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What Love My God
What love my God would bring You down to earth
What king would take a low and lonely birth
Yet to this dark and broken place You came
To sleep beneath the stars that You had made
What love my God would send the Way of Life
To walk the road rejected and despised
That You might know the weakness I possess
And be my rock of strength and righteousness
O Your love my God like a flood
As heaven opened up pouring out on us
O praise the King who came to the world
In His love like a mighty flood
What love my God could hold You to the tree
To bear that overwhelming debt for me
The Son of heaven leaves the Father's side
The Healer bleeds the Life was made to die
Chorus
O Your love my God like a flood
As heaven opened up pouring out on us
O praise the King who came to the world
In His love like a mighty flood
Verse 4
What love my God so gracious and extreme
Was strong enough to come and fight for me
To go through hell and down into the grave
And raise me up to see You face to face
You raise me up to see You face to face
Chorus
O Your love my God like a flood
As heaven opened up pouring out on us
O praise the King who came to the world
In His love like a mighty flood
Amid the Thronging Worshippers
1 Amid the thronging worshipers
the Lord, our God, I bless;
before his people gathered here
his name will I confess.
Come, praise him, all who fear the Lord,
the children of his grace;
with reverence sound his glories forth
and bow before his face.
2 The burden of the sorrowful
the Lord will not despise;
he has not turned from those who mourn,
he listens to their cries.
His goodness makes me join the throng
where saints his praise proclaim,
and there will I fulfill my vows
with those who fear his name.
3 He feeds with good the humble soul
and satisfies the meek,
and they shall live and praise the Lord
who for his mercy seek.
The ends of all the earth will hear,
the nations seek the Lord;
they worship him, the King of kings,
in earth and heaven adored.
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
2 Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
3 And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
4 That Word above all earthly powers–
no thanks to them– abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!
King of Kings
Verse 1
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope without light
Till from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfil the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt
Chorus
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of Glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of kings
Verse 2
To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake You died
Chorus
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of Glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of kings
Verse 3
And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who'd come
To the Father are restored
Verse 4
And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this Gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel shall not faint
By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me
Chorus
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of Glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of kings
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from
whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen. Amen.
Adam Veenstra
Ebenezer CRC
August 2, 2026
SCRIPTURE READING
SERMON INTRO SLIDE For our message this morning we are going to be reading from Ecclesiastes 5, which you can find on page 1039 of the Bibles that are in front of you. Gloria and I are going to be reading the first seven verses, which give important wisdom about our character, and how we conduct ourselves with integrity as followers of Jesus:
ADAM: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
GLORIA: Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven and you are on earth so let your words be few.
A dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.
ADAM: When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.”
GLORIA: Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
MESSAGE
Part One
SLIDE 1 In addition to Scripture, a great source of wisdom for millennials has always been the Berenstain Bears.
For the kids who are with us today, they were like the Paw Patrol and Bluey of their day.
One of the classic stories is The Berenstain Bears and the Truth.
SLIDE 2 In this book, Brother and Sister Bear are bored and decide to play soccer in the house.
Do you think that’s allowed?
Are you allowed to play soccer in the house? Why not?
SLIDE 3 Well Brother and Sister probably shouldn’t have, because they accidentally knocked over a lamp…”which fell to the floor with a crash!”
And it wasn’t just any lamp: it was Mama Bear’s best, favourite lamp.
What do you think they did when Mama came home?
SLIDE 4 The book says that “The cubs looked into Mama’s eyes, then at each other, and then they began to tell one of the biggest whoppers that has ever been told in Bear Country!”
And as they told it, it got bigger and bigger. And then when Paper Bear came home, the whopper got even bigger, and even sounded a bit different.
When they couldn’t keep their story straight, that’s when Mama and Papa Bear knew they weren’t telling the truth.
SLIDE 5 The cubs realized that Mama looked more sad than mad: her favourite lamp could always be replaced, but trust was not as easily put back together.
Not telling the truth makes it hard for someone to trust you the next time you ARE telling the truth!
SLIDE 6 “No matter how you hope, no matter how you try, you can’t make truth out of a lie.”
In any book, movie, TV show, or story from the Bible, a lie is rarely successful. It will always, always, have some kind of negative effect.
SLIDE 7 Our passage from Ecclesiastes isn’t just talking about lies.
But it’s about God’s people having consistency with what they say and what they do in the Lord’s house.
It’s about the character of God’s people being consistent with the character of Christ himself.
So it’s actually a relatively self-explanatory passage, especially compared to some of the earlier chapters of Ecclesiastes: tell the truth, and demonstrate the truth, by doing what you say, honouring your commitments, and being the person God made you to be.
Simple enough, right?
SLIDE 8 The immediate context of this passage has to do with worship, with going to the house of God.
It is the very practical act of going to a specific location for the purpose of reaching up.
God is the focal point of that worship, and his Word takes precedence over any others; the reverence for his word is meant to impact how God’s people use theirs.
SLIDE 9 In the time of Ecclesiastes, this worship took place in the temple, where God’s presence was understood to reside in the singular location of the Holy of Holies.
SLIDE 10 Today, we have a more layered understanding of something called God’s omnipresence: that he dwells in all times and places.
We have the benefit of hindsight, and the accessibility of the whole of Scripture, and can read back and recognize how even in the Old Testament, the presence of God was experienced beyond the temple walls.
So today we know that our worship, and being in the presence of God, isn’t limited to one particular place.
“Going to the house of God” has a broader implication.
Guarding our steps, then, isn’t just for approaching a singular house, but as we move throughout creation.
SLIDE 11 So that in all that they do God’s people shouldn’t be quick or hasty with their words, or even say too much, because it could lead to saying something that isn’t meant, or can’t be upheld.
It’s ultimately a matter of who God wants his people to be.
At the time Ecclesiastes was written, vows were taken incredibly seriously.
God himself made covenants with his people - promises that could not be broken.
A person’s reputation, their livelihood, and even their life, could depend on demonstrating the truth by upholding the promise they’ve made.
Making a vow to God, or a vow in his name, was like a legal contract.
Breaking it resulted in consequences.
SLIDE 12 Deuteronomy 23 (21-23) explains it this way: “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow you will never be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.”
SLIDE 13 Proverbs 20 stresses that “dishonest scales do not please” the Lord, and that it is “a trap for a person to dedicate something rashly, and only later to consider their vows.”
Demonstrating the truth is important.
Having a character consistent with who God made us to be is important.
Part Two
And important enough that we’re spending time on a holiday weekend talking about it, when we could have literally just learned the lesson from the Berenstain Bears.
Because breaking covenant, being inconsistent in our Christian character, or simply just lying, has important consequences in our walk with Christ and his people.
SLIDE 14 Whether we like it or not, everything we do under the sun reflects Christ and his church; it reflects Christ and one another.
Many of you call me Pastor Adam…(even though I’m more than fine with just “Adam”.)
That title is a reminder that whether I like it or not, being a pastor is part of my identity, one that does not cease to exist when I leave the Ebenezer property.
I once heard “aren’t you Pastor Adam from Ebenezer?” in line at the LCBO…
Everything I do no, matter where I am, is a reflection of Ebenezer. It is a reflection of Christ and his church - a reflection of Christ and one another.
Whether I like it or not, or even agree with it or not, to a lot of people what I say and do holds the weight and backing of “the church”.
But it’s the same for all of us, whether we have a title or not.
Being God’s children is a part of our identity. Everything that we say or do is a reflection on Ebenezer, on Christ and his church.
So whether we like it or not, we are expected to demonstrate the truth of that identity.
Last month we talked about commitment to the church family in terms of our attendance and presence with one another.
Because if belonging to a family is part of your identity, you are expected to demonstrate the truth of that identity - you should be an active, present, and loving member who reflects the character of Christ.
In our marriages, in our jobs, in our families, and in our friendships, we are meant to honour Christ and one another by being active, present, and loving, and by reflecting his character.
