14
Apr '20
Not Ashamed
14
Apr '20
Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
After his conversion the only thing Paul boasted in was the cross of Jesus Christ. The message of the cross was the core focus of his life and ministry. 2 Corinthians 2:1-2: “And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Not Ashamed
Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, he gloried in it! He incessantly proclaimed it. Think about it. Paul was….
- beaten,
- stoned,
- imprisoned,
- robbed,
- shipwrecked, and
- hated
All because he was joyfully committed to passionately and accurately preach the gospel to every creature everywhere. Paul was not ashamed of the cross or his Savior. He encouraged his young protégé Timothy to follow his example. 2 Timothy 1:8, “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.
There is no shame in believing and living the Good News of Jesus Christ. That message is powerful, for everyone, and the centerpiece of God’s revealed will for humanity. Believe the gospel message, and by God’s grace you will be justified – made right before God in Christ. Behavior follows belief. Daily follow our Lord and Savior in faith and by His grace. We are saved and sustained by God’s grace. When we are tempted to be ashamed, refocus on God and what He has done and is doing in the world, and in us, rather than focusing on our embarrassment.
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13
Apr '20
Be Peaceful Rather Than Fearful
13
Apr '20
Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
Fear is powerful. There are two kinds. The fear of God and the fear of man. The fear of God is the foundation of knowledge and wisdom, the way to fruitfulness and joy. To fear man is to be disappointed and enslaved, if not in the short-term, then always in the long-term. Fear will rule our lives. That is not the question. The question is whether or not the fear that rules me is healthy or unhealthy.
Fearing God and the peace of God are connected. Peace – God’s peace – is not the absence of conflict or troubles but calm confidence and assurance during them. Real, lasting peace comes only from God, and is attained only through faith. Faith is not some nebulous, mysterious blob floating around that either hits or misses us. No one accidentally falls into or out of faith, because faith is a purposeful pursuit, and it is primarily thinking – not feeling – rightly about God: His attributes, words, works, power, and promises. The more we know about God the greater He becomes in our thinking, the greater our faith will be in Him, the more eager we will be to rejoice and be thankful regardless of the circumstances, and the greater will be our peace for any and all situations. That is a lot for which to be thankful!
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12
Apr '20
The Day Death Died
12
Apr '20
Fear is powerful. Scripture teaches that the fear of God is the way of knowledge, wisdom, fruitfulness and joy. There is such a thing as healthy fear, but often our fear is unhealthy. You may discern the difference when your fear leads you to sinful practices. Fearing poverty, some put their career before anything and anyone else. Fearing loneliness, many behave against their better judgment thirsting for acceptance. Fearing failure, many will lie, cheat, steal, or worse. This means that the problem isn’t fear but what we do with our fears.
The greatest of all fears is the fear of death. That fears is universal, because death comes to us all. The rich cannot buy their way out of it. The intellectual can’t outsmart it. The physically gifted cannot outrun or outlast it. Death is the great leveler of humanity. No event is so sobering because no event is so final or so mysterious. The prospect of going through the veil by ourselves is enough to overwhelm any of us with fear.
Fear is what has humanity by the throat right now. We’re afraid to touch or be touched. We’re afraid of the air we breathe because we’re afraid of COVID-19. Our fear what we don’t understand, and we don’t know much about this new coronavirus other than out fears that it is a death sentence, either for ourselves or our loved ones.
Good news for the fearful!
Here is some good news. Christ Jesus came into this world to free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. John 11 recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and provides a preview of Christ’s own resurrection. That chapter teaches us some comforting truths as we think about our own mortality. That will be our text this Easter morning.
One of my favorite passages of all scripture is John 11:25-6, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
View this morning’s livestream by following this link or by clicking the “Watch Video” button on our church’s Facebook page. A Facebook account is not required to visit that page.
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11
Apr '20
Spurgeon for Your Saturday
11
Apr '20
Matthew 26:64, “Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven”
Ah, Lord, thou wast in thy lowest state when before thy persecutors thou wast made to stand like a criminal! Yet the eyes of thy faith could see beyond thy present humiliation into thy future glory. What words are these, “Nevertheless — hereafter”! I would imitate thy holy foresight, and in the midst of poverty, or sickness, or slander, I also would say, “Nevertheless — hereafter.” Instead of weakness, thou hast all power; instead of shame, all glory; instead of derision, all worship. Thy cross has not dimmed the splendor of thy crown, neither has the spittle marred the beauty of thy face. Say, rather, thou art the more exalted and honored because of thy sufferings.
