Two spirits are battling for your allegiance. Which will you follow? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 87 Q. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent ways? A. By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is going to inherit the kingdom of God. Summary If you attended Sunday School growing up, you likely learned about fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps you have even memorized Galatians 5:22-23: “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against these things there is no law.” While many know of the Fruit of the Spirit, much less attention is typically paid to the warning that comes immediately before that famous passage. Before we are given the Fruit of the Spirit, we are first told of the desires of the flesh. These desires of the flesh are aligned with our human nature, which is part of a fallen creation. Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians to warn them about the danger of thinking their own good deeds were necessary for salvation. By comparing these two lists - the fruit of the Spirit vs. the desires of the flesh, Paul shows them (and now us) the danger that comes from depending upon our own selves rather than having faith in Christ. Dig Deeper Everyone has their own unique quirks, one of mine is that I do not like to leave things unfinished. A side effect of this is that I prefer to not start watching a movie in the evening. While others may doze off during the movie, I will stay up until I’ve seen the ending. In matters of entertainment, missing out on a few details is not a life altering event. However, in matters of faith those few details can be very important. This can be seen in the desires of the flesh of which we are told those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Upon reading the desires of the flesh listed in Galatians 5, you may be tempted to become hyper-focused on avoiding those sins. And while we are called to repent and turn away from our sin, there is more to this teaching than just trying to not sin. It matters not only that you depart from sin but also to where you are placing your trust upon that departure. This teaching on the desires of the flesh is intertwined with the Fruit of the Spirit. The encouragement is to walk by the Spirit, trusting the work of the Holy Spirit in your life rather than your ability to not sin. The presence of the Spirit is what leads to the manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit in your life. Alternatively, if your life is oriented around the desires of the flesh, you will not inherit the kingdom of God because you have instead established a kingdom of your own. Be mindful of not only the presence of sin in your life but also where you are placing your trust. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sends His Spirit to walk with us each day; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be led by the Spirit and not your own desires; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 9

Both the eyes of the Lord and the world are on you. What will they see? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary In each of today’s passages, Peter urges readers to live in such a way as to win over their peers for Christ. In chapter 2, he references how others were speaking of the recipients of this letter as evildoers. Living as spiritual exiles in this world, the Christian way of life did not line up with the norms of the day. During the time this letter was written, charges against Christians included such things as disloyalty to the emperor, propagation of unlawful customs, defamation of the (pagan) gods, and general trouble making. The beliefs and actions of early Christians drew the attention of those around them. Peter’s encouragement was to abstain from passions of the flesh so that others may see their deeds and glorify God. In the beginning of chapter 3, Peter is understood to be speaking to the Christian women in these congregations who were married to non-Christian husbands. These women faced a challenging dilemma because in Roman culture a wife was expected to adopt the religion of their husband. Peter’s direction for these women was to conduct themselves in such a way that the Gospel may be presented in the best possible light. The mention of winning them over “without a word” is not a prohibition on speaking of their faith but more of an encouragement to follow the submissive demeanor expected of their culture while being sensitive to the concerns of their unbelieving husbands in order that their gentle approach would open an avenue to share their faith. Dig Deeper You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. It’s a common saying you may have heard before. The message of this saying is that it is easier to persuade someone if you have a positive attitude than if you approached them with rude or forceful demands. This idea is seen in both of today’s passages from 1 Peter. Whether it was followers of Jesus living in a predominant pagan society or the 1st century wives of unbelieving husbands in the Roman Empire, Peter’s emphasis on kindness remains the same. Following Peter’s directions would have brought about all kinds of challenges. Whether it was facing unwarranted allegations of wrongdoing or remaining devoted to Christ within a system that challenged your faith; presenting the Gospel in the best possible light takes sacrifice. It is not easy to be kind to those who oppress or scorn you. The natural desire is to want to lash out or get even. When someone makes your life difficult, before you retaliate, remember the encouragement of Peter. Keep your conduct honorable and respectful, for in this they may see your good deeds and give glory to God. After all, you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: 1 Peter 3:12 - For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you to be able to keep your conduct honorable, that others may see your good deeds and glorify God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 8

