The Lord's Church

March 08, 2017

Text:  Jews of the day had a long history of despising Gentiles. But this fact didn’t seem to be nearly the problem in Ephesus that it was in other places regarding church unity. Even so, Paul took care to show that Christ had removed division between Jew and Gentile, resulting in a single body of the people of God (see Ephesians 2:12-18; 3:6; 4:3-6). Salvation for neither Jew nor Gentile was earned through keeping the Jewish law, but was found only in the grace of God. Ephesians 4:1. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

March 01, 2017

Text:  Spirit does not of course, refer to merely spiritual or supernatural beings; these could not be tested by John’s readers. Here in 1 John 4:7-19 John tells us about Love and the Believers.                                                                

Vs 7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Let us love one another again john returns to the theme of love, but this time it is as a direct exhortation to the believers to show they are different then the false teachers.  

February 22, 2017

Text: At the risk of oversimplifying, freedom could be a one-word summary of Paul’s emphasis up to the beginning of today’s lesson. But freedom can be a dangerous thing. Can we trust ourselves to do what is right if we are free from law or threat?

February 15, 2017

Text: In Galatians 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul defended his apostleship. In chapters 3 and 4, he defended the gospel of justification by faith alone. One of his main points in Galatians 4:21-31, is the story of Abraham’s family. The facts of the story are rather straightforward. First, Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Galatians 4:22a). Second, these sons were different in origin, one born to Hagar, a slave girl; the other born to Sarah, a free woman (Galatians 4:22b). Third, the births were different circumstances (Galatians 4:23). Ishmael was born “after the flesh,” that is, according to the normal course of conception and birth. Isaac was born by promise, that is, contrary to the normal course of conception and birth.                                                                                                                                             

February 08, 2017

Text: In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul reinforced the truth of the believer’s position and privilege in Christ without keeping the law of Moses. The Galatian Christians possessed the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:1-5), the spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:1517; Galatians 4:6), and they were no more servants, but sons (Galatians 4:7). Better still, they were also “heirs” of the promises to Abraham (Galatians 4:7). In our lesson text, Paul changes his formal argument to a personal appeal for the Galatians not to return to spiritual bondage.                                                                         

January 25, 2017

Text: The psalm consists of a call to all parts of the universe to praise the Lord. It is divided into two sections. First, verses 1-6 is a call to the heavens, all that is above the earth to praise the Lord. Second, verses 7-14 is a call to all who dwell upon the earth to unite in that praise.                                                                            

January 18, 2017

Text: There are several Psalms which focus on nature, but in contrast to the nature worshippers of our day, the psalmist does not worship nature, but the God who created nature. He stands in amazement at the complexity and intricacy of God’s created order.                                           

January 11, 2017

Text: God the Provider is a Praise-Receiving God (Psalm 65:1) 1 Peter 2:9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 

January 04, 2017

Text: Because God alone is Creator, all creation should worship and praise him. Psalm 96 emphasizes that truth with references to nature and all kinds of people. As you study the psalm, notice the references to different kinds of people. “All the earth” (verse 1, 9); “the heathen” (verse 3, 10); “all people” (verse 3); “kindreds of the people” (verse 7). Revelation 21:5. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

But most importantly John 4:23. But the hour cometh; and now is, when the worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

December 21, 2016

Text: The angelic announcement of Christ’s birth to shepherds is probably the most familiar aspect of His Birth. Other than Joseph and Mary, hardly anyone knew the greatest event in human history had taken place. But soon after the Saviour’s birth, an angel told the shepherds “…a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” has been born in “the city of David” (Luke 2:11).

December 14, 2016

Text: As Luke’s gospel opens, it has been over five hundred years since a miracle has occurred. It has also been five hundred years since an angel appeared, and over four hundred years since God has spoken. God breaks the silence with an angelic announcement to a priest named Zacharias and his barren wife Elisabeth. The angel told Zacharias his barren wife Elisabeth would become pregnant and give birth to the forerunner of the Savior, John the Baptist. This is a great moment in the life of Zacharias, Elisabeth, the nation of Israel, and the world.   The Priest (Luke 1:8-12)                                                           

December 07, 2016

Text: Old Testament prophets, Isaiah and Micah predicted hundreds of years before our Lord’s birth that He would be born of a virgin and born in Bethlehem (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2). These two godly women were obviously overwhelmed by the depth of God’s love and grace in choosing them to be a part of Messiah’s birth. Luke records their faith, humility, and praise in our lesson text. Read: Luke 1:36 “and, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.                                                  

November 30, 2016

Text: The first promise of a coming Savior is recorded in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This glorious promise is made in the context of God’s curse on Satan when sin entered the world. So here the gospel, the good news, makes its entrance into human history. For centuries to come, this was the only gospel, the only promise. One small promise with eternal fulfillment.   Hearing God’s Promise (Luke 1:26-33)                                                                       

November 23, 2016

Text: Greater than John’s firsthand testimony and declaration that everything he has written is true, John magnifies Christ’s words, “I am Alpha and Omega” four times in Revelation. God is saying if anyone thinks the things John has written will not come to pass, I just want to remind you who is in charge of everything. It is the sovereign God of the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending…which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Please Read: Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:1-5, Rev. 1:18-20

November 16, 2016

Text: Revelation 22 opens with a continuing description of the New Jerusalem. Part of the description is the living waters flowing from the throne of God and the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life first appears in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:9 and before the gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22. Its exciting presence bookends the entire story of salvation and God’s blessing upon man. Trees in Scripture symbolize Israel (Matthew 24:32), the Messiah (Isaiah 53:2), the church and the believer (Psalm 1:3). The River of the Water of Life (Revelation 22:1)  Key Scripture: John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

November 09, 2016

Text: Revelation 21:9-14, 22-27 Title: The New Jerusalem   As we study John’s description of our heavenly home, it is important not to miss the forest for the trees! There is much detail in every word and sentence. If we are not careful we may miss the intimacy of what John is describing. He is describing our eternal state. A new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. But at the heart of it all is God the Father and the Lamb of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ in us.