So, Lord, I also would take courage from the “hereafter.” I would forget the present tribulation in the future triumph. Help thou me by directing me into thy Father’s love and into thine own patience, so that when I am derided for thy name I may not be staggered, but think more and more of the hereafter, and, therefore, all the less of today. I shall be with thee soon and behold thy glory. Wherefore, I am not ashamed, but say in my inmost soul, “Nevertheless — hereafter.”
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10
Apr '20
Trust His “No”
10
Apr '20
Deuteronomy 3:26, “But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.”
There are occasions when God will not hear our prayers. One reason why is disobedience. The people of Israel were not easy to lead. They were never content, consistently rebellious, and always fickle. Still, Moses interceded on their behalf. Every time. At the waters of Meribah the people yet again quarreled and complained with Moses about their need. They didn’t trust him or God. Yet again Moses prayed for them, and once again God miraculously provided water. But here Moses overstepped (Numbers 20:7-13; Psalm 106:32-33). God will not share His glory with another, not even Moses. We must trust God’s “No” as much as we do His “Yes.” Both are for our good and His glory.
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09
Apr '20
All One in Christ Jesus
09
Apr '20
Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Regardless of ethnicity, language, gender, education level, or socio-economic standing we all are made in the image of God. We also are all equally guilty as sinners by nature, and are all equally and righteously condemned to death. But God in His great love, while we were yet sinners, provided salvation for us all through the death of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. All who repent of their sins and turn in faith to the risen Christ are equally saved and equal before God. A converted woman remains a woman. A poor person does not become materially wealthy at conversion, but all who come to Christ are received by Him, and the identity and inheritance of all believers is found in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
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08
Apr '20
This Church and This Crisis
08
Apr '20
The Church as an Institution
The Lord Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [Petros – a rock or stone], and upon this rock [petra – a massive rock; a foundation; Jesus was referring to Himself] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, who was pastoring the church at Ephesus, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15)
In chapter 3:14-21 of his letter to that Ephesian church, Paul recorded a prayer he often offered to God for them. He ended that prayer with these words, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
The Church as an Assembly
The writer of Hebrews said this about the weekly church gathering in 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
In 1 Corinthians 11:18-31 Paul instructed the church at Corinth on the Lord’s Supper. Five times in those fifteen verses Paul references “coming together.” That makes sense, because the Greek word translated “church” in the New Testament is ekklēsia and it means “a called out assembly.” By definition, an assembly must come together.
But BBC isn’t Assembling
Bible Baptist Church is an assembly that hasn’t been assembling. What gives? Bible Baptist Church also observes the Lord’s Supper each year before Easter, but we won’t be “coming together” this year. What gives?
That’s what we will be discussing with our Bibles open tonight at 7pm during our livestream Bible study. You have viewing options:
- Follow this link to view the livestream directly from our Vimeo page. If you search for our feed on Vimeo use “bbc church.”
- Click the “Watch Video” button on the church’s Facebook page.
- Watch us on Facebook Live
- Watch us on YouTube If you search for us on YouTube use “Bible Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon.”
All of these options are available because we want to make it easy for you to follow along. Please set aside the time to tune in at 7 pm. Have your Bibles open.
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07
Apr '20
Praise God!
07
Apr '20
Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
Here is a hymn of praise which all those who trust God and His salvation may joyfully sing. God always delivers, and He will deliver those who are faithful to Him. The text doubles the personal name of God as an emphatic reminder that He is the covenant-keeping God. This is why our salvation is certain, not because of our faithfulness but because of His. He is our strength. He has saved us from the penalty of our sins, is saving us from the power of sin in our day to day lives, and will save us from sin’s presence in the life to come (see also 2 Corinthians 1:9-10). Those who trust God have much about which to sing. Praise Him!
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06
Apr '20
Whom You Trust Matters
06
Apr '20
Psalm 78:22, “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:”
The only sure way to defeat and disgrace is to distrust God. With Him all things are possible, but nothing is possible except condemnation for the one who will not trust God (see John 3:14-18). The skeptic says there is not enough evidence. That is a smokescreen, and a foolish one at that. Evidence of God’s existence and goodness abound. The unwillingness to trust where that evidence leads is the problem. The Israelites had witnessed God’s mighty works on their behalf, but they took it all for granted and grumbled. Trust God and He will deliver and honor you (see Psalm 91:15). Distrust God and…well, read all of Psalm 78 and trust God, which is far better.
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