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Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This coming Lord’s Day, our sermon passage will be Hebrews 3:1-2. It is in these two verses that we discover yet another title for our Lord Jesus.
You will remember that the author of the Epistle has so far designated our Lord as a “ high priest,” and as the “ founder” of our salvation. But in 3:1 we encounter the title “ apostle.” Our Savior is called “ the apostle and high priest of our confession.” And this is the only place in all of the New Testament where our Lord is spoken of in this way, as “ the apostle.”
But added to this is something else that is most interesting and significant. We have also learned in this inspired letter that those who believe upon Christ for salvation are designated as “ brothers.” And we are “ brothers” of Christ Jesus Himself, of whom He shall never “ be ashamed.” Yet, in 3:1 we now see that added to this designation “ brothers” is the word “ holy.” We are “ holy brothers” in Christ.
Of course, these are not trivial things in the least! The designations “ the apostle” and “ holy brothers” are full of meaning and deep significance for us. And it will be our aim on Sunday to probe these titles in order to discover some wonderful truths that will enable us to better serve and remain loyal to our dear Lord and Savior.
Some Friday Encouragement
As we approach another Lord’s Day when we will not be able to meet together for worship, I want to encourage you with a simple thought, based upon the prayerful Words of our Savior Himself.
In our Lord’s great ‘High Priestly Prayer,’ recorded for us in John 17, Jesus fervently entreated the Father on our behalf. And there were some very specific things that He prayed for in our regard:
First, He prayed that the Father would “ keep them” (the Disciples and each of us) safe and secure “ in Your name” (v. 11).
Second, He prayed that we might have our Lord’s “ joy fulfilled” in us (v. 13).
Third, He prayed that the Father would “ keep” all of us “ from the evil one” (v. 15).
Fourth, He prayed that the Father might “ sanctify” us “ in the truth” (v. 17).
Fifth, He prayed that we “ may all be one” in Him, and in the Father (v. 21).
Sixth, He prayed that all of us might one day “ be with” Him “ where I am,” and might “ see My glory” (v. 24).
While from our limited perspective, our days remain difficult, disrupted, and often filled with anxiety, we remain perfectly secure as those who belong to our Faithful Savior! And our security is in this: Jesus Himself is continually praying for us! And His prayers are always answered by the Father!
And this, my beloved brothers and sisters, means that we are being kept safe, we are being filled with His joy, we are being guarded from the devil, we are being sanctified, we are being unified, and soon we will be with the One who loves us and always intercedes before the Father on our behalf!
We could not be in a better place! Our Savior’s work in and through us is not threated in the lest by this virus, or by our temporary inability to meet together! The very gates of hell itself shall “ never prevail” against His Church and those whom He has redeemed!
So, for those facing the fear of sickness, for those dealing with a potential loss of income, for those who have already lost work, for those who worry about loved ones, for those who long for the fellowship of God’s people, and for those who are in the grip of a generalized anxiety over all of this, let me encourage you to remember something: Your Lord Jesus, our great High Priest and Champion, is holding us up before the Father in prayer . . . right now!
We are just as secure as His prayers for us are heard and answered by our Father! Even when we don’t pray, or when we are too weak, afraid, or discouraged to loft our supplications heavenward, He remains at His post as the One who always has our names on His heart!
We have nothing to worry about during this most unusual time of difficulty! And this fact stands firmly upon the perfect faithfulness of Him who loves us supremely and intercedes for us continually! We can rest assured that in our Father’s good and perfect time, we will come together again and sound His praises, hear His Holy Word, and celebrate His Sacraments as the eternally beloved Body of Christ!
May our Father send His Spirit to you today and fill you all with His peace!
I love you all so very much, and I am trusting our Lord with you as He faithfully leads us and cares for us each day and every hour!
Until we can meet face-to-face,
Mike
Order of Worship:
This week’s order of worship will be posted on Sunday morning along with a sermon video for use as you worship at home.
Announcements:
Message from your Diaconate:
Each of you should be receiving emails, calls, or texts from your diaconate to check in with how we can best continue to minister to you during this difficult time. If you have any needs of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the diaconate. We’re eager to help you or to find someone who can. This is one of the main reasons the church has deacons, to make sure that congregational needs are being met. As we contact you, remember that your Diaconate and Session are praying for you, and we’re here to help however we can.
Resources for Further Study:
Pastor Mike has posted a list of books on a variety of theological topics that you might find useful. Check out the list by clicking here. You can also find this list from the About Us menu on the web site home page.
Senior Fellows:
The Senior Fellows weekly Bible study continues on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 9:30 AM. We will use the Zoom virtual meeting application to study “Dealing With Difficult Problems” by R.C. Sproul. Church members are welcome to join us. For further information, email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org.
Women’s Ministry:
Women’s Ministry activities have been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events.
Children’s Ministry:
We are testing out something new this week – a children’s bulletin for sermon notes! You may print this out for your children to use with Sunday’s sermon, and we hope to incorporate this into the regular bulletin when we are meeting together again.
Sermon notes for April 19, 2020
Sunday School Lessons: HERE is the next lesson for your elementary children from our Sunday School curriculum. Great Commission is putting that out for us for free right now, and I pray you will use it with your children. It includes a video lesson, coloring page and graphic.
I also shared some additional things in the Children’s Ministry Facebook group (email me to be invited to our closed group).
Men’s Studies:
Most Men’s activities have been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events. The weekly Men’s study of John Calvin’s Institutes is meeting via Zoom, contact Daron Drown for details.
Career/Singles:
These activities have been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events.
Youth Group:
Youth Bible Study for Middle and High School has been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events.
Second Sunday Lunches:
Second Sunday Lunches are suspended until the virus outbreak is contained.
Flower Guild:
Have you noticed the beautiful flowers in the narthex and sanctuary? The Flower Guild places the flowers weekly. If you would like to assist in that ministry, please contact Donna Henry or Virdia Jastrebski.
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Lynn Doughty, Ramona Edwards, Pat Galecki, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, John Baxter, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliotts, expecting in May; the Libertos, expecting in August; the Elys, expecting in September.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
Emails:
general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org
Address:
288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763