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Pastor Steve Mathewson
Senior Pastor
10-18-18
As Christians, we live in exile. That is, we are living outside our native country in a foreign land that holds different values than we do. The Apostle Peter refers twice to God’s elect as “exiles” (see 1 Peter 1:1, 2:11). The Apostle Paul told the believers in Philippi, a colony proud of its Roman citizenship, that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Rick McKinley, a pastor in Portland, Oregon, explores this metaphor in his book, Faith for This Moment (Baker Books, 2018) to help us with “navigating a polarized world as the people of God.”..
10-11-18
Today I am writing from St. Francis Hospital in Peoria where my Mom is resting after her Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). The procedure took place yesterday, and it lasted less than an hour. We’re thankful to the Lord that my Mom is doing great and will go home tomorrow. My three younger brothers are here as well. It’s the first time her four boys have all been with her since her 75th birthday four years ago. I’m returning to Libertyville this afternoon...
10-04-18
How should Christians think about and engage in politics? Tim Keller addressed this question in the New York Times a few days ago. I always appreciate Keller’s wise, biblical counsel. Here are four of his key points in his opinion piece as well as my reflections on them...
09-27-18
This is not my father’s world. No, it’s not the world in which my dad lived. Nor is it the world in which I grew up as a boy. I can remember the day when almost everyone called themselves “Christians” whether they were or not. Most Americans affirmed Judeo-Christian values. I can remember when the Christmas programs at my public grade school in central Illinois featured traditional carols and a manger scene. But everything has changed...
09-20-18
This week I have been fly fishing in and around Yellowstone National Park. My friend, Dave, from Wheaton, is with me. We make an annual 4-day trip to this area to fly fish. We’re staying with my son-in-law Grant’s parents near Bozeman, Montana. I’m grateful to our church for the vacation time it gives to our ministry staff members. I love serving as a pastor, but it’s always refreshing to step away from the intensity of ministry—especially when I get to spend it in the outdoors...
09-13-18
The Gospel of Mark is a fast-paced account of the life and teaching of Jesus. This Sunday, September 16, we will begin working through it in a sermon series titled “The King and His Cross.” Based on the eyewitness testimony of the Apostle Peter, the Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the authoritative king (chapters 1-8) whose pathway to the throne involves death (chapters 9-16). This account is “gospel” or “good news” for mankind since all people are in need of rescue from sin and death...
09-06-18
I have definite opinions about politics, political issues, and particular politicians. However, as a Christian pastor, I have chosen not to voice these for fear of confusing people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not want to give the impression that being a Christian requires you to align with a particular political party. I know faithful believers in Jesus who consider themselves Democrats and others who consider themselves Republicans. In my opinion, neither party has a corner on reflecting biblical values...
08-30-18
I appreciated the clear testimonies offered by the five people who were baptized last Sunday at CrossLife. They each spoke precisely about how they became children of God and received God’s gift of salvation. Precise language is important when we share the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ because it leads to clarity. Since eternal destinies are at stake, we need to be crystal-clear—especially to our children. So how do we describe the appropriate response to the gospel which leads to salvation?...
08-23-18
The other day, I felt some anxiety, so I turned to Psalm 27. I found great encouragement in the opening lines of this stirring psalm written by David:
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?..
08-16-18
It is easier to praise God and affirm his goodness when he heals or restores or intervenes in the way we want. And thank God that he often does so! But the real test of praise is how we respond when life does not go our way. Habakkuk 3:17-18 puts it like this:..
08-09-18
Our worship services this Sunday may or may not be epic. I love worship when I sense the presence of God in a spectacular way. But not every Sunday morning is like that. Nor does it need to be. Of course, we must (and we do!) pursue excellence in everything—our singing, our praying, our preaching, and even creating a worshipful atmosphere. How can we do less than pursue excellence if our great expectation is to exalt and glorify God?..
08-02-18
Today I’m at Clydehurst Christian Ranch in Montana. It’s about 35 miles north of Yellowstone National Park (as the crow flies), and the beauty of the mountain valley in which it lies is magnificent. Sometimes, people in our church family ask me if I miss living in Montana. Honestly, no...
“A church with the truth of the gospel in its theology can produce the opposite of the gospel in its practice.” Ray Ortlund Jr., a former member of our church family, made this observation in his book, The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ. However, as he points out, the gospel should create “a culture of grace where good things happen to bad people.” Today I’d like to share some of Ray’s wisdom, because I love his vision for the way the gospel should shape the culture of the church. But first, let’s remind ourselves what the glorious gospel is. According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, it is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised to life. Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished God’s glorious victory over the powers of sin and death and made it possible for us to be rescued by faith alone in Christ alone.
Unfortunately, as Ray observes, “A gospel culture is harder to lay hold of than gospel doctrine.” The reason for this is a barrier every church faces. Ray explains: “The primary barrier to the ministry of the gospel through your church is not out in the world; the primary barrier is within your church itself. Every church, to some extent, clogs and hinders the gospel, even as we intend to advance the gospel.”
Yes, the fact is that churches are full of sin. That’s why the Apostle Paul, in his letters, keeps challenging us to let the gospel shape the way that we live and treat each other. To believers struggling to get along, he writes: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:3-8). Similarly, in Ephesians 4:32, Paul says: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Then, to believers struggling to control their passions, Paul writes: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:11). It’s clear, then that the gospel of Christ should inform how we live as the church.
Allowing the gospel to shape our church’s culture is a huge challenge. Ray Ortlund says: “It requires more relational wisdom and finesse. It involves stepping into a kind of community unlike anything we’ve experienced, where we happily live together on a love we can’t create. A gospel culture requires us not to bank on our own importance or virtues, but to forsake self-assurance and exult together in Christ alone.” I can assure you that our elders and our ministry are constantly wrestling with what adjustments we need to make so that our church is more aligned with the gospel. We cannot advance it if we are not practicing it and living out its values. May the gospel shape us into a church of what Ray calls “bright, resilient, rugged hope”—a church that faces life as it is and is not defeated.”
This Sunday, August 27, I look forward to preaching Matthew 18:1-14. This is the second message in our Kingdom Character sermon series, and the title is “What Jesus Said about Humility.” Also, I’m making a quick trip to Portland, Oregon to speak at Western Seminary’s faculty retreat. I’m scheduled to deliver the plenary address on Monday, August 28, at noon (Chicago time) on “The Transforming Power of the Gospel.” So I would appreciate your prayers. I consider this opportunity as an extension of our church’s ministry to the larger body of Christ.
Our family is in the “back to school” mode. Priscilla is back at her job running the lunch program at Adler Grade School, and our grandson, Blake started first grade at Copeland Grade School. On the lighter side, our daughter Erin, who lives in southern California, told us a funny story about our one-year old grandson, Madden. Recently, Manny (Erin’s husband) went to their church’s nursery to pick up Madden after a recent worship service, and he found Madden going up and down a slide. The nursery worker said that every time Madden got to the bottom, he would point to the top. He wanted the worker to carry him and put him on top of the slide so he didn’t have to crawl the three feet and climb the two step. Erin said, “It looks like we have a lazy one.” Alright, thanks for reading. I’ll see you on Sunday!
