Our Marriages Needed the Redeeming Power of God.

Thursday night was our Community Group. It so happens that our group right now has six married couples. Our topic for discussion last night was based on the role of the husband and this was strategic and will be followed by our next meeting that will discuss the role of the wife. These two meetings follow our church’s recent Sermon Series – The Final Word: Gender, Marriage, and Complementarian Roles According to Scripture (what a gift God’s word is to us regarding these issues has been and what a gift these sermons have been to our church).

So, the agenda for our meeting was set. The Bible text was Ephesians 5. Our guide for discussion was Chapter 2 from the book, “Love that Lasts – When Marriage Meets Grace”, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci. The title of the chapter is “Leading with Love – The Role of the Husband.” 

Yet my heart for our group was one of desperation, a desperation for the Holy Spirit to minister to these couples… to Lisa and me. I knew that this meeting was coming at a time that met the various couples right in the middle of life’s suffering, bewilderment, conflict, trouble, failure, sin and more. Our meeting was not filled with starry-eyed newlyweds. Together we needed instruction, help, encouragement, correction, conviction, repentance, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and most definitely real and lasting hope, hope we knew but have often forgotten could be found only in Jesus. Our marriages needed the redeeming power of God. 

Knowing this, I began the meeting by reading the final word’s in Chapter 2. Gary wrote:

“Men, I could have easily filled this chapter with the examples of my failures to love, lead, understand, and honor my wife. But that wouldn’t serve you.” He went on. “Instead, I want to draw your attention to the glorious gospel of the Son of God who cleanses us from our past and then moves us forward to grace-filled future.” 

Each husband (and their wives) so needed to be reminded about the redeeming power of God in the glorious gospel! The time flew by, and we seemingly barely scratched the surface, yet nearing the end of our time, one of the wives highjacked the last several minutes of the meeting and each of wives encouraged their husbands in specific ways that God was at work in them as they fulfilled their roles husbands. 

Our marriages so needed this Community Group! God has been at work redeeming husbands’ and wives’ roles, redeeming their marriages, and our marriages so needed to hear it. Instead of being left to the condemning nature of a litany of failures, each husband was encouraged forward by the truth of God’s redeeming power that is at work in their marriage. 

Let this simple retelling of a single Community Group’s story direct your gratitude, and your worship to your Savior, Jesus, who loved His bride so much that “He gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)

-Tom Wilkins

Compromise can be good. It can also be bad—really bad. Bad compromise happens when one chooses to live below the standards they know are true for an intended effect. Spiritual compromise is the worst kind of compromise. It’s the Christian’s kryptonite. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 1:19b-2:5
TITLE:   Compromise Kills
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Spiritual compromise jeopardizes the full realization of God’s promises and blessings to us.

POINTS:
1. Israel’s Compromise
2. Our Warning

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The Bible repeatedly warns us about spiritual compromise, and for good reason: When we compromise our faith, we forfeit experiencing the Lord’s promise and blessing as we should.” 

“Israel’s compromise is front and center in Judges. Today, it is a warning for us as we follow Jesus in a messed-up world.”  

“The author's message is impossible to avoid—they did not drive the enemy out of the Promised Land.”

“Here’s the deal—It’s not up to Israel or us to determine what happened. A question we must learn to ask is—What is God’s view? And that’s precisely what we get next.”

“What God says here, He has repeatedly said in Exodus and Deuteronomy. First, He reminds them how He delivered them from Egypt, expressing His covenant faithfulness. Second, given redemption, He commands and warns them not to covenant with the Canaanites but to drive them out of the land and destroy their pagan liturgy, break down their altars of worship, lest they turn from God to the idols of Canaanites. Israel failed to obey God. We have an explicit example of this at the beginning of our passage—read 1:22-26.” 

“The root of Israel’s problem was not military strategy, physical might, or pragmatic policy. It wasn’t that iron chariots were insurmountable or that God’s power was less effective in the plains than in the hill country. It was spiritual—Spiritual compromise. As we will see in next week’s text, Israel’s spiritual compromise led not only to the accommodation of the Canaanites but an assimilation of the Israelites to the Canaanite's paganism.”

“Israel’s compromise is a warning for us. Like Israel, our compromise is often gradual, subtle, and not always black and white. Joseph acted “kindly” to the man and his family fleeing Bethel. But their kindness was a spiritual compromise in that situation because it disobeyed God.”