Jimmy Knowles is a popular online relationship expert, and he recently commented that true commitment requires building trust.
SLIDE 15 You have to be consistent, and almost predictable, with the person that you claim that you are!
SLIDE 16 You have to be honest, and transparents, and not hide the truth.
SLIDE 17 You have to do what you said you were going to do; uphold the vow that you make.
SLIDE 18 Make sure your words and actions align.
SLIDE 19 Encourage honest in the relationship.
SLIDE 20 Own your mistakes.
And you will make mistakes. Because life does get in the way sometimes!
But even by simply acknowledging that - acknowledging our failures and shortcomings - we are demonstrating a humility and awareness that is consistent with the character of Christ.
SLIDE 21 Demonstrating that we’re not fools who don’t even know we’ve done wrong.
Some universally underrated words are “I’m sorry” and “I got it wrong”.
SLIDE 22 Ecclesiastes tells us that “It is better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.:
So if you’re going to be married, have a job, be in a family or a church family, or be a friend, you need to keep the vow and be true to that identity.
And so if we profess the words of the Apostles Creed, or the lyrics of the songs we’ve sung today as followers of Jesus, then we cannot knowingly and continuously live contrary to them.
Last week we did a responsive reading of the law and psalms together, found in the back of our hymnals.
In another one of those readings of the law, the commandment to not misuse the name of the Lord your God is responded to with the words of Jesus:
SLIDE 23 “Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool…Let your yes by yes and your no no; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
In polite, North American Sunday School Christian culture, we often this down to mean that we shouldn’t use bad words: that if a Christian texts “OMG’”, there’s the unspoken insinuation that they of course mean “oh my goodness.”
And sure, we call it “profanity” because it’s profane, and there’s something to be said for watching your language in polite society.
But that’s not enough.
Occasional bursts of good behaviour are not enough. Not according to Ecclesiastes.
Our character is meant to continuously and consistently reflect Christ, in what we profess and say and then in what we subsequently do.
So there is likely truth that if you profess to be Christian, but shout Jesus’ name when you hurt yourself, you are misusing the name of the Lord.
But what the passage and commandment mean is that if you profess to be a Christian, but then don’t pay your employees a fair wage, or make disparaging remarks about immigrants or unhoused people, or call someone names in a community Facebook group, or, as we’ll talk about next week, remain silent about injustice, you have also misused the name of the Lord.
Because as followers of Christ everything you is in the house of God, and is in his name!
Because as followers of Christ, when people look to us, they expect to see him.
They deserve to see him.
We want them to see him!
Yes, we make mistakes. But sin should be the exception, not the rule.
SLIDE 24 If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation! They are no longer fools who do not know they do wrong.
And so we should strive to live accordingly.
SLIDE 25 Some of you are probably familiar with the play and movie “A Man for All Seasons” by Robert Bolt. We’ve referenced it before, and it’s a staple of high school English classes.
It’s based on the true story of Sir Thomas More, who refused to deny his convictions just to appease a temperamental king.
He felt he needed to remain true to himself.
He felt he needed to remain true to the person who he felt called to be.
In every season.
As followers of Jesus, each one of us are called to remain true to what we profess, and remain consistent to who we are.
In every situation. In every season.
SLIDE 26 More of us probably know the story of Pinocchio, the puppet whose nose grows every time he tells a lie.
The reason that happens is because a lie will grow and grow until it is as plain as the nose on our face.
Inauthenticity is not sustainable. We will be found out.
“No matter how you try, you can’t make truth out of a lie.”
Conclusion
SLIDE 27 The people we love deserve our best, authentic selves.
The people God loves, who we are meant to reach out to, deserve our best, authentic selves.
Our best, true selves.
The selves that reflect the integrity and character of Christ Jesus, who are striving to be like him in all things, and in all ways.
We demonstrate the truth of that identity by doing what we say, honouring our commitments, and being the person that God created us to be.
We reach out to others - and show up for them! - in the way that God has reached down to us.
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