After 3 painful consecutive cancellations of our Sunday meetings I'm so grateful that there is no expectation of snow this weekend! Thanks so much to the church for how you have gathered with us on the past two Monday nights to worship together. What wonderful times we have had meeting together in the beautiful auditorium of Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church the past two weeks!
But this past Sunday morning, we had what might be the best possible substitute for not gathering with Grace Community -- being led in song by Bob Kauflin and hearing what might have been my favorite all-time sermon by CJ Mahaney up at our sister church, Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg. There were a number of folks from the Frederick, Md. church as well, which also had been cancelled for the third week. If you get a chance to listen to CJ's sermon on Jude 1 b, on being called, loved, and kept by the Father, I highly encourage it! You can download it here.
Can't wait to be with you all this Lord's Day!
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Behold the Gospel, then...and only then...Contend for the Gospel
Russ Sandifer (not verified) Says:This is indeed an excellent sermon from an easily forgotten book (Jude) and an easily disregarded opening salutation (Jude 1:1-2). I would like to add my personal recommendation of this sermon by briefly mentioning how it personally affected me... I was overwhelmed by the truth of the Gospel in a way that I have not been in a long time as I was summoned to remember the gracious and personal call of God the Father when I was dead in my sins and "not anticipating" Him, the undeserved love of God the Father seen most clearly in sending His Son to be condemned in my stead at Calvary, and the sustaining grace of God the Father in keeping me for an eternity with Jesus Christ. In sum, "CALLED, BELOVED, KEPT" ...three activities that I am utterly passive in and now, by God's grace, am freshly amazed by. I am so grateful that C.J. didn't even speak about the imperative of contending for the Gospel (which to an untrained eye appears to be the main point of Jude) though that is a very important topic. I am glad he didn't first or primarily speak about contending for the Gospel because I believe I would have missed that which is "of first importance" had he done so and that my contending for the Gospel would, by consequence, be but a mindless, heartless, lifeless affair. For how should I contend for the Gospel unless I first contemplate, admire, and allow myself to be overtaken by it?
Thanks for the recommendation! I can't wait to hear how I should now engage others with the Gospel in light of the fact that I am "CALLED, BELOVED, KEPT."
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