“Whether it is inconsistent with His Word or a conscience calibrated by His Word, compromising our faith is simply doing something inconsistent with being faithful to God.”

“As Christians, we want to love others. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. But here’s what we must never do: No matter how right, kind, innocent, or socially acceptable something may seem, we must never place our desires, convenience, comfort, or reputation over God’s Word.”

“Christ gave his life for us. By the grace of God, you are what you are in Jesus. Forgiven, righteous, kept, and EMPOWERED to live for Jesus. What God calls you to, He will provide grace to walk in.” 

“Christian or not, never presume on God’s grace. He will not be mocked. The Bible is clear: When we compromise our faith, He will discipline us (Hebrews 12). When we yoke ourselves to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6), He will oppose us in our pride (James 4). To compromise our faith is to NOT abide in Christ, and when we don’t abide in Christ we miss out on the promised joy that is ours in Christ (John 15).” 

“How is the Spirit convicting you of compromise? No fear or condemnation. Just grateful and sincere repentance followed by joyful gratitude that Jesus cleanses you of all your sins and He never leaves or forsakes you despite your sin.” 

“That’s our prayer through this series. That God, in His kindness, would grant us fresh affections for Christ and a renewed desire to live for Him and him alone, so that we will experience all He has for us to the praise of His glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 12:1-2

QUOTES:
Unknown - “The chief danger of the Church today is that it is trying to get on the same side as the world, instead of turning the world upside down.”

Daniel Block - “This reaction on God’s part is neither impulsive nor arbitrary nor capricious; it reflects his own fidelity to past pronouncements.”

Barry Webb - “Doing something that is inconsistent with being faithful to God.”

Randy Smith - “Compromise with the culture is often the result when we lose a reverence and respect for the Lord. It’s the “Jesus won’t mind” attitude. To overcome compromise we need to remove our fear of offending the world and recapture a healthy fear of the Lord that our God expects and demands.”

APPLICATION:
Three things about compromise:

1. Compromise can be subtle; often, you don’t even notice it

2. Compromise happens when we lose focus on our true calling. We don’t drift into holiness; we drift into compromise.

3. Compromise is a hard habit to break

In light of this, here is our application—Prioritize Community Group. 

If you don’t have one—find one. If you have one, but no one in it knows you—start going. We all need help identifying, avoiding, and defeating compromise. You shouldn’t go the Christian life alone because you can’t go it alone because God didn’t intend you go it alone. The answer to compromise is refocusing on Jesus, getting back to the Bible, and renewing our affection for Jesus. That’s what happens in CG.

At our Prayer Night this past Sunday we prayed together as a church, confessing our anxieties and casting them upon the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). We do this not only because it is a command from God’s Word, but because scriptures like Psalm 93 remind us that God is ruling and reigning on His throne and is worthy of our trust. As we ended the evening, we sang a song called The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) which proclaims that very truth. 

As God’s people, we need to sing this song together. Why? Because it is so easy for us to forget: As we encounter trial and sorrows, as we fight the sin of anxiety, and especially in the midst of the chaos and busyness of life, we need to be reminded that God is ruling and reigning on His throne. 

We often come on Sunday mornings distracted by the chaos of life. What a joy to be able to gather together as God’s Church and remind one another of this truth as we sing. In the Lord’s kindness, He often works to encourage His saints this way when we gather to sing. I encourage you to listen and learn this song as we look forward to singing it throughout our Judges Series (Christ in the Chaos). 

God’s people needed this reminder in the Book of Judges and we need it today. 

Title: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93)
Album: Unchanging God - Songs from the Book of Psalms, Vol. 1
Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfG0Efz49VU

When things get chaotic, where do we find hope? The Book of Judges is in the Bible for a reason: to point us to and ground us in our hope in life and death, especially in times of chaos. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 1:1-19a
TITLE:   A Hopeful Start
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Supreme Sufficiency of God
2. The Unfailing Hope of Christ
3. The Irreplaceable Value of Unity

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Judges shows us how God forged a people for Himself in a chaotic time, described in the final words of Judges as a time when—Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. That was chaos then, and it’s chaos now. Doesn’t it seem like we live in a world that is more and more chaotic? Increasingly, everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. So then, the question for believers is this—When things get chaotic, where do we find hope? The Book of Judges is in the Bible for a reason: to point us to and ground us in our hope in life and death, especially in times of chaos.”

