This (past) Sunday's Sermon: Two Covenants

This past week's sermon was on Jeremiah 31.31-34 (text below), specifically what the prophet Jeremiah (writing 600 years before Jesus) has to say about the old covenant, i.e. the Law, and the new covenant, i.e. the Gospel. 

Succinctly put, the old covenant represents what we know to be true (how the world works) and the new covenant what we wish were true, which comes to pass in Jesus.

The link to the podcast is here. 

Happy Spring!

Jeremiah 31.31-34

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

This (past) Sunday's Sermon: The Inner Conflict

This past Sunday's sermon focused on Romans 7.10-25 (text below), in which Paul says things about himself, the Law and God that no one has ever said before with such clarity. 

Specifically, Paul talks about how he is a dis-integrated person, how is unable to do what he wants and he does what he does not want to do (ever felt like that?:), how he is at war within himself and needs someone to save him.

Click here for the link to the podcast if you're interested:

I'd love to know your thoughts!

Romans 7.10-25

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

First Meeting in New Space!

This past Sunday we had the first meeting at our new location, 122 East 83rd St. between Lexington and Park Avenues. A great time was had by all and we hope you'll visit soon!

I preached on Romans 8.31-39 (text below) but forgot to record it:(

The premise of the talk was that, in the midst of lives that are often very difficult, it's sometimes hard to believe that God is, as St. Paul writes, "for us".

In fact, the only proof/evidence/inkling we have that God may be, in fact, "on our side" is Jesus: who he is, what he says and what he does. Jesus is alone among religious/moral/ethical leaders in that he does not tell us how to solve our own problems, but rather saves us by taking our problems upon himself. Jesus isn't a "life coach," he's a body double (in the stunt man or Presidential security sense:).

Every other conception of God/life tells us that if we're having problems, it's up to us to overcome them, but Jesus is unique in that he takes all of the "against-ness", "condemn-ation" and "separation" (in Paul's words) we so often feel and returns only "for-ness." Only in Jesus can God be said to be truly "for us."

Finally, Jesus is so radically for us that he says:

I am for you even when you are against me.
I accept you even when you condemn me.
I cling to you even when you reject me.

I love you even when you hate me.

Romans 8.31-39 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This (past) Sunday's Sermon: Lent

This past week's sermon was about Lent, specifically why the season is 40 days (a highly significant number Biblically) and the connection between Lent and Baptism.

In response to a supporter, I have also set up podcast via iTunes, which can be accessed by clicking here. Happy listening!

The text for this Sunday was Mark 1.9-13 (below) and the song referenced was Ash Wednesday by Elvis Perkins.


Mark 1.9-13
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

We're Moving & We Have a Name!

I am very pleased to make two big announce-ments:

1. We are moving the Sunday Brunch out of our apartment. We have found a great space at 122 East 83rd between Lexington & Park where we will begin meeting this week. Food will be available starting at 12:30pm and our time of music, teaching and prayer will be from 1-2pm. We hope that you'll come by and see us!

2. We have a name. A name we're excited about, which reflects our theological convictions and which is appropriate for our denomination and our location. We are St. Paul's Church.

Thanks for all of your prayers. We're excited about what God is doing in and through us and we're eager to see what He'll do in the future!