November 10, 2013

Morning Meeting

• Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 - The One who made all things was made flesh, and was made sin for us.
• Hymn 261 - The holy One who knew no sin
• Scripture: Isaiah 53:6
• Hymn 215 - O solemn hour! O hour alone
• Prayer
• Scripture:
• Collossians 1:19 - 22
• Psalm 69:4b - It was our sin that separated us, but it was His blood that reconciled us.
• Hymn 200 - Once we stood in condemnation
• Breaking of Bread
• Hymn 88 - O blessed Saviour, is Thy love
• Ministry: Ephesians 2:11-18
• Prayer

Children’s Meeting: Norman Burgess

Hymn 142 – A Ruler once came to Jesus by night

Prayer

We have been looking at the parables which Jesus told. Today’s parable is commonly known as the good Samaritan. We could also call this parable, the man who fell among thieves.

Luke 10:30 – 37

We can separate this parable into five parts.

1. His route: We are told that this man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho; it also tells us that he was going down from Jerusalem. Going down in a spiritual sense is not a very good thing. He was leaving Jerusalem, where the temple was, and was going to Jericho, which had been cursed by God. He was leaving a place where God was, going to a place where He was not. In the Bible, Jericho is a picture of the world. We should not have anything to do with this world. This doesn’t mean we are not to live in the world; we can’t live anywhere else. Rather we are not to associate ourselves with the wrong pleasures of this world.
2. His Ruin: He fell among thieves. They stripped his clothes off, and left him half-dead. When each of us was born, we could say that we were half-dead already. Physically we were alive, but spiritually we were dead. How is this possible, seeing that we haven’t committed a sin yet? Ever since man sinned in the Garden of Eden, people have been born spiritually dead, with a sin nature.
3. His Rescue: There were two men that walked by this poor man without helping him; a Levite and a priest. The Levite was one that knew the law and kept it; and the priest was one that would have performed sacrifices at the temple. Suppose an unsaved man was dying. The Levite could not help that man, because he could only say to keep the Law. But the man can’t do that: he’s dying. The priest wouldn’t be much help either: he would tell him to offer sacrifices at the temple. But the man couldn’t get to the temple. The only thing that would help him would be for someone to tell him the gospel. In our parable, the man got help from a Samaritan: the Samaritan cleaned his wounds, placed him on a donkey, and took him to an inn.

Unfortunately, this is all the time we have for today; we will finish our story next time.

Reading Meeting

Acts 3:19-26

The healing of the lame man gave Peter a chance to preach. He began by telling the people that they shouldn’t marvel at him and John, it was God Who had done the miracle. He went on to tell them—in no uncertain terms—about what they had done to Christ at Calvary.

This sermon was different from the one Peter preached at Pentecost. It was a different situation, and the content was different. It wasn’t so much a gospel message as a message about fulfilled prophesy. Peter didn’t bring the prospect of the Lord’s coming before these Jews, but rather the “times of refreshing”. What are they? The Jews were getting a second chance here. In spite of what they had done at Calvary, they were being given the chance to be restored to Old Testament promises. The Millennial Kingdom could have come right then. God knew that it wouldn’t, but He still gave them the option, for He is a God of second chances. They didn’t take the opportunity, and we are now in the church age.

All the prophets told of the restitution of all things. Some think that this means a restitution of everything, and everybody: that every person and every creature—even Satan!—will be saved. However, it’s a restitution of all things; not all people. It’s simply a time of blessing for all those on Earth.

Vv 22-23. Verse 23 tells us that those who do not believe will die. The Lord came to remove the sin of the world, and one day He will purge the earth of all evil. After that there will be a time of peace unlike any that this world has ever known. We as Christians, however, look for something even better: glory! It was promised to Abraham that his seed would be as the sand of the sea and the stars of the sky: an earthly people, and a heavenly people. How precious to be among the heavenly!

God raised up and sent Jesus as a prophet. Not “raise up” as in “resurrect from the dead”, but raise up as in bring, create, or produce. Not only was He a prophet, but He was the Only Begotten Son given for blessing. He was sent to bless. He had to go through so much to come down here, and all of our blessing is through Him.

All of our blessing, and all blessing for the Jews, hinges on conversion. “Repent and be converted,” is what Peter told these people. That’s turning from your sin.

Not all of this suited some of Peter’s listeners. The priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees were grieved that he and John were teaching the people.

Here, and back in chapter two, we find Peter in a new light. At the end of the gospels, he’s not looking the most favourable. But now he’s the leader, telling the Jews, “You denied the Holy One and the Just.” These were the people that he had been warming his hands with over the fire when he declared, “I don’t know the man!” And now, hardly fifty days later, he’s pointing the finger at them. That’s the power of conversion. Jesus had told him, “When you are converted strengthen your brethren.” Peter got a second chance, too!

Hymn 344 – Jesus my Saviour to Bethlehem came

Prayer