Central Grace Church
3596 Franklin Street . Rocky Mount, Virginia
May 1 st, 2016
9:30 am Bible Study-------------------------------Qualifications of a Pastor – Titus 1:5-11
10:00 am Service -----------------------------------Go Tell My Disciples And Peter – Mark 16:7
*** NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE THIS WEEK ***
Nursery Today: Second Service: Janine K. , Alt. -- Polly P.
Cleaning Schedule: This week - Hudsons , Next Week: Kesses
Birthdays: May 4th – Teresa Patterson, 9th – John Davis, 16th – Melanie Hudson
Lord willing, I will be preaching May 13th through 15th for Calvary Baptist Church, Winston, GA, Terry Worthan, pastor. In my absence, brother Eric Floyd from Hurricane Road Grace Church, Ashland, Kentucky, will preach to you.
Lord willing, our meeting begins Friday night. Invite a neighbor to come. The schedule is as follows:
Friday: 7:00 pm. - David Eddmenson 8:00 pm. - Don Fortner
Saturday: 10:00 am. - Don Fortner 11:00 am. - Bruce Crabtree
Sunday: 10:am. - Bruce Crabtree 11:00 am. - David Eddmenson
Ask Them That Heard Me -- John 18:21
If asked by someone in the community what you believe, what would you say? If asked what you heard in these services today (or any given Sunday or Wednesday), what would you say? Christ said to those false religious leaders, “Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them; behold, they know what I said.”
Christ said to some Pharisees: “Why do ye not understand my speech? Because ye cannot hear my word” (John 8:43).He said, “He that is of God heareth God’s Words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (v.47). All the people of God, the children of God, are ‘taught of God, and everyone who hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto Christ” (John 6:45). They are the elect of God, sheep of God, given to Christ; they all hear His voice, follow Him, worship Him, believe Him, trust Him, and put all their hope of salvation in Him. Ask them, they will all say, “Christ is All!” They hear His Word, believe, and love It. They know, not only what God’s Word says, but know Whom they believe. They can tell you what they believe about God, man, and salvation. They will tell you in no uncertain terms; The Lord reigneth . . . man is dead in sin . . . salvation is completely of the Lord!! And since they are God’s chosen people, He has sent them a faithful preacher, who always preaches Christ and Him crucified to them; men just like John the Baptist, just like the apostles; men chosen of God, sent of God, with the message of God, which is, “This is my Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, Hear ye Him!” Those who are not of God do not hear the Word. Literally, they do not hear It.
A couple of Sundays ago, some of us went to a restaurant after the service and a lady some of us knew approached the table. This poor lady (though well known, well off, and liked in the community}, attends a Methodist ‘church’ in town where many notable people go. She said to us: “You should have heard what we heard this morning. The Ferrum Collegiates (a local college choir) sang for us and it was just wonderful.”
By the sovereign, electing, discriminating grace of God, every child of God, if asked what they heard this day; should be able to say; “We heard the Word of God proclaimed! We heard Christ and Him crucified! We heard the best news sinners ever heard, the sweetest music to our ears . .. the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was just wonderful!
Repentance
Definition: Regret, Grief, Sorrow, Self-reproach, Self-condemnation, Guilt, Contrition (broken heart) Change, Turn.
Repentance is first toward God. “Have mercy upon me O God . . . Against Thee and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that Thou mightiest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.” - Psalm 51:4
Repentance is to seek mercy from God in Christ. Mercy cannot be demanded but only hoped for. Mercy cannot be expected, that is presumption and pride. Repentance is to hope for mercy from God, by coming with a rope around your neck; by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your sin bearer. Mercy is completely up to the Lord God. To demand mercy is to not really believe you are guilty and unworthy. Mercy is only for the undeserving. But, the Lord delights to show mercy.
Repentance is to turn from sin and not return to it. The Lord said to forgiven sinners; “Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (reprobate, no mercy; a dog to its vomit, sow to the mire).