Let me start by thanking those of you who watched Sunday’s sermon in person or online. Sunday’s message was a “fire-hydrant” of information, and it was longer than usual. I really appreciated the patience of our crowds Sunday as things went long. While the pressure I felt was self-induced, I was grateful that our folks were right with me until the end. Our people leaning into God’s word with a genuine desire to obey Him is one of the hallmarks of CLF and true evidence that God is at work in us. So thank you!  

The best lesson I’ve learned:

I know it sounds like hyperbole, but the point I made at the end of Sunday’s sermon about the gospel’s impact on reconciliation is the best lesson I’ve learned in my Christian life. Understanding the gospel correctly has helped me receive correction, give correction, confess sin, and be grateful for God’s work to me through others. Let me explain.

Many years ago, I began to realize that I was an “approval junkie .”For those who want a biblical definition of that, it’s called “fear of man” or “living for the applause of men.” The negative effects of this on my soul were: impatience when things didn’t go my way; anger with people who didn’t follow my suggestions (commands…); being hurt when I was confronted by friends about my sin; being self-righteously critical of others. It culminated in one of the darkest, most discouraging times in my life, with me ready to quit the ministry and start over somewhere else. The problem was moving wasn’t the answer because my sinful heart was going to follow me.  

It was at the end of that time when the Lord convicted me of not applying the gospel’s truth to my soul and believing it deeply. The Lord showed me that I was an “approval junkie” because I never fully believed His approval of me in Christ. He further revealed to me that the reason why I was crushed by others’ rightful judgments about me was that I really didn’t understand His rightful judgment of me. It was at this moment, when the Lord graciously revealed this through His word, books I was readings, and sermons I was listening to, that things began to shift drastically in my soul and then in my interactions with others.  

Here’s what happened: When I began to believe that God loved me more than I could ever imagine because of Jesus, I stopped living for others’ approval because I didn’t “need” it anymore. Rather, in Christ, I had all the love I could ever want/need, and I had a reservoir of love to give out. Further, when I began to believe that God had judged me more than I could ever imagine because Jesus’ death for my sin reveals this, I stopped being crushed by others’ judgments of me because their judgments were not nearly as critical as God’s already was. In Christ, I was truly free. Free to stop thinking about myself all the time. Free to confess sin when confronted and convicted. Free from the high of “man’s praise” and free to live for God’s glory alone.  

The changes this made in my life were almost immediate. I can remember the place I was walking and praying when the Lord began to fillet my heart with this truth. And I remember that minutes after confessing my sin to God and asking Him to help me change, God immediately put me to the test to see if I had learned the lesson. On my walk, I ran into a man who is pretty famous in baseball circles in Oregon. As I walked to him, I went to introduce myself, and he immediately replied with, “Dave York. I know you, man. I’ve waited so long to meet you. I love watching your teams play. They play the game right. I tell others, when you play UVC, you better come ready because that little Christian school will kick your…” I was stunned and encouraged. But for the first time in my life, his praise didn’t define me. After a long talk with the legend, I walked away, thanked God, and said, “Lord, I appreciate the encouragement, but what Jesus did for me is the greatest gift of love I’ve ever received.” I was changed.  

Now, I bring this up because of these truths: God’s immense love towards us at the Cross and God’s just criticism of us at the Cross is life-changing. I cannot emphasize this enough for you. Knowing and believing these things will help you be patient with others, rest in God’s timing, allow you to be gracious, trust God with hard results, exalt in God’s kindness in success, honestly confess sin, and be forgiving when others sin against you.  

I am deeply grateful that the Lord continues to bring this truth up to me often. And I’m grateful for the change this truth has made in my life. I sit here today as a changed man because God loves me more than I could ever dream and has criticized me more than anyone else ever will.  

This coming Sunday:

This coming Sunday, we will look at how to protect redemptive relationships. Primarily we will study Titus 3:1-11 to see how to handle a divisive person. We will also study gossip and slander because those are two of the main divisive sins which the church must deal with.  

From the Cheap Seats:

• In 2019 the Cincinnati Bengals were 2-14, and in 2020, they were 4-11-1. Today, they’re AFC Champs and heading to the Super Bowl. So, one question: can you name 1 Cincinnati Bengals fan in your life? I mean, a real fan…not a bandwagoner, but a real one? I’ve surveyed my sports friends, and so far, out of several requests, I’ve only found one guy who has one friend who’s a true Bengals fan. They’re going to have lots of fans soon. 
• Matthew Stafford…it’s not hard for me to root for a Texas High School quarterback. But did you know that Matthew Stafford was Clayton Kershaw’s catcher in high school at Highland Park High School? If you don’t know Clayton Kershaw, just think of one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball for the past 10-12 years. Also, did you know that Matthew Stafford’s wife had brain surgery a couple of years ago, and he never skipped a beat in caring for her? She’s his biggest fan, and he’s her biggest support. Now fully healthy, they’re both enjoying his Super Bowl opportunity. Great story of a husband and wife being faithful to each other in the midst of pro sports. I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff.  
• The last day of the Winter Transfer Window, is today, January 31st. By the time you get this email, some key players will have changed teams, and teams will have spent lots and lots of money.  

I’m very grateful to be your pastor.  

In Christ, 

Dave York