“Today may be the happiest day of our series as we look at Israel’s response to the death of Joshua. As our sermon title suggests, it was A Hopeful Start. In this Hopeful Start, we find three unchanging truths that we must not lose sight of amid the chaos.”

“As we come to the Book of Judges, Israel was in crisis. Their leader is dead. The mission incomplete. The future very uncertain. What will Israel do? What would you do? Maybe you’re experiencing the uncertainty of life right now: 

• New season of life (marriage, fatherhood/motherhood, retirement, empty nest). 

• Uncertainty of the future (country, finances, health)

• Unimaginable loss (death of your Joshua, a towering presence and force for good in your life—father, mother, mentor)

Where do you turn? Where is your confidence? What is the source of your hope? Notice Israel’s response.”

“As successful and loved as Joshua was, Israel knew the true source of their fruitfulness and well-being. It wasn’t Joshua; it was the Lord. God had been faithful to Israel. He made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He kept them. Joshua is gone, and that’s hard. But God has gone nowhere. He is right there with them. And he hears their prayer.”

“To some, verses 4-18 may seem like nothing more than geography and a list of military successes. More than mere geography, this list is what one commentator called Theological Geography. The cities, regions, people, details, and short sub-stories all matter. They happened in real space and time. They are world history. But it’s history and geography that reveals God's wisdom, assurance, power, and presence with His people.”

“Israel’s help and hope are not in an earthly hero; it’s in the eternal purposes and powerful presence of an Almighty God. But Israel lost sight of God. More and more, they drifted away from God to the world.”

“This point should not be lost on us. Judges is not about pagan nations—it’s about God’s people. This series is not about a chaotic world—it’s about the church. It’s about you and me. It’s about our pride and idolatry. It’s about our insatiable appetite to do what we think is right in our own eyes instead of turning to, trusting in, and following God.”

“GOOD NEWS: Judges doesn’t leave us to ourselves. Whether it’s the macro picture or the micro details, Judges reveals a merciful and gracious God who uses flawed and weak people to fulfill his purposes.” 

“When God’s people inquired who would go against the enemy, God said Judah. And now, the Lion of Judah has gone against our greatest enemy, Satan, and sin, and God has given them into his pierced hands so that we would be saved from the consequences of our sin—That battle has been won!”

“Our legacy isn’t found in a theological hero or a national identity. Our legacy is a gospel legacy. We are the fruit of Christ’s work on meant to impact a chaotic world. 
Q) How do we do that?  A) Together!”

“God put His finger on Judah to lead the way. But the battle against the enemy was going to be difficult. So Judah did not launch out alone; they fought the fight TOGETHER. As we have seen in 4-18, this strengthened the nation. Corporate unity is essential in Judges because it is a primary way we experience God’s sufficiency and faithfulness—TOGETHERNESS. The key to seeing Christ in the chaos is seeing the wonders of his love for His people.”

“Grasping the limitlessness of Christ’s love for us and God’s faithfulness to us is not something we can do in isolation. If left to ourselves, the fight for faith becomes chaotic because we become weak.”

“Judges happened long ago in a faraway land. But it couldn’t be more relevant for us today because, ultimately, it points us forward to Jesus and His coming kingdom where we live together as a shining light for the glory of God, renown of Jesus in the salvation of sinners, with eager anticipation of heaven!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Joshua 23:14
2 Samuel 7
Revelation 5
Ephesians 3:17-19

QUOTES:
Barry Webb - “Joshua made a great impact on his generation and left behind him people who worked together, called on God, moved at his command, and experienced his blessing….As Christians we all share in a far greater legacy. For the whole church of which we are a part is the legacy of Jesus Christ.”

Dale Ralph Davis - “The unity and fellowship of God’s people is not a wimpy idea weaker Christians dote on. It is an essential condition for experiencing the strength of our God.”

APPLICATION:
This is why Sunday matters more than you can imagine. When it comes to the chaos in your life, gathering with your church to pray, sing, serve, and sit under God’s preached Word brings clarity, faith, ammunition, and strength for the spiritual battle.

