New Message Series: Feasting on the Heidelberger!
Message
The Law: What it Requires and What it Tells Me
LD 2
Download the Heidelberg Catechism Notebook, LD 2 PDF
We started! The Heidelberg Catechism series is on its way! My hope for last week was for a realization of two things. 1st, what is your only comfort? That you belong to Jesus! 2nd, how relevant this belonging is! Right now kind of relevant!
This week we will pick up where we left off. After a stunning opening to the catechism, COMFORT, the next series of asking and answering goes after WHAT it is that we need to know in order to live and die in this comfort and HOW do we know?
The first thing we must know is how great our sin and misery are. This leads us to the second thing, knowing how we are set free from our sin and misery in Jesus Christ. And 3rd, how I am to thank God for such deliverance. It’s a move from realization of guilt (Lord’s Days’ 2-4) to God’s grace in Jesus (Lord’s Days’ 5-31), to a life of gratitude (Lord’s Days’ 32-52). These three things are what I need to know to live and die in the comfort and joy of belonging to Jesus.
This provides the framework for the entire catechism.
I plan to unpack the first thing we must know, how great our sin and misery are, with the most detailed description Sunday, since the rest of the catechism is all about grace and gratitude. But don’t worry, even the catechism doesn’t wallow in guilt and shame. It quickly points out that things were not always this way, not in the beginning. Nor do things stay that way because of what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives.
And how do we come to know how great our misery is, leading us to our need for deliverance, resulting in a life of gratitude? Lord’s Day 2-4 lead us to understand, God’s law of love tells us.
Looking forward – see you Sunday! We will be moving worship indoors Sunday due to tech staffing needs and borderline weather temps,
In Jesus name,
Pastor Mark