January 2^nd 2022

9:30 am ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -- He is Risen – Luke 24:1-12

10:00 am ------------------------------------------Christ Known in Breaking Bread – Luke 24:35

The Birds of Paradise – Spurgeon, 1860

I remember saying in a sermon, one night, “When I get to heaven, I will sing more loudly than anybody else, for I shall owe the most to sovereign grace.” At the close of the service, a good old sister said to me, “You made a mistake in your sermon to-night.” “What was that?” I asked. “Why, you said that you would sing the loudest in heaven; but, you will not, for I shall, for I shall owe more to grace than you will.” I soon found that all the other Christians there were of the same opinion as that dear old soul, that each one of them would owe more to the grace of God than all the rest; and, surely, that will be the only contention amongst the birds of paradise, all of which shall sing the most sweetly to the praise of their adorable Lord.

Fear of Death– J.C. Philpot, 1859

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” – Hebrews 2:14-15

You may be harassed by the thoughts of death, and be in bondage through fears of death; and you may be saying, “How will it be with me then?” I will tell you. If you are a child of God, I firmly believe you will not be removed unwillingly and reluctantly, but you will be willing in the day of the Lord’s power. You will be willing to be with Christ, which is far better. You may not now be willing. If you pluck at an unripe apple, it resists the touch, but let it be fully ripe, how little, how slight a touch will cause it to drop from the tree. You shall be gathered as a shock of corn in its season. Why, a farmer will not gather in his corn until it is fully ripe; and do you think the Lord will gather his corn into His heavenly garner and it be in an unfit and unripe state? We cannot think it. Be that thought far from us, as it is far from the Lord.

What About Demas? – Henry Mahan, 1975

I believe I know a little about the grief that Paul felt when he wrote, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” I don’t know very much about Demas, but I know that Paul believed that Demas loved Christ, loved the Gospel and would continue in the faith of Christ until God called him home. But Demas allowed someone or something to come between him and the Lord, revealing that what he had professed for so long was ONLY a profession!

Perhaps Demas had a common, ordinary job and was promoted to a position of authority, which made his association with the despised Gospel and apostles embarrassing to him; or perhaps Demas was a widower who met a certain unbelieving, attractive woman, and she turned his foolish head from the church and the Gospel, or perhaps Demas came in to a great inheritance and his new life-style did not fit the humble life-style of the apostles; or perhaps Demas was a young, handsome man who despised the single life and was determined to marry HIS CHOICE over the protest of the apostle Paul, or perhaps Demas was an ambitious preacher who felt that toning down the offensive message of free-grace and seeking the approval of arminians and fellowship of religionists would open doors for him, increase his congregation, and add to his support; or perhaps Demas had just never stopped loving Demas and his claims to Christ were only a part of his effort to promote himself.

Believers Should Meet Regularly – by Scott Richardson, 1973

Believers need to be under a regular ministry of the Word and in fellowship with other believers. Not to be so is asking for trouble. Sometimes for a few it is impossible to be where sound preaching and true worship is available. But, in most cases, it is only impossible because of a man's unwillingness to:

1. Sacrifice material gain and comforts