Just a week ago we gathered to celebrate the Savior’s birth! Here are some photos to remember the joy we shared.
As always, we love seeing your pictures. If you have any photos from Christmas Eve Service, or any other moments in the life of our church, please email them to photos@crossofgracesa.org.
We’ve spent our Christmas sermon series learning about the Offices of Christ, their role in our redemption, and their role in our lives as the redeemed. To help you remember what we’ve learned and continue to reflect upon the glory of Christ, here’s a brief summary along with some additional resources.
Two questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), nicely capture the significance of the Offices of Christ and the on-going role they play in the life of the people of Christ:
Question 31: Why is he called "Christ", that is anointed?
Answer: Because he is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and to be our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body, has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession with the Father for us; and also to be our eternal King, who governs us by his word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in that salvation, he has purchased for us.
Jesus has saved us through the perfect execution of these roles and has made us his redeemed people. A people of Christ, who have come to share in the roles of Christ:
Question 32: But why are you called a Christian?
Answer: Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of his anointing; that so I may confess his name (prophet), and present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him (priest): and also that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life and afterwards I reign with him eternally, over all creatures (king).
We’ve been born again into God’s family and made a people of Christ who have been anointed to be prophetic, priestly, and kingly. These roles have redeemed us and shape our identity and mission as Christ’s redeemed (1 Pet 2:4-5, 9-10). These offices even set our marching orders into eternity (Rev 22:1-5).
All glory be to Christ! The One in whom every office is fulfilled and all we need is found. What a privilege we have to be the people of the One True Prophet, Priest, and King!
Jesus’ Threefold Office as Prophet, Priest, and King by Joel Beeke. A quick overview of the Offices of Christ.
The Church and the Offices of Christ by Barry J. York. An extended discussion on how the Offices of Christ practically function in the local church.
Prophet, Priest, and King: The Roles of Christ in the Bible and Our Roles Today by Richard Belcher Jr. Our November 2021 Book of the Month recommended once again.
We’ll kick off 2022 by celebrating the riches of our Redeemer’s love for us. Take a few minutes to listen and read through the lyrics of the new song we will be singing this Sunday.
Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
It’s our annual Fallow Month- Small groups, Men’s & Women’s meetings are cancelled. We do this so you can press into natural and more intimate opportunities to relate to your church family and neighbors. The holiday season is notoriously one of the busiest times of the year. We want to help you to take advantage of the few free moments you have to spend unhurried, unscheduled time with one another and with family for the grand purpose of allowing your heart to be re-fertilized by the work of Christ.
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
If you’ve been visiting for any length of time and would like to learn more about what we believe as a church and how those beliefs take shape in the life of the church, this class is for you. The aim is to help you discern whether or not this is the church family the Lord is calling you to. If we discover together that this isn’t the church for you, we want to help you find another church. If by the end of the class you believe this is where the Lord is leading you, then we’d love to take steps toward welcoming you as a member and assisting you to plug into the life of the church.
The Gospel message tells us that Jesus came to earth, took on flesh and fulfilled the roles of prophet, priest and king in ways that no human in history ever had before Him, namely in a perfect way. We are the beneficiaries. Yet, our benefits don’t end there. In our union with Him, we actually inherit and share in those roles as we represent Jesus to the world. The Church has become a royal people, a priesthood and a people who speak as His ambassadors. Listen to the last sermon of 2021 and be encouraged as your bear the name of Christ to your neighbors.
LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE
Our traditional, candlelight Christmas Eve Service is just a day away! We’re eager to gather together in the beautiful Ebell Courtyard to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The forecasted rain is supposed to clear up for tomorrow evening. But if it rains, we’ll move our service indoors to the Ebell Ballroom. Either way, we’ll share in the joy of Jesus together.
If you still have family, friends, or neighbors you’d like to invite, send or share the digital invite on social media by downloading this flyer.
If you or any friends or family you’ve invited have questions about masks, meeting indoors, or health & safety protocols feel free to contact a pastor here.
Every Tuesday we publish a blog post to lay out in one place what’s going in the life of the church for the upcoming week. See below for a snapshot of what’s on the calendar this week:
It’s our annual Fallow Month- Small groups, Men’s & Women’s meetings are cancelled. We do this so you can press into natural and more intimate opportunities to relate to your church family and neighbors. The holiday season is notoriously one of the busiest times of the year. We want to help you to take advantage of the few free moments you have to spend unhurried, unscheduled time with one another and with family for the grand purpose of allowing your heart to be re-fertilized by the work of Christ.
5:00 pm - Meeting Room: Courtyard
10:00 am - Meeting Room: Ballroom
We have the joy of being partners with around 100 other Sovereign Grace Churches around the world. The benefits of this partnership are largely unseen day to day: doctrinal accountability, the availability of an adjudication process for difficult church conflicts, support and training for pastoral teams and many others. However, there are other benefits, like the Sovereign Grace Journal, which every member gets to enjoy on the regular. Don’t let these ones pass you by.
This journal is filled with articles written by Sovereign Grace pastors on timely issues and eternally important subjects. This article is published to fill your heart with the Truth of God’s Word and to further saturate your life with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Download or buy it and take some time over the next few weeks to read and digest this valuable publication.
You may not sense a driving need in your life for a king, but you and everyone around you wants a certain kind of kingdom. You want the world you live in to look a particular way. You think others ought to act a particular way. You want a kingdom. But there is no kingdom without a king. Jesus was born to rule as king over the only kingdom that will last forever. His birth, then, is a summons. Will you receive His summons by repentance and faith or will you reject His summons and live outside His kingdom? Learn more in last week’s 4th Advent message.
LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE
