December 20^th , 2015

9:30 am Bible Study---------------------------------The High Sign of The Son – Isaiah 7:14

10:00 am Service---------------------------------------------Wise Men Worship Him – Matthew 2

*** NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK ***

Nursery Today: Second Service: Mindy M. Alt. – Jill O.

Cleaning Schedule: This Week: Fannins, Next Week: Sheesleys

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Birthdays: December: 25^th—Earlene Sheesley, 29^th – Ron Fannin, 30^th – Polly Peters, 31^st – Kathryn Polk

Is Our Message Offensive?

PAUL called his message "the offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11). Again and again he warned that the true gospel of God's grace and glory would meet with great opposition from the religious world and the natural world. "The preaching of the cross is foolishness" (1 Corinthians 1:18). "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Our Lord said, "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13). He also said, "They shall put you out of the synagogues (organized religion): yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service" (John 16:2). If what we preach is NOT offensive to the religionist and to the worldling, then it is NOT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. I repeat, it is not the gospel!

1. GOD'S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY in creation, providence and redemption offends man's claim to free will!

"We will not have this man to REIGN over us" (Luke 19:14).

2. The preaching of TOTAL DEPRAVITY AND INABILITY offends man's dignity and claim to personal righteousness.

"We be not born of fornication," that is, "We be not (they say) born in sin." "We may not be perfect, but we are not totally corrupt in God's sight."

3. The gospel of Christ comes by REVELATION, and this offends man's natural wisdom. The college professor knows as

much about the mysteries of grace as the farmhand, which is nothing apart from the Spirit of God.

4. EFFECTUAL REDEMPTION through the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Substitute and Sin-offering,

offends man's pride. Men would have God do all that He wants to do and all that He can do, but there must be a work left

for the sinner to perform, that we might share somewhat in the glory.

5. THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST offends man's desire for recognition here and hereafter. "They said unto him, Grant

unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory" (Mark 10:37). "Let us have a

system of rewards to distinguish us in some way from the beggar." We have established our social levels here and choose to

continue them in heaven. -- Henry Mahan

“And the devil, taking Him (Christ) up into an high mountain, shewed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto Him, ‘All this power will I give thee and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.’ ”Luke 4:5-7

We cannot fully understand what power has been given to Satan by our Lord, yet the Lord does not dispute what he says here. Apparently it is somewhat in the power of the devil to bestow material things upon some. Since this is so, it is not necessarily a blessing of God to have an abundance of things. Oh that we could see things as they are; see things as the Lord sees them and was not in the least tempted by them. It is significant that these things were viewed from “an high mountain.” Perhaps that is how we need to view things.

If you have ever traveled by airplane then you have been afforded a ‘bird’s-eye-view’ of things. You have seen things the way our Lord saw them and the way we should view them. I recently flew a long way over many different states, in which were all manner of things to be seen. Way down there I saw all the things that people love and live for. There were houses by the sea, which looked like little cottages; which could easily be swept away by the ocean which came so precariously close. There were farms with all the animals grazing; where the finest horse looked no different than an ass (from the air). There were the huge playgrounds and sporting fields, where everyone looked like little ants scurrying around needlessly, and aimlessly. There were little automobiles running around everywhere, each looking no different than other and all looking like little toys. I saw all things which human beings live and die for, as they really are . . . insignificant, fragile and vanity. .