All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Pastor Sawtelle's last sermon preached in the ministry of All Saints RPC.

Jesus addresses His disciples about the nature of what it means to follow Him. Some made a true confession but their application was lacking. In this message, Jesus makes it clear that the true disciple is one who confesses the truth about Christ and seeks to put their faith into practice in life.

Problems gave rise to solutions- that is how the diaconate was formed. A group of widows raised complaint and the apostles led by the Spirit of Christ responded with the solution of the diaconate. The result was that the ministry of Christ's mercy was amplified through word, rule, and service and the church's missionary fruitfulness was multiplied.

In setting forth qualifications for deacons, Paul pivots toward addressing qualifications for -women.- Some have argued that he was referring to the wives of deacons and thus setting forth a qualification for married male deacons. The structure of the text indicates that Paul addressed deacon qualifications in general in verses 8-10 and that in verse 11 he pivots toward women deacons and their qualifications followed up in verse 12 with qualifications for male deacons. This message defends the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America's position on women deacons from 1 Timothy 3-11, Romans 16-1-2, and from church history.

Bitterness is anger and unhappiness about things that have happened in the past. The problem with bitterness is that it not only gnaws away at the soul, it also spills out of the heart and corrupts others -Hebrews 12-15-. This message explores the story of Naomi's bitterness conquered by God's work of new mercy.

in poetic form. A comparison is made between warriors and fathers and arrows and children. As the martial image is extended in verse 5 the theology of dominion is clarified in the portrayal of the warrior who packs his quiver full of covenant arrows prepared for launching into the city gates with an aim to conquer Christ's enemies and build the kingdom of God. This message explores the duty of godly fathers to train up a covenant family in faithfulness in order to extend his spiritual impact through the multiplication of responsible covenant servants who will themselves multiply, fill the earth, and take dominion over the earth for Christ.

In setting forth the qualification of household management, Paul makes an argument for it. Moving from the lesser to the greater, the apostle makes the claim that if a man cannot manage his own house well then he certainly is not prepared to exercise spiritual rule over many households. The particular aspect of household rule which distinguishes a man for eldership is the care of his children, leading them into submission by means of dignity.

One of the most important virtues of a leader is self-control. As Paul continues to expound the qualifications of eldership, he outlines two areas of restraint which are essential for spiritual leadership- appetite and emotions. This message explores the spiritual quality of inner control.

An essential qualification for the office of elder is ability to teach. Surprisingly when this quality is understood according to Scripture, it does not pertain to academic preparation or forensic aptitude. Instead, Paul grounds teaching ability in moral qualities and spiritual convictions. This message expounds the conditions and aims of ability to teach.

This message continues to explore the necessary moral qualities of an elder. Hospitality is particularly considered.

This message begins to explore the necessary qualities of an elder's moral character.

Paul commends the desire for the office of elder by describing it as a work of excellence. This message explores the excellence of the work of the eldership.

Christ's seventh and final letter to the churches forcefully and poignantly summarizes the exhortations of the previous letters. At the heart of Christ's message to Laodicea is a diagnosis of persisting in sin on account of willful self-delusion -verse 17-. The resolution to the spiritual problem is to stop hiding sin in the heart and to learn the discipline of being a repenting Christian. This message explores the message of Christ's tough love for His church.

The city of Philadelphia was positioned at the crossroads of trade and commerce which brought it great wealth. This wealth made the city a poster child for the benefits of Greek culture for which it had a missionary zeal. Christ's mission for His church in this city was to counteract the missionary zeal for Hellenism with a missionary zeal for the gospel. This message explores Christ's call to the Church to be a counter-cultural force through gospel witness.

No psalm is more dark and disturbing than Psalm 88. Heman describes his unspeakable sufferings which he regarded as tokens of divine abandonment. The tone of this psalm is summarized in the closing verse and its last word- darkness. This message explores the main point of this psalm which is that God sometimes abandons His people to great suffering to exercise them to identify with Christ.

an just learning- however, as Peter points out, the circumstance of this growth is putting away sin. The very same word which produces the new spiritual nature in believers is that word which sanctifies and sustains them in spiritual life.

The purpose of the book of Revelation is to comfort the militant church in its struggle against evil -Hendriksen-. At the heart of the believers comfort is the conquering Christ who reigns at the right hand of the Father. But that same glorious Christ also calls His church to faithfulness. John places the picture of Christ in His glory at the entry point to the seven letters to prepare the church to read Christ's message with humble and receptive hearts. This message explores basic points of introduction.

One of the great virtues of the -woke- class is tolerance. But when Jesus assesses the church at Thyatira He is critical of them because they are not intolerant. The problem with Thyatira is that they tolerate Jezebel and her teaching of the deep things of Satan. Jesus teaches the church that its calling is to be intolerant when it comes to moral and spiritual matters.

The church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive. If truth stood behind that reputation it would have been commendable. However when Jesus looked under the hood, He saw deadness rather than spiritual vitality. This message warns about the danger of putting reputation over reality.

