ZEBULON BAPTIST CHURCH Weekly Bulletin Sunday, April 22, 2007
“We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. Psalm 22:1-6
What a contrast between "I AM" and "I am a worm!" “But I am a worm, and no man” (Psalm 22:6). This verse is a miracle in language.How could the Lord of glory be brought to such abasement as to be not only lower than the angels, but even lower than men.What a contrast between "I AM" and "I am a worm!" yet such a double nature was found in the person of our Lord Jesus when bleeding upon the tree. He felt himself to be comparable to a helpless, powerless, down trodden worm, passive while crushed, and unnoticed and despised by those who trod upon him.He selects the weakest of creatures, which is all flesh; and becomes, when trodden upon, writhing, quivering flesh, utterly devoid of any might except strength to suffer.This was a true likeness of himself when his body and soul had become a mass of misery -- the very essence of agony -- in the dying pangs of crucifixion.Man by nature is but a worm; but our Lord puts himself even beneath man, on account of the scorn that was heaped upon him and the weakness which he felt, and therefore he adds, "and no man."The privileges and blessings which belonged to the fathers he could not obtain while deserted by God, and common acts of humanity were not allowed him, for he was rejected of men; he was outlawed from the society of earth, and shut out from the smile of heaven.How utterly did the Saviour empty himself of all glory, and become of no reputation for our sakes! Charles H. Spurgeon
And straightway they forsook their nets and followed Him – Mark 1:18 The disciples, who were fishermen by trade, invested a great deal in their nets.In those days, and still today, a fisherman’s net is his livelihood.All his trade is plied with his net. When the Lord found the disciples, they were “casting (their) net into the sea”(v.16).The sea has always been a mysterious and unknown thing, even to expert fishermen such as these disciples.Once(as at many other times, I’m sure) they had toiled all night and caught nothing out of the sea.Yet they continued to cast their nets into that sea, time and again.All their livelihood, their earnings, their hopes and dreams for their families and themselves, were cast upon that sea.And quite often the outcome was in doubt.But then . . . the Lord of Glory came looking for them.The Master came to His disciples and sovereignly, powerfully called them.And it says, ‘straightway they forsook their nets.’When they heard the effectual call of Christ, when they heard His voice and looked upon the altogether lovely Son of God, they immediately forsook those nets, boats, homes and families, in which were all their hopes and dreams, and cast all their care upon Him.From that day forward, Christ was their life, their all in all.And so it is with everyone who is called by the Lord.Those things which we once placed all our hopes, dreams, confidence and happiness in are forsaken for Someone better! CHRIST! Pastor Paul Mahan
THREE QUESTIONS CONCERNING OUR FAITH! Rowland Hill once said that, “…when a man comes to know the Lord, even his dog and cat and farm animals will be the better for it” It was William Jay who wrote that, “… a person, when he comes to Christ, will be better in every relationship. He is a better husband, father, master, worker, and friend than before or else his religion is not genuine.” Charles Spurgeon once said, "Do you hear one saying, 'I keep my religion to myself'? Well, friend, you do not have to worry about it being stolen. You do not have to put it under lock and key; there is not enough of it to even tempt Satan to take it from you. A man who can keep his godliness to himself has so small a portion, I am afraid it will be of no credit to him nor any blessing to anyone else." I ASK THREE QUESTIONS CONCERNING OUR FAITH! (1) Does it cause us to pray? worship God? give thanks? (2) Does it cause us to seek His will, His word, and His way? (3) Does it cause us to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us?” PastorHenry Mahan
SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU I Cor. 6:9-11 When the apostle came to this city of Corinth, he found it was given over to gross idolatry, sexual perverseness, obscene drunkenness, and corrupt, greedy extortioners. These vial conditions did not discourage him from preaching the gospel, but rather gave him great incentive to declare the gospel of God's sovereign mercy to sinners for Christ's namesake. In doing so, God was pleased to call out, save and reveal the gospel to many of His Elect. Some of these had been most violent offenders of God's law, others had been restrained by grace, but all were guilty and stood in need of mercy. Then the apostle reminds them of the great work of grace for them and in them. “But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” God has given all these blessings to every sinner He is pleased to save (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:9-10).
1. YOU ARE WASHED! Paul plainly declared by the Spirit of God that sinners are cleansed, forgiven and made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ (I John 1:7). Any notion that a man can purge himself from his sins is to be totally deceived. This verse has no reference to water baptism, water cannot make atonement for sin. "it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul." (Heb. 1:3; 9:12).
2. YOU ARE SANCTIFIED! Sanctification is the work of God's sovereign grace whereby He has separated us to be holy in Christ by election (Eph. 1:3-6), declared us to be holy in Christ by redemption (Eph. 5.27), made us to be holy in regeneration (2 Thes. 2:13). Believers are partakers of a divine nature implanted within (2Peter 1:4; Col. 1:27). This sinful flesh never gets sanctified (Rom.7:24), it is the new man that is sanctified in Christ (Eph. 4:24; 1John 3:9)!
3. YOU ARE JUSTIFIED! Sinners are never justified by their best efforts (Rom. 3.19-23). We are justified by the grace of God through the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3.2-26; 5:9). This is a glorious work done for the sheep at Calvary, applied to the soul of the believer by the work of the Holy Spirit and received by God-given faith (Rom.5:1). God accomplished all the believer’s salvation, for Paul says, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit.”
April 22, 2007 Sunday Worship Bible Study 10:30 A.M. Morning Service 11:15 A.M. Kingsport service 3:00 P.M. Wednesday Worship 7:00 P.M.
Radio (Sundays): WXCC 96.5 & 98.1 FM (new time and staion) 8:15 A.M each week