Monday, January 20, 2025

Wisdom's Pleasure and Treasure [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 10:1–5]

What should an image-bearer desire? Proverbs 10:1–5 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that an image-bearer should desire whatever God desires.
(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.01.20 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 10:1–5

Read Proverbs 10:1–5

Questions from the Scripture text: How does Proverbs 10:1a introduce this part of the book? Whom is he especially addressing (verse 1b–c)? How does he incentivize him to wisdom? What profits, how much (Proverbs 10:2a)? What does righteousness do for you (verse 2b)? What won’t YHWH allow (Proverbs 10:3a)? What else (verse 3b)? How, instrumentally, does the Lord provide wealth (Proverbs 10:4)? How does Proverbs 10:5 tie Proverbs 10:4 to Proverbs 10:1? 

What should an image-bearer desire? Proverbs 10:1–5 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that an image-bearer should desire whatever God desires.  

Proverbs 10:1 gives a new introduction, and indeed we are coming into a new phase of the book. These five verses are a unit, bookended by the blessing of a wise son contrasted with the curse of a foolish one.

What a wise son desires. There is such a thing as a parent that guilts his child, insinuating that his own feelings should be the child’s primary motivation. This is wicked, putting the parent in a place that belongs only to God. But, as Proverbs 10:1 teaches us, it is a true part of biblical wisdom for a child to wish to be a blessing to his parents. With God’s glory in its correct place as our chief motivation, we remember that it is He Who has given us a particular father and mother, and set them over us, and instructed us to honor (not merely obey) them. So, it is perfectly appropriate for a parent to teach this to a child. A wise son doesn’t just make his parents glad. By setting this before him, Proverbs 10:1 implies that that his parents’ gladness is also his desire.

What a wise son acquires. Wickedness doesn’t desire to make a father glad or to spare a mother of grief. It does treasure many things, but they do not ultimately do the wicked one any good (Proverbs 10:2a). Righteousness doesn’t just obtain the gladness of the parents, but eternal life itself (verse 2b). This is true of both righteous standing with God (which is only through faith in Jesus Christ) and genuine righteous character (which can only occur in those with righteous standing, and is worked into them by the Holy Spirit to fit them for glory). Truly, righteousness delivers from death! 

Ultimately, YHWH will give the righteous one everything that He knows the righteous to need (Proverbs 10:3a). This must be true, since He is giving to Him eternal life, in the blessed knowledge and enjoyment of God Himself (cf. Romans 8:32). The wicked, on the other hand, will come to utter ruin in which he has not a single good or desirable thing (Proverbs 10:3b). 

To what a wise son aspires. Thus, the wise son does not operate out of fear, anxiety, discontentment, or greed. He does not so much aim at improving his circumstances (which, ultimately, belong to God). Rather, he aims at doing as well as he possibly can (by grace) in every circumstance. His hand is not slack, but diligent (Proverbs 10:4); he has learned to always be looking to do as well as possible. If there are crops ready to harvest, he will do so, even if it is still summer (Proverbs 10:5a). Sadly, the foolish/wicked son, who does not view himself as God’s image-bearer in his work, doesn’t really care to harvest, even when it is the right time. Verse 5b finds him sleeping. And his parents, who were hoping to be fruitful and multiply image-bearers, have their own desires dashed, as they are put to shame (verse 5b).

Every one of us is the child of an image-bearer. If we are going to fulfill that great identity, we must have the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and be those who are conformed to His conduct and character, and will surely come into His inheritance.

What are you aiming at in life, on a daily basis? How might you need to grow, as a renewed image-bearer in Christ?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for giving Your own Son for us, Who did all things for the pleasure and honor of His Father in heaven. Grant that, whether with our parents, or our work, or anything else in life, our desire would always be to honor You in every part of our life. And, give us every good and perfect gift, especially the gift of Yourself in Christ, which we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP23B “The Lord’s My Shepherd” or TPH508 “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”

Sunday, January 19, 2025

2025.01.19 Lord's Day Livestreams (live at 10:10a, 11a, 3p)

Click below for the:
January 19 Lord's Day Worship Booklet
Matthew 14:13–21 sermon outline
3p song selections & Numbers 33:1–49 sermon
We urge you to assemble physically, if possible, with a true congregation of Christ's church. For those of our own congregation who may be providentially hindered, we are grateful to be able to provide this service.

