Scripture at Sunrise 12.24.2019

“For your sakes He became poor.” -2 Corinthians 8:9

The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon his throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning brethren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of His fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by Him in Whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of His fellowship.

O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus “became poor” that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.

[from Morning & Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 2.23.2016

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” -John 15:7

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the stem but ever receiving life and fruitfulness horn it. All true believers abide in Christ in a sense; but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. “Ask what ye will” is for Enochs who walk with God, for Johns who lie in the Lord’s bosom, for those whose union with Christ leads to constant communion.

The heart must remain in love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word, the whole man must be joined unto the Lord, or else it would be dangerous to trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose very life is, “Not I, but Christ liveth in me.” O you who break your fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord Himself must abide in you, and you in Him.

[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 5.3.2010

Sunday School | Colossians 1:1-14 | Bro. Steve Dawson
I. The credentials of the one praying (vs. 1-2)
     -apostle BY the will of God (He was chosen)
II. The character of the ones prayed for (vs. 3-8)
      -vs. 4: Faith in Christ (He never changes), love for brothers and sisters (stamp of approval on love for the Lord)
      -vs. 5: Future hope of something beyond this life (hoping in the right thing, HIM!)
      -vs. 6: The True Gospel continues to grow in the world and in you.  (Grow in the Word.  Dig for gold!)
            The Bible is shallow enough for a child to wade through it safely, yet deep enough for the most experienced diver to never reach the bottom.
      -Their church was growing, growing in depth, not necessarily in number.
III. The content of the prayer (vs. 9-14)
      -vs. 9-10: Wisdom to apply what you know
      -vs. 11-14: Praying for all these things so you can GLORIFY GOD!  Walk worthy of what He has done for you. 
*Pray this way for people and pray that God will prepare their path.

Morning Worship | I Corinthians 11:23-34 | Pastor Steve Wainright
-The Lord’s Supper restates your salvation. 
John 6:51-63- Bread of Life>Symbolism; Take Christ by faith.  The flesh profits nothing. 
John 13- His betrayal (a dark scene, but a beautiful picture of how God’s omnipotence triumphs over sinfulness).  The glory of God shines even brighter on the backdrop of sin.  (ex.: Joseph’s life or David’s sin that involved adultery, murder, and lying brought us Psalm 51)
vs. 23: He took bread.  Passover.  (Luke 22:20- Old covenant done away with; no more need for sacrifice)
-Purpose of the Lord’s Supper: Remember
vs. 24-25: Not observing it=disobedient. 
Broken for you.  Colossians 1:5=for you.  Colossians 1:7,9=for you.  He lived a perfect life for you.  He suffered for you.  He died for you.  He rose again for you.  He lives to make intercession for you.  So, remember Him. 
vs. 26: Remembering that He died for your sins.   Remembering He lived a perfect life for you.  Refreshing your committment to Him.  Proclaims the Gospel. 
vs. 27-32: Preparation for it. 
      vs. 27: Unworthy (nobody is worthy)=going throug the motions, refuse to repent, lack of respect and love to other brothers and sisters= dishonors Christ
      vs. 28: Examine yourself.  Get yoruself right with God. 
      vs. 29-32: Serious consequences.
*Examine yoruself.

Scripture at Sunrise 4.26.2010

Sunday School | Luke 14:15-24 | Bro. Roger Harden
“…‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’”  -Luke 14:20b
vs. 18-20- On making excuses: As a Christian, are you rejecting Christ’s invitation to spend time with Him and fellowship with Him in His Word?  Do you enjoy spending time with Him?  He will make time for you to make time to spend time with Him.  He is jealous for our affections. 
vs. 21- We are spirtually poor, crippled, blind and lame.  That’s who we are before God without Christ.  (Luke 18) We must get a right view of God’s holiness and justice. 
vs. 24- GO out and share the Gospel. 

Morning Worship | 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.”  -1 Corinthians 11:22
The Lord’s Supper is one of two ordinances given to believers (the other being baptism).  It’s a law to keep, a command, not an option. 
vs. 17- Paul comes down hard on the Corinthians, reminding them to practice the Lord’s Supper when they are assembled. 
vs. 18- Their division is a social issue.  Some didn’t associate with others.  Solution: Live the truth that the ground is level at the cross.  (Ephesians 2:14-18)  The Corinthians were building the wall back up that Christ had broken down.  Believers help believers because they have all things in common (Acts 2:44).
vs. 19- There must be differences of opinion among you.  Why?  To accomplish God’s purpose. 