The fruit you bear isn't meant to impress others, but to assure yourself you're not a wolf. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary Scripture attests to God speaking through the prophets. The words given to these prophets were not their own but the words of God. A prophet is not the source of the words, but a vessel through which God speaks to humanity. The warning Jesus shares in Matthew 7:15 is to be aware of false prophets. These false prophets are those who falsely claim to speak on behalf of God. And like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the danger can lie in their ability to blend in. That although their words are falsehoods, they might sound close enough to the truth to go undetected. Knowing of these wolves hiding amongst the people of God, plotting to lead them astray, Jesus gives a means to test those who claim to come as prophets. We are to judge them by their fruits. What is the outcome of those claiming to be prophets? If they are leading others away from God, then this attests to the falsehood of their message. Dig Deeper The presence or absence of spiritual fruit does more than make us aware of the wolves in our midst. Just as you can recognize those sent of God by the fruit of their labor, the spiritual fruit in your own life can attest to your faith in Christ. While you are not able to see the presence or absence of faith in others any more than you can see gravity or the wind; like these other examples you are able to see the effects of their presence. Spiritual fruit is the outcome which points to the presence or absence of a genuine faith in Christ. Healthy trees bear good fruit while a diseased tree will produce bad fruit. The outcome of good or bad spiritual fruit is based upon the source feeding into the fruit. If your faith is rooted in Christ, this will manifest itself with good spiritual fruit. However, if your faith is placed elsewhere, this will be shown in the presence of bad fruit. Though you may have times where you doubt your faith, the presence of good spiritual fruit in your life can give you assurance that your faith is sincere. Be on the lookout for God working in your life because you can trust the sign of faith that is the good fruit produced by God’s work through you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who expects good fruit from His creation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that you're created in His image, and pray that your life will produce fruit that corresponds to His image; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 7

Your life is a reflection. The question is, what are you reflecting? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary In several places in the New Testament Jesus is proclaimed to be the light of the world. This proclamation is now extended from Jesus to his Church. Jesus is the light of the world, but so too are those who follow him. And as the light of the world, followers of Jesus are not to hide away but share their light. This is the nature of what light is, it is meant to be shared. To hide away light, such as that which radiates from a lamp, is to take away its purpose. Dig Deeper If you place a dog in front of a mirror something incredible may happen. Some dogs, upon seeing their own reflection, will believe they are staring at another dog and start barking or growling. Since the other dog is only a reflection, it doesn't back down and this standoff can continue for quite some time. Despite what it looks like, a reflection is not a dog, its image is only borrowed from the original. In the same way, the light that we share as followers of Jesus is not our own but is borrowed light that comes from Jesus. When we share this light through our good works, it is to be done in such a way that others will give glory to God our Father. The proclamation to share your light might be considered in contrast with Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees practice of making their good deeds seen by others. The difference between sharing your light and the showmanship of the Pharisees is intent. The purpose of sharing your light through good works is to bring glory to God. The intent of the Pharisees’ display of good deeds was not to honor God but to draw attention to themselves. Take some time today to consider whether you are letting the love of Christ shine through your actions. Have you chased the satisfaction that comes from others noticing your good works instead of seeking to glorify God through your actions? Have you stopped doing good works altogether? Remember that you are the light of the world and as a follower of Jesus you are to share his light through your good works. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is in heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your life will reflect the light of Christ in you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 6

