If I were to ask each member of SPC, "What is the Gospel message?" I would expect a slightly different answer from each person. Some might give a succinct response: "Jesus Christ died for sinners and rose from the grave." The more theologically minded among us might offer a fuller answer: "The Son of God became man, lived for our righteousness, died for our sins, was raised for our justification, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father." There are many ways to communicate the Gospel, but whether the answer is lengthy or succinct, the content must always include the resurrection from the dead.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the faith once for all delivered to the saints — but why is this the case? Could the Gospel message simply end with "Jesus died for our sins"? Why did he have to be raised? If the skeptic says to you, "So what?" — how would you respond?

There is a multitude of approaches one could take in answering these questions, and what I offer here is by no means exhaustive. Nevertheless, my hope is that you will find these considerations useful and edifying. I want to examine three vantage points from the testimony of Scripture as to why the resurrection matters.

First, the vantage point of the witnesses — where we see doubt and misunderstanding.

The responses of the apostles, disciples, and the women to Jesus' death are telling. The disciples cowered in fear (John 20:19), Mary Magdalene wept (Mark 16:10), but one of the more pointed statements comes from the Gospel of Luke. On the road to Emmaus, Cleopas says this in Luke 24:

"Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel."

The inference is unmistakable: they had mistakenly believed Jesus was the Messiah. In the eyes of Cleopas and his companions, the death of Christ signified defeat.

This misunderstanding did not begin at the cross. Throughout Jesus' earthly ministry, it became clear how many people misunderstood who the Messiah would be and what he would do. Statements like "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46), "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?" (John 7:41), and "Is not this the carpenter?" (Mark 6:3) all reflect this confusion. Even Christ's own followers — including his apostles — could not fully grasp how Jesus was

going to redeem Israel (Matt. 16:21–23; Mark 9:30–32). It seemed that no matter how many times Jesus told them he would die and rise on the third day, they simply did not understand.

Second, the vantage point of Paul — where we see severity.

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul confronts us with the stark reality of what is at stake if there is no resurrection, beginning in verse 14:

"If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain… if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished."

If Christ is not raised, there are far better things you could be doing on a Sunday. You might as well "eat, drink, and be merry." Paul makes the consequences of a Christless resurrection unmistakably clear — yet he does not fully explain here why the resurrection carries such weight. For that, we need one more vantage point.

Third, the vantage point of Christ — where we find the answer.

Two passages in the Gospel of John speak directly to the question: So what?

"For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:17–18)

No mere man could utter such words without bordering on blasphemy. Only the God-man, the incarnate Son, possesses such authority over his life and death. And crucially, this power is not limited to himself. We read in John 11:

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?'"

Here we see how his resurrection applies to us. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates that he has power over death, and that life — true life — is found in him, even beyond the grave. That is why, when we weep over the death of loved ones, we do not weep as those without hope. That is why we can say with confidence that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54). Brothers and sisters, you have been raised to new life by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ — a power that sustains us now and carries us into eternal life.

As it has been said, the Gospel is like a perfect diamond. We see different aspects of its beauty as we look at it from different angles and in different light. Each vantage point serves its purpose, but at the center of the diamond is and shall always be—the resurrection.

♫He arose, he arose, hallelujah, Christ arose!♬ Amen.

The last few months in these monthly articles we have been looking at the new purpose statement that we hope will define what we are trying to achieve as a church. The statement reads as following:

Smyrna Presbyterian Church gathers together to:

Know and worship the Triune God

Grow in the covenant family of God as reformed disciples

Show forth the love of Christ as servants and witnesses

For the Glory of God

This statement is to help focus on the main objectives as a church – and not to get loss in the chaos of “doing church” from week to week but “being the church” as the Lord calls us to be. Everything we are, individually and corporately, should be focused on or around these 3 main goals of KNOW – GROW – SHOW. That is because these things summarize the discipleship making process to be disciples and make disciples.