IF you are unable to get the stream to work, or simply wish to save on data, you can listen in simply by calling 712.432.3410 and entering 70150 at the prompt.

Each week we livestream the Lord's Day (Sabbath School, Morning Public Worship, and p.m. Singing and Sermon) and Midweek Meeting (sermon and prayer). For notifications when Hopewell is streaming live, install the CHURCHONE APP on your [Apple], [Android], or [Kindle] device, and enter hopewellarp for your broadcaster.

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Knowing Jesus in His Grief [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 14:13–21]

How does Jesus grieve? Matthew 14:13–21 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus grieves in fellowship with His Father, but also by compassionately overcoming the Fall for His people.
(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.01.18 Hopewell @Home ▫ Matthew 14:13–21

Read Matthew 14:13–21

Questions from the Scripture text: What did Jesus hear (Mt 14:13, cf. Mt 14:11–12)? Where did He go? With whom? But who followed Him? How? What did Jesus see (Mt 14:14)? How did His heart respond? What did He do? For how long (Mt 14:15)? Who come to Him at this point? What do they say to Him? What do they want Him to do? Why? What alternative does Jesus give (Mt 14:16)? How do they respond to Him—what do they have (Mt 14:17)? What does He say to do with the loaves and fish (Mt 14:18)? What did He tell the multitudes to do (Mt 14:19)? To where does He look when He blesses the food? Then what does He do to the loves? To whom does He give them? What do the disciples do with them? What do all of them do (Mt 14:20)? With what effect? What do they take up afterward? How much? How many of whom had eaten (Mt 14:21)? Besides whom?

How does Jesus grieve? Matthew 14:13–21 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus grieves in fellowship with His Father, but also by compassionately overcoming the Fall for His people.  

This passage gives us an opportunity to see how Jesus Himself responds to grief. We saw the response of His and John’s disciples: they “took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus” (Mt 14:12). Now we get to observe what happened “when Jesus heard it” (Mt 14:13). “He departed from there” (i.e. Nazareth, cf. Mt 13:58). What is He like in grief?

Jesus pious in grief. Mt 14:13 tells us that Jesus “departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.”  But we know that He is not entirely by Himself. Just as He has taught us to carry out all of our religion before our Father, Who sees in secret (cf. Mt 6:4, 6, 18), it is to that Father that He now withdraws.

Jesus selfless in grief. Jesus has left Nazareth, where “He did not do many mighty works” (cf. Mt 12:58). But the multitudes, who had seen Him do many mighty works, hear that He has left Nazareth and seek Him out. In the midst of His grief, Jesus goes out in the morning and sees the multitude. And, marvelously, He does not withdraw.

For Jesus, the piety of His fellowship with the Father is not in tension with the piety of His service to others. He has come into the world because His Father loves sinners. And now, with that same love, when He sees a multitude of those desperate to be delivered from the effects of the fall. And He is “moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” (Mt 14:14). And He does this from “when He went out” (almost certainly the early morning, Mt 14:14) until “evening” when “the hour is already late” (Mt 14:15).

Jesus is not just relieving some symptoms of the Fall. He’s continuing to attest to Himself as the great Solution to the Fall. He addresses earthly/temporal need, but especially spiritually/eternal need. This perfect human reflection of divine love is expressed in the midst of Jesus’s own grief and agony. It is a whisper of what will soon be shouted at the cross.

Jesus almighty over grief. Death and disease are not the only effects of the Fall featured in this short passage. Hunger and weariness are also effects. “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (cf. Gen 3:17–19). So, here the multitude is weary and hungry, and the disciples’ solution is to send them into the villages to buy food (Mt 14:15).

The disciples don’t lack compassion; they lack the ability to rule creation and reverse the Fall. Our Lord Jesus does not lack this ability! Jesus actually emphasizes this to them by saying, “You give them…” (Mt 14:16). When they present their resources as proof of impossibility, He emphasizes the difference about Himself by saying, “Bring them here to Me” (Mt 14:18).