How often do you give thanks for what God has given you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary During Jesus’ travels between Samaria and Galilee he came across a group of ten lepers. The lepers mentioned in Luke 17 are individuals who had contracted leprosy, a rash like skin disease. In addition to the medical concerns affiliated with leprosy, according to the ceremonial law, this made one unclean. Included amongst the consequences of being considered unclean under the ceremonial law was being unable to enter God’s sanctuary and not being allowed around other people who were ceremonially clean, including one’s own family members. For this reason, groups of lepers were known to congregate together, forming a sense of community amongst those who had been cast out of society on account of their skin condition. The rules regarding distancing oneself from those considered ceremonially clean likely explains why the ten lepers yelled toward Jesus instead of approaching him with their request for healing. Fortunately for this group of lepers, the distance between them and Jesus was not an issue, as Jesus offers healing. The command to “go and show yourselves to the priests” carries the implication that by the time they reach the priests, the lepers would be healed. Among the other duties of a priest, it was also their responsibility to verify that those who had an ailment considered unclean, like leprosy, had indeed been healed before they could be declared ceremonially clean. Understanding Jesus’ instruction for what it was, each of the ten obeyed and were healed along the way. However, only one returned to Jesus to give his thanks. Dig Deeper Kate and I (Pastor Alan) have been married for 13 years, which hopefully makes it safe to admit that my least favorite part of the wedding was writing thank you notes afterwards. Part of my struggle was in trying to avoid having them all sound the same, that and the occasional hand cramp. Despite our family and friends knowing that we were grateful for them, we still made sure to write out thank you notes because actions matter. This can be seen in the parable of the ten lepers. While it is likely that all ten lepers felt thankful that Jesus had healed them, only one cared enough to return to Jesus to express his gratitude. Jesus’ rebuke of the other nine shows that he expected more than feelings of gratitude, he expected them to return and express their thankfulness as the Samaritan had done. When it comes to the grace of Jesus and other blessings bestowed upon us by God, his expectation is likewise more than feelings of gratitude. Our gratitude is meant to lead us to action. The good works that we do in the name of Jesus are not a means of earning God’s favor. Instead, these works are a way for us to express our thankfulness to God for what has already been done on our behalf. Which of these lepers’ example have you been following - the nine who were healed and went about their lives, or the one, who upon being healed, took action to show his gratitude to Jesus for what he had done for him? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who takes pity on His children and heals our diseases; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to help you make gratitude the primary motivation in your life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 5

Church discipline always works. Sometimes it also results in restoration. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 85 Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline? A. According to the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to their admonition— such persons the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church. Summary Yesterday we read about the ugly account in which a man who had been proudly sinning in a way that made the pagans blush. Paul took the Corinthian church to task for tolerating such an ugly sin and instructed them to "expel the wicked man from among you (1 Cor. 5.13)." Church discipline, while necessary, can often seem cold and callous. But when done faithfully, it always works. Sometimes it works by simply ridding the church of a cancerous sin which might infect others. But in this particular case, and many others since then, church discipline achieves its primary goal: bringing the wayward sinner into repentance. The man we read about yesterday is quite likely the same man we read about today, only this time he's characterized by overwhelming sorrow rather than sinful pride. Being put out from the church had the exact intended effect upon him, which the Holy Spirit used to open the man's eyes to see his sin and come to repentance. Paul's instructions regarding this man are quite different than what we read yesterday. Instead of "handing him over to Satan," the church must comfort him. Rather than expulsion, he must be forgiven. Dig Deeper The Belgic Confession is part of the Three Forms of Unity, which, along with the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt, gives expression to what Reformed churches believe the Bible says. It gives the Church three key tasks that it must perform in order to be considered a true church: Preach the pure gospel; Maintain the pure administration of the sacraments; Exercise church discipline to punish sin. In general, we're pretty good at these first two marks. But faithfully exercising church discipline is never easy. It's awkward, embarrassing, and can easily and quickly go off the rails. Besides, as upper midwesterners, we abhor confrontation, so it's way easier to just pretend we don't see the obvious. Maybe if we just work harder at the first two marks, we think to ourselves, the need for the third will vanish. But yet we've been commanded to keep the church pure. We're not interested in chasing out repentant sinners; in fact, we need to attract more of them! But those who willfully, continually, and unrepentantly put their own wants and desires ahead of the Kingdom have no business being in it. For our own good, and possibly even theirs, we must - after repeated brotherly counsel and pleading for them to repent - show them the door. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who demands perfect obedience, but welcomes all those who repent of their sin; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your church would be welcoming to repentant sinners, but hostile to those who unrepentantly cling to sin. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 4

