August 24, 2008

Morning Meeting

• Hymn 179 – Brightness of th’ eternal glory
• Scripture: Hebrews 1:3 — “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.” The Brightness of God’s glory – that’s what we’ve just been singing about. “When he had by himself purged our sins.” That’s Calvary’s depth of woe. We think of Saul on the Damascus Road; he saw Someone brighter than the noon-day sun. It changed his life. In John 14, the Lord says that He wants us to be with Him. When we’re there we’ll have our new bodies, so we won’t be blinded like Saul. That’s why He went through all that darkness at the cross: to bring us out of darkness and into His marvelous light; the Brightness of His glory.
• Hymn 150 – Thou art the Everlasting Word
• Scripture: John 1:14 & 29
• Prayer
• Hymn 82 – Jesus, Thou alone art worthy

• Scripture:

  • Revelation 5:6 – 10
  • Revelation 19:1
• Breaking of Bread
• Hymn 295 – Holy Saviour, we adore Thee

• Prayer

  Children’s Meeting — Philip Burgess

Hymn 361 – There is a happy land

Prayer

We will continue following Paul in his third journey; we’ll look at Acts 21 today. As we do, I want to notice four parallels with the Christian path today. 

At the beginning of the chapter, we find Paul and his group continuing to travel until they reach Tyre. They found some Christians there and stayed with them for a week. While they were there, these Christians warned Paul through the Spirit that he shouldn’t go to Jerusalem. However, Paul was determined to go, and so after their stay they continued on to Jerusalem. As they were leaving, they got together and prayed. Our Brother Luke talked about prayer last week; these Christians took the opportunity to pray for Paul, and I’m sure he prayed from them; it is so important to pray for each other.

From Tyre, they sailed on to Caesarea, where they stayed with Philip the evangelist. Philip was one of the seven men chosen to help the apostles minister. Here we can see hospitality in Philip and his family; this is important as well; we know how special it is to be able to share our God-given resources with other Christians.

While in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus came to visit them. He took Paul’s girdle and proceeded to tie it around his own hands and feet. Then he said that this would be done to the man who owned the girdle at Jerusalem. Paul’s friends plead with him not to go to Jerusalem, but he was determined to go. Here we have fellowship; although it was not the sweetest, they did enjoy the time together.

They continued towards Jerusalem, this time by land. When they arrived, Paul told the apostles there about his travels and ministry, and how God had blessed him. This is encouragement; the Christians in Jerusalem were encouraged to go on for the Lord when they heard what the Lord was doing in Asia.

We won’t read the rest of the chapter, but in it Paul goes into the temple, where some Jews from Asia recognize him. They cried out to the others in the temple and caused an uproar. The Jews dragged Paul out of the temple and tried to beat him to death, but the chief captain heard about the uproar and saved Paul. But, he had him put in chains and brought to the castle to question him. Before they went in, Paul asked if he could speak to the people. Lord Willing, we can see what he said next work.

Reading Meeting — II Peter 2:12 – 22

This chapter is not exactly an uplifting one, but it is necessary: we have been looking at false teachers who have come into Christendom. We have seen that those who fall prey to their teachings are described as brute beasts, even though they are within Christendom. Although they have heard truth, they have not really understood it, and now they criticize it openly. They are not ashamed to riot during the day, engaging in behaviour that others would reserve for the night, vv. 13 &

14. They are most definitely not saved, although they have been introduced to spiritual principles (see Hebrews 6:4 – 6). They have forsaken what they know is right, v. 15, and they use their knowledge to trap others who are not stable in the faith, v. 14.

Balaam is used as an example here. He was a false prophet, but he made a pretense of having to do with God. He wanted wages from Balak, and yet blessed Israel. Because of his madness, he was rebuked by a dumb animal. How similar to these deceived people today! The other metaphors used to describe them in v. 17 are striking: they are wells without water; they are clouds of darkness. It is often hard to expose their error when talking to these people, because of their “great swelling words.” They are often more sensual than spiritual, v.18. They promise liberty to those they entice, v. 19, but they really make them slaves of their philosophies.

We can see from the final verses of this chapter that the end of these people is worse than their beginning. We have gone through this passage somewhat quickly, because it is not particularly uplifting, but it is important to realize the danger of it and to pray that we will be preserved.

Hymn 215 – Happy they who trust in Jesus

Prayer