Come Sojourn with Us
This is where you will find sermons and updates for our church. Our mission is to preach expository sermons focusing on the gospel of Christ. We are a church that is tied to the reformed tradition and seeks to submit to the scriptures so we walk in the Lord’s wisdom rather than our own.
We would love to have you join us on our Christian sojourn if you are in the Belgrade, MT area. If you are not in area then join us by listening to our bi weekly free sermon podcast.
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Christ has come to establish the Lord's kingdom and to bring his people to his heavenly city. We might wonder how one is worthy to enter into this city. Does one make themselves worthy through a series of preparations or is the Lord's grace bigger than our ability?
Paul, the Apostle, writes to a dear friend. Paul writes to a young minister who is most likely seen as Paul's child in the faith. As Paul departs and says his farewell how do we know that this letter extends beyond even Timothy? How do we know that Paul intends to encourage us today?
God is the one who overwhelms us with his mercy and Grace. God is the one who prevails over his people. We might think that this is a terrible thing until we realize that it is God who is conquering us. We might think that we would naturally love God, but Isaiah teaches us something radically different: we weary God while thinking he wearies us. So, is it good that God overwhelms us with his grace and mercy?
Paul, the Apostle, knows that his apostolic ministry is coming to a close. He is not looking to a retirement in this age, but to the ultimate retirement and graduation to heaven. What do these verses teach us about Paul's farewell? What do these verses teach us about our ultimate Christian comfort in Christ?
Christ tells us not to take oaths, but we read the apostle Paul taking oaths and putting other people under oaths. Is Paul contradicting Christ? What does Christ intend for us by his exhortation not to take an oath?
As human beings who sojourn through this world we can think that we are doing well. The problem is that we might not have the clearest picture on life. The tragedy of our existence is that we do not naturally want to pursue God. How do we then interact with God? Is God our enemy? How does God's grace and power overcome our hopeless situation?
The Apostle Paul is writing to assure his friend that ministry includes suffering, but also glory. This is very much an extension of Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Does this mean that we complete the work of Christ as we live out of gratitude? How should we understand the power in which we run the Christian race? Is that power our will or the Lord's power?
We can think that if God has chosen us before the foundation of the world, if God has elected us to be his people, and we are those who worship him then we are golden. We can fall into a trap of self righteousness thinking that because we have done the right thing we are worthy of God's electing mercy. However, the Canons of Dordt does not encourage this thinking. In fact, the canons does a wonderful job of reminding us that we are truly saved by grace, delivered from hell for the sake of Christ, and still called to live out of gratitude.
We normally think that baptism is a wonderful sign and seal of the Lord's promise. It presents for us the certainty that Christ has endured an eternal punishment, and he has emerged triumphant. The very promise of Genesis 15 is confirmed in Christ's death and resurrection. Christ confirms the promise of the covenant of grace. We think of baptism being this sign of the covenantal promise.
However, Christ is actually anxious about his baptism and he desires to get through his baptism as soon as possible. Why is Christ so concerned about baptism when his father has already pronounced that he is pleased with his son? If Christ is already baptized then what baptism is Christ looking forward to undergoing?
We know that we are saved by grace that is applied by the will of God. God is the one who chooses his people, empowers his people, and will preserve his people until the end. If this is true, then why does Paul tell us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Does God just start the work and then we need to finish the work?
The primary way that the church grows in faith and in number is through the preaching of the gospel. You would think that the church would love the preaching all the time and that the life changing power of the gospel would permeate our being so we cannot get enough of it. However, this is not the case. The incarnate word was sent to the cross by the will of God using the rejection of man. So, Paul warns Timothy that in the latter days the gospel will not be so joyfully received. What is the fundamental problem? Do we need to change the gospel message?
The Lord is free to do what the Lord desires to do, but the Lord still uses his means to call his people. We know that his gospel will be sent, and his people will respond in faith. We are familiar with John 3:16, but what does the context tell us about some coming to Christ and others rejecting Christ? What does Christ tell Nicodemus about this division in the recipients of the gospel message?
Paul has warned us about false teachers and our need to be discerning. The struggle we can have is when do we know the truth and when do we not know the truth. This is where Paul assures that the Lord has given us his proof and it is sufficient for us to know right from wrong.
God builds his heavenly city and calls his saints to dwell with him forever. Today as we take hold of Christ by faith we will dwell in this heavenly city. We will dwell with him and we taste his goodness as we walk in his spirit. We experience the joy in that we walk in him offering ourselves as living sacrifices in Christ Jesus.
Paul gives an exhortion to Timothy that not everything is going to go that well in the last days. There will be struggles and hardships for the church. When are these days? What are these hardships? How do we persevere in the truth? Paul answers these questions with the assurance that the Lord will prevail.
Christ commands us not to divorce. This seems to contradict Moses and not seem to account for abuse. What does Christ mean in the sermon on the mount? How has divorce been abused in Israel? What is Christ positively commanding about marriage?
We want to think that we are pretty good and our struggle is rather minimal. So, we want to think that we are good enough and wise enough to see the light. So, we come to Christ because we desire Christ seeing him as the way of life. The problem is that we humans underestimate the depth of our sin and depravity. We fail to see that we are completely unable to enter into the Lord's presence by our doing. So, is there any hope in our predicament? How can we have hope when even Paul the Pharisee cannot do enough to earn the Lord's favor?
We can fall into a trap and think that once we believe the gospel we know the gospel. However, this is not what we find in the Corinthian church. When Paul writes his second letter to the Corinthian church they forgot the gospel. Paul exhorts them to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith. This is pretty strong that we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. How do we know if we are in the faith? Can we have assurance that we are in Christ? What is Paul's point and what is this standard?
Reformed confessions might not lay out the most encouraging words regarding the status of humanity. We say things like man naturally hates God and his neighbor. Or we mention that man deserves the Lord's wrath from conception. We hear these things and might wonder if such strong language is really warranted. Is man really that bad? How did man ultimately get into this predicament? Why move forward in life if we are condemned anyway?
When Paul exhorts the church he exhorts us to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that in our day to day lives there might be things that we do not fully understand nor do we know what to do. Paul gives us general exhortations to live for Christ, and in Christ. How do we know that we will continue to conform to the Lord as His redeemed?
We are a bible believing church in the Belgrade, MT. We are a Reformed Protestant church who desire to build one another up in love as we sojourn under the sun.