Church discipline is increasingly unpopular, but it's increasingly necessary. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 85 Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline? A. According to the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to their admonition— such persons the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church. Summary Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is not a happy one, but rather a stern letter of correction. In a way we ought to be thankful for the brash incompetence of this early church, because were it not for Paul's rebukes which have been handed down in scripture, we'd likely fall into the same traps they did. This particular incident that Paul is responding to is one that would make even the pagans blush: a man in the church is in an incestuous relationship with his mother (or possibly step mother). What's worse is the reaction of the Corinthian church; there are no calls to repentance, rather they're proud of the situation (v2)! Paul doesn't recommend a bunch of books to help the rest of the congregation understand the man's peculiar attraction, or warn them of being overly judgmental, or set up a series of listening sessions to see how various members feel about this. Quite the opposite; he recognizes the imminent danger that tolerating such a gross, public sin creates in the church, comparing the situation to the way a tiny bit of yeast will work its way through an entire batch of dough. Paul's prescription for this ugly situation seems brutally harsh: the wicked man must be immediately expelled from the body (v13). Dig Deeper Church discipline is always painful, especially when it escalates to the point to where an unrepentant sinner is excommunicated - put out from the fellowship of believers and the sacrament that signifies and seals God's grace. But sin must not be allowed to fester in the body of Christ, and tolerating the sins of one in order to spare the pain of discipline will only result in more of the congregation becoming infected. Tomorrow we'll see that the goal of discipline is always that the person repent and be restored. That's why, in fact, Paul ordered the man's expulsion, so that Satan could destroy the man's Sarx (flesh / sinful nature) resulting in the salvation of the man's spirit (v5). In other words, sometimes the only thing that can wake a person up to repentance is hitting rock bottom after having lost everything else. These last few decades, the strongest arguments against church discipline have been coming from within the church itself - even from within our Reformed denominations. Don't let this popular swell sway you. Know that church discipline is one of the keys to the Kingdom of God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who gives us His commands in His Word and expects our obedience, but who offers grace to sinners who come to Him through Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that your church cares about you enough to discipline you if you begin to wander from God's truth. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 3

God wields His double-edged sword with surgical precision. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary Words don't get the credit they deserve in our hyper-pragmatic society. Most people prefer hands on instruction rather than a long manual full of words or a movie or video rather than an expansive novel. But our ability to form and utilize words is one of the key features that set us as human beings apart from the rest of God's created order, and it's precisely because we're created in His image that we have this unique ability. God's first recorded action was Him speaking words of creation into the nothingness. The Israelites met God as they cowered under His words of commandment that boomed down from the mountain, and their descendents would go on to harass, persecute, and generally ignore the word God sent via His prophets calling His wayward children back. John introduces our Savior as the Logos, which is often translated as word, but which refers to much more than just basic vocabulary (Logos also forms the basis for logic, and serves as the foundation for knowledge - biology, geology, theology, etc.). God's Word is so much more than ancient stories, prophecies and testimonies printed on dusty old pages. His Word is alive and active, able to penetrate the heart of man like nothing else. Furthermore, Isaiah adds that God's Word never fails; it always achieves the purpose for which He sent it. Dig Deeper But it sorta seems like God's Word has failed. Churches - even (maybe even especially) churches that have faithfully proclaimed God's Word - are emptier now than they've been in decades. Has our society finally achieved Adam's goal of separating ourselves so far from God that we're out of reach of the powerful sword His Word represents? Absolutely not. God's Word always achieves God's purposes. Praise God that through the proclamation of His Word you have come to clearly understand His grace. But it also clearly communicates God's anger and eternal condemnation for those who do not repent of sin. Unbelievers have heard and understood this Word, but they have failed to respond to it. Praise God that His Word goes out from your church, and know that whether your pews are full of those who've gladly accepted the gospel message, or empty because so many heard it and rejected it, that God is achieving His purposes through the preached Word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father faithfully sends us His Word, just as He sends us rain from heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God, by means of His double edged sword, will continue to penetrate the sin that always seeks to envelope your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 2

