July 31^st, 2016

9:30 am_________________________________Nathaneal, An Israelite Indeed – John 1:43-51

10:00 am ______________________________ Foolishness & Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Lord willing, brother John Chapman will be preaching for you next Sunday while I am in Cottageville, WV.

Nursery Today: Second Service: Robin , Alt. -- Tammy

Lawn Mowing: This week: Patrick Holland , Next week: Red Huff

Birthdays: August: 1^st – Joseph Parks, 2^nd – Doris Mahan & Tom Canterbury

4^th – Laura Bobbitt, 6^th – Abigail Hudson, 7^th – Bonnie Stanley

How To Know If Someone Loves The Gospel?

1. They are overwhelmed by the grace of it. ­– The true lover of the gospel never gets over the undeserved favor which God has shown him in choosing and calling him to believe and receive salvation.

2. They are overwhelmed by the greatness of it. – The true lover of the gospel never gets over the wonder, wisdom, power and glory of the gospel. It is truly the greatest story ever told and certainly the greatest thing the sinner has ever known. And so they can never get enough of hearing it and will not (for long) take it for granted or listen indifferently or insensitively to it. A new and living heart will respond to words of life.

3. They are overwhelmed by the person of it. -- The true lover of the gospel is one who is in awe of, amazed by, in love with and enamored with the Lord Jesus Christ. When asked about the Christ compared to others, the believer must exclaim, “He is altogether lovely!” A loving heart enthusiastically responds to the one it loves.

4. They are convinced of the singleness of it. – The believer is convinced that the gospel of God’s sovereign grace is the only gospel, the true gospel, there is no other!

5. They are convinced of the certainty of it. -- The one who knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, completely trusts Him and finds all their assurance in Him Who cannot fail and cannot lie.

6. They have a desire for others to know it. – Those who love the gospel want their friends and family to hear it and believe it. Like the woman at the well, they say, “come see a man . . . is not this the Christ!” There is a sadness and concern for those who know not the true Christ.

“Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” -- II Corinthians 6:14

THIS metaphor is taken from horses or oxen which, being joined together by a common yoke, must walk and pull together in the same direction and with the same goal or have serious problems. Believers and unbelievers DO NOT have the same natures, same direction, nor same goals. Believers and unbelievers CAN NOT walk together in harmony because they are not agreed on the vital issues of life, sin, salvation, God’s character and glory; and they certainly do not agree on the gospel.

Therefore, the true believer is unwise who marries an unbeliever, who forms a business partnership with an unbeliever, who seeks social fellowship and companionship with unbelievers, or who attempts to worship with or conduct religious projects with unbelievers.

This is not to be understood as forbidding ANY CONTACT with unbelievers in civil society, conversation, or vocation and trade; to do this we would have to leave the world. God put us in the world as salt and light to witness to all men and to be an example of His grace. This is saying, that to seek unnecessary relationships, alliances, or partnerships with those who do not know and love our Lord is foolish. Besides, “what fellowship can darkness have with light, and what agreement can Christ have with Satan?” - Henry Mahan

What a mercy for us that we have God’s precepts and not man’s; God’s holy, wise, and gracious directions how to glorify Him in heart and life, how to walk in love and union with His dear people, how to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, how to know His will and do it, with His own blessed approbation in our conscience; and thus, by taking heed to our way according to God’s Word, not become the prey of every vile Mormonite, every sleek imposter, every wily monk or crafty nun, every Papist (follower of the pope), Puseyite (Catholic doctrine), or sister of mercy who might impose upon us their stern, austere rules of fleshly holiness. What heavy burdens would they fasten on our shoulders, as we see in the case of the Pharisees of old, who made the Word of God of none effect by their traditions, and in the self-imposed austerities various orders among the Papists, and father and friars now among us with their sandals and robes, like a ‘rough garment to deceive.’