November 24, 2013

Morning Meeting

• Hymn 114 - The holiest we enter

• Scripture:

  • Exodus 20:18
  • Luke 23:48 & 49 - God is bringing His righteous judgement for sin on His Son.
  • Hebrews 10:19 - 22 - Here we have good news. In the hymn, we were reminded that it was not only the blood of Jesus that saved us, but also that He is our High Priest.
  • Hymn 136 - The veil is rent:- our souls draw near
• Scripture: Revelations 1:5 & 6 - We were cleansed by that blood; now as priests we draw nigh to praise.
• Prayer
• Hymn 37 - Th’ atoning work is done
• Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-18
• Breaking of Bread
• Hymn 27* - A mind at “perfect peace” with God
• Prayer

Children’s Meeting

Hymn 338 – I love my Saviour, my precious Saviour

Prayer

Last time we started the parable commonly called “The Good Samaritan,” but we didn’t finish it. Today we will review the points we covered last time and finish the parable.

Luke 10:30 - 37

1. His Route – This is the path that he took: it was from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was leaving the place where God had chosen to set His name and blessing, to go to a place that God had cursed.
2. His Ruin – This man fell among thieves. They stripped him of his belongings and left him half-dead. Each one of us was born half-dead: physically living, but spiritually dead. It has been this way ever since man sinned in the Garden of Eden.
3. His Rescue – Two people past this man as he lay there: one was a Levite; the other, a Priest. These were men that dealt with the law. The law said “do this and thou shalt live.” It would not have helped this man to tell him that in order to live he needed to go to the temple and offer a sacrifice. He couldn’t do that because he was half-dead. Finally, a Samaritan came by and helped him. Jesus came to us and showed us compassion, just like the Samaritan. He bound the man’s wounds and put ointment on them. The Lord is the one that can heal us and He gives the Holy Spirit, which the oil is a picture of.
4. His Refuge – Another name for an inn is a hotel. It’s not a place where you would live for your whole life, but for a short period of time. A refuge is a place where there is safety and shelter. For example, there are animal shelters where animals are taken care of. Once saved, we need a place where we can grow and get strengthened in our Christian life. The meeting is a very good place to get this encouragement. This man has been rescued and now is getting taken care of. The Samaritan gives the host of the inn two pence. These are pictures of the Word of God and prayer, which are what we can use to help us grow in Christ.
5. His Rest – The Samaritan said, “when I come again …" The Lord said, “I will come again and receive you unto myself.” We have the hope of a rest to come as well (see John 14).

When the Lord told this parable, He was talking about Himself and us. He is talking about our spiritual needs, and how He has provided for them.

Reading Meeting

Acts 4:13-30

Peter made quite a statement at the end of his speech to the court: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The court couldn’t argue with the testimony of Peter and John, or of the healed man. A powerful miracle had been done—something out of the ordinary—and it was hard to say, “These men are wrong for doing this good deed.” They also saw that Peter and John were ignorant men, but that they had been with Jesus. They had had an education, but not a regular, approved one.

The fact that people could tell these men had been with Jesus speaks to us. We mentioned with the children that Mary sat at His feet. In the Old Testament, Enoch walked with God. We can have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, and we need it. It may have been easier for people like Mary and John—all they had to do was find Jesus—but we have it better. Jesus’ presence isn’t confined to one spot any more. We can enjoy His presence and fellowship at all times and in all places.

The court saw the lame man that was healed, and couldn’t speak against his miraculous healing. So they spoke against Peter, John, and the Lord. This is a common tactic used by people today—attacking people instead of their arguments—but it’s not a legitimate argument. It doesn’t defeat an argument to discredit the person presenting it. In business, it’s called shooting the messenger, because you don’t like his message. Christians get this a lot today.

Speaking amongst themselves, the court agreed that they couldn’t deny the miracle. They decided to threaten Peter and John, though. These were the religious leaders! They should have glorified God, but in reality they were His enemies. They told Peter and John not to speak in the name of Jesus, but they couldn’t punish them. They should have joined them, not fought them.

After being let go, Peter and John went to their own company. The “inn” we talked about with the children. God gives us friends to support us and help us along our pathway. In unity, they prayed about this situation. They acknowledged God as the Creator of the world, and they acknowledged His scripture. They realized that they should expect opposition; it was nothing new. They knew that these religious leaders were opposed to the Lord, but also that God was over all their threatenings and hate, and that He had appointed their refusal of Christ to bring salvation to the world.

Interestingly, they didn’t pray for the persecution to end, but rather that they would be bold under it. They recognized that it was part of God’s plan. Verse 31 shows that their prayer was answered.

Moving on, we’ll see the amazing oneness that was possible while the saints were all in one place, before they were dispersed.

Hymn 41 – The Heavenly Bridegroom soon will come

Prayer