Jesus indicates both His true humanity, and His divine personhood, from whence His power comes, by “looking up to heaven,” when He blesses the bread in Mt 14:19. He is not merely able to address the needs of maybe twenty thousand people (five thousand is just the men, Mt 14:21). He provides a super abundance with more leftover than there had been at the beginning. And He brings this abundance as the covenant Lord of His people, as implied by the number “12” and that they are numbered by household.

We toil under the curse of the fall. Let us come to this Jesus, and find our rest from it!

Of death, disease, hunger, and weariness, from which effects of the Fall are you most suffering? How are you resting upon the Lord Jesus for that? But for what do you most need the Lord to reverse the effects of the Fall? How are you resting upon the Lord Jesus for that?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for taking upon our humanity, and bearing the full effects of the curse against our own sin. And thank You for coming to us in Your compassion, healing us, feeding us, and atoning for us. Grant that we might always come to You for complete relief from all of the guilt, power, and effects of our sin—and, at last, even from its presence. For, we ask it in the Name of the God-Man, Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP23B “The Lord’s My Shepherd” or TPH299 “Joy to the World!” 

Friday, January 17, 2025

Faithful, Powerful God of Grace [Family Worship lesson in Numbers 33:1–49]

What does the Lord emphasize, when giving us Israel’s itinerary through the wilderness? Numbers 33:1–49 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord emphasized His own faithfulness and power, which would come to a climax for His people in Christ, even as He reviewed Israel’s itinerary through the wilderness.
(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.01.17 Hopewell @Home ▫ Numbers 33:1–49

Read Numbers 33:1–49

Questions from the Scripture text: What does Numbers 33:1 begin to summarize? How did these journeys begin? Who wrote them down (Numbers 33:2)? When had they departed (Numbers 33:3)? In what manner? Why were they able to do this (Numbers 33:4)? Upon whom had YHWH executed judgments? What movements do Numbers 33:5-9 cover? What did they have at Elim? What movements do Numbers 33:10-14 cover? What didn’t they have at Rephidim? What movements do Numbers 33:15-37 cover? What happened at Mount Hor (Numbers 33:38)? In what year, month, and day of their exodus? How old was Aaron (Numbers 33:39)? To what event does Numbers 33:40 refer (cf. Numbers 21:1–3)? What movements do Numbers 33:41-49 cover? What is special about the last location in Numbers 33:47 (cf. Deuteronomy 34:1–8)? 

What does the Lord emphasize, when giving us Israel’s itinerary through the wilderness? Numbers 33:1–49 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord emphasized His own faithfulness and power, which would come to a climax for His people in Christ, even as He reviewed Israel’s itinerary through the wilderness.

Zooming out to see the Lord’s faithfulness. When we are zoomed-in to the history found in these verses, as we do in the rest of the book, we are overwhelmed by the sin of Israel throughout the wilderness. And the passage reminds us of this, ever so gently, by the reference to the water at Elim and the lack of it at Rephidim. Although the goodness of God never changes, it comes in varying providence. And because His people are not only finite, but sinners, their conduct often varies with His providence. But when we zoom out, what we see is the power and providence of God, faithfully taking Israel through all of these journeys. The story of the “numbers” of the book of Numbers is that, despite all opposition in creation and from men, and even/especially their own provoking the wrath of God… despite all of this, the Lord has completely replaced the first generation, and brought them into the land. His perfect faithfulness is the story of all of history. 

Zooming in to see the Lord’s power. We’ve already noted the extra details about Elim and Rephidim. In a chapter in which very few details are given, the ones that are included are magnified. And we have especially details about Egypt (Numbers 33:3-4), which is expected, and then about the king of Arad (Numbers 33:40), which is surprising, considering how little text was spent on that incident even in the main narrative of the book (cf. Numbers 21:1–3). By drawing our attention back to that passage, we are reminded not only of the Lord’s hearing the voice of His people (cf. Numbers 21:3), and enabling them to destroy this king whose domain included many cities, but also the vow between Israel and the Lord (Numbers 33:2) that anticipates what they must now do, when they enter the land. The Lord had not just judged and defeated the Canaanite king (Numbers 33:40), and even Egypt itself (Numbers 33:4a), but even Egypt’s gods (verse 4b). In every instance, as He established His visible church in the earth, the Lord exercised almighty power over the kingdoms and idolatries of men.

