Theme for the Men’s Advance

Posted by on Jan 27, 2015 in Men's Advance

Marcus-J.-Serven-252x183

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” Psalm 146:3-5

As the years go by it seems to me that this statement from Psalm 146 becomes more prominent in my own mind. The fundamental lesson of human history is that the kingdoms of men rise up, and then over time the kingdoms of men fall down. But, in contrast to that the kingdom of our God continues on forever and ever—because it is an eternal kingdom (Ps. 145:13). If our trust is in princes, then we will be sorely disappointed. But if our trust is in God, we will be fully satisfied.

And so, how should Christians go about living in this present world? Some Christians have decided to retreat into their own cloistered refuges where they are protected from all wicked influences. This strategy, however, does not take into account the deeply set wickedness that is found in the heart of man (Jer. 17:9-10; Mk. 7:14-23), nor does it take seriously the injunction that Christians are to be light in the midst of this dark and dreary world (Matt. 5:14-16). Other Christians confidently assert that mankind will improve and mature with greater education, more technology, and an enlightened philosophy. Yet, when these areas are not governed by the Word of God they lead to apostasy, idolatry, and tyranny (Rom. 1:18-32; Gal. 5:16-26; Col. 2:8).

Where then do we place our hope? The Psalmist tells us, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God” (Ps. 146:5). This year at the Men’s Advance we will be discussing what it means to place our hope in the Lord, our God. Specifically, we’ll examine what the Bible teaches about the Kingdom of God and how it is steadily advancing through time and penetrating into every dark corner of the earth. Therefore, Christians can have an optimistic view of history, rather than a pessimistic view. The Lord gives us hope that in his kingdom all wrongs shall be righted, and all injustices shall be undone. This truth will surely become evident at the end of time, but also through time as those who live in the kingdom of God assert kingdom ethics. Come and find out what it means to live with a proper understanding of the Kingdom of God and how to place your hope in the Lord, your God (Ps. 146:5). 

The Kingdom of God

I hope you can join us for the Men’s Advance, on February 27-28, 2015, here in Troy, Missouri! You can get all of the details by going to the Events page.

—Pastor Marcus Serven