Two months ago, we looked at KNOWand how this is more than just a cognitive head knowledge, but rather the basis for relationship with Almighty God. God being a covenantal God has entered into relationship with man through the Lord Jesus Christ and we must know him to be able to love Him and serve Him. How we know Him is through the Word of God & prayer that the Spirit uses to both birth and increase our faith. To know, we must have knowledge, belief, and trust in our God. As our knowledge and faith increases so does our worship and life’s service.

Last month we looked at the second part of the purpose statement, which is to GROW. Growth does not necessarily mean numerically in size, or financially in the church budget, but rather growth in our depth of spiritual maturity and faith. Theologically that is called sanctification, where we are being renewed in the whole person after Christ and “more and more” reflecting him in our actions, behaviors, words, thoughts, and deeds. In this way, we must never stop growing.

This KNOWand GROW should naturally propel us forward to SHOW forth the love of Christ to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as to the world. I, as you pastor, am encouraged to hear that Smyrna Presbyterian is a very friendly and loving church, which it is! That demonstrates that the spirit of God is at work amongst you, and the seeds of the Gospel have not only sprouted and grown but are bearing forth fruit. For the chief fruit of the Spirit is love. Jesus says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35).

This showing forth the love of Christ happens in two primary way: first, through service. The above Scripture reference from John 13 comes in the context of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. A preeminent example of love through service, to which Jesus says, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (13:15). All of us within the church have been given one title – it is that of servant – servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those we are to serve are those who are in need of service. “God doesn’t need our good works” Martin Luther said, “but our neighbor does.” Therefore, we are to serve in whatever capacity we see a need and are able to fulfill.

Second, way we show for the love of Christ is as witnesses. This may seem to indicate evangelism, which is surely a part of it. But being a witness is more than just the opportunities you have to tell someone about Jesus. Being a witness means all of your life is to be a witness to him. Jesus again says, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). The light of Christ should be seen in whatever context that the Lord puts you in. Both by our actions and by our words we are to give testimony to “the hope that is within us” (1 Peter 3:15).

Those are the means, but to whom are we to show forth the Lord of Christ? First, for “for one another” (Jn. 13:35) within the church. Paul says, “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). This truth applies to the whole corporate church as much as it does to individuals. We are to care for and serve one another. This might be through physical acts of service (giving, serving, providing) or spiritually through prayer and words of encouragement and truth. This is how we demonstrate that we are disciples. Yet second, our love must not stop there. Paul says, “Christ love compels us” (2 Cor.5:14). It drives us forward to be servants and witnesses to a world that needs the hope and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be servants and witnesses in our neighborhood, community, workplace, etc. This is to happen individually as we go out as “salt and light”, as well as corporately as we join together to find needs in our community and world.

As we close, what ways are you showing forth the love of Christ in your life? What ways can your grow in your service and witness? What ways can we do better as a church in our community? World? Jesus said to his disciples, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We are called to similar spheres of influence by making a difference in our love and service.  Remembering, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

As I mentioned last month, we as a leadership have crafted a new purpose statement that we hope will define what we are trying to achieve as a church. The statement reads as following:

Smyrna Presbyterian Church gathers together to:

Know and worship the Triune God

Grow in the covenant family of God as reformed disciples

Show forth the love of Christ as servants and witnesses

For the Glory of God.

This statement is to help focus on the main objectives as a church – and not to get loss in the chaos of “doing church” from week to week. Everything we do, individually and corporately, should be focused on or around these 3 main goals of KNOW – GROW – SHOW. That is because these things summarize the discipleship making process to be disciples and make disciples. This statement helps us to focus on how to do that exactly. So the next few months I want to use these articles to help define what each of these means.

Last month we looked at KNOWand saw how this is more than just a cognitive head knowledge, but rather the basis for relationship with Almighty God. God being a covenantal God has entered into relationship with man through the Lord Jesus Christ and we must know him to be able to love Him and serve Him. How we know Him is through the Word of God & prayer that the Spirit uses to both birth and increase our faith. To know, we must have knowledge, belief, and trust in our God. As our knowledge and faith increases so does our worship and life’s service.

