feeding . . . gathering . . . carrying . . . leading . (Isaiah 40:11)
Dearest family,
“Put your hope in the Lord for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption.” (130:7) Sunday’s message was encapsulated in this psalm, as much as in the wonderful new song that Ben wrote based on it, as in anything that I later shared. I made reference to over thirty different passages in scripture so I’m limited in what I can rehearse in this letter. But suffice it to say, that as in all biblical study, we must first begin by understanding the nature of God, before we can properly discern the needs of men and women. Both the Old and New Testaments are emphatic and agreed that the essential nature and character of the God-head is “hope”. You hear the same exhortations from OT prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah as you do from NT apostles like Paul or Peter.
Jeremiah’s plea is desperate: “Our sins testify against us…our backsliding is great…” His next words? “O hope of Israel, Savior in times of distress…” (14:7-8) Often, when all else has failed, Jeremiah refers to “the Lord the hope of Israel…the Lord the hope of our fathers…” (17:13; 50:7)
Similarly, at a time of great hopelessness and darkness in national ministry, when the occult abounded and the curse was the lingua franca of the day, Isaiah’s ministry was to declare that even though God seemed to be hiding his face, “I will hope in him.” (8:17) Isn’t it encouraging that the next chapter is chapter 9 that will be read again and again this advent. The hope of the nations breaks the surface of history: “Unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Hope is rewarded as a light dawns, as the nation is enlarged, as joy is increased, as the harvest is gathered, as the plunder is divided, as the enemy’s boots and bloody tunics are burned, as the yoke and the bar and the rod of the oppressor is shattered. What an incredible biblical example of the relationship between the power of hope and the resulting deliverance!
In the NT, Peter’s message is propounded then pounded in to the consciousness of his harassed readers: “your faith and hope are in God!” (1 Pet.1:21)
Similarly, intrinsic to Paul’s basic discipleship course is the exhortation to Timothy: “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God.” (1 Tim.4: 9-10)
Because God is hope he is the supreme and superb and superlative object of our hope. Our hope is not based on our own subjective feelings, dependent on our levels of confidence or security at any one time, but in the thoroughly unchangeable, inexhaustible, unfathomable, indescribable, unbreakable, unshakeable, immovable, inviolable, objective hope that is our God, at all times, forever and ever. Amen! This revelation of the nature of God, common to both Testaments, must be grasped.
But equally, we must have a biblical diagnosis of our hopelessness, if we are to understand why we need God’s hope. That is why we looked at the way that Paul presented our hopelessness three ways: in terms of death, slavery and condemnation. But wherever we examined biblical examples of utter hopelessness, whether in Malachi or in Lamentations, whether in Ephesians or the Psalms or in Romans, we discovered a recurring phrase: “because of the Lord’s great love…” The continuous scriptural alliance between our failing hopelessness and God’s unfailing love cannot be missed. Therefore we have hope. I thought you might like to read the text of the quotation from Spurgeon that I used.
It is from the love of God that all our hopes begin and it is upon the love of God that all our hopes depend. If it were not for the Father’s love, there never would have been a covenant of grace. If it were not for his infinite love, no atoning sacrifice would have been provided. If it were not for his active love, no Holy Spirit would have given us life and renewed us. If it were not for his unchanging love, all that is good in us would soon pass away. If it were not for love almighty, love unchangeable, love unbounded, we could never hope to see the face of the King in his beauty in his land that is very far off. He loves us and therefore he leads us and feeds us and establishes us forever. Does not your heart confess this? If that love could be suspended for a moment, if it were to cease sustaining you for an instant, where would you be? The love of God is the chief reason for our hope in him.
So with David and Malachi, with Isaiah and Jeremiah, with Paul and Peter, with the Ephesians and the Romans, and the Colossians and the Thessalonians and with Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones, and with all the host of heaven, the angels and the martyrs, and also with you, I would say that there is indeed no hope without his unfailing love, but there is hope in his unfailing love and with that we will all rest our case.
Pastorally and hopefully yours,
Stuart
http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)
Announcements
The Church Office will be closed on Thursday and Friday of this week for Thanksgiving!
CHRISTMAS SERVICE: Our Candlelight Christmas Service will be on Saturday, Dec. 18th at 6pm (there will be no service on the following Sunday morning). Please join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
MEN’S BREAKFAST: Our next Men’s Breakfast will be on Dec. 4, 9-10:30am. Doyle Dunn will be leading our discussion and Childcare will be provided.
WOMEN’S ADVENT EVENING: Women, Join us at COSC on Dec. 6th, 7pm to prepare your heart for the celebration of the season! This is a great event to invite female friends, family or co-workers to come along. We also need women to bring hors d'oeuvres and to volunteer for logistical support. Contact Emily Tangen at etang03@yahoo.com if you can help.
CHRISTMAS DRIVE: Through Polaris Project and Restoration Ministries, we are sponsoring a number of the girls who have come out of sex-trafficking. This drive had a wonderful impact last year, and we look forward to blessing these young women again this Christmas. For more information on how to participate, email ben@carecompanydc.org.
I’ll BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: On Dec. 4, 7pm, we will have a prayer meeting for all those returning home for Christmas, praying especially for those family members who do not know the Lord. Location TBD.
HEALING PRAYER TRAINING: There will be a Healing Prayer Training course in 2011. An introduction to healing prayer will be held on Jan. 15, open to everyone, and the Level 1 training (open to all attending a homegroup) will be held on Feb. 19, Mar. 5, and Mar. 19. Email Deborah if interested, deborah@christourshepherd.org.
For general questions or building use inquiries,
send an e-mail to office@christourshepherd.org.
To communicate updates for the pastoral letter and/ or the church bulletin,
send an e-mail to ben@christourshepherd.org.
The church bulletin will be completed by end of day on Thursdays.
Bulletin Board
Postings not officially sanctioned by COSC.
Ads will be posted for up to 4 weeks. After that time period,
please contact the church office to see if space will permit the
ad to remain posted.
FREE CONCERT TICKETS!!! Phil Waite, a member of COSC and the director of the USAF Band will be conducting concerts on Dec. 4, 3pm & 7:30pm, and Dec. 5, 3pm. Tickets are available at the Church Office and will also be available on Sundays.
HOUSING AVAILABLE: Looking for CF/CMs for 2 rooms available in a lovely 3 bedroom townhouse near Del Ray, Alexandria. Fully furnished. Walking distance to bus/metro. Lots of parking available. $600-700/mo. + Util. Contact andrew.wasuwongse@gmail.com.
HOUSING AVAILABLE: Late-20s/Early-30s roommate wanted to share huge master bedroom in historic Victorian mansion in intentional Christian community with 4 young professional women (and 2 cats) in Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. BR has fireplace, private bath, spacious closet. Roommate is an early-30s female who values having a clean space. Large backyard, wrap-around porch, 2 full BA, 2 half BA. $531.50/mo. + util. Available immediately. Contact Laura at lauramgood@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEER: After school Boys house, called the 859 House, has (4) four computers that need updating and checking for virus. The house is located at 19th and I Street NE. If interested, please contact Dorothy Logans, 206-683-3326 or dorothy.logans@gmail.com.
EVENING OF HEALING PRAYER
The Evening of Healing Prayer will be held on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:30 PM. This prayer service is open to all those currently attending a COSC homegroup. If you would like to schedule a 30 minute prayer appointment, or attend the service for a time of silent prayer, please contact Deborah at the church office by Friday, November 26th: deborah@christourshepherd.org / 202-544-9599.