In-person services have resumed. We are doing in-person Lord's Day services and will be practicing the appropriate COVID guidelines for churches in Mariposa County.
August 4, 2020 - The next section of Matthew that I wish to highlight is Matthew 15:10-20. To understand this text, one must keep in mind context. In all of our reading, studying, interpretation, and critical thinking we must understand context. Before the passage today, we read of the encounter between Christ and some of the religious leaders of the day. They were focused on the outward sign of spiritual cleanliness that they themselves designed out of the Law of God. Christ pointed them to the actual Law of God and show how their usage of vows neglected the command to honor our parents.
Now Christ Jesus talks to the crowd again and begins to teach. Verse 10-11 reads, “And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” We read further on an expansion of this idea. Verse 17 points out that which comes into us from the mouth passes through the body and is “expelled”, but what proceeds from out of our mouths is the problem. We can polish our outside selves and make us appear that we are without blemish. But appearances are walls to our hearts. We see in Scripture that from our hearts comes all sorts of evil. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone but these things inside of us, our utter depravity, that is what defiles a person. We may wish to keep up appearances or attempt to but that only makes us, in modern terms, whitewashed gravestones. Sure the stone is cleaned and polished but it does not change the state of the person who is buried in the ground, dead in sin. The only person who can change such a state is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who purchased us with his blood and by his wounds we are forgiven.
Wynter is an Elder at Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church. Find out more at MariposaChurch.org or email him at wynter@mariposachurch.org. Visit Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church on Facebook.
Pastor’s Corner is a column from Pastor Wynter Sturtevant III of the Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church.
The Church has moved locations, services are now held at the Bootjack Stompers Hall (located at 4662 Morman Bar Crossing) across from the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.
Time of service is at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday.
I am happy to announce that MRBC has its own sermon podcast. Please check it out by clicking on the link below or searching MRBC Sermons on iTunes. New sermons will be posted every Wednesday.
https://mariposachurch.transistor.fm/episodes
Note: Area churches interested in submitting Articles of Faith are welcome to contact us.
Please email the Sierra Sun Times at sst@goldrushcam.com for more information.
