Pastor Sullivan's Blog

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. This is the testimony of John. A ll men should repent of their sins and receive baptism for the remission of sins. John was something new. He was less like his father Zacharias, a Levite and priest, offering sacrifices, and more of a prophet, prophesying that the Messiah who was to come was near. That’s why “ Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ” (Matt. 3:5). Many went out to confess their sins and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. But not everyone. The Temple folk from Jerusalem sent a delegation of Levites to the wilderness, to Bethabara where John was baptizing, to figure out who John was. “ Who are you? ” they ask, to which John responds bluntly, “ I am not the Christ. ” Apparently some were of the mind that John himself was the Messiah. You can see why. He appears in the desert, preaching repentance and baptizing as if he were sent by directly by God Him...

Rorate Coeli, the 4th Sunday in Advent John 1:19-28 December 24, 2017 Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. John is in the business of preparing hearts for the coming Christ. Not much else matters to him, not even the glamour of being approached by an envoy from the Jews in Jerusalem. These men come to interrogate John. The Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, want to know just who John thinks he is. Countless others had gone into the wilderness to see a prophet, indeed, more than a prophet, the messenger who would go before and herald the Christ. But these priests and Levites aren’t interested in the message. They don’t come to hear and repent. They don’t come to be baptized by John. They come to ask, “ Who are you? ” There must’ve been buzz that John was the Christ because that is what first comes out of his mouth, “ I am not the Christ. ” Are you Elijah? They were asking this because Lord said in Malachi 4:5, “ I will send y...

Gaudete, the 3rd Sunday in Advent Matthew 11:2-10 December 17, 2017 Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 1)         John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to Jesus. They’re sent with one question, “ Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? ” Perhaps John was riddled with doubt. He had, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, preached, “ One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.   His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire ” (Luke 3:16-17). None of that was happening. Jesus preached repentance, just as John had done. But there was no baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, at least at that point. There was not sweeping out the threshing floor in judgment. Jesus h...

Order of the Confessional Service - Pg. 46 Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 20 Hymn # 331 Yea, As I Live, Jehovah Saith Hymn # 329 From Depths of Woe I Cry To Thee Hymn # 384 Oh, How Great is Thy Compassion   Introit I WILL - || cry out | to | God | Most - | High, *                 To God who performs | all - | things - | for | me. || And in the shadow of Your wings I will | make | my | re - - | fuge, *                 Until these calami- | ties - | have - | passed | by. (Psalm 57:2, 1b) || Be merciful to me, O God, be mer- | ci- | ful | to - | me! *                 For my | soul - | trusts - | in | You; || And in the shadow of Your wings I will | make | my | re - - | fuge, *       ...