Come Sojourn with Us
This is where you will find sermons and updates for our church. Our mission is to preach expository sermons focusing on the gospel of Christ. We are a church that is tied to the reformed tradition and seeks to submit to the scriptures so we walk in the Lord’s wisdom rather than our own.
We would love to have you join us on our Christian sojourn if you are in the Belgrade, MT area. If you are not in area then join us by listening to our bi weekly free sermon podcast.
Stay informed by following us on Facebook, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or through our RSS feed. We would love for you to join us for worship every Sunday at 10 am and 6 pm. If you cannot join us in person then tune into our YouTube livestream.
This is the ripped audio from our membership class video. I wanted to put this up on the web because many people who visit our church inquire about the doctrine of infant baptism. I do not claim this lecture to be the definitive defense of the doctrine, but I see it as presenting some Biblical reasons for infant baptism.
Christ stands on the mountain and tells us that in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven our righteousness has to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the pharisees. That is pretty serious because they really understood the Lord’s Word and seemed to take it seriously. So, how can one enter into the Kingdom of Heaven?
Job is frustrated that the counselors will not see things the way that Job sees things. Job is frustrated that God will not see things the way that Job sees them. Job thinks that if God, the counselors, and wisdom would follow his lead than all would be well. If we are honest there are times when we might have this struggle or thought as well, but is it in line with the Word of God? What could be the issue in such thinking?
The Apostle Paul exhorts children to obey their parents for this is pleasing to the Lord. It is not a surprise to us that Paul would exhort children to obey their parents, but what does this imply about their status in the church? Why is the context of their exhortation so significant? Why is it important that this exhortation seems to echo the Old Testament? What could this imply about children being in covenant with the Lord?
Christ takes his stand to teach his disciples after doing great things like healing people. Why would Christ waste time teaching like this when he could heal people of their infirmaries? What is the point of this teaching? What is this teaching communicating to us regarding our Christian Sojourn?
Please enjoy this exhortation from Mr. Paul Freswick who filled our pulpit last Sunday.
We have seen that Israel had a unique calling in the land of Canaan. They were to subdue the land, and they were to be engaged in holy war for the glory of God. The problem has been Israel remembering this goal and truly waging war against those who tempt them to be distracted from the Lord. We have seen examples where Israel has not conform to the Lord as Israel is called to conform to the Lord as we considered Samson, the levite, and even a little bit of Saul’s life. So, what happens to Israel when Israel looses sight of their goal? They are to go into exile and how are they to live in exile away from the promised land? What could their life away from the promised land teach us in our particular context?
Job has made the case that life does not always go as planned and the Lord does not always deal with the wicked as we would like the Lord to deal with the wicked. Eliphaz now takes another turn to persuade Job that Job is not seeing these things clearly. What does Eliphaz have to say to Job? Are these going to be encouraging words about how one finds their path to peace in the Lord?
The servant is the one who secured us by His work. So, how is the servant going to remove the offense of exile from His people?
When Israel wants a king we would think that is a good thing. The reason being that they were a people who did everything by the standard of what is right in their own eyes. So, what does kingship mean and what can be bad about it?
The name Jesus is a name that we have heard before in this series because it is the same name as Joshua. Joshua was a great military leader and reformer in the midst of Israel. He called Israel to look to their God, to serve their God exclusively, and to set the tone for their houses to serve the Lord. Israel fell pretty far from this as a new people. Their priests lost sight of their God, and the people lost sight of the priest’s significance. The priest was supposed to bring them to God rather than being some sort of good luck charms to manipulate the true God. So, is the Lord able to redeem such a people? If the Lord can redeem such a people then who has to be the redeemer?
The servant is the one who lives out the promises of the Lord. This is great, it is encouraging, and it is very significant for his mission. However, why would we appeal to this text for Christmas rather than Isaiah 9 or Isaiah 7 if we were going to use a passage from Isaiah? What does this servant teach us about the significance of Christmas?
There are stories in the Bible where we can see the victory of God’s plan working out. We think of Moses leading israel out of Egypt. That is a great story and a great time in covenant history. We think of Joshua saying his farewell to Israel. Yes, it is tragic to say good-bye to godly leader. However, at the same time there is the wonderful reminder for Israel to see that their life and identity is to be found in the Lord and the Lord alone. There are also other stories in the Bible that are just downright tragic. Judges 19 recalls such a tragic history where a Levite should know better, but he refuses to do what is honorable to the Lord. So, what do we make of Judges 19 with the Levite and his concubine? What does this reveal about our sojourning under the sun?
The promised warrior is supposed to secure a life that never ends. You would expect such a warrior to be well armed, and be dressed for battle in the most intimidating way. This is what we want as humans to know that this warrior is an intimidating being. The problem with this is it is not the picture that Isaiah casts for the redeeming warrior. What kind of warrior will deliver and why is this the warrior that we need?
Hopefully Samson has learned that his desires and his departing from his nazarite vow has not brought him the relief that he wanted. In fact, his trying to be an ordinary man has not made his life easier, but more difficult. Will Samson fulfill his mission? Will Samson be able to rise up and fulfill his mandate?
We can talk about the Advent of Christ, but do we really understand the nature of his mission? Do we really understand the state of His people? We can claim that this is only a problem for Israel, but are they the only broken people in the Lord’s Word? How does this old prophet relate to us today?
Samson’s family has lost sight of Israel’s significance in the grand scheme of life right now. One would hope that Samson would provide the deliverance that Israel needs. Samson is certainly the judge that Israel deserves, but does Samson actually provide any cleansing for Israel?
The counselors have been very clear that you reap exactly what you sow and there is nothing more and nothing less that is present. Job wants to know if the counselors have surveyed anyone with this claim or if this is just what they believe and think. Job invites the counselors to interact with the common person on the street to see what such a person might say about the wicked receiving instant justice. What wisdom has Job gleaned through his experience?
It is time for Zophar to express his concerns regarding Job’s convictions. He is going to continue his conviction about traditional wisdom making clear that this is the wisdom that has been manifested since man walked the earth. If Zophar has surveyed human history then he has to be right in his assessment of the problem right?
Joshua left God’s people in a good place as people who can find rest in the land. In many ways they were tasting a promised sabbath rest in the land that God had given them. The Lord has been merciful to His people and has given them judges to rule over them, to deliver them, and to provide some wise guidance. Judges records for us a tragic history of Israel continually sliding down away from the Lord, but the Lord still gives them a judge. What is the significance of Samson? How does he represent the current state of Israel?
We are a bible believing church in the Belgrade, MT. We are a Reformed Protestant church who desire to build one another up in love as we sojourn under the sun.