The second part of the purpose statement is to GROW. The natural tendency of this word in the context of the church often means to grow in size (numerically) or to grow the bottom line (financially). While these are hopefully a part of the growth that comes in the church, this is not the main idea of this term. Since we as a church are to be primarily concerned with discipleship, our growth must be focused on growing spiritually both individually and corporately. How are we maturing, and being stretched in our faith? How are our views of God and His Kingdom being expanded? How are we learning to trust Him in all things? How are we changing and reforming into what God calls us to be? These and many more are the relevant questions when it comes to this purpose of “to Grow in Christ”.

If you have children or grandchildren then you will know that if a child is not reaching certain physical and/or behavioral benchmarks for their age, the pediatric community will label their growth as “failure to thrive”. This designation can mean that they are not getting the proper nutrients, or some other illness is preventing them from growing because healthy children should naturally grow. The same is true spiritually. If we are children of God, redeemed by Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the natural spiritual progression should be growth -an inconsistent, yet upward trending growth in grace and sanctification. The hindrance to this type of growth is our own sin or lack of a consistent spiritual diet.

The growth that we are looking for can be theologically defined as sanctification. The catechism says it well when it speaks of sanctification as “being renewed in the whole man after the image of Christ, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” Did you notice that it says “more and more”? That is the growth that we speak of! God, by His grace and Spirit are reforming us to be more like Christ. That our actions, behaviors, words, thoughts, and deeds would be pleasing to God and reflect Him who we have faith in. That our whole being would be sanctified (set apart) for the Lord. That type of growth will never end (must not end!) until the Lord calls us home, or He comes to be with us.

Our growth cannot and will not happen by itself, nor by ourselves. The Lord is pleased to work through you and within the context of the local body of believers in the church. As we welcome, love, serve, pray, instruct, encourage, forgive, stir, and bear one another burdens, we will GROW – by and with one another. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches” and individually and collectively we must abide in Him (Jn.15:5). What a pleasure it is to grow as a mature believer (branch) in Christ (the True Vine) and to do so in the context of the local church.

As you begin this new year – pray for GROWTH – spiritually for yourself, for your family, as well as for your church family. May God be pleased to hear our prayers.

God bless and Happy New Year!

As we turn the calendar from November to December, that wonderful time of year is upon us. As we decorate our homes, play Christmas music, and wrap gifts. What a wonderful time to celebrate the Lord’s blessing to us, with the greatest being the gift of Himself to us. I hope your celebration this year will be especially sweet and meaningful.

As I mentioned last month, we as a leadership have crafted a new purpose statement that we hope will define what we are trying to achieve as a church. The statement reads as following:

Smyrna Presbyterian Church gathers together to:

Know and worship the Triune God

Grow in the covenant family of God as reformed disciples

Show forth the love of Christ as servants and witnesses

For the Glory of God.

This statement is to help focus on the main objectives as a church – and not to get loss in the chaos of “doing church” from week to week. Everything we do, individually and corporately, should be focused on or around these 3 main goals of KNOW – GROW – SHOW. That is because these things summarize the discipleship making process to be disciples and make disciples. This statement helps us to focus on how to do exactly that. So the next few months I want to use these articles to help define what each of these means. We look first at the aspect of KNOW.

If you are familiar with the language of Scripture, “know”, “knowing”, and “knowledge” have much more than cognitive ability in mind, and much more the aspect of relationship. A deep familial intimacy that comes through being in relation with someone else. The most familiar verse that demonstrates this is when it says in Genesis 4:1 – “Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.” That is much more than a cerebral knowing. They knew each other in a marital intimacy, and out of that relationship came a son. So when we speak of knowing God or knowing Christ, it is a personal knowledge with all of our beings fully connecting to the living and triune God in a personal relationship.  

