I hope I Can Give A Good Report

A salesman boarded an airplane and sat next to a pastor. They did not know one another; so after they were in the air, the salesman spoke," How do you do?" The pastor replied, "Fine, thank you; and how are you?" The salesman said, "I am in the JEWELRY BUSI­NESS." The pastor thought for a moment of the scrip­ture in Mal. 3:17,"In the day when I make up my jew­els, I will spare them," and replied, "Yes, and I am too." The salesman said, "I am in business with MY FATHER." The pastor answered, "And so am I." The salesman added, "We only deal in THE VERY BEST JEW­ELS." The pastor said, "Our jewels are perfect." The salesman said, "MY FATHER TRUSTS ME with much of his business, and I am on my way to a meeting with my Father." The Pastor replied, "I don't know exact­ly when, but I have a meeting with my Father soon." The salesman sighed and settled back in the seat to take a rest with these words, "I hope I can give a good report." The pastor thoughtfully added, "I cer­tainly hope I can, too!"

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1994)

INABILITY

"No man can come to Me, except it were given unto him of My Father," (John 6:65). Notice the word 'can.' It means ability. It could just as easily be translated, "No man is able to come to Me." It does not say, "No man may come." If you have a will to come, you certainly may. Yet, no man has the spiritual ability to come. A lost man may feel guilty concerning many things, and even have a measure of conviction. However, a lost man is never convinced of his inability. He holds out hope that he will one day do whatever it is he needs to do to secure his salvation. He does not see his own inability. Yet, when God the Holy Spirit convicts a man of sin, he is made to see that not only his acts are sinful, but he lacks the ability to do anything but sin. Repentance is seen to be as unattainable to him as perfect obedience to the law. It is only when a man is convinced of his own inability that he will cry for mercy. Sovereign mercy is his only hope, because all doors are closed! Only when we have no ability can we see His Almighty ability to save.

Pastor Todd Nibert

PREACHING CHRIST

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2Tim.4:1-2).

A belief in sovereign grace does not diminish our zeal to preach the gospel to every creature. This is the sovereign command of our Lord to always be about the business of preaching (Mark16:15; Titus 1:1-3; 1Cor.1:18-21). It should rather motivate us, inspire us and give us real incentive to preach Jesus Christ as all and everything in salvation (Col. 3:11), knowing that God has ordained this as the very means to irresistibly call out His elect (John 10:27-30). This is the record of the early church all through the book of Acts; they went everywhere preaching the gospel of Christ (Acts 8:4; 8:12; 11:19-20; 15:35; 20:20-27; 28:30-31). We can be assured of this, God will bless His church through the word preached (Isa.55:11). It will feed us when hungry (1Peter 2:2), comfort us in trouble (Jer. 15:16), reprove and rebuke when we need instruction in righteousness (2Tim. 3:16). God give us much grace and determination to continue preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (1Cor. 2:2).

CHRIST OUR SUBSTITUTE

“Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Matt. 27:26).

God has ordered by His marvelous providence a vivid picture of every believer’s Substitute. Barabbas was rightly charged, convicted and sentenced to be executed. He was found guilty of murder, robbery and sedition against Rome. When the executioner came to release him, he was told Jesus of Nazareth had taken his scourging and crucifixion and that he could go free.

Barabbas is a type and picture of the sinners for whom Christ Jesus died (1Tim.1:15). We stand guilty before the law of God (Rom. 3:19-20). We were justly convicted of great offences against God (Psalm 51:4). We were waiting the execution by God’s holy law (Rom.6:23). However, by the order of Almighty God, Jesus Christ was sent to rescue, redeem and release sinners (Matt.9:13; Luke 4:18).

Believers no more merit release and rescue than Barabbas did (Eph.2:1-4). But God in His sovereign grace sent the gracious Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ to take our place and set us free (1Peter 3: 18). Christ Jesus paid our debt to God’s law and justice and cleared us of all guilt (Gal. 3:10-13). Christ Jesus took our scourging and with His strips we are healed (Isa. 53:5). Christ Jesus took our death and gave us His life (1John 5:12). He took our sin and gave us His righteousness (2Cor. 5:21). He was condemned though innocent (1Peter 2:22), that we might be justified though guilty (Rom.8:1).