Our gathering is meant to proclaim and demonstrate the power and testimony of Jesus Christ as the one mediator between God and man, that all people would come to a saving knowledge of the gospel truth in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the praise of God’s glory. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Final Word
TEXT: 1 Timothy 2:8-15
TITLE:   Gathering God’s Way
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When we gather as God’s people, we gather God’s way.

POINTS:
1. Humility Matters When The Church Gathers
2. Order Matters When The Church Gathers

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Scripture doesn’t tell us how to do everything when we gather, but it is clear on some things, including our God-ordained complementarian roles. Where Scripture is clear, we must be committed.”

“One would think this goes without saying, but there’s no fighting at church. Paul says anger and quarreling have no place in the household of God, especially when we gather to worship God.”

“Men like to duke it out, be it with fists or words. And don’t tell me to back down—I can fight a war of words for as long as I have to. A bit of hyperbole, but it’s true; men get angry. At times, we get loud. Other times, we quietly huddle in the lobby to grumble about music that’s too loud, a member that’s too different, or a pastor that’s too direct. Sometimes, our anger is silent. The anger and quarreling are internal. Paul says—STOP. Instead of fighting, pray with each other.”

“As men, we are called to lead the church in making it a gathering of peace, love, and unity.”

“That takes humility. Where there is humility, there will be peace. Humility means seeing others as more important than ourselves (Phillipians 2:3). Humility means looking to others’ interest (Philippians 2:4). Humility means being able to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11). Humility means having an eagerness to guard the unity of the Spirit in the body of Christ produced by the gospel (Ephesians 4:3).”

“Ladies, we live in a society that screams in your ear—You are what you look like! Botox, plastic surgery, fancy jewelry, and designer clothes. If you want to get noticed or feel like a woman, you’ve got to have it. If that external pressure wasn’t enough, you have the internal tendency to compare yourself with other women. Look at her—I wish I could pull that off. The Bible says something vastly different—It’s not about the outside; it’s about the inside. It’s about your heart. It’s about your motive. That’s the point of verses 9-10.” 

“If you dress to get noticed, no matter how long your skirt is or how loose your pants are, you are missing it —that’s pride. Fashionable clothes, nice jewelry, and that latest hairstyle aren’t sinful, but a self-centered, proud heart is.”

“Ladies, God desires you to come to church not to dazzle with your looks but to demonstrate the glory of Jesus with your heart by humbly giving yourself—look at 10—good works—serving and pointing others to Christ. This is a God-glorifying profession of godliness.” 

“First, what Paul is not saying. He is not saying women cannot pray or prophecy in the church (1 Corinthians 11:5). Nor is he saying women cannot teach other women (Titus 2). He is not saying women can’t speak up in CG or offer counsel to a man (Acts 18:26). Other NT passages make it clear that Paul is not prohibiting women from speaking PERIOD in church.” 

“Paul IS saying two things: 1) Women are not to teach the gathered church, and 2) Women are not to exercise authority over the gathered church. IMPORTANT: Teaching and exercising authority are two different and distinct activities. The text bears this out.”

“Biblical roles for men and women in the church are rooted not in the culture, tradition, or fairness but in the created order of Genesis 1-2.” 

“Some have interpreted this as women being spiritually weaker, less intelligent, or more gullible—Not true! This would imply that women are inferior to men, and Scripture never says that.” 

“Paul uses this fundamental and unchangeable distinction to encourage women—ladies, I hope you are encouraged—that as you persevere in embracing and walking in your unique God-ordained roles, stated in 9-12, contrasted to the Garden in 14, and exemplified in 15 by child-bearing, it is one evidence, along with faith, love, holiness, and self-control, of your new life in Christ. So Paul ends this teaching on roles in the gathered church by showing the destruction of not walking in their God-ordained roles, i.e., Eve’s deception, and the good of walking in those roles, i.e., perseverance and endurance in godliness and truth to the end when our salvation will be final and we will be with Jesus.”

QUOTES:
Thomas Schreiner - “In approaching Eve, then, the Serpent subverted the pattern of male leadership and interacted only with the woman. Adam was present throughout and did not intervene. The Genesis temptation, therefore, stands as the prototype of what happens when male leadership is abrogated. Eve took the initiative in responding to the Serpent, and Adam let her do so.”