Why are there problems in churches?  It’s a necessity.  It manifests the good.  Only through the difficult times do you see the good shine through.  Are there squabbles?  You get to find out who the peacemakers are.  You would never know the love of God if there was no sin in the world.  (Isaiah 53:10)

God tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4, James 1:12)  Divisions are for a purification process.  (Titus 3:10, Luke 17:1-2)
vs. 20-22- The Lord’s Supper is invalid when this happens and brings shame to the name of the Lord.  You might as well go home if you’re going to cause dissension. 
Do you despise the church of God?  Your actions will tell. 

Evening Worship | Numbers 1:1-54 | Pastor Steve Wainright
“So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.”  -Numbers 1:45-46
One big family (Israel) is counting who can be counted on to go to war.  Members of churches should be able to be counted on, even when the going gets tough.  This shows their committment.  If you are committed to the Lord, you will be committed to one another.  Membership is committment.  It’s being involved.  It’s a privilege to belong. 

We don’t need 603,550 men to stand and fight for us.  We have One who ever lives and pleads for us.  He committed His life for us so that we could be free.  Is your life committed to Him?  Is your life, therefore, committed to one another?

Scripture @ Sunrise 2.4.09

“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”  -I Corinthians 11:28-29(Since the Lord’s Supper was pushed to this Wednesday night due to snow/ice last week, I will repost this prayer to help you prepare).

A Prayer for the Lord’s Supper from the Valley of Vision
God of all good,
I bless thee for the means of grace;
teach me to see in them Thy loving purposes
and the joy and strength of my soul.

 

Thou hast prepared for me a feast;
and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest,
I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus,
and hide myself beneath His righteousness;
When I hear His tender invitation
and see His wondrous grace,
I cannot hesitate, but must come to Thee in love.

By Thy spirit enliven my faith rightly to discern
and spiritually to apprehend the Saviour.
While I gaze upon the emblems of my Saviour’s death,
may I ponder why He died, and hear Him say,
‘I gave My life to purchase yours,
presented Myself an offering to expiate your sin,
shed My blood to blot out your guilt,
opened My side to make you clean,
endured your curses to set you free,
bore your condemnation to satisfy divine justice.’

Oh may I rightly grasp the breadth and length of this design,
draw near, obey, extend the hand,
take the bread, receive the cup,
eat and drink, testify before all men
that I do for myself, gladly, in faith,
reverence and love, receive my Lord,
to be my life, strength, nourishment, joy, delight.

In the supper I remember His eternal love,
boundless grace, infinite compassion,
agony, cross, redemption,
and receive assurance of pardon, adoption, life, glory.
As the outward elements nourish my body,
so may Thy indwelling Spirit invigorate my soul,
until that day when I hunger and thirst no more,
and sit with Jesus at His heavenly feast.
[via: Tim Challies]

Scripture @ Sunrise 1.27.09

“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”  -I Corinthians 11:28-29

A Prayer for the Lord’s Supper from the Valley of Vision
God of all good,
I bless thee for the means of grace;
teach me to see in them thy loving purposes
and the joy and strength of my soul.

Thou hast prepared for me a feast;
and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest,
I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus,
and hide myself beneath his righteousness;
When I hear his tender invitation
and see his wondrous grace,
I cannot hesitate, but must come to thee in love.

By thy spirit enliven my faith rightly to discern
and spiritually to apprehend the Saviour.
While I gaze upon the emblems of my Saviour’s death,
may I ponder why he died, and hear him say,
‘I gave my life to purchase yours,
presented myself an offering to expiate your sin,
shed my blood to blot out your guilt,
opened my side to make you clean,
endured your curses to set you free,
bore your condemnation to satisfy divine justice.’

Oh may I rightly grasp the breadth and length of this design,
draw near, obey, extend the hand,
take the bread, receive the cup,
eat and drink, testify before all men
that I do for myself, gladly, in faith,
reverence and love, receive my Lord,
to be my life, strength, nourishment, joy, delight.

In the supper I remember his eternal love,
boundless grace, infinite compassion,
agony, cross, redemption,
and receive assurance of pardon, adoption, life, glory.
As the outward elements nourish my body,
so may thy indwelling Spirit invigorate my soul,
until that day when I hunger and thirst no more,
and sit with Jesus at his heavenly feast.
[via: Tim Challies]