April 13, 2018 - Preparing for the Lord's Day
April 14, 2018Preparing for the Lord's Day
It is amazing that people who are presented with the exact same facts or experiences can come away with such different opinions. You and your spouse go out to eat at the same restaurant and she loves it and you hate it. Same food, same service, different response. You watch a sporting event and you believe your team has been cheated by the referees, however, the other team believes they were cheated. Same game, same calls, different opinions. We could name a hundred other situations where we have the same facts but different opinions. Politics, science, and religion are fraught with situations where our underlying assumptions color how we evaluate the evidence. In Numbers 13, twelve spies are sent into the land of Canaan to gather facts about the land. When they return there is not a debate about the facts but rather how to evaluate them. One group was encouraged by what they saw, the other was frightened. What was the difference? To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Numbers 13, Deuteronomy 1:6-8, 1 Samuel 17:24-54, Hebrews 1:11 and Westminster Confession of Faith 14.2.
As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “From All That Dwell Below the Skies”, the Acclamation of Praise “Before the Throne of God Above” and the Hymn of Response “He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought!” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
If you’re going to be out of town this Sunday, let me encourage you to listen to the sermon online (usually posted by Monday afternoon) or you can download the REPC podcast, which will be delivered to your mobile device.