We pray "your Kingdom come," but the firstfruits already have come! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the second request mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary Jesus has been raised from the dead and is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Paul is referring back to the harvest time offering made by the Israelites. At harvest, the Israelites were required to bring an offering from the firstfruits (the first part) of their crop. This offering symbolized how the entirety of the harvest belonged to God. By comparison, Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection as he was the first to be raised from the dead. And just as the first part of the harvest was a token of the entire harvest belonging to God, Jesus’ resurrection serves as a token that we too belong to God and will be raised in a resurrection like his. In addition to the promise of the resurrection for those who belong to Christ, Paul also expresses the fate of God’s enemies. Christ will destroy all his enemies; with the last of these enemies being death itself. With his enemies destroyed, the rule of God will be universally acknowledged, so that he may be all in all. Dig Deeper In verse 22 Paul addresses our dual solidarity by writing, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” We all die in Adam, the first human, in that we are united with him in sin and death. With that first disobedience in the Garden by Adam and Eve, sin entered the world. We, as Adam’s descendants, inherit this original sin. However, despite being united with Adam in sin and death, God offers grace. For we are also united with Christ by grace through faith. The resurrection is not an isolated event with a limited scope. The resurrection is the culmination of God’s plan of redemption. The resurrection of Jesus affects everything and will not be fully complete until Christ “has put everything under his feet.” One of the comforts we have as God’s people is knowing that our eternity is secure in the hands of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why the funeral of a faithful saint is different from that of an unbeliever. There is hope present. Hope in what is to come, including the promise of the resurrection. And while we look forward to the resurrection and being in the presence of Christ; Paul gives us something else to look forward to with anticipation. For we also wait for the day when the enemies of Jesus, including the devil and even death itself, will be no more. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who is all in all; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that since you have been included in Christ, you have been made alive in Him; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 2

Baptism doesn't make you a Christian, it's always been a core part of Christianity. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 71 Q. Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism? A. In the institution of baptism where he says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism the washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins. Summary Matthew’s Gospel closes with Jesus giving the Great Commission to the Disciples. This passage has been quoted as the rallying cry behind countless outreach and discipleship efforts. While commanding the eleven remaining disciples to go and make more disciples, Jesus teaches them how to do this: by baptizing and teaching. Dig Deeper Jesus’ command to baptize new disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit was taken seriously by the first disciples. In the history of the Christian Church, there is no time that we are aware of where the people of God were without baptism. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit poured out on the Disciples, Peter preached what is considered the first Christian sermon. This is the response of the crowd and Peter’s reply from Acts 2:37-38: When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thousands came to faith in Christ that day and what was it they were commanded to do? Repent and be baptized. From the beginning, the Church has taken Jesus’ command to baptize seriously. It would be hard to deny that there has been a cultural shift in the United States in the last few decades. With the rise of the “nones” (those without a declared faith), there is an increasing number of people in the United States who are not baptized. As the Church reaches out to these people groups, the discussion around baptism will grow ever more important. Are we, the Body of Christ, ready for those discussions? If you have never been baptized yourself, what is holding you back from taking this step of faith? If you have been baptized, do you feel prepared to share the significance of baptism with someone who asks? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has equipped us His children and commissions us to gather those He's called into His Kingdom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for your baptism, or if you haven't been baptized, pray that you will step forward and request it; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 2

Sacraments are simply signs and seals symbolizing salvation. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 66 Q. What are sacraments? A. Sacraments are holy signs and seals for us to see. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them he might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and might put his seal on that promise. And this is God’s gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished on the cross. Summary Jesus uses very interesting terminology when instituting the Lord’s Supper. He says to his disciples when they are eating the communion bread, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then when he gives them the wine to drink, he says, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant.” Why would Jesus use those terms? This builds on what we started to look at yesterday when we studied how the sacraments confirm our faith in Jesus Christ. When we eat the bread of the Lord’s Supper, we are not eating the physical body of Christ. When we drink from the cup of the Lord’s Supper, we are not drinking the physical blood of Christ. While Jesus is present spiritually in the Lord’s Supper through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are not eating his body or drinking his blood. Jesus uses these terms because the sacraments are signs and seals of God’s promises in Jesus Christ. Dig Deeper When we baptize an infant or a new convert, we know that baptism does not save them. We are only saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, baptism is a sign and seal of God’s gospel promise. As surely as water washes away dirt from our bodies, the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, washes away our sins. Baptism is a sign and seal because it points to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and shows us how we are saved through faith. It is why we can sing a song like Nothing But the Blood of Jesus so fervently. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. When we eat of the bread and drink of the cup of the Lord’s Supper, it too is a sign and seal of God’s gospel promise. Communion points to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ body was broken and his blood shed for our salvation. Not only that, just as bread and juice physically nourish us, Jesus nourishes us spiritually through his presence. The sacraments are a physical way for God to confirm a spiritual reality. We celebrate them to confirm our faith in Jesus and be nourished by him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Amazing God, who shows us, as well as teaches us of your power and grace; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would contemplate the meaning of the sacraments as you are celebrating them; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Colossians 1

providential activity in creation (17:24), in providing (17:25), sustaining and directing human life (17:26, 28

His always perfect love for you "remains the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)."

God not only can provide for you, but He desires to because He's your Father! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. Summary Today's passage comes in the context of a letter written to brand new Christians who lived in a very pagan world. Much of their economy centered around the idol temple industry. In fact for most people, the only source of meat was the markets selling the meat that had been killed in sacrifice in an idol temple. In response to the Corinthians' query, Paul said that in most cases, this wasn't a sinful transaction, since the idols were "nothing at all in the world (v4)." Certainly the Corinthians' meat sourcing issue isn't one we face, especially since most of us live in the heart of the finest meat production region in the world! But what Paul writes next in v5-6 has massive implications for us. We might not have pagan temples in our towns, but American society is filled with all sorts of people and products positioning themselves as de facto "gods" and "lords." Yet regardless of society, "for us there is but one God." God is the sovereign creator and the uncaused cause "from whom all things came," but once again the reminder comes that He's not just a distant detached force that created the universe but has no real interest in your particular life. Rather, He's your Father. We read yesterday that He is actively orchestrating all things for your good! This results in an obligation on your part. Just as your Father is actively interested in you, you must be actively interested in Him. So much, in fact, that He is the reason "for whom you live!" Dig Deeper While it's comforting to be reminded that God is our omnipotent Father and not just an impersonal deity, the comfort would quickly fall flat without the final clause in v6. You were born sinful, unable to fulfill your obligation to live for God from the very moment you were conceived. The good news today is that God remains your Father because of Christ His Son! Just as all things came from God through Jesus, you can now fully live for God through Jesus, since you live in Christ! As you finish another week, thank your Father for redeeming your life through the obedience, death and resurrection of Jesus, and keep your eyes open for opportunities to live for God through Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for sending Jesus, and ask for strength & perseverance to live for God through Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 1

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives the Christian Church our marching orders. For example, the Roman Catholic Church has seven sacraments: Baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance

Jesus tells us in the Great Commission (Matthews 28:19-20) to go and make disciples of all nations and

believe because you are not my sheep. 27  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Index for Articles 1-8 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control,

5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11 Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8- Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg?