First Presbyterian Church Of Baton Rouge

What do Pharisees and pagans have in common? They both think they are ok in themselves. They have both relied on their own rightness, their own decisions, their own path as being a sufficient way to live. Refusing the purposes of God occurs whenever I will not submit my will to the Father’s will. Whenever I decide that I own my life, not God. Whenever I determine that I know better than God what makes for flourishing. And I stubbornly choose my will and my way. Down that path lies perishing. Beloved, walk in the truth. Walk in the light. And so walk in the purposes of God. "Confronting the Crowds" Luke 7: 24-35 Gerrit Dawson

John the Baptist asks Jesus in Luke 7: 18, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Jesus confronts a less visible but powerful foe in this passage: the power of fear. Fear that we are going wrong. Fear that we have wasted our lives. The antidote to such fear is faith. Faith in Jesus that he is the One we’ve been waiting for. Faith that enables us to trust him and give our lives to him. Most times we don’t talk about our faith in worship. We talk about Jesus and trust the Holy Spirit to create admiration in us for him. We proclaim Christ and trust the Spirit to create adoration in us for him. And he does. But sometimes we need to hear the encouragement. Blessed, happy, is the one who does not stumble over me. Jesus says, I am the One. I am the One who alone can fill your emptiness. I am the One who alone can cleanse your guilt. I am the One who alone has conquered your death. I am truly the One. "Should We Look for Another" Luke 7: 18-23.

Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” That word arise can mean to wake up from sleep. Or to get up from sitting or lying down. It’s the same word used of Jesus when he came back from the dead. He arose from death. He woke up and he got up. This was a preview of Easter. The dead man sat up at Jesus’ command. He began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. He didn’t tell the man to come follow him. He gave him back to his mother. He restored their life together. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. In his ministry among us, God’s only Son so loved the widow that he gave her only begotten son back to her. "Interrupting the Dead" Luke 7: 11-17 Gerrit Dawson

Jesus heard authentic humility in the centurion from Luke 7. “I am not worthy to have you under my roof.” Jesus heard love that dared to ask. “Only you can save my servant.” Jesus heard faith that came right out of the man’s deepest understanding of how his life worked. A man who lived under orders and gave orders recognized in Jesus the ultimate authority to speak a word and have it enacted. The centurion saw the power of the Creator Word of God who spoke and worlds came into being. “Only say the word and my servant will be healed.” He believed from both heart and mind. "Only Say the Word" Luke 7: 1-10 Gerrit Dawson

The temple court can be so clogged with the day to day trading that there is no room for prayer and worship. The marketplace is so loud we don’t hear the cries of the little ones. Get these things outta here! The new temple has been established. The body of Jesus is the temple. We are joined to him, we become living stones in his temple, growing and fitted together in love. "Get Out!" John 2: 13-25 Gerrit Dawson

At the beginning of the New Year, we still believe the best is yet to come. 2019 may bring suffering or triumph, prosperity or struggle in our daily lives. But we know that Jesus will return to set all things right. We know that as we partake of him in faith, he makes us part of his mission to the world. Our little lives get taken up into the significance of his mighty work on behalf of all people. We become part of Christ’s massive blessing project on this earth. Whatever we do, we now do for his sake, in his name and for his glory. It changes everything. Even repetitive tasks and the duty of drudgery receive the fine wine of significance. For Jesus transforms it all. John 2: 1-12 Gerrit Dawson "The Best Is Yet to Come"

Jesus is the weakness of humanity and the strength of God in one. He is fully who we are while never ceasing to be all that he is as the eternal Son. Son of Man and Son of God. This is the key to a successful, growthful life in Christ. "In the Shadow of the Sphinx" December 30, 2018 Gerrit Dawson

What you seek is not out there. It’s right here. You’ve got to make home be something you carry inside you. But we can’t do that on our own. We can only do that when we carry in us the God who made earth his home. We can only make home at ourselves when we receive the God who makes his home in our hearts. Life isn’t somewhere else. "This Is Somewhere" December 24, 2018 Gerrit Dawson

The journey of the magi belongs to all of us. It is a journey that costs not less than everything. And returns exceeding great joy. We give up being settled with life the way everyone else lives for themselves, just trying to cope and get through until it’s over. We die to a life of isolation and enter a life of communion. We give up autonomy we never had anyway. Instead we worship. We fall on our faces. We offer ourselves in service. We adore the God who came to us as Jesus. And we feel his hand of blessing on our heads. We discover the joy that apart from him we can do nothing. But in him, there is fullness of joy. In him there is no condemnation. Because he lives, we will live also. "The Journey of the Magi" December 23, 2018 Gerrit Dawson

Experience the awe of silence, the humility of redemption, and a shout of Christmas joy with the Creative Arts Ministry in a special presentation of “The Silence and the Sound.”

