The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 15:31-33
Next Sunday we will join our hearts together around the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and partake of the Lord’s Table. After the morning service we will have lunch together.
Pastor Don Fortner is scheduled to preach for us on Thursday, Nov. 9.
WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE?
Somebody once said, "What does God require? Nothing from us, but all of us." That statement is true. God requires nothing from us. Salvation is by His grace. We have nothing that He can accept anyway. But He requires all of us. There must be a denying of self, a taking up of our cross and following Him, regardless of cost or consequence. This is not an option. Christ and the gospel of His sovereign grace are not merely something we like to hear of when we are feeling down, or something we have the option to pursue or to drop. He demands our all--complete surrender and complete commitment. This is not just for the more spiritual, but for all believers! As Rolfe Barnard used to say, "Don't tell me who your Saviour is. Tell me who your Lord is. Then I will know who your Saviour is." Pastor Todd Nibert
CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY
Col. 1:27
To have a good hope of resurrection, of deliverance from judgment, of eternal life and glory with Christ; in all honesty is not this the goal of our faith? Is not this our reason for searching the Scriptures? Is not this my reason for preaching and yours for hearing? Paul gives us the only real hope of glory in this brief sentence, "Christ in you!"
Two words catch our attention immediately; CHRIST and YOU. All that the law requires OF YOU is fulfilled IN CHRIST. All that justice demands of you is met in CHRIST. All the righteousness you need is in CHRIST.
But there is a little two-letter word in this sentence that is all important the word "in."Christ IN you, the hope of glory. It is not just Christ in the covenant, or Christ in the manger, or Christ in the world, or Christ on the cross, or Christ in the tomb, or Christ on the throne but Christ IN you. Our hope of glory is Christ in us! Christ believed in the mind, Christ received in the heart, Christ loved in the soul, and Christ followed in the life.
Pastor Henry T. Mahan (Bulletin 1982)
Every believer has been made holy in Christ. This does not mean that a believer does not commit sin. A believer constantly sins but the scripture says that the Lord does not impute sin to the believer because He imputed that sin to Christ at Calvary and Christ put that sin away by the blood of His sacrifice. That is what David said in Psalm 32:1-2. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
Pastor Frank Tate
Stedfast, Unmoveable, Always Abounding
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”(1 Cor. 15:58).
Because believers have been given the complete victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57), we have such a sure and certain hope of forgiveness and pardon from all sins (1John 1:7), full redemption in Christ (Gal. 3:13), total reconciliation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:18), everlasting righteousness in Christ (Rom. 4:6), washing of regeneration in Christ (Titus 3:5), and sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection in Christ (John 11:25; 1 Cor.15:51-56) therefore, be steadfast, unmoving and always abounding in the work of the Lord.
“Be stedfast;” settled in Christ, rooted and grounded in Christ, stand fast (Col. 2:7). Take a stand for the cause of God and truth of the gospel and don't compromise. (Gal. 5:1).
“Be unmoveable;” wherever the gospel is being denied or challenged be firm, strong, confident in the faith, and in view of the truth. Let nothing shake your faith or move you away from the gospel. Contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints; (Jude 1:3).
“Always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Always engaged in doing the will of God; in promoting His glory, preaching His gospel and advancing His kingdom. Which means, not only to be engaged in this, but to be engaged diligently, laboriously and excelling in this. You must work and labor in the Lord, under His direction, and by His influence; for without Him ye can do nothing (John 15:5). Not to be saved, but rather because we have been saved by His power and sovereign grace (Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Tim. 1:9).
“Knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.” God will bless the work He has given to us. He will bless His word to the hearts of His people (Isaiah 55:11). "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14).
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