APPLICATION:
- Men, are you an angry person? Are you angry with someone in this room? Humble yourself and pray for them, and watch your perspective and attitude toward them change. Go to them and humbly talk it out with another brother or pastor. There will be disagreements. We are sinners. But as men, we are called to lead the church in peacemaking and unity. 

-Ladies, what are you more aware of or concerned about on Sundays—your looks or serving others? Reflecting a particular image or reflecting your Savior? God doesn’t forbid your desire to look good at church. He made you way more beautiful than men! But God does want you to know that looking good is not where you get your identity and value. That comes from not what you can do to yourself but what Jesus has done for you in the gospel.

Today, the risen Jesus is building his church. As he does, he is redeeming our roles through truth and the Spirit. This means:

1. Men, because of Jesus, you can walk in your God-given roles of leading the church in humble peacemaking and prayer. Be encouraged and repent where you need to. God is merciful and gracious.

2. Ladies, because of Jesus, you can walk in your God-given role of doing good works with a submitted spirit. Be encouraged and repent where you need to. God is merciful and gracious.

Tomorrow, October 22nd, you will receive a GIFT! 

The ESV Scripture Journal on the book of Judges

Sunday, October 29th, we begin a 22-week series in the Book of Judges. Judges is ugly, violent, and depressing. Yet, in all the chaos, we see God powerfully at work as He faithfully and patiently sustains His people and points us forward to our Savior.

Christ in the Chaos - Into the darkness of this ugly, violent, and sinful world, “the sunrise,” (Luke 1:78 ESV) God’s only begotten Son, Jesus, came to us! Into the chaos of our messed up sinful lives, the Savior has come! What a pure JOY! What a certain HOPE!

These Journals are given to you as a means to encourage your study and meditation on the book of Judges. They include the complete book of Judges (ESV) and space to take notes. 

During this series, each of the sermons will give us the opportunity to open the pages in the book of Judges and hear God speak to His Church… to us… in order that Jesus may be magnified. Therein the light of His Word will shine into our hearts and lives. We will be challenged, confronted, convicted, given grace, encouraged, granted hope, moved to fall before Him, and to stand in awe of Him in true worship! 

Use these Journals to take notes. 

That last sentence made me laugh out loud! “... take notes?” Are you kidding me? This is from the guy who at Eastwood Middle School was more interested in collecting NFL pencils (from a vending machine in the front office) than I ever was interested in actually using them to take notes! 

We don’t need scientific proof that note-taking helps us remember more. Just revisited your desk, the front of the fridge, the countertop, the bathroom mirror, the car dash, and the “texts-to-self” on our phones. The dilemma is not the Word… it’s our forgetfulness, neglect, or disregard. Consider the possibility of redeeming these struggles by the intentional application of the simple God-given tool of taking notes in order to recall again, recite again, and delight in God’s Word again and again. 

I found this on the internet (I am sure it is true :-)) : “One Saturday night, apparently from exhaustion, Charles Spurgeon fell asleep before preparing his sermon for the next morning. However, he began talking in his sleep. Taking up pen and paper, his wife Susannah wrote down the things Spurgeon said in his sleep, handing her notes to him in the morning. He used those notes to preach the sermon to his 6,000-member congregation!” Not an exact application of the kind of note-taking I was referring to, but I’ll bet you never forget the story!

I know for certain that this series in Judges will definitely be etched a little deeper in this “middle-schooler’s” mind and heart because I will finally use that pencil. How about you?

A wife’s complementarian role in marriage isn’t an old-fashioned tradition or a barbaric form of oppression. When a wife embraces God’s design for her in marriage, she serves and worships the Lord. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Final Word
TEXT: Ephesians 5:22-24
TITLE:   It’s Not About Your Marriage, Part 2
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When a wife gladly submits to her husband, she worships the Lord.

POINTS:
1. A Horizontal Mandate
2. A Vertical Motivation

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”…nowhere in Scripture are the roles ever reversed. The husband is always called to loving, sacrificial, and understanding leadership, and the wife is always called to joyful submission to her husband’s leadership. That’s God’s Final Word on roles in marriage.“

“Clearly, 21 calls us to submit to one another. But unless that submission is qualified and defined, it would be chaos. That’s precisely what Paul is doing. Beginning with the wives, Paul shows how we submit to one another, not in a mutually absolute way, but according to the God-ordained roles and relationships we find ourselves in. So, Paul instructs us on Christ-exalting submission in different relationships, first wives to husbands, then children to parents in 6:1, and finally employees to employers in chapter 6:5.” 

