This morning, Heritage celebrates the glorious promise of our Lord Jesus.  On the first Sunday of each month, we partake together in the Lord’s table.  Jesus commanded us to observe this until His return.  We also have a carry-in dinner following the services, giving us opportunity to reflect and “discern the Body”.  It is a precious time, and it brings me great joy to think of it.  It is fitting that I will be teaching on peace today. Consider 2 Peter 3:13-14:

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…

Our hope in Christ compels us to diligence in this life.  May God grant His Church the power of the Holy Spirit, bring forth the fruit of peace and righteousness for the eternal praise of Christ the King!  Amen.

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Tags | The Lord's Supper, Worship Service

This morning, we will be looking at the direction of the Spirit upon Paul and his coworkers. Through my study of this passage, I have become convinced that one of the primary reasons our churches are so weak today - so distracted today - is because we do not understand that the Spirit of Jesus is directing the course of the Kingdom of God. Since our churches do not understand this, we are not praying correctly, we are not giving the effort we should, and we are not waking from the slumber of the vanity fair taking place in our midst. May God prevent us from going astray and lead us with the Macedonian call.

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This Sunday, we looked at Acts 15 in the sermon and Proverbs 1 in our Bible study. Looking forward to studying Galatians 3 in our study tonight! May God guide us through His blessed Word.

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This Sunday, we plan to continue to study in Acts 13.  Please read through this chapter in preparation.  Our focus will be to look at the primacy of the resurrection as seen in Acts 13:30-39.

The King is installed on Zion! (Acts 13:33, Psalm 2:6-7)

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What are you worried about?  What do you fear?  What are you struggling with to prevent or to make happen?

Philippians 4.6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

May your resolution be found by faith in God.  May your dependence in prayer and faith outweigh your efforts and toil.

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The following quote about the Sermon on the Mount is from Alfred Edersheim’s book “The Life & Times of Jesus the Messiah”.

“Its great subject is neither righteousness, nor yet the New Law (if such designation be proper in regard to what in no real sense is a law), but that which was innermost and uppermost in the mind of Christ - the Kingdom of God. Notably, the Sermon on the Mount contains not any detailed or systematic doctrinal, nor any ritual teaching, nor yet does it prescribe the form of any outward observances. This marks, at least negatively, a difference in principle from all other teaching. Christ came to found a Kingdom, not a School; to institute a fellowship, not to propound a system. To the first disciples all doctrinal teaching sprang out of fellowship with Him. They saw Him, and therefore believed; they believed, therefore learned the truths connected with Him, and springing out of Him. So to speak, the seed of truth which fell on their hearts was carried thither from the flower of His person and life …. It is Christ, then, as the King, who is here, flinging open the gates of His Kingdom. ” (Alfred Edersheim, The Life & Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdman; 1967) Vol. I, pp. 52.)

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Tags | The Kingdom of God, The Law of Christ, The Sermon on the Mount

As we travel through the book of Acts together, we now come this Sunday to chapter 13, verses 13-52.  In order to understand Luke’s inclusion of Paul’s sermon in this account, we find wonderful guidance in a literary framing of the passage (a literary framing device is when the text itself contains verbal clues as to the beginning of the thought and the conclusion of what is stated).  Notice the way 26 verses (from verse 15 through 41) are enclosed by a single thought:

(verse 15) After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” …

…(verses 40-41) Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’

They read that Law and the Prophets and ask for Paul to give encouragement from it.  Paul’s point is to say that though they are reading it…they have missed the entire point of it!  Paul is proclaiming that they ought to see that Jesus is the Davidic Messiah, as promised through the Law and the Prophets, but as the prophets warned: many may still not believe.

Let us look forward to our time together this Sunday as we look to see the promise of the Messiah fulfilled in Jesus.

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Tags | Acts, Acts 13