What is amazing about saying that we are to personally know God is that God has made himself able to be known and desires to be known. As God, we have no right, power, or authority to dictate upon him to be in relationship or covenant with us. But God in his mercy and grace has willingly condescended himself to us and enters into relationship with mankind. We read this from the very beginning of Genesis, God “walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Gn. 3:8), which seems to indicate was a regular interaction between God and man. Yet through our first parents’ sin they were banished from the garden and thus the close relationship that they once possessed. However, God was not done with mankind, or the relationship once started. No, God continues to make a covenant relationship with mankind ultimately fulfilled with Christ. The whole of the Scripture testimony of God’s relationship with man, and man’s relationship with God could be summarized by that one word – KNOW.

To know God fully we need three vital aspects – knowledge, assent, and trust. First, knowledge as it is primarily defined means knowing – facts, information, truth, etc. about God. Second, assent (or belief) take the knowledge or truth about him believes it to be true. Third, trust is where the knowledge of the truth and assent to that truth becomes personally applied. l. These three items are vital to faith, or to KNOW God.

In our Communicants Class (going on right now) we use a chair metaphor to demonstrate this, and we ask three questions: 
You understand why this is so important for us both individually and corporately. All our reading, teaching, preaching of Scripture has this aim and focus – to increase in knowledge, belief, and most importantly trust – so as to truly KNOW God. Through this type of KNOW our relationship with God will deepen and be strengthened – and entering into that relationship with God that we were created to have, and gives Him the most glory.

J.I. Packer in his book, Knowing God, summarizes it this way: What are we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is eternal life? Knowledge of God (John 17:3). What is the best think in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God (Jer. 9:23) What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives Him most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself (Hos. 6:6).

What a wonderful time of year as we think of the birth of the Son, our Savior, to dive into this great purpose for us. He came in the flesh to know mankind and to be made known to them. May we therefore strive in all that we do to know Him, even as He has made himself known.

As you read this article hopefully you are well into the Christmas Season with decorations, presents, and songs. This truly is a wonderful time of year. One that is filled with spiritual meaning and significance as we think about our Savior’s birth. This year we especially need a time of reflection and much joy.

What makes Christmas especially beautiful is all the wonderful songs that are scripturally rich and beautiful. One of the most familiar is Joy to the World, and this year I have the third stanza in my mind:

No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found

Isaac Watts, who wrote Joy to the World, had a right understanding of what Christ’s coming to earth would accomplish - removing the curse and allowing the blessings of God to come. Because of the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve all of creation has been affected and put under a curse. “For the creation was subjected to futility....and has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth” (Rom.8:21,22). Only Christ, chosen by God, could come and reverse the effects of that covenantal curse. That is exactly what He has done in his righteous life, sacrificial death, resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven. He became the curse for us so that we could receive all the blessings of God (2 Cor. 5:21).
If you remember in CS Lewis’ The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, the White Witch casts her spell on Narnia declaring that it will always be winter and never Christmas. But as Aslan comes and breaks the spell, the result is the snow and ice begins to melt and patches of green grass, green tree-branches, and flowers begin to appear. What a beautiful metaphor of life being brought to earth through the arrival and presence of Christ. All of creation is blessed by the arrival of its Creator.

This year our Advent Sermon Series is called The Crisis of Christmas: Far as the Curse is Found. The title comes out of Watt’s Christmas classic that Jesus came not into a perfect world, but a world in crisis, full of sin and troubles. Yet Christ’s coming brings blessings as far as the curse is found. Hope you will join us for every message and that it will bring blessing in the midst of this “crisis” year.

As you contemplate the advent of our Savior, may you think often of ALL that the Lord has given you through Jesus Christ. All because He has reversed the curse and has come to make His blessings flow. May the blessings of Christ flow this Christmas season - and always!

God bless you and yours! Merry Christmas!

On Sunday morning in Hebrews 11, we recently learned about the severe test that the Lord sent to Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. The testing of faith is a predominant theme in the second half of this great chapter of faith, in a book that deals much with the struggles of life. How should we think of struggles and trials that come our way? Well James 1:2 exhorts us to “count it all joy”. But how? And perhaps even deeper than that why? Those are the questions addressed in an article for Ligonier Ministries that I wrote last year. They are applicable to our topic of study in Hebrews, so I have included the whole article for your consideration and meditation.

