Sermon Notes 5-25-25

May 25, 2025

I know it has been a while since I wrote one of these, but I thank the Lord for helping me through this past semester and this congregation for allowing the time needed to take the course and excel in my studies. I have been taking a seminary class this spring for those of you who may not have been aware. The class dealt with world religions and missions. The overarching theme, or question for the entire semester, rested on whether God can be found in other religions. Can salvation come through other means? Think about it, have you ever considered if there is even a remote chance that God is at work in, not just other denominations or faith communities, but whether he is at work in Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other “religion” that is not considered Judeo-Christian?

In the 16th chapter, the author of the Book of Chronicles writes, “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place” (23-27). Within these verses, very bold assertions are made. The first declaration is that “he is to be revered above all gods.” Another way of expressing this is to say that the God of the Israelites is greater than any other god worshipped by any other people. The second assertion is “all the gods of the peoples are idols.” Here, the context refers to pagans—people other than the Israelites. However, this could also apply to the Israelites, as God might be warning them that anything worshipped besides Himself is idolatry. In a world where many of us worship ourselves, our jobs, our status, and our wealth, these verses can also speak to us. What should be even more relevant to today’s Christians are the declarations made at the beginning of this section. Look at the verbs of the first three sentences: sing, tell, and declare. Sing what? To the Lord. Tell what? Of His salvation. Declare what? His glory. To whom? To all the nations.

But how do we do this? The Apostle Peter tells us to “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect. Maintain a good conscience so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:15b-16). Are you ready to defend the hope that is in you? You who are “of more value than many sparrows,” do you share of his salvation day by day? Do you proclaim his glory among the nations? As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to read all of Peter’s first epistle and pay attention to his main point: “Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1-2). God bless you all, and I cannot wait to worship with you again on Sunday.

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