CENTRAL GRACE CHURCH

3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia

December 29th. 2019

9:30 am --------------------------------The Love of God in Us – 1 John 4:11_21

10:00 am --------------------The Great Lord, Saviour & Preacher – Luke 8:1-3

Wednesday: 7:00 pm--------------------Leaving Egypt (Lord’s Table) – Exodus 12

Birthdays: December: 29th – Ron Fannin, 30th – Polly Peters, 31st – Kathryn Polk

Cleaning: Andersons, Next Week: Hudsons / / / Nursery: Jill / Karen

“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” – Hebrews 12:2

True faith is looking unto the Lord Jesus and not to my faith! It is not when, where, or how, but WHOM!

True faith is looking to the Lord Jesus and not to my works. Their presence nor absence is not my righteousness. He is my righteousness.

True faith is looking unto the Lord Jesus and not to my trials. As long as Peter looked to Christ, he walked! When he looked to the wind and waves; he sank!

True faith is looking to the Lord Jesus and not to the means of grace. We must not confuse the doctrines of grace and the means of grace with grace itself . . . HIMSELF! Reading the Bible, prayer, worship, offerings, study and orthodoxy, baptism and good works; are all means of grace and growth – but only looking to Christ as our all in all keeps them from becoming filthy rags. - unknown

PREACHING – by David Eddmenson

Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. – Acts 9:11-12

There is only one means that our God uses to save elect sinners. PREACHING! If God is going to save a sinner, He is going to cross their path with a preacher. That is exactly how the Lord God saved the apostle Paul. There is no doubt that God caused a great light from heaven to blind Saul and knock him in the dirt. There is no argument that the Lord confronted Saul with his sin and rebellion. (“Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?” Verse 4) There is no denying that the Lord revealed some truth to the rebellious sinner as to who he was, and who Christ was. (“I am Jesus whom thou persecuteth.” Verse 5) However, in order to receive his sight, the Lord sent Saul of Tarsus to Damascus to wait on His preacher. By the Lord’s sovereign will and purpose He directs the path of both the sinner and His servant.

When He sent Ananias to preach to Paul, He told Ananias the name of the street where he would find him. (“A street called Straight.”) He knew the house in which Paul would be staying. (“In the house of Judas.”) He knew the name of the sinner and where he was from. (“Saul of Tarsus.”) He knew what the sinner would be doing when the preacher arrived. (“Behold, He prayeth.”) He had already prepared the man to receive the Word, and the preacher to expound it. (“And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him.”) The Lord already knew what He would do for the chosen sinner. (“That he might receive his sight.”) Child of God, you can be assured that “the Lord knoweth them that are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19) May God enable us to preach the gospel with confidence, boldness, and great assurance, for He certainly knows what He is doing, and how to do it. In Christ, the salvation of the sinner has been “predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”-- Ephesians 1:11

They Repented Not To Give Him Glory -- “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory.” – Revelation 16:9

All things were created by God for His glory. “The heavens declare His glory”, and all created things in the earth, the trees clap their hands, the birds sing . . .all things declare God’s glory as they were made to do. . . . All but man that is! Man rejects God’s glory. Man attributes the glory of God’s creation to evolution and the glory of God’s salvation to man. Rather than glorify God’s choice of men, man glorifies his choice of God. Rather than glorify God’s mercy to unworthy sinners, man glorifies himself for letting God into his life. Rather than glorify God’s Son for making peace by the blood of His cross, man glorifies himself in (supposedly) making his peace with God. Rather than glorify God’s sovereign Spirit and power which quickens, gives repentance, faith and fruit; man glorifies his supposed free-will and works. And so God created a Hell to put these vain glorious creatures in. And even though they will clearly see God’s holiness and power, even then, while enduring His wrath against them, His fiery indignation against their rebellion, they still will not repent to give Him glory! In the words of Thomas Adams: “They curse Him for their pains and sores, but repent not of their deeds. They weep not for the cause of their sufferings, but for the loss of their comforts. I believe it will be found that the repentance of most men is not so much the sorrow for sin as sin, or real hatred of it, as sullen sorrow that they are not allowed to continue to sin.” O’ may God be pleased to reveal unto us His glory. May He grant us true repentance and faith.