Looking forward for the Lord to use servants. There are a couple more details that stand out against the rest of the chapter. The language of v1 is interesting, when it says “by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Clearly, it was ultimately by the hand of the Lord. But the point is that He is a Lord Who uses servants. And the details in Numbers 33:38-39 and Numbers 33:47 bring us back to that idea. The servants by which the Lord leads His people die, and must be replaced. Aaron was 123 years old, when He died, so there is an emphasis here on the Lord miraculously upholding him. This is also the case with the off-hand mention of Nebo, one of the names for the location at which Moses died. But in connection with this name, the Holy Spirit would give us Deuteronomy 34:1–9, where Numbers 33:7 also emphasizes the age and upholding of the Lord’s servant, “Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” 

One day, the Lord Himself would come as a Servant, Who has life in Himself (cf. John 5:26). He is not prevented by death from continuing forever in His priesthood (cf. Hebrews 7:23–25). Not only is the Lord faithful and powerful, but the Lord Himself has come as the Servant by Whose hand He leads His people. In times of plenty and want, facing enemies of whatsoever difficulty, even facing our own sin: we may rest in Him, and follow Him, with all confidence. 

Which of the types of things that Israel faced in the wilderness do you most need the faithfulness and power of the Lord to overcome? What is an example of each type of challenge that the church faces today? How does baptism, as a sign that the church now has Jesus as her Prophet, Priest, and King, encourage you about both what will come of the church and what will come of you yourself?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You for Your faithfulness and power in which You have always led Your people. It is You Who overcome all of the challenges in our weakness, our circumstances, our enemies, and even the guilt of our sin and the power of our sin. And, we are all the more confident of this, for You have given us to have Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King. By His intercession, through the power of His resurrection life, save us to the uttermost, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP46 “God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength” or TPH246 “Though Troubles Assail Us” 

Thursday, January 16, 2025

A Church That's Truly Alive [Family Worship lesson in Revelation 3:1–6]

What could be so wrong with a church that has a reputation for being spiritually alive? Revelation 3:1–6 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a church that has a reputation for being spiritually alive may yet be almost dead and on the verge of having Christ come upon them in judgment.
(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2025.01.16 Hopewell @Home ▫ Revelation 3:1–6

Read Revelation 3:1–6

Questions from the Scripture text: To which church’s messenger (NKJ “angel”) is this letter addressed (Revelation 3:1)? By what two parts of His description does the Lord Jesus describe Himself? What, of theirs, does He know? Why is this bad news? What was their reputation among men? What does He command them to do (Revelation 3:2)? What would they strengthen in this watchfulness? Why do those things need to be strengthened? In order to be watchful, what three things must they do (Revelation 3:3)? But what will the Lord do if they do not watch? What won’t they know? But, even in this case, what is the case for a few of them (Revelation 3:4)? What will the overcomer receive (Revelation 3:5)? What won’t Christ do? And what will He do? Whom does Revelation 3:6 address? What is this person to do?

What could be so wrong with a church that has a reputation for being spiritually alive? Revelation 3:1–6 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a church that has a reputation for being spiritually alive may yet be almost dead and on the verge of having Christ come upon them in judgment.

The Lord Who is the solution. The Lord Jesus now addresses the preacher of the church in Sardis. They are going to need to return to receiving and hearing the Word (Revelation 3:3) as they did at first. And Christ identifies Himself to them as the One from Whom this receiving and hearing comes. The sevenfold Spirit that is before the throne (Revelation 3:1, cf. Revelation 1:4) proceeds from Him as the One Who gives right receiving of the Word. And the seven stars that are in His hand (cf. Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:20) are the preachers whom He uses to bring His effective Word to His people. When a church is spiritually dying, it needs Christ to be “He Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.”

