Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia

Website: www.centralgracechurch.com Email: [email protected]

January 12th. 2020

9:30 am -------------------------------------- Overcoming the World – 1 John 4:1-5

10:00 am --------------------------------- All Secrets Made Known – Luke 8:16-18

Wednesday: 7:00 pm-------------------------------------------

Message to Hear: by Henry Mahan - https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=31006215537

Listen to live audio of services on: www.mixlr.com/centralgracechurch

Listen to: WYTI Radio – Rocky Mount, VA - 8:00 AM – Sundays -- 1570 AM / 104.5 FM,

The Importance of Worship

When the church of the Lord Jesus Christ meets, it is not the trifles of this world that should occupy her attention; she has much weightier matters to consider. The Scriptures say in Ecclesiasties 3 that there is a time for everything. There is a time for political concerns; there is a time for social action; there is a time for education and recreation. But the gatherings of the church of the Lord Jesus are a time specifically dedicated to the worship of Jesus Christ! His praise, His word, His purpose, and His work is our theme. These times must be jealously guarded against any intrusion of mundane matters. Satan, the archenemy of our Lord, will take every opportunity to divert our attention from our blessed Lord. His most effective tactic is to introduce important worldly matters into the worship services of the church. As important as these matters may be, they cannot compare with the heavenly, eternal matters of Jesus Christ and His blood and righteousness. May our gatherings, as well as our minds, be kept pure and sincere toward Our Lord Jesus Christ. – Joe Terrell, Pastor, Rocky Valley, Iowa

“ We better praise God that He saves ANY than charge Him with injustice because He saves so few.”

-- Augustus Strong, 1836-1921

From A Child Thou Hast Known The Holy Scriptures. – 2 Timothy 3:15

How did Timothy know the scriptures as a child? He heard a faithful man preach God’s Word and his mother and grandmother read the scriptures to him, taught them to him, and had him read and commit them to memory (2 Tim. 1:5). You do not know anything until you commit it to memory. In our children’s Bible classes their teachers require them to memorize verses of scripture. It is a good thing and the only way they are going to read God’s Word on their own and at least think about It in their heads. Public and private schools give our children homework, requiring them to memorize multiplication tables, grammar, historical facts and many other things. Teachers insist that students commit such things to memory for future use. Are these things profitable to our children? How much more is Scripture? Our children cannot know God by memorizing scripture, but perhaps the Word of God will come to mind or prick their young consciences when tempted. If the Seed of God’s Word is literally sewn in the mind, our hope is that God will someday water it and cause it bring forth life and faith in the heart.

I am a teacher and if I had my way I would require adults to memorize God’s Word. I would have everyone memorize the books of the bible so as to know where to turn, and memorize scriptures, not for reward, but for their own benefit and comfort. When scriptures are written on your heart and mind, they come up at times when you need them and give great comfort, peace and joy when needed.

There are many passages that tell us to commit God’s Word to memory. “By which ye are saved, if ye keep in memory” (1 Cor.15:2). “Remember the Word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for The Word hath quickened me” (Psa.119:49-50). “Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Malachi 4:4). “A Book of remembrance was written for them that feared the LORD and thought upon His Name” (Mal.3:16). “I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things . . . Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance . . . that ye may be able . . . to have these things always in remembrance . . . In both (epistles) I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance” (2 Peter 1:12, 13, 15, 3:1).

And what of all the scripture which condemns those who forget? How much sin is caused by this ignorance and forgetfulness? How much pain, suffering and reproach, because we forget what the Lord has told us? How much fear, doubt, distress, depression and worry is the result of forgetting what the Lord has said . . . not remembering the many, exceeding precious promises that help us escape.

Let these saying sink down deep in your ears. O may the Lord Write the Word on the tables of our hearts. And may we do this for ourselves and for our children . . .

. . . “These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7