“What does biblical submission look like? Wives, your role is to partner with your husband (and your husband only—context is marriage) as his helpmate. That is not a mindless task. Biblical submission does not mean you’re a doormat. You are not a silent partner without a voice.”

“True complementarianism doesn’t mean you’re forbidden to disagree with your husband or speak out apart from your husband. You’re not called to obey your husband, as children obey their parents. That’s hyper-complementarianism. It’s destructive. It’s unbiblical. It’s no complementarianism at all. It grieves the Spirit. If your husband is leading you into sin or stubbornly leading you into a supremely unwise situation—don’t submit! I appeal to you to reach out to your pastor. If you don’t feel physically safe, reach out to your pastor and get help. If you are married to an unbeliever (tricky), reach out to your pastor and get help.” 

“A marriage is a loving, intimate, covenantal union between a man and a woman, co-heirs with Christ, equal yet different to complement one another. That means there is a necessary interdependence and a great degree of mutual submission in marriage. For the wife (husbands, we need to hear this and lead our wives in this), that means using your strengths, skills, wisdom, understanding, and perspective to help your husband as he makes decisions and leads your marriage and home in a Christ-exalting direction.”

“To be clear, Paul isn’t saying wives are to submit to their husbands EXACTLY as you submit to Christ—that’s idolatry! Husbands, we have to be careful that we don’t lead our wives and have expectations of them that, in effect, cause them to idolize us. Ladies, before you are a Christian wife, you are a disciple of Jesus. And as a disciple of Jesus, you are called to an absolute and complete submission to Him. So when Paul says submit to your husband as to the Lord, he means: A wife submits to her husband as an expression of her submission to the Lord.”

“This means your marriage is not about your marriage. It’s about God filling the earth with the glory of His wisdom and the mercy of His love—through your marriage! That should bring us to our knees. But it should also flood our hearts with hope. The very thing at the heart of your marriage—the gospel—is powerful enough to transform any marriage, including yours.”

“Nothing is more critical, essential, and hopeful to your marriage than believing the gospel is powerful enough for your marriage! When you believe it, your marriage is a living parable that produces joy in your heart, shines truth to the world, and brings glory to God.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 3
1 Peter 3
Titus 2

QUOTES:
Alexander Strauch - “The word submission can hardly be used in our culture without misunderstanding and strong disdain. It is loaded with negative, provocative connotations, yet submission is a biblical word and a Christian virtue. We cannot avoid it.”

Gary Ricucci - “The relationship between a husband and his wife is meant to be a reflection of Christ’s relationship with his church—a living parable of the supernatural union between Jesus and his Bride.”

APPLICATION:
1. Know your calling by studying it
2. Transfer the truth
3. Don’t be surprised when submission gets difficult

What a joy it is to be part of Sovereign Grace Churches! Your financial partnership and prayers continue to be a means of God's grace in advancing the Gospel through our family of churches throughout the world. YOU together with our Church, are making an eternal difference!

Mark Prater, the Executive Director of the Sovereign Grace Churches Global Leadership Team, recently provided the following encouragement and a list of Prayer Requests. We hope that you are encouraged by his words and are asking you to join us and pray for these things.

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From Mark:

"Building relationally has always been a value in Sovereign Grace, and by the grace of God, it's our hope that it always will be. One of the ways that we strengthen the relationships we have among our churches is to pray for one another. It is right that we, as a family of churches, pray for one another, but it is also right that we remember who we pray to. Charles Spurgeon in his book, The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life, writes: 'The frail, feeble, undeserving creature is permitted to stand in the august presence of the God of the whole earth, and the Lord regards the poor creature as if there were nothing else for Him to observe, bending His ear, and His heart to listen to that creatures cry. It is essential that we know that we are speaking to God and that God is hearing us.'

Amazing isn't it? The Lord of the whole earth bends His ear and His heart to listen to the prayers we pray for one another. What a faith-building truth!"

Sovereign Grace Churches Fourth Quarter 2023 Prayer Requests

• Pray that God would draw unbelievers to Sovereign Grace churches as we hold our Christmas-related events and services in December.

• Pray that God would give the members of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the gospel with unbelieving family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers over the holiday season.

• Pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches Pastors Conference, November 14-16, 2023, in Orlando, FL, asking God to work in a way that our relationships among our churches are strengthened, pastors and wives are equipped for what God has called them to do, and that our family of churches is united in our shared gospel mission all for the glory of God alone.

• Pray for our two church plants in Mexico, one in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and one in Huajuapan Oaxaca asking God to provide for their needs, strengthen their church planting teams, and draw unbelievers to both churches.

• Pray for Dave Taylor (Director of Global Missions) and Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney as they host 17 pastors from the Philippines for the second half of our SG Pastors Immersion Training, October 14 – November 6. This training will help us to continue putting some key foundations into Sovereign Grace Churches Philippines and bring these pastors together as a foundational leadership cohort. We’re very excited about this step, as our two big groups of churches in the Philippines start to come together in partnership in this way, all under the one banner of SGC Philippines.

• Pray for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan who have been affected by the recent rioting. There were about 20-25 churches that were looted and burned as well as many homes of Christian families. One of those looted and destroyed churches is pastored by a man who is with the group that we have the privilege of partnering with in Pakistan. So please pray that God would meet them in this time of great affliction and sorrow.

• Pray that God would bring peace and end the wars in Ukraine and in Israel. Pray that God would turn the tragedies of war into gospel opportunities in both nations. Please continue to pray for the Ark Church, our sister church in Dnipro, Ukraine, asking God to protect them, and use them to meet practical needs, and to offer gospel hope to people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

• Pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

Here is the good news—Being a husband is not about how far we have come but how far Jesus went to enable, empower, and ensure that, though imperfect, we can be God-exalting husbands. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Final Word
TEXT: Ephesians 5:25-33
TITLE:   It’s Not About Your Marriage
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Husbands, and future husbands, your role doesn’t begin with a ring at the altar; it begins with Jesus atoning sacrifice on the cross.

POINTS:
1. A Sacrificial Love
2. A Purposeful Love

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”We have spent the last two Sundays in Genesis 2 learning marriage is designed by God to be a life-long commitment between a man who lovingly leads and a woman who joyfully follows as her husband’s helpmate. Sin has made that hard (Genesis 3:16). Instead of leading in love, the husband’s inclination is to dominate his wife. Instead of a joyfully submitted helpmate, the wife now wants to rule over her husband. And the result is a sky-high divorce rate, adultery as the norm, crushing spousal abuse, and lovers turned roommates. That’s just in the church! What’s the answer? …we have to get our eyes off the latest five steps to a better marriage, off love languages, off romantic idealism, off the idol of self-fulfillment, and back on Jesus.” 

“Marriage is vertical before it’s horizontal. It’s about you and Jesus before it’s about you and your spouse. It’s about the gospel. Marriage is a relational context meant be a living parable of Christ and the church.”

“…before we even have time to think about it looks like to love your wife, Paul says, get your eyes of yourself and LOOK UP.”

“A husband’s love for his wife is not culturally defined, experientially defined, or traditionally defined. It is Christologically defined. God wants your holy duty as husbands to be informed, motivated, and shaped by Jesus’ love for sinners beginning with the cross.”

“No one made him do it. It’s not something he deserved. Yet, submitting to his Father’s will to the praise of his glory, Jesus took the initiative and gave, not simply what he had—he gave himself.“

“This daily sacrifice involves a willingness to see your wife, a co-heir in Christ as more important than yourself, as well as a readiness to lay down all you hold dear to care for her. This daily sacrifice is about living with our wives in an understanding way, even when she refuses to do the same with you. We don’t lead and love our wives this way because they’ve earned it. If Jesus is our model, Jesus didn’t make us earn his love. He loved us when we were unlovable and he continues to love us despite our unlovability.”

“Husbands, and future husbands, your role doesn’t begin with a ring at the altar—it begins with Jesus atoning sacrifice on the cross.”

“We all know the saying—Happy wife makes a happy life. While there may be some truth to that, our call as husbands is to be concerned, not primarily for her short-term happiness, but for her long term holiness and ever-increasing satisfaction and joy in Jesus. There is no greater way we can lead our wives.” 

“Listen, as husbands, we do not, we cannot sanctify and cleanse our wives of their sin. It’s not us who presents our wives in splendor before the throne of God above. Jesus alone can and does do that. But we are called to lead, encourage, promote, and spur them on in holiness. As God’s primary instrument of grace in our wives spiritual lives, we are to be purposeful in this calling.”