God's power is best experienced as you hear His Word preached. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary Verses 9-10 are a great example of how simply the gospel can be presented, and they're well worth memorizing: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. But your heart and mouth do not operate independently... well, they often do, but that usually doesn't turn out well because your brain is supposed to be in control. Salvation requires that mental connection as well. The Israelites were lost in sin because they first got lost intellectually. Paul writes that "Since they did not know the righteousness of God, they sought to establish their own (v3)." It makes sense that before a person can accept the gospel (good news), he must have some understanding of what the gospel entails: that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead. In the entire course of human history, nobody has ever come to this conclusion on their own. Everyone who has received salvation received it after they were informed about it. Sometimes (but not very often) a person comes to understand the gospel as a result of her own independent study of scripture. The ordinary way that God brings salvation to people is through the preached proclamation of His Word. This is why Paul finishes this passage as he does in v14-15: BELIEF IN CHRIST requires HEARING ABOUT CHRIST which requires PREACHING which requires PREACHERS BE SENT OUT. Dig Deeper It's really good that you're taking the time to read God's Word for yourself. You need this in a big way, and it's such a shame that most people - most Christians, even - do not take the time to benefit from this simply daily discipline. God's Word is certainly powerful and transforming as you read it, but there's something different that adds even more power as you hear it proclaimed on the Lord's Day. The great reformer, John Calvin, mentions three big reasons you must regularly be present to hear the preached Word, even (especially) after you've believed in the gospel message: The preached Word is the very voice of God. When the preacher reads and explains the Bible, it's as if God is speaking directly to you; God is present in the preached Word. You may feel God's presence fishing on a peaceful lake or in some other happy place, but to truly experience the fullness of God's presence, come and listen to His Word being proclaimed. Preaching is the sceptre with which Christ rules all things. "Preaching is not only the sceptre by which Christ rules within His Church but also the sword in the hand of the Church by which, secretly and unknown even to itself, the Church rules or brings judgment amongst the nations." Calvin goes on to list five more benefits of preaching, so be assured that if you truly desire to experience the peace of Christ in your life, you need to faithfully hear the Word preached every Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who reveals Himself to us through His Word, which is to be publicly proclaimed; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your zeal for God would be based on the true knowledge of the gospel; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 1

God uses the Church to enact His sovereign will. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 83 Q. What are the keys of the kingdom? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers. Summary One of the key moments in the gospels is when Peter realizes that Jesus is no ordinary teacher. Matthew record of Peter's confession comes in chapter 16, and as soon as Peter exclaims that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the living God (v16)," Jesus responds by issuing Peter the 'keys of the kingdom.' Be lest we conclude that Jesus was giving this massive power to just one individual, Jesus uses nearly the same phrase over again a couple of chapters later that we read today, this time as a follow up regarding how to handle conflict in the Church, and this time using the word 'you' in plural: 'whatever y'all bind or loose.' When after going through the multiple steps Jesus prescribes, the Church - certainly not the whole church, but even as few as a couple of representatives of it - comes into agreement on a matter of discipline, the matter is as settled (bound) in heaven as it is in the Church. In giving the Church this responsibility, God doesn't provide unlimited power. He preserves His sovereignty over all things, including which individuals will be 'bound' and 'loosed.' R.T. France puts it well, “The fact that God has given his people the role of declaring his will on earth does not mean that he is bound to add his divine sanction to anything they may think up.” Dig Deeper It might seem like we should be taking much more advantage of the promise Jesus makes in v19, that if any two of us agree on anything they jointly ask for in prayer, our Father in heaven will do it for them. We certainly should be taking more advantage of the this promise, but we also better understand the parameters of the promise being made here. First of all, the promise is made in conjunction with the formal administration of the Church, but although this doesn't limit the promise's power just to large group meetings since Jesus applies it to groups as small as two or three, this promise is not meant to guarantee you that when you get together with two or three friends and ask God to grant the Twins or Vikings a championship that God is forced to comply. The key to this promise comes in the phrase "gathered in my name." This means that those who've come together on behalf of the church in prayer are fully aligned with God's will, and therefore will be asking for things that God eagerly desires to provide. What are some of the things that God eagerly desires for your church that you ought to be coming together to ask Him for, especially now that you've been reminded of the promise Jesus made to you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly provides for His Church through His Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you gather with others from the Church that you will be 'gathering in Jesus' name.' ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 24