September 28, 2014

Morning Meeting

• Scripture:

  • Hebrews 1:1 & 2
  • John 1:14,17 & 18
  • 1 John 1:1 - 5
• Hymn 150 - Thou art the everlasting Word
• Hymn 246, book 2 - Eternal Word, eternal Son
• Scripture: 1 John 4:8b - 10 - We saw earlier how much God wants to make Himself known: He not only sent prophets, but also sent His Son. He showed it by His words and actions.
• Breaking of Bread
• Hymn 27 - Lamb of God, our souls adore Thee
• Ministry: Hebrews 2:9 - We read in I John, “in this was manifested the love of God.” We can say the same about this verse, by faith.
• Prayer

Children’s Meeting: Philip Burgess

Hymn 346 - Jesus Who lives above the sky

Prayer

Ezra 10:1 - 4

Ezra had returned to Jerusalem, and he had studied the law so that he could teach the people God’s ways. As we saw last time, the children of Israel had mixed with the people of the land when God had commanded them not to do that, in Deuteronomy. Ezra had come before the Lord and prayed for the people. Realizing their sin, the people gathered with Ezra, weeping. Shechaniah told Ezra that they realized their sin, but encouraged him that there was still hope. The people had repented of their sin, and Shechaniah said that they were going to get right before God. But this means they were going to have to put away their wives. This chapter is about people who did what they had to do to get right before the Lord. God has given us His Word for a reason; and when we follow it, it brings blessing.

Ephesians 6:1-3

In these verses, children are commanded to obey and honour their parents; the promise is the blessing of a long life. This blessing brings happiness and safety. A child that disobeys his parents is no longer on the path of blessing. This path brings worry and sadness. We should want to stay on the path of blessing.

Illustration reproduced Daniella Burgess

This reminds me of a story. Johnny and Sally went to visit their grandparents the summer. During their stay, Johnny received a sling shot. Excited, he headed outside to play with it. Grandma warned him not to shoot her pet duck, which roamed around the farm. To be careful, he went out into the woods and tried to hit the trees, but he was not a very good shot and often missed his mark. Frustrated, Johnny headed home again. As he walk by the wood pile, he saw Grandma’s duck sitting on the top of it. Johnny took a shot at the duck; and for the first time, he hit. The duck fell over, dead. Johnny quickly looked around, and then hid the duck behind the wood pile, hoping that no one had seen what he had done. But as he turned from hiding the duck, he saw his sister Sally standing there watching him. He expected her to say something, but she just smiled and told him it was time for lunch. All during lunch, Johnny worried that Sally had told Grandma, and that she would ask him about her duck. But no one said anything. After lunch, Grandma said that she wanted Sally to help her with the dishes. Sally replied that she thought Johnny wanted to do the dishes; then she leaned over and whispered to him, “Don’t forget the duck.” So Sally went out to play and Johnny did the dishes with Grandma. Later that afternoon, Grandpa came in and said he was going fishing and wondered if anyone wanted to come along. Grandma said that Johnny could go but she needed Sally’s help with supper. Sally again said that she thought Johnny wanted to help with supper, and on her way out with Grandpa, said again, “Don’t forget the duck.” This went on for awhile: Johnny doing Sally’s chores as well as his own. Finally, Johnny had had enough and he ran to his grandmother crying and told her, “I killed your duck.” Grandma said “I know, Johnny. I was standing in the window and saw you kill and hide the duck; I was wondering how long you would take what you sister has been doing to you.” Through confession and repentance, Johnny was able to come back to the path of blessing just like the children of Israel who were going to get right with God.

We aren’t perfect, but with God’s help we will be able to obey. But if we don’t confess our sin, we won’t get back to the place of blessing. Read 1 John 1:9. The way of the transgressor is hard and not pleasant and it doesn’t bring blessing. So let us take a lesson from Ezra and the children of Israel and desire to stay in the path of blessing.

Reading Meeting

Acts 17:27-34

We’re still listening to Paul speak on Mars’ Hill. The people of Athens may have been intellectuals, but they were very superstitious when it came to gods. Paul spoke to them of the “Unknown God”, and presented Him as the God of Creation. He was the One who made man of all one blood—referring to the fact that we all come from Adam—and has set the bounds of our habitation.

Verse 27 begins with the word, “that”. In this context, it signals purpose. God had a purpose in making us: to seek Him. The Athenians were seeking many gods, not One. Paul told them that there was only one God, and that they didn’t know Him. He had created them so that they would seek Him.

Man finds many ways to dispose of God, and reasons to not seek for Him. “That they should seek the Lord, If haply they might feel after him.” That’s what’s missing today. Isaiah 55 tells us that we will seek God and find Him, when we search for Him with all our hearts. Those that don’t think that there is enough evidence for God aren’t searching for Him.

Paul also says in verse 27 that God is “not far” from us. He’s close by. Paul told these people that God had given everybody life and all that they possessed, and supported that with a quote from one of their poets: “For we are also His offspring.” Being the offspring of God doesn’t mean that we’re saved, but that God causes us to “live, and move, and have our being.” God fills the universe and all time. He is everywhere; He is Omnipresent.

In verse 29, Paul suggests the question, “If God made us, how can we think that we can make Him?” We can’t, but the Athenians tried to. God bore with this ignorance (for all their intellect the Athenians were ignorant about this) for a season, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. The Christian can repent of sin he commits once saved, but what Paul was talking about was repentance unto salvation. These people needed to own their sin and accept the Lord as Saviour.

Paul used the phrase “all men”. In times of the Old Testament, God’s promises extended to only the Jews; to get God’s blessing you had to become Jewish. Christ changed that. All mankind needs to repent, now, and none are excluded from salvation.

Throughout this sermon, Paul revealed how foolish the idea of an idol was. This struck the Athenians’ consciences. God is not far from us, for He is near our consciences; and He can speak through them to all of us, saved or not. To these idolators, Paul’s message spoke clearly. 1 Thessalonians tells us that these men eventually did turn to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.

Verse 31 tells us why we must repent. There are consequences and judgement for the life lived without God.

God will judge us by the Man He has appointed: the One He raised from the dead. This resurrection is what Paul was preaching in the market back in verse 18. He brought his listeners face to face with the resurrection. Some of the people mocked at the idea, while others dismissed it. It wasn’t as welcome as we might have expected. The thought of being exposed in sin, and of being accountable to a living God, wasn’t pleasant. They knew that their gods wouldn’t judge them, and so felt safer with them.

Paul made the offer of salvation and, while some mocked, others heard and believed. Among those that believed were Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris. Dionysius was apparently a notable speaker in the region, and his name is on the marble steps going up to Mars’ Hill. His conversion would have impacted the area. Also, interestingly, Paul’s sermon hangs printed on a brass plate at Mars’ Hill today.

Hymn 366 – We are little children, very young indeed

Prayer