You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:30
The ninth LORD’s Day this year is a display of God’s glory and faithfulness to His church. He loves the church so He purges, sanctifies, disciplines, and sustains them. The messages we heard touched the heart of God’s gracious and righteous dealing with the church (that they may not suffer like the wicked in hell). We may be wondering about God’s ways; it is full of wonder precisely because we worship the wondrous, incomprehensible, and transcendent LORD.
Excerpts and Lessons from SCBC Pulpit
The condition of the wicked after death 1. Its Location: Sheol (OT Hebrew - LXX Hades), Hades (NT Greek) 2. Its Circumstances: Darkness and Torment (Luke 16:22, Acts 1:25, 1 Peter 3:19) 3. Its Expectation: Waiting for the judgment (2 Peter 2:9) There will be no more second chance after death for the wicked. This speaks about the seriousness of the demand of Christ's call and the cost discipleship. Jesus is the Savior not only from hell but also from sin. Jesus saves us even from our darling sins (its guilt and power, dominion and condemnation). True salvation is salvation from sin. The truly saved ones are given hearts to submit to Christ's LORDship. (SCBC Sunday School)
Christ alone is the Savior. He is also our only Sustainer. The righteous falls seven times but he will rise again. Look upon Christ alone. When you look upon Him, you will be revived and restored. (SCBC Morning Message)
Walking in the spirit demands watching one another in love. (Galatians 6:1-2) 1. The Issue - A brother who fell in sin (overtaken, or caught by surprise). Sin usually takes us by surprise. Sin, for true Christians, is almost never premeditated. Falling into such sin is a danger for all of us. Everyone of us is prone to sin. We all must guard ourselves. We must take care lest we fall. 2. The Duty - Mutual care and accountability. Gently dealing with one another is a mark of true spirituality. Those who are spiritual must seek the restoration of fallen brother or sister. Sin is a burden. We must carry each other's burden. It is at the heart of covenant community life. Sin assaults us and it means business. The business is the destruction of the soul. 3. The Demand - Great caution. We must seek our hearts and motives. There is no room for pride and self-righteousness (Gal 5:26). We are sometimes guilty of the very sins we condemned in another. (Rom 2:1, Gal 6:3). The great danger is always before us. We must always understand the strength of our flesh in getting our way. We must never forget that we are no better than anybody else when restoring a brother. There is no such thing as super Christian in the church. (SCBC Afternoon Message)
When we reach out to our brother, our goal is restoration not destruction. This is the beauty of Christian family covenant. We expose the sin for the purpose of restoring him in the way of the LORD.
SCBC Pulpit
Blessed Lord’s Day!
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
HERALD OF GRACE COVENANT BIBLE CHURCH OF CAVITE 