David still finds himself near the brink of death as he undergoes the discipline of the Lord. Out of this season of severe chastisement, David learns the lesson that all men so desperately need to discover- there is a futility to everything under the sun that none escapes. Yet despite how it may seem at first glance, this is a thing of great hope and joy because it brings the wise man to look to that which is -above the sun,- which is God Himself.

Building off of Stephen's speech in which he showed how Israel has spurned the many saviors sent by God, the greatest being Jesus Himself. Today we will see how the Old Testament describes and paints the picture of what salvation actually is and in doing so prepare our hearts all the more for that day of salvation in Jesus Christ. In this message we explore the rich terminology that the New Testament uses to enlarge and describe salvation.

Every which way we look, it appears as if the wicked thrive and the righteous always get the short end of the stick. Yet appearances are ultimately not as they seem to be. One day soon, the wicked and everything they have will disappear- like wisps of smoke in the air, they will fade into obscurity-but the righteous will remain and inherit what God has promised to them. It is in light of this greater reality that the righteous are called to continue doing good and entrusting themselves to their unfailing God, for He is their refuge.

Building off of Stephen's speech in which he showed how Israel has spurned the many saviors sent by God, the greatest being Jesus Himself. Today we will see how the Old Testament describes and paints the picture of what salvation actually is and in doing so prepare our hearts all the more for that day of salvation in Jesus Christ.

In what was intended to be a brief introduction Pastor Henry describes and develops the nature of truth and how various philosophical movements resulted in changing the meaning of words. But words must mean something or there is no hope to be found. And so we are invited to consider how this whole battle over words actually works itself out and how the gospel informs us of something far better than what is being taught in too many pulpits.

In this Psalm, David gives a scathing portrait of the nature of mankind. To the very core of his being, the natural man is wicked in all his ways. Yet these are not merely the thoughts of David, this is how God views every man, woman, and child. Contrary to how many would view themselves in comparison to others, this psalm then compares the character of the natural man against the backdrop of God's supreme holiness. When all is considered and we see things as God sees them, we are left to one conclusion- we are utterly hopeless apart from the grace of God in Christ.

In this long speech Stephan chooses to declare to the religious leaders of his day the long history of Israel rejecting God and turning to idols. He does not seek to safe his life- rather, he chooses to lay down his life for the sake of truth. And in this speech and its aftermath we have a sad, but powerful display of how sin infects and destroys the human soul. We see how truth is suppressed.

The time of war in Jerusalem toward the young Church is now upon it. Not because of evil. Not because of sin. But because the name of Jesus as the Christ is the cornerstone of the Church's message. It begins and ends with the person and work of Jesus. And if Jesus is supreme then there are consequences to how a Jew is to believe, live and worship. And this attacks the power structures of the day. In this story, Luke records the build up to Stephan's execution and shows Stephan to be a man fully walking in the light.

What is the Church and the Christian to do in the onslaught of every sort of doctrine and practice flowing through the land- How can we find ourselves standing firm and unmoved, even when we look the fool- This is the burden behind this sermon. As we watch so many denominations, key influential leaders and even the average believer compromise in so many different ways- we must know where to stand and be unmoved. What is the fountain from which this sort of conviction arises- It is the Word of God.

In this Psalm, David prays in startlingly vivid ways as he asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies by exacting vengeance upon them. We often struggle with these types of Psalms because we believe them to be in some way, shape, or form, counter to the New Testament ethos to love our enemies. Yet David was a man after God's own heart-and that even includes his plea that God would strike his enemies down, in the inspired words of Scripture we find here. Thus, the question remains- how do we rightly understand the place of imprecatory psalms in the life of the Christian-

Luke inserts a short story between the rising tide of oppression against the Jerusalem church that centers on the sin of partiality against some who were very vulnerable. But the point of the passage actually is upon what the priorities of church leaders ought to be and how ministry pressures can subtly pull leaders away from what ought to be their focus.

In this extensive passage we see how God begins to separate the Church away from Israel and Judaism specifically. Through increased pressure and threats God is preparing the Church to obey Jesus' commands to bring the gospel to Judea, Samaria and even the ends of the earth.