Jesus addresses a tough message to Smyrna- you are about to suffer- Instead of holding back the truth, Jesus serves it up without flinching. However, the message to the church is not about suffering its about living- when hard times come in the Christian life, walk in faith just like you you have been doing all along and know that Christ will crown your afflictions with grace.

Ask any confessional Presbyterian what the church is supposed to look like and they will have an answer ready- sound doctrine, presbyterian government, and regulated worship. If those criteria were applied to the Ephesian church at the end of the apostolic era, it would appear that the Ephesian church would have been heartily welcomed into the club of Old School Presbyterianism. On Jesus' own assessment, it had all of this and more. Yet, Jesus was not impressed. After commending the Ephesian church for soundness in faith and doctrine, He challenged their heart and threated to remove their lampstand because they had fallen from their first love. The point of this letter to the Ephesian church is that doctrinal orthodoxy without fervent love for Christ is offensive to God and will bring judgment upon the church.

The double testimony to the presence of Satan in Pergamum highlights the perpetual position of the church- it is located in a fallen world. The situation of the church in the world presents the prospect of being overcome by evil instead of fulfilling the call to be salt and light. Jesus in addressing the problems in Pergamum teaches the church how to be in the world and not be overcome by its darkness.

In the midst of David's season of overwhelming distress as he endured being stalked and hunted by arrogant, violent, and godless men he prayed for spiritual illumination and an undivided heart that he might persevere in faith. That prayer flowed directly from his confidence in God's character which he spotlights in verse 15- but You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. The main point of Psalm 86 is to teach that God's character gives confidence to pray for perseverance in perilous circumstances.

The doctrine of double predestination has long been under attack by those who claim that it promotes carnal security and that it is an obstacle to godliness. Paul sees things just the opposite however. In this text Paul surrounds his teaching about double predestination with exhortations to Christian living. This message explores the Biblical connection between predestination and moral duty.

The soundness of the pastor-member relationship is foundational to the health of the congregation. Since Christ has instituted the ministry in the church for great spiritual ends, it is essential that there is peace between members and leaders. This message explores the duty and roles of pastors as a warrant for peaceful relations.

If there is no peace between the congregation and the pastor, the church won't be healthy. Paul addresses this essential relationship by spelling out the work of pastors and appealing to that work as the warrant and basis for congregational respect. Two significant things are required of a congregation to maintain peaceful relations with their pastor- appreciation and esteem.

This grand psalm begins in verse 1 proclaiming divine approbation upon the one who walks in the way of the Lord and concludes in verse 176 with the psalmists confession that he is straying spiritually like a lost sheep. Throwing himself upon the mercy of God, he cries out to the Lord to seek after him and to deliver him. This message explores the hope of the believing sinner in the help of the Lord through His word.

Each generation stands before the awesome duty to retrieve the lessons of the past in order to promote them today so that they will be perpetuated into the future. The psalmist embraces this challenge as he opens with a call to listen and then unfolds a history lesson for the current generation with a message about the past which was designed to shape the values and commitments of the next generation. In calling all to listen and respond, the psalmist addresses all believers but particularly he lays a burden upon parents to teach their children so that they may in turn instruct their children. And the point that emerges is that parental teaching promotes the perseverance and preservation of the church. This message explores the point that the spiritual preservation of the church from one generation to the next is inseparably connected to the parental duty of instructing their children in the most holy faith.

A great preacher from a couple of centuries ago began his sermon on this text by saying -Jesus is here sweetly preached-but from a heart, which never loved Him, and by lips, which never more shall praise Him.- Truth was etched upon Balaam's mind but it never gripped and subdued his heart- Though this pagan was led to speak in the most exalted terms about Christ, his heart never loved Him or nor did he fix faith upon Him. This message seeks to renew faith in Christ by pointing faith to look unto Him cloaked in His kingly and saving glory as He is set forth in prophecy here in Numbers 24-17.

After a season intense political, religious, and social unrest, Samuel set up a stone to memorialize the Lord's deliverance of Israel from their Philistine overlords. The purpose of this stone was to teach the people of God to march forward in hope knowing the Lord's help in the past. This message explores the meaning and message of Ebenezer, the stone of help, in order to bring encouragement to the Church in 2021.

Hardly any other passage of Scripture provides such nitty-gritty instruction about how to live together in Christ's church than this one. Paul prescribes specific duties for specific infirmities- admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, and help the weak. The overall force of Paul's instruction indicates that sin does not resolve over time if left alone- instead, believers must be proactive in ministering to fellow members in order that congregations may grow in spiritual health and maturity.

Even though this text is rich in instruction about eschatology, the aim of it is practical. Paul was concerned about the report that some in Thessalonica were grieving as those who had no hope- but such grief was entirely inconsistent with the hope of the believer. To correct this problem Paul expounds crucial elements of the doctrine of the last things in order that the church would live in the strength of Christian comfort.

This message explores the topic of the -day of the Lord- with a particular focus upon its essential precursors, main elements, and its ethical call.

Because the timing of Christ's return is uncertain, believers are to live in a state of constant preparation. This message examines the call to sober living in view of the coming day of the Lord.