“Men, we need heavenly help for our holy duty. And God gives it. He made us new in Jesus. He fills us with His Spirit. He stands by His promises to give us all things we need for life and godliness. And as we will see next week, He gives us wives, the perfect helpmates who, with their wisdom, love, and own obedience, help us grow in being the husbands God has called us to be.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 2:20
1 John 3:16
1 Peter 3:7
Philippians 2:3-4
Romans 5
John 17:17

QUOTES:
Martyn Lloyd-Jones - “We must start by studying the relationship between Christ and the church, and then, and then only, can we look at the relationship between the husband and wife.”

Gary Ricucci - “The role of a husband doesn’t begin at the altar…it begins at the cross.”

Larry McCall - “A husband who would love his wife as Christ also loved the church will begin by understanding that his love is a choice, made in spite of (not because of) his wife’s actions, attitudes or appearance.”

Gary Ricucci - “Our role originates in the gospel, is empowered by the gospel, and is perfected through the gospel. We can love and lead our wives because our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved us, gave himself up for us, and leads us each day in mercy and grace.”

APPLICATION:
Redemptive Questions for Husbands (taken from “Love That Lasts” by Gary and Betsy Ricucci):
- Do I faithfully pray for her, that Jesus Christ might be glorified in her and that she might know his love and grace?
- Do I love her enough to confront and correct her sin, especially recurrent patterns of sin, and then patiently and consistently lead her into fruitful and liberating repentance?
- Do I wash her with the Water of God’s Word (Ephesians 5:25-27), or do I compromise her growth in godliness because my pride, selfishness, or fear keeps me from this God-given responsibility?
- Do I lead her into active involvement and service in our local church?
- Do I constantly remind her of the gospel of grace and of God’s active goodness on our behalf?

Lord, use this text to make us more amazed at you while feeling more desperate for and dependent on you. 

There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

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SGU Autumn 2023 Unit

The first class in the Sovereign Grace University Unit, The Doctrine of Man/Sin, started September 3rd!

SGU is a discipleship class that focuses on theology and this fall we will be going over THE DOCTRINE 0F MAN & SIN.

If you haven’t signed up yet, there is still time! To register or to find out more information, visit our SGU PAGE HERE.

“Judges: Christ in the Chaos” Preaching Series

October 29th, we begin a 22-week series in the Book of Judges. Judges is ugly, violent, and depressing. Yet, in all the chaos, we see God powerfully at work as He faithfully and patiently sustains His people and points us forward to our Savior. Don’t forget to grab your free Judges Journal, coming to the Information Center soon.

5TH SUNDAY STRETCH WORSHIP & PRAYER NIGHT

A WORSHIP & PRAYER night will be held at the church on October 29th (the fifth Sunday) at 7PM. This event is a time for us to “stretch” ourselves - to come together as a church community to praise and worship God and pray together about specific topics. For more details about this event, please reach out to Tom Wilkins.

FALL CHURCH PICNIC

After church on Sunday, November, 5th we will be having a churchwide picnic after the Morning Service! Food, fun, and fellowship…and a great opportunity to invite guests!

2023 Pastor’s Conference

Pray for your pastors and their wives as they attend the SG Pastor’s Conference in Orlando, FL, Nov. 14-16. It is a wonderful time of refreshment, teaching, and fellowship with like-minded men and women from around the globe who are uniquely on gospel mission together. 

PRE-SERVICE PRAYER

At 9:30 AM each and every Sunday morning, you will find a number of people gathered in our auditorium for prayer, including those who are serving every Sunday. We pray for our service. We pray for all those who will be attending that morning. We pray that the Gospel will advance in the hearts of all who come. And YOU are invited to come and join us too!

RELAY 2024 CONFERENCE

Your pastors are excited to invite you to RELAY 2024 - A Sovereign Grace Young Adults Conference on January 4-6, 2024, at the Sovereign Grace Church in Glen Mills, PA (Covenant Fellowship Church). 

This conference is geared towards young adults ages 18-25 years old, but those who are 16-17 years old as well as those in their late 20’s or 30’s are welcome. (Both singles and married couples are invited!)

CLICK HERE for more conference details!