Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians Knowing Your Privilege in Christ “Provoke Not but Bring Up” Ephesians 6:4 (KJV) 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. OUTLINE …
(1) Gospel Rally 2017
Thank God for bringing 7 new visitors to the church last Lord’s Day at our Gospel Rally 2017.
The theme was “The Meaning of Life” taken from John 1:1-4. The grappling for meaning in life finds its ultimate rest in the Giver and Sustainer of life – the Person of Jesus Christ. Life has its Source and finding it will bring with it fullness of meaning. The search to find the “meaning of life” finds its end point or beginning point in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The gospel message is recorded in the attached link below:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jvtO0ebmA8]
Christ died and was buried and rose from the dead the third day. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead marks the greatest event in human history. Death was conquered when Christ rose from the dead. It was a historical event, the third day after Jesus died, He rose from the dead. By that power of the resurrection, the bondage of sin was broken.
The Scriptures predicted the coming of suffering Messiah – the Christ, the Lamb of God that will take away the sins of the world fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy:
Isaiah 53:4-8 (KJV) 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
The Corinthian believers are reminded of God’s grace that came to them through the preaching of the gospel by the Apostle Paul by which they were saved. He is reminding them of the power of the gospel that mightily shattered their bondage to sin and granted to them the freedom to choose not to sin. They now live as free men, by the merits of Jesus Christ, wherein they stand justified.
This is the first record of the gospel preached by in the city of Corinth – Acts 18:4-5 “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”
Hymns: RHC 338 Show Me Thy Way, O Lord, 409 Take Time to Be Holy, 423 Follow, I Will Follow Thee
Psalm 37:1-40 (KJV)
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
William MacDonald said well, “To summarize, then, the Apostle Paul sets forth the following controls for the use of tongues in the local church:
1. We must not forbid the use of tongues (v. 39).
2. If a man speaks in a tongue, there must be an interpreter (vv. 27c, 28).
3. Not more than three may speak in tongues in any one meeting (v. 27a).
4. They must speak one at a time (v. 27b).
5. What they say must be edifying (v. 26b).
6. The women must be silent (v. 34).
7. Everything must be done decently and in order (v. 40).
These are the abiding controls which apply to the church in our day.”
The gift of prophecy is highlighted here to be useful for the strengthening of the faith of the saints. When the Word of God is preached and taught, when doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness is meted out, God’s people grow in spiritual maturity. This is useful. The people of God are therefore encouraged to keep up and keep on hearing the sound preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
When God gives His Word, it is to be imbibed and assimilated and acted upon for our well-being. The Apostle Paul whilst giving the Lord’s instruction also saw that there are those who would choose to disobey these divine instructions. He has highlighted that these were not his words but the very words of God. They are to be obeyed.