The Career Fellowship of the Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey
The Career Fellowship of the Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey |
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CCCNJ ENGLISH WORSHIP : Sermons : 2002 A DOXOLOGY ABOUT SALVATION
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:1-5 A doxology is simply a short hymn of praise to God, traditionally spoken at the beginning of a worship service. A benediction is a blessing, traditionally pronounced at the end of a worship service. There are several doxologies and benedictions recorded in the Bible that are often quoted during worship services.
"Dear Pastor Andy, It does us good to hear someone who is excited about their salvation, that is to hear someone who considers his salvation to be more important than how he is doing in school or how he is doing in his work or the physical condition of his body. We should all be so excited about our salvation that everything else seems insignificant in comparison. Unfortunately, for many of us, the theme of salvation can become like the benediction or doxology we hear repeated week after week. It can become nothing more than a faint reminder that we are Christians who are obliged to attend a lot of meetings. The greatest thing that can happen to Tiffany and the others who were baptized today will be for them to never forget that their salvation is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. If Tiffany can praise God for giving her a new birth 30 years from now with the same excitement she has today, then she will be truly blessed and will really know what it means to experience the grace and peace of God. The Apostle Peter understood this truth. This is why he began his letter with a doxology that praises God for the new birth. The second movement of the doxology celebrates the resurrection as the channel through which mercy is received. This movement deserves a whole sermon. Today I will just introduce a thought that I can hopefully develop another day. The thought is this: On the cross absolute evil and absolute holiness were united in a way that we will never completely understand. But in the hour of resurrection we come to the culmination of the cross. It is the ending of sin, the breaking of its power, the freedom from its bondage, and the quenching of its fires. Both Cross and Resurrection were needed for mercy to flow. And, the person who receives this mercy resulting in salvation must also have a "cross and resurrection" experience in his own life. Those who seek mercy without any intention of experiencing a life free from the bondage of sin will find nothing but wrath. This is why we, at CCCNJ, prefer to use the mode of immersion when we baptize people with water. We use this mode, not because the Bible says complete immersion into the water is the only way a person can be baptized. Rather, we use it because it symbolizes a believer's participation in both the cross and resurrection. When people go under the water back first, it symbolizes dying to sin. And when they rise out from the water, it symbolizes being resurrected to a new life where progress toward holiness can be made, because sin no longer has power to rule. We will talk more about the relationship between the cross and resurrection on another day, but now we must move on to the third theme recorded in this doxology. This theme deals with the benefits given to those who receive salvation. Listed here are two, "a living hope," and "an inheritance." The hope we receive when we are born again can refer to the hope that sins committed in the past are now forgiven and we will not be punished for them. It can also refer to the hope we have to resist temptation and become holy people as we live in the present. And then again, it could refer to the hope of going to heaven in the future. New hope should spring up in a person who receives a new birth. If there is no hope at all, a person has to wonder whether or not a new birth has really taken place. I have discovered that, in the process of experiencing salvation, the three kinds of hope I just mentioned do not necessarily come at the same moment. When I was a small child, I turned to Jesus because I wanted to receive forgiveness of the wrong things I had done. At an early age, I experienced hope that Jesus would forgive me of my sins. Later, as a teenager, I felt a desperate need for Jesus to give me strength to overcome temptation and get my life in order. So I turned to Jesus for salvation, and the hope that I can go on improving in character and conduct until the day I die became a reality and filled me with joy. And then, a few years ago, I had my first real encounter with the thought that I might die in the very near future. As I sought God to help me with my emotions, He replaced the fear of dying with the hope of going to heaven. The three-fold hope we receive with the new birth is what the abundant life is all about. It is a living hope. Every human being needs to have hope of being free from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. The Apostle Peter knew this. But the Peter was particularly concerned about the Christians living in Asia Minor when he wrote this letter. They were facing the kind of persecution that often resulted in death. Of the three hopes I just mentioned, what they needed the most was the hope of heaven. They needed it to help them overcome their fear of death, and they needed it to help them replace the loss they were feeling after being driven from their homes and forced to become like aliens in a foreign land. I believe that is why Peter, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, especially emphasized the benefit of receiving an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away. This is a description of what they will find in heaven, and these people needed to be reminded of this benefit at that particular time in their lives. Talking about heaven usually only appeals to the elderly or those who have suffered serious illness or great loss. Here in the United States, a long period of time has passed where a relatively small percent of the population has felt a great need for this particular benefit. The topic of heaven or hell has not been a serious consideration for a majority of people until recently. Things are no longer as secure as they used to be. Many people who felt very secure about the future are now being plagued with new fears. Even people who live in big mansions are now having trouble sleeping at nights. We now live during a time where the hope of heaven needs to be preached with greater emphasis. Jesus once told Peter that he would come under Satanic attack and would deny him three times. But, in Luke 22:32, Jesus also gave Peter a command. He told him that after he had recovered from his backsliding and turned back again, that he should work to strengthen his brothers. The words Peter wrote in this doxology are words that would indeed strengthen the brothers and sisters. They needed to cling to the hope of heaven given to all those who experience new birth through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are the facts that would bring them the grace and peace in the midst of their trials. And, these are also the facts that so many of us need today. |
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