Again and again, Joseph had to cling to the angel words, “Joseph, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For this child is of God.” Again and again, Joseph had to recall the stories of his namesake in the Scriptures. God lets suffering come to us. But he has a greater plan. If we persist in faith and faithfulness, we can say with both Josephs: You did not send me here. God did. God sent me ahead of you to save life. "Quiet Strength" Gerrit Dawson Matthew 1: 18-25

How do we understand the filthy straw of the manger wherein the Savior of the human race laid his sweet head? Advent is a time of remembering the past in order that it becomes a part of the one expectation and hope. Matthew takes us through the "rag and bone shop" of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. There's a Savior coming. He even stops at the foul rag and bone shop of our hearts. The eternal Son of God has stepped into the outrage of our descent. Gerrit Dawson Matthew 1: 1-11 Gerrit Dawson

The world outside the circle of union with Christ has questions for us. They want to know if we are any different than they are. They want to know if Jesus is real to us, and if we are real about Jesus. And every Christian must be able to speak what makes Jesus true and real in our lives. That means that for the sake of the world we are called to live passionate, authentic lives in Christ. So Paul urges us to get in on the great Push. The Push in prayer, the Push out toward the world, the Push in gracious conversation. "The Push" Colossians 4: 2-6

Here’s the secret. We submit, respect, love, cherish, obey, rule, manage, and work always and ever for the Lord Jesus Christ. You may not want to listen to your spouse and be supportive and admiring on any particular day. But you can ask yourself, “If this were Jesus telling me about his day, would I be interested? If this were Jesus asking me to do this task, would I be happy to do it?” Well, the truth is, it is Jesus. Every duty is unto him. When we get this, then we have an internal freedom. "House Rules" Colossians 3: 17-4: 1 Gerrit Dawson

See to it that you fulfill the ministry which you have received from the Lord. That's a mission statement for life. It's the reason we love our church. Fulfill your ministry. In your homes, in your work and in your church. What a deal that we get to have a part in what Christ is doing!"Fulfill Your Ministry"Colossians 4: 17Gerrit Dawson

We get dressed in the awareness that all we do is as a representative of Christ. We enter the world and enter our day as Christ’s ambassadors. We dress to reflect well on our master. So we dress in compassion, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude and joyful worship. We also go forth in the power of Christ’s name. We’re not making this stuff up. He has given us his life. His story is the one that matters. His name is the power that charms our fears and transforms lives. We get dressed in the power of his life, binding him to us more and more. Gerrit Dawson "Getting Dressed" Colossians 3: 12-17

Certain things change us when we put them on. The first time a judge puts on the robe. The first time a policeman wears the badge. It's not the metal or cloth that dons us but the authority that comes with them. Darin Travis "Put on the New" Colossians 3: 5-11

1) Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is. 2) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3) When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with him in glory. All that Jesus is and does belongs to us. But he waits for us to ask before he releases that power. He holds back until we ask him to join the death of Jesus to us so we might be free of sin. He yearns for us to draw on his resurrection power to energize and transform us. "Living in Heaven" Colossians 3: 1-4

You can’t talk your way out of legalism. You can’t reason your way out. After all, it’s a good thing to confess sins, pray sincerely, share the gospel, pick up trash and apologize to people you offend. It’s a good thing to walk 15,000 steps, stand up during the day and eat healthy. It’s a good thing to enact spiritual disciplines and read Christian books. You can’t reason your way out of legalism because it is made up of good things. It’s just that those good things can become chains that bind. What’s good practice for one becomes chains of guilt to another. These good practices can become obsessive. They can become the basis for evaluation instead of the only thing that matters: are you in Christ, trusting in him alone for your salvation? "Guard Your Freedom" Colossians 2: 16-23