Like the inhospitable cold corridors of the emergency hallways we entered, so were the years of trials and tribulations my family endured. Life-altering pain, weekly doctor’s visits, IVs, and deeply weary souls underneath it all consumed the last five years of our life. Like a thief who comes to steal, it has physically, emotionally, and spiritually robbed us, leaving us depleted, weary, and wondering if we would survive. Joy has been rarely perceptible through our enduring loss. However, the seeds of a greater work, and yes, even of a greater delight have begun to sprout and flourish as we peer under the surface of what God is doing. A work that God is doing not only in us but in all who endure trials.
Joy does not arise naturally from us as we suffer the effects of the fall of this life. Why would James exhort the readers of his epistle to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2)? His words seem to be jarring initially, especially at the beginning of a letter to exiles who have been dispersed from their homes. We would expect words that seem more sympathetic, perhaps, intermingled with pity and compassion. The brother of our Lord, however, gets straight to the point and exhorts the opposite expression of natural emotion—joy amid trial. These seemingly cold words of James are actually filled with warm gospel truth and hope as they point the troubled soul to the root from which the true healing balm comes.

Our hearts often pleaded for God to remove our burden as it felt all-consuming and far too weighty to bear, and yet in those moments we found deeper appreciation for the sufferings of our Lord. Jesus’ need to withdraw to a solitary place in the garden of Gethsemane and plead in sorrowful anguish to have this cup removed, yet He surrendered to the will of the Father. As He hung on the cross, with His earthly life excruciatingly draining away, He recognized and even delighted in a work greater than the pain. The salvation of the world was taking place through the anguish of His soul (Isa. 53:11); redemption through His suffering and His shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22). If God used the worst suffering for the greatest good, then surely He can and does use our suffering for good as a part of His greater redemptive work.

The gospel story demonstrates that all suffering comes from the hands of a loving Father who has redeemed His own and cares enough never to waste a trial without its having its perfect work. As we waded deep tumultuous waters, these trials began exposing our fears, frailties, and lack of childlike trust, yet all the while they simultaneously strengthened our feeble frame and developed aspects of our faith that would not have been exhibited otherwise. The trials He sends are not consuming but rather refining and produce needed and necessary results. As an old hymn states, “The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” Only the God of the gospel can do such a work as that.

Joy is cultivated in our hearts and minds when we trust that the Lord is doing this refining work in us as we are experiencing our earthly trials. Making complete that which would otherwise be incomplete. James clearly states this end goal when he says that trials happen “that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4). That perfection comes in being made like the perfect One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christlikeness is taking place through our affliction and suffering.

Trials are not evidence that the Lord has forgotten or forsaken; rather, trials are sure proof that the Lord is performing His redemptive work in us. Like a master weaver, God uses the seemingly dark threads of trials to accent parts of His masterpiece that would otherwise be inadequate without these threads. Joy comes in knowing that the God-ordained process of being made more complete is presently at work and will not cease until the day we are made like His Son. As painful as the process is and will be, what a joy it is to be shaped and molded to better reflect the One we love.

Sovereignly sent and used by the Almighty, trials ought to be seen as badges of honor in the life of the believer—a worthiness that is given to those who suffer well in the Lord. Job’s trials came because he was upright and highly regarded of the Lord (Job 1:8). James, likewise, says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial” (James 1:12). Much like a military uniform would display decorated service through many conflicts, so too a battle-tested soldier of Christ is distinguished by his trials. Though not meritorious in themselves, trials bring us great reward because through our trials we share mysteriously in the suffering of Christ (1 Peter 4:12–13). Our suffering does not add to Christ’s work, for His suffering is sufficient to save (Rom. 3:21–26). Moreover, suffering rendered unto Christ is painful. However, it culminates in glory and eternal joy, a joy that commences here below as we walk the path of trials.

