Reformed & Expository Preaching

The law of God sets the standard for believers to grow in Christlikeness. It teaches us that God’s holiness is supreme. The first commandment calls us to an exclusive relationship with God. The second commandment guides us in how to worship the true God. The third commandment instructs us on how to honor the Lord’s name. It’s easy to think that God’s name is just a word or a label, but the Bible shows it means much more than merely some description. In Leviticus 24, we read about a young man who misused God’s name and faced the severe penalty of death via stoning by the entire community. While this seems extreme today, the passage teaches that misusing God’s name is like wounding God Himself because it diminishes His greatness, slanders His character, and mocks His holiness. God is not petty; His name is who He truly is. To misuse it is to show disrespect for God’s very identity. Why don’t we see such punishments for sin today? This is a rather extreme punishment, and we might wonder if the God of the Old Testament is harsh while the God of the New Testament is merciful.  Ethically, we need to see ourselves as Israel in exile, as strangers awaiting the fullness of God’s kingdom or a reconstitution of heaven on earth.  We are pilgrims sojourning in our exile (James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). When similar sins occur in the New Testament church, discipline takes a different form: the offender is removed from the fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:5), given space to repent before Christ returns. The community plays an important role, warning divisive people and ultimately avoiding false teachers and divisive people (Titus 3:10-11; Romans 16:17-18), but not with physical punishment. Jesus instructs that persistent offenders are to be treated as outsiders to the church family (Matthew 18:17).  Our Lord tells us to put them outside the church as punishment to be as a gentile or a tax collector. This is why the Apostle Paul reminds us that the Mosaic order is the “pedagogue” (Galatians 3:24-25).  The pedagogue was the slave commissioned to make sure that the children knew how to behave in public.  They were normally cruel and harsh teachers who exercised harsh punishments.  The Mosaic order teaches us the standard of holiness.  When Israel lived in the Promised Land, the law’s holiness was enforced strictly to reflect heaven’s perfection on earth.  However, Israel ended up in exile on more than one occasion, teaching us that we will not bring heaven on earth. Paul admits his own past as a blasphemer before receiving mercy (1 Timothy 1:13), reminding us how seriously God takes His name. Today, as God’s people, we live as pilgrims in a foreign land, awaiting Christ’s return. We honor God’s name by living the gospel daily, walking in the Spirit’s power, and living in hopeful anticipation of the coming kingdom. The only one who could establish the full and real glory is the promised messiah promised at the exit of Eden, covenanted to Abraham, and the one who establishes his kingdom now, spiritual.  He is the new Joshua leading us through the wilderness to heaven’s glory. This is why we revere the name of God today.  We do so as redeemed people who represent the Lord’s name.  We do not want to be a people who always takes oaths for people to believe our words.  We don’t want to hastily take oaths, but only when it is necessary.  We certainly want to use the Lord’s name in a manner that honors him.  Praise be to God who has secured us, grounded us, and redeemed us in Christ, ultimately vindicating his name by fulfilling his promise in Christ and making us alive in his Spirit.

We are quick to take credit for the things that God does, and fail to see our daily need of the Lord’s mercy. It begins by acknowledging that while we should celebrate God’s redemptive work in our lives, we often overestimate our righteousness and underestimate our brokenness. This self-reliance can lead to arrogance and contempt for others, especially those we deem less worthy or more sinful. We need to be careful, as we are prone to trust in our own systems, plans, or perceived moral superiority.  The problem with this is that we fail to see our need for Christ and the redemption that he gives us. Christ drives home this point through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, which contrasts two attitudes in prayer. The Pharisee, confident in his religious achievements, thanks God for his superiority over others.  He is not like the other people so he is distant from the rest by his superiority. Christ summarizes the tax collector’s prayer, which confesses and relies on the Lord’s mercy.  Jesus’ teaching shocks our expectations: it is the humble, repentant sinner who goes home justified, not the self-assured religious leader. One would think that the pharisee is in the right because he has done all the right things.  However, the point is not about the specific words of prayer, but the posture of the heart.  One needs to see and have a humble reliance on God, and not self-exaltation.  The tax collector is separate because he sees himself as a sinner who needs mercy.  We see the continuation of the parable in Luke 19. Jesus connects this parable with Jesus’ welcoming the little children.  Children were insignificant in society.  The disciples do not want Jesus bothered by these insignificant ones.  Just as children receive the kingdom with dependence and humility, so must we. The kingdom of God is not earned by status, achievement, or self-sufficiency, but is received by those who recognize their need and come to Christ with childlike trust. In God’s economy, the “nobodies” who humbly seek His grace are the ones truly exalted.

