Preparing our Hearts to Worship
In an effort to help you prepare for the February 25, 2018, Sunday morning corporate worship gathering and to aid you in your own reflections on the God’s Story of Salvation through the Scriptures. I wanted to pose a few questions and provide a few resources to prayerfully consider over the coming days. Our sermon is entitled, “God’s Punishment and His Mercy” The main Scriptures for the day are Judges 2. The other passages are either referenced in the message or provide additional insight for reflection.
(Pick and choose from the many resources and options, which I have tried to make available for your devotional life.)
From the Scriptures
Please read through Chapter 8 of The Story this week, this is an edited selection of Scriptures from the Book of Judges that seeks to maintain the broad story line of the Scriptures.
You can read or listen to Judges 2 here.
You can listen to Chapter 8 of The Story here.
(It will take approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to listen to the whole book of Judges.)
From the Creeds and Confessions
Heidelberg Catechism Q88-91
88. How many parts are there to the true repentance or conversion of man?
Two: the dying of the old self and the birth of the new.
89. What is the dying of the old self?
Sincere sorrow over our sins and more and more to hate them and to flee from them.
90. What is the birth of the new self?
Complete joy in God through Christ and a strong desire to live according to the will of God in all good works.
91. But what are good works?
Only those which are done out of true faith, in accordance with the Law of God, and for his glory, and not those based on our own opinion or on the traditions of men.
Belgic Confession Article 28
That every one is bound to join himself to the true Church
We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and that out of it there is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw himself, to live in a separate state from it; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the Church; submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.
And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the word of God, to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the Church, and to join themselves to this congregation, wheresoever God has established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of princes were against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment. Therefore all those, who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.
From the songs, hymns and spiritual songs of the Church
Mighty to Save (Hillsong): Lyrics, Video
For Thoughtful Reflection, Prayer, or further Study
Read and reflect upon Ligonier’s The Basis of Ethics.
Listen to or read Piper’s Will the next generation know?
The Sermon will be available online on February 25, 2018 at 12:30 pm.
Disclaimer: Reference to a particular article or website does not constitute endorsement or agreement with everything in that article or on that website.
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