James’ stark opening is the reality-rattling truth that is needed to wake the troubled mind and soul from the difficult circumstance to the deeper—and often unseen—work that the Lord is doing. Does that mean we will always be able to discover the redemptive nature of chronic illness, a cancer diagnosis, or the tragic death of a loved one? Certainly not on this side of glory. Yet, we can be confident that He who has begun a good work in us will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus and that no tear or sorrow will ever be wasted in the greater plan of our Sovereign Lord (Phil. 1:6).

Apart from grace, the outward circumstances of our situation would have led only to self-pity and doubt of God, but the anchor of Scripture and God’s redemptive work in Christ Jesus have led us to discover in Him a much deeper joy—a joy that is known by His children alone. Take cheer, troubled one—the Lord’s work is not done. The same Lord that used the cross for the redemption of the world is at work in your trials for His greater purposes. In this, we can have joy.

Original Published Article can be found at: www.ligonier.org/blog/teacher/joel-smit/

Recently one of my pastor friends came for a visit, and the church where he pastors is beginning a capital campaign in order to build a church building on newly purchased land. They have rented space for years and are now beginning to finalize plans for a permanent building of their own. We at Smyrna Presbyterian thankfully do not have to do that with the land and building that we have. However, that does not mean that we are not building. Every church is called to continue building – not physically of course – but definitely spiritually. We are never to rest on accomplishments of the past, or even our present-day laurels. We need to continue to build as a congregation into a spiritually mature congregation that worships well, makes disciples, and makes the wonders of Christ Jesus known. In this way our work is never down because that work will not be accomplished until the Lord comes back again. In that way we need to continue to build.

The Apostle Paul had this outlook and perspective when he wrote in Philippians 3, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way” (vs.14,15). The idea of “pressing on” has the imagery of a runner that continues to push himself because he has more race to run. Not stopping or slowing down, but in a sense doubling down so as to finish the race stronger than when he began. This is Paul’s perspective on his call, and surely on the Christian life as a whole. Paul s did not have a wrong view of salvation. He knew that his righteousness did not come by how hard he worked but by faith in Jesus Christ alone (see his earlier verses in that same chapter – vs. 8,9), yet his confidence in Christ, did not stop him from wanting to be more like Christ, and stronger in his faith and practice. Indeed, this ought to be the desire in every Christian.  

Recently the elders and deacons of the church held a meeting at our home. We began by talking about the blessings that the Lord has been gracious to bestow upon our church over the last year or so. It did not take us long to fill up a whole sheet of paper, and I’m sure if we gave it more time we could have filled up the backside too. The Lord has been extremely gracious to us and it is a sweet time at Smyrna Pres. In the light of these blessings it might be human nature to ease up. But the exhortation from Philippians 3 would be just the opposite - this is the time to “double down” and “press on.” Obviously not in greater ministry programs or a building campaign, but in spiritual maturity and growth in grace. How can we do what the Lord has called us to do, and do it even better and more effectively? How can each one of us be more like Christ – stronger and more mature followers of His?

To that end, the leadership of the church has crafted a purpose statement:

Smyrna Presbyterian Church gathers together to:

Know and worship the Triune God

Grow in the covenant family of God as reformed disciples

Show forth the love of Christ as servants and witnesses

This statement came out of the basic question - what would God have us to do as a church? This statement is not the end-all-be-all to that question, but it is a very good starting point that gets us to think about what he has called us to both individually and corporately as a church. It revolves around the 3 main principles of KNOW – GROW – SHOW. Not only are these principles highly memorable, they are deeply biblical in regard to Christian duty that lays out a progression and pressing forward no matter the age or spiritual maturity.
In the future, I hope to take each of these principles individually and further explain and develop them. But as we close, take some time to reread the purpose statement and examine your own life in the light of it. How are these principles manifested in your own personal walk? How are they developed and fostered in the church? How am I using the means and resources that God has given me through the church to know Christ? Grow in Christ? Show forth the love of Christ?

We may not be physically building, but Lord willing, there is great construction going on in our hearts and lives – to that end “press on.”