The law of God serves as the standard by which believers are conformed to Christ. The second commandment introduces what we call the Regulative Principle of Worship, which teaches that only elements explicitly commanded by God should be included in worship. We can distinguish between two regulative principles: First, the Regulative Principle for Worship means that we include in worship only what God explicitly commands. Second, the Regulative Principle for Life, which means that in matters of daily life, we are free to do anything not explicitly forbidden, an expression of Christian liberty. We will explore this more fully when we address Christian liberty directly, but in essence, it is the freedom to discern and pursue what is pleasing to the Lord. In terms of the regulative principle, we see God’s word as central.  The reason is that Scripture is not like any other book.  We believe that Scripture is inspired by God and carried by the Spirit, and is foundational for the life of the church. The preaching of the gospel is not a one-time message but an ongoing means of grace through which God nourishes and strengthens faith. We cannot predict exactly how or when the Spirit will work through this means, but we trust in God’s promise to use it effectively. The Lord commands the preaching of the Gospel for spiritual growth, in contrast to the temptation to rely on human methods. The preaching of the Gospel is not a one and doe message.  The reason is because Scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, equipping believers to grow in the mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16). The lively preaching of the Word, meaning Spirit-empowered rather than merely animated or human ingenuity, is God’s chosen instrument for building faith, regardless of the preacher’s personality or holiness. Ideally, we want a preacher who believes the gospel, seeks to live for Christ, and desires to see Christ glorified. Worship is ultimately about honoring the Lord, not ourselves. God works through His appointed ministers, and our joy should be in communion with Him as he communes with us, especially in worship.

The book of Acts reports rapid growth in the early church, but this leads to growing pains. In Acts 6, a complaint arises that the Hellenistic Jewish widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. This may be a legitimate concern or reflect a deeper pattern of Israel's history of grumbling. We wonder, what will the apostles do?  Are they too busy in the midst of church planting?  Do they realize that preaching and prayer are not really the solution? Despite facing persecution and being deeply engaged in preaching, praying, and mission work, the apostles do not dismiss the complaint. Instead, they respond with wisdom and compassion. They recognize the importance of caring for the physical needs of the church and appoint seven men, servants, or what we call deacons from the Greek word servant.  Their job is to oversee this ministry. These men are chosen not only for their availability but for their character: they are to be known, Spirit-filled, wise, and of good reputation. We note that the assumption here is that these men are part of the church.  They are well-known. This moment in Acts teaches us that church membership matters. The community knew these seven men well enough to nominate them, not merely by name but by their lives. This underscores the importance of belonging to and being known within the body of Christ.  Our Christian conversion is not a one-time one-and-done event. Acts 6 also provides a balanced vision of the church’s mission. The church is not called to choose between spiritual ministry and physical care. The apostles prioritize both concerns.  They continue in their Gospel preaching and prayer while ensuring the congregation's practical needs are met. Gospel preaching is not a one-time event but an ongoing means of grace that strengthens the saints throughout their lives and the Lord’s ordained means intended to be administered throughout the ages. Finally, the church must embody the compassion of the gospel. The ordaining of deacons reflects God's heart for the vulnerable, and the church’s mission continues as it proclaims the gospel and lives it out in acts of love and mercy.

Rev. Austin Britton summarizes the significance of the Holy Spirit for the Christian life from Ephesians 5:1-21.