Birthdays: Tammy Hall – Apr. 13th | Kandice Drake – Apr. 14th| Walter Ross – Apr. 15th
Hymns for service: “Once For All” – p. 205 “To God Be the Glory” – p.449
True worship is honor and homage given to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. We have no right or qualification in worship, or any other service to God, but that which have by God’s grace through the merits of the blood of the Lord Jesus. Without Him all attempts to worship are nothing more than idolatry. – Copied
LET US WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-34)
We are met here to worship God – to sing His praises, to hear His Word, to pray together in our time of need. Two things are required – SPIRIT and TRUTH. Spirit refers to new heart given by God the Holy Spirit in the new birth. Truth refers to the God’s revelation of Himself in the glorious Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Herein are the hearts of God’s people broken and contrite over sin, knowing there is no hope for any of us within ourselves or by our deeds. We are sinners who have nothing to recommend us unto God but Christ and His righteousness imputed alone. This is the heart of faith founded in the truth as we look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. We find our hope, our assurance, our comfort, our victory, and our encouragement in Christ Jesus our Surety, Substitute, Advocate, and King. True worship is the sincere heart which longingly desires to trust and follow Christ, to live a life unto the glory of God. It is a struggling heart, battling with the flesh which tries to distract us away from Christ and His Word. It is the hungry heart which can only be fed and filled with the preaching of Christ crucified and risen from the dead and the whole Word of God as it resonates to His glory and our good by His grace. It is the heart of love – love for Christ, love for His Word, love for our brethren, and love for our neighbor as we stand together to witness the Gospel of Christ and pray for their salvation. With this in mind, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (Psalm 95:6). – Pastor Bill Parker
GOD'S ALTAR
The altar was raised that offerings might bleed thereon. You doubt not that the dying victim and the flowing blood pictured the dying of the Lamb of God. This is the first letter of the Gospel-primer. It is, however, equally true, though not so obvious, that the altar preaches Him who is the sum and substance of redemption's wonders. Jesus is every part of sin's atonement. As He is the true Priest, and the true slain one, so, too, He is the true Altar. He presents Himself to die upon Himself. Believer, thus your sacrifice is perfect because it is entirely divine. You have a Priest, and only one; and He is passed into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. You have a Lamb, and only one. No more is needed. And He died but once; for once was absolutely sufficient to satisfy and save. So, too, you have an Altar, and only one. It ever stands before the throne of God. Jesus is this Altar. – Henry Law
WHO SHALL STAND?
When more than fifty thousand men in Bethshemesh were killed because they dared to look into the Ark of the Covenant, the survivors cried out in 1
Samuel 6:20, “WHO IS ABLE TO STAND before this holy LORD God?” Twice the psalmist asked essentially the same thing. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or, WHO SHALL STAND in His holy place?” “If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O LORD, WHO SHALL STAND” (Psalm 24:3; 130:3)? This will also be the fearful scream of unbelievers when they unsuccessfully attempt to hide from the Lamb of God when He judges the world in righteousness. “The great day of His wrath is come; and WHO SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND” (Revelation 6:17). Consider two things. Who is able to stand before the Lord, and what is the basis for them being allowed to stand or abide in His presence? I also put before you another question. Who could ever envision a vile sinner being received and permitted to dwell with an infinitely holy God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ? In order to be worthy to abide in the presence of the Majesty on high, we must be made the righteousness of God in Christ. It is only in Him that God declares sinners “meet (fit and worthy) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). “Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). —Pastor Jim Byrd
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