There is so much anticipation and preparation for Christmas that it is often not well reflected on both beforehand, and definitely not after. One might say we have an entire Advent season that build and builds, yet what happens on December 26? Our attention so quickly shifts to a new year and what new things we want to achieve or perhaps change. Yet it might behoove us, to stop and reflect just for a moment the things that we have heard, and perhaps for a (brief?) time, even meditated upon.

The Advent prepares us for the incarnation of Christ, the King of Glory and perhaps we have given attention to what the coming of our King means, that we have sinned and fallen short of His glory and are in desperate need of His saving work. Do you believe that God came in human flesh and was sent by God the Father for you? Yet does that need lessen on the 26th of December or thereafter? Of course not!

The writer of Hebrews gives great perspective not simply for Advent but for the entirety of the Christian life when he says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (10:23).” Did you hear what he said? You would think he would say “hold fast the confession of our faith”? But rather it is the confession of our hope. Those two are not separate – faith surely leads to hope, and hope encourages greater faith. But our faith is not the object of our hope, nor does hope have our faith as its object. Rather the author of Hebrews has both faith and hope focused on the same object – God – the one who has promised and is faithful.  Our faith and hope are in Jesus, who came to earth in the form of man and lived a perfect life, died a sinner’s death, and was raised victorious over the grave. Our faith in this objective reality, the author of Hebrews will say in ch. 11, is the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of things unseen (11:1,6). Though we have not seen Christ with our physical eyes, we have seen him with our spiritual eyes of faith, and that reality gives us hope at  Christmas and far beyond.

Maybe you are wondering how does this fit with the beginning of a new year? Well, we are tempted to think that our confession/theology is merely a cold piece of intellectual knowledge rather than in a flesh and blood person namely Jesus Christ who directs our life. Dr. Francis Schaeffer wrote this in his book, “How Should We Then Live?”, “…the inner thoughts determine the outward action.” What we think about matters greatly in how we live. As we approach a new year let us not do so with haste that we forget the hope and joy that we have by faith in what we so recently celebrated. The Promised One of God who came to save us and secure us is the one who will also sustain us in this new year because HE is faithful…therefore let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering!

I mean it. If it’s not necessary let’s cancel all of our services, board up the windows, lock the doors, and send everyone on their merry way. Sure, Christians have been gathering together to hear the Word read and preached, to sing with grace in their hearts, and observe the sacraments for over two thousand years. But if it’s not necessary let’s be the first generation to finally end the practice. Let’s silence the pulpit, close up the song books, dry up the baptismal waters, and put away the bread and wine. If church isn’t necessary, let’s quit.

But is that really an option? Well, no it’s not. Let me explain. There’s a lot of confusion today as to what the “church” is. Often people will say the church is a body to which every believer belongs. That is true. The body metaphor was one of the Apostle Paul’s favorite pictures of the church: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, see also Romans 12:4-5). But the church isn’t simply some undefined or invisible body. Rather, according to the Bible, it has a visible and outward organization. It has rules (1 Timothy 2:8-15, 1 Corinthians 11-14, and Titus 2), it has leadership (Matthew 16:19, Acts 6:1-7, 14:23, Ephesians 4:11, Hebrews 13:17), it has recognized preachers (Romans 10:15, 1 Timothy 5:17), it has a defined membership (Acts 2:41, Romans 16:3-16), it needs to compensate its teachers (1 Timothy 5:18), and it has discipline for those who need correction (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:1-12). None of that would be possible if the church was only an invisible body and not also an organization.

And it was to this organized or visible church that Jesus gave the ministry of gathering and perfecting the saints. He said to his Apostles: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Later, the Apostle Paul would also write: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). If I can put it this way, this visible church is the seedbed in which we are planted, nourished, rooted, protected, and grown. You cannot flourish without the church. It’s for this reason that the earliest Christians were wholly committed to this church as though their spiritual lives depended on it (see Acts 2:42, 47). It’s for this reason that Cyprian said: “He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the church for his mother.” And it’s for this reason the Westminster Confession of Faith rightly says: “[Outside of the visible church] there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.” To neglect it, then, is to neglect the very means the Holy Spirit uses to gather and perfect his people.

