June 18^th 2017

9:30 am --------------------------------------------------The Son of God & The gods – John 10:31-42

10:00 am --------------------------------------------Gracious Words From His Mouth – Luke 4:16-32

Wednesday: 7:30 pm -----------------------------------------Words To Help Us Out – Exodus 19:1-9

WITHOUT ME . . . John 15:5

There can be no building without a foundation, there can be no branch without a vine and there can be no body without the head. Our Lord Jesus is all these things to His People. Without Him we have no spiritual existence. No one would think of erecting a building without a foundation, yet people build their hopes for eternity without Christ. They build on their so called good works, or their repentance, or some strange experience they had years ago.

Everyone knows that a branch cannot exist apart from the vine, that it derives its life from the root, yet how many are not joined to Christ the vine and yet think they have life. They believe because they joined a church, or was baptized they have life. It is impossible for a body to have life, without a head, it is dead! So it is without Christ being the head of his people.

Thank God, there is “no other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor.3:11) A house does not build itself, we are built upon Christ Himself, our spiritual foundation is built on His Person as God-Man, upon His work on behalf of His elect, upon the Righteousness He established, imputed to those for whom he died.

Our Master said; “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING” (Jn.15:5). It is by a vital living union with Christ that we have our spiritual life, where there is life there is fruit, there is spiritual hunger, thirst, faith, repentance, and there is evidence of life.

Christ is the, “head over all things to the church, which is His body, that filleth all in all” (Eph.1:22-23). He is the One from whom the body is joined together, the body gets its spiritual sense, its guidance, and the body gets its spiritual wisdom. As the head of His body the church He is the one who fills us with these things, the one from whom we get spiritual understanding. He is the One who makes us function as a body, and not as individuals pulling in different directions. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Col.3:4)

– Don Bell

THE BASICS ABOUT BAPTISM

1. WHAT IS BAPTISM? It is an ordinance of God (one of only two, the Lord’s supper being the other) given for a confession of faith and a symbol of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Mark 16:16; Col.2:12; Rom. 6:3).

2. WHO IS TO BE BAPTIZED? Not infants and not unbelievers. Believers only should be baptized; all those who believe with all their heart that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” should not be hindered (Acts 8:26-38).

3. WHY SHOULD ALL BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? Primarily because Christ commands it! It is not optional but simply a matter of obedience to our Lord. Consequently, it is also encouraging to the new believer who is being baptized and edifying to the rest of the church (Matt. 7:21-23; Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10).

4. WHEN SHOULD BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? A very singular answer here – immediately! Upon bowing in faith to the Lordship of Christ (Acts 2:38-41; Acts 9:18; Acts 16:31).