Preparing To Rejoice In Him // May 5, 2019

Reflection

“Modern man still needed to feel heroic, to know that his life mattered in the scheme of things, he had to be specially ‘good’ for something truly special. He still had to merge himself with some higher, self-absorbing meaning, in trust and gratitude. If he no longer had God how was he to do this? One of the first ways that occurred to him was the ‘romantic solution’… The love partner becomes the divine ideal within which to fulfill one’s life. All spiritual and moral needs become fixed on one individual…In one word, the love object is God.” ~Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

 

God Calls Us To Worship :: Romans 8.38-39

[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Worship In Song :: Jesus, Lover Of My Soul

Jesus Lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly
While the nearer waters roll; while the tempest still is high
Hide me, O my Saviour hide; Till life’s storm is past
Safe into the haven guide; receive my soul at last 

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee
Leave, oh leave me not alone; still support and comfort me
All my trust on Thee is stayed; all my help from Thee I bring
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing 

Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in Thee I find
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint; heal the sick and lead the blind
Just and holy is Thy name; I am all unrighteousness
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace 

Plenteous grace with Thee is found; grace to cover all my sin
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within
Thou of life the Fountain art; freely let me take of Thee
Spring Thou up within my heart; for all eternity 

 

God’s Word Preached :: Matthew 22:23-40

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

[23] The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, [24] saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ [25] Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. [26] So too the second and third, down to the seventh. [27] After them all, the woman died. [28] In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

[29] But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. [30] For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. [31] And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: [32] ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” [33] And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. (ESV)

 

Communion

We will come to the Table this Sunday to feast with our Lord; Christ, himself, invites us to come and sit with him. What makes this time so special from any other day in worship? It’s special because even though we are sinners, beggars, idolaters and rebels a King sets the table and makes a place for us – filth and all – and is pleased to dine with us, his family.

Read these words from John Calvin’s Short Treatise on the Lord’s Supper to help you better prepare for this coming Sunday.

“Here, then, is the singular consolation which we derive from the Supper. It directs and leads us to the cross of Jesus Christ and to his resurrection, to certify us that whatever iniquity there may be in us, the Lord nevertheless recognises and accepts us as righteous—whatever materials of death may be in us, he nevertheless gives us life— whatever misery, may be in us, he nevertheless fills us with all felicity. Or to explain the matter more simply—as in ourselves we are devoid of all good, and have not one particle of what might help to procure salvation, the Supper is an attestation that, having been made partakers of the death and passion of Jesus Christ, we have every thing that is useful and salutary to us.”

 

Related Posts