The complacency that is the problem. In Sardis’s case, it was not comforting, but alarming, that Christ knew their works. Others thought they knew Sardis’s works. They had a reputation for being alive (Revelation 3:1), but the reality was that they were not receiving, hearing, holding fast to, and repenting at the Word of Christ (Revelation 3:3). What does it matter if the rest of the churches and the world think we are alive, if Christ thinks that we are on spiritual life support (Revelation 3:2)? 

The fact of the matter was that their standard was not that which is full (more literal than NKJ’s “perfect”) before God, but that which fluffed their reputation before men. What a temptation this constantly is! We become spiritually complacent, so long as men think well of us. So, let us remember that the Lord knows our works. This will keep us watchful (Revelation 3:2). Just as Jesus always sees us, so we must keep watch over ourselves. “Receive, hear, hold fast, and repent” is not a one-time thing at the beginning of the Christian life. It is the how we are to live along our entire way through this world. 

They did not know how long it was until the window of opportunity for repentance closed (Revelation 3:3b), and neither do we. The Lord does not tell us the hour, so that we will not indulge in deadly, spiritual procrastination.

Whom the Lord will use. As churches become spiritually dead, despite having a reputation for being spiritually alive, the godly among them become marginalized. The implication in Revelation 3:4 was that the Sardis church knew whom Jesus meant by these “few names.” Indubitably, the rest of the church considered them too pietistic, for responding to the Word in the way Revelation 3:3 describes, and too scrupulous for caring so much about holiness in the way Revelation 3:4 describes. But Jesus walks in holiness, and if you are to walk with Him, you will have to walk in that holiness too. The Lord had spared to Sardis a few spiritually alive church members, and now the rest of the congregation needed to make good use of these gifts to their church and come back to walking with them who walked with Jesus.

What the Lord will give. It was not too late for those who repented to have white garments (Revelation 3:5) like those few names who had not backslidden. Jesus Himself was ready to clothe them, ready to fit them with holy character and conduct to suit them for glory. He was ready to show their names written in the Book of Life after all, and to confess their names before His Father. Do you see how ready Christ is to complete your redemption and bring you all the way to glory?! Be watchful! Remember! Receive! Hear! Hold fast! Repent! He continues to give ears to hear by His sevenfold Spirit. And His Spirit uses what He says to the churches by the mouths of the preacher-stars that are in Jesus’s hand. Come, backslider. Sit under that preaching, in dependence upon the Spirit, and be revived.

Of the four things that the passage says to do with the Word, which needs the most work in your life? Who might be those in your own church whose character and habits you should emulate to come back to walking with the Lord as they do? How are you using time before God’s face to strengthen yourself against putting to much stock in your (and your church’s) good reputation before men?

Sample prayer:  Lord, forgive us for being satisfied with a reputation for being spiritually alive, rather than seeking in all things to satisfy You. Grant that we would be watchful, and return to receiving Your Word, hearing Your Word, holding fast to Your Word, and repenting at Your Word. Give us to do this before the opportunity is lost, and You have come in judgment. So, forgive us and sanctify us, we ask in Your own Name, AMEN!

 Suggested songs: ARP32 “What Blessedness” or TPH504 “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”


Wednesday, January 15, 2025

2025.01.15 Midweek Meeting Livestream (live at 6:30p)

Click below for the:
January 15 Prayer Meeting Folder
Proverbs 9 sermon outline
We urge you to assemble physically, if possible, with a true congregation of Christ's church. For those of our own congregation who may be providentially hindered, we are grateful to be able to provide this service.

IF you are unable to get the stream to work, or simply wish to save on data, you can listen in simply by calling 712.432.3410 and entering 70150 at the prompt.

Each week we livestream the Lord's Day (Sabbath School, Morning Public Worship, and p.m. Singing and Sermon) and Midweek Meeting (sermon and prayer). For notifications when Hopewell is streaming live, install the CHURCHONE APP on your [Apple], [Android], or [Kindle] device, and enter hopewellarp for your broadcaster.