Have we outgrown the need? I don’t think so. The church is necessary. Preaching is necessary (Romans 10:14-17 and 1 Timothy 4:13), singing Psalms is necessary (Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16), discipleship and discipline are necessary (Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 5:4-5), public prayer is necessary (1 Timothy 2:1-2), evangelism is necessary (Mark 16:15), and fellowship is necessary (Acts 2:42-47). The ministry of Word and sacrament is not a mere convention of human will and expediency, it is absolutely necessary. So I have another proposal. If the church is necessary, let’s not quit. Let’s devote and commit ourselves to it for our good and God’s glory. As the author of Hebrews wrote: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

-Used with Permission: Kyle Borg www.gentlereformation.com

As we think about this topic this month I thought it would be appropriate to write on a phrase that is often times misunderstood in the Apostles’ Creed. Last spring the 8th Grade class at Covenant Christian School asked me to come talk about what it means when we confess that Christ descended into hell. They had been reading Dante’s Inferno, which references such a descension. Perhaps you too have wondered what it means that Christ “descended into hell.” There is no Scripture that speaks of a literal descent into hell, so what are we to make of this? Should we confess this phrase or take it out as extra biblical? Let me give you some historical interpretations of this phrase, and why it is an important part of what we believe.  

Literal Descent
Some believe that between his death and resurrection Christ literally descended into heaven. They usually reference 2 Peter 3:19 “in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” This is a very difficult verse to interpret with varying interpretations to its meaning. But it does not say that Christ went literally to hell, nor do any other Scripture verses. Nor should we believe, as some do, that this was a part of his punishment or atonement. His death – not a descent into hell, was his atoning sacrifice.

Describes His Affliction & Death
John Calvin believed that the writers of the Apostles’ Creed were trying to describe the agony of the cross. That being the sin bearer upon the cross was a type of hell. Indeed the death of Jesus was hellish – physical agony and pain, along with bearing the wrath and curse of God. No person could (or would) be able to imagine what Christ went through. However the trouble with this type of interpretation is that it does not seem to fit the context of the Apostles’ Creed. The phrase “descended into hell” would essentially be repeating what was just said, namely “he was crucified, died, and buried”. Since the creed seems to have a brevity of words, why the reiteration? This interpretation doesn’t seem to fit the context of what the original authors were conveying.

Curse and Humiliation of Death
The last view is that his descent into hell describes the extent of his humiliation on earth. This interpretation I believe to be the correct one because it seems to fit the flow and context of the Apostles’ Creed, as well as the Biblical narrative of what Jesus came to do and accomplish. As you read the paragraph about Christ in the Apostles’ Creed you see the humiliation that he endured in his life. He was born of the Virgin Mary; he suffered under Pontius Pilate; he was crucified, died, and buried. All of these shows the extent of his humiliation. But then the authors add “he descended into hell.” Hell, or infernos in the Latin, is the translation of the Hebrew word Sheol in the Vulgate (Latin version of the Bible), written about the same time as the Apostles’ Creed. The Hebrew word Sheol means the place of the dead. So it seems the authors of the Apostles’ Creed  seem to be indicating is that not only did Jesus die, but he spent three days in the grave and the place of the dead. His suffering and humiliation brought him to the lowest of the low – the grave and the place of dead. The Westminster Larger Catechism seems to confirm this view when it says, “Christ's humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day; which has been otherwise expressed in these words, he descended into hell.” (Q&A #50).

If you have read this far you may be saying so what? Well here is the rich Gospel truth that we confess every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed. When we confess the humiliation and suffering of our Lord, we are confessing the extent our Lord went for our salvation. He descended not only to earth but below the earth – to the grave. Why? So that he could be exalted to the highest heaven, and with him us too. In fact all the blessing - the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead, and life everlasting, comes as a result of humbling himself to the point of death, even death upon the cross and remaining under that curse for a time. His suffering knew no limits, so that our joy and blessings would also know no limit.