Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street . Rocky Mount, Virginia

March 12^th , 2017

9:30 am ……………………….……………………………..……… The Singing & Sighing of The Saints – Psalm 30

10:00 am ……………………….…………………..………………..……… Caught But Not Condemned – John 8:1-11

Birthdays: March: 17^th – Rick Polk, Alec Bobbitt

Cleaning: This Week: Mac & Margaret , Next Week: John & Irene

Nursery: Jill O.

FListen to WYTI Radio, 1570 AM - 104.5 FM, Sundays 8:00 am

FListen to live audio of services on: www.mixlr.com/centralgracechurchNew website: www.centralgracechurch.com

WORSHIP

There is nothing that the church does that is more important than assembling to worship Christ. To gather in order to honor Christ through praying, preaching and hearing the Gospel is such an important thing that each of us should approach it very seriously. Let each one prepare himself in heart and body so as to arrive on time, having the heart clothed with a desire to hear from Christ and the body dressed modestly so as not to attract attention to one’s self. Let each of us enter into every song and prayer, closing out the thoughts of the world and all the cares it loads on us. Let each of us listen to the Word of God with the intensity of baby birds chirping for food. In short, let each of us give himself to worship in this hour as though there were nothing better or more important in all the world to do – because there isn’t. -- Joseph Terrell

The Hearer I Appreciate

… One who has prayed for the preacher and for the blessing of the Lord on the

   congregation which is meeting today.

… One who is punctually in his pew with his family beside him.

… One who has his Bible open and who devoutly follows the Scriptures read as

   hearing God speaking to him.

… One who takes a hymnbook and joins in the praise of the Lord as earnestly

   as does the leader of the singing.

… One who in his heart joins in the prayer time.

… One who remembers that we are in the presence of God and bears himself

   with reverence of manner and conversation.

… One who looks for Christ and grace in the sermon and not for rhetoric,   

   elocution, and clever statements.

… One who listens, takes the message to himself, and has a comment

   afterward regarding the subject.

… One who has a look and a word of Christian greeting for those near him in

   the church after the service. –John Hall, (1829-1898)—

Forgive And Be Forgiven. Forgive Not, Be Not Forgiven -- Matthew 6:14-15

  Everyone is guilty of every sin against God, either in thought or deed.  But God is of great mercy and frankly forgives any and all sins of anyone who asks for mercy (but Christ had to pay for our sins).  We are great sinners in need of great mercy and God delights to show mercy. But . . . if we do not forgive our fellow sinners for their minor offenses toward us, neither will God forgive us.  Those He is most angry with are the unmerciful and ungrateful;  those He has shown mercy to. 

  If we do not forgive our brother, we will not be forgiven.  If we do not forget their offenses, God will not forget ours.  If we do not run and fall on the neckof our guilty brother (like the Father) the rod of God’s anger will fall on our back.  If we do not make peace and pursue it, we will not have peace with God and He will allow sin and Satan to pursue us.  If we hold a grudge against our brother, God holds a much greater grudge against us and will repay with vengeance. If we do not speak to our brother or sister, God will not speak to us. If they call on us and we do not respond, God will not hear us when we call.  If we stay angry at our brother or sister, God is much more angry with us,  and we can count on the axe to fall.  God will repay in kind.  God is justand we will get just what we deserve if we do not show mercy, grace and forgiveness as He has shown us.

Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street . Rocky Mount, Virginia

February 12^th , 2017

9:30 am ……………………….……………………………………………..……… Christ Hated By The World – John 7:1-9

10:00 am ……………………….………………………………………………….… The Beloved Son Sacrificed – Genesis 22

Listen to Henry Mahan, Sundays at 8:00 am - WYTI Radio – 1570 am

 Listen to live audio of services on: www.mixlr.com/centralgracechurch New website:  www.centralgracechurch.com

Language Of Hope 

                                       “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

                                             that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might HOPE” – Romans 15:4

  THE message of Scripture is a message of HOPE to the believer; a message of salvation and deliverance from sin, death and hell.  Scripture says that Christ came to . . . “deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb.2:15). The language of scripture is a language of HOPE for all the saints.  The disciples, worried about their friend Lazarus, who was sick unto death, were told by the Lord, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” That eased their worries and fears.  God’s Word to His people is a language of HOPE, which dispels all fear of death and dying. “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?” (John 11:26).   None have ever perished who have trusted in God’s mercy, who have believed God’s Christ. NONE!  All who have fallen asleep in Jesus, are right now with Him where He is, beholding His glory, in eternal happiness and bliss.  They didn’t ‘go to the land of the dead’, as some say, but rather, left the land of the dead to go to the living God.  Believer, HOPE THOU IN GOD!  Hope in His mercy, hope in His grace, hope in HIS SON . . . and it shall be well with thee, thou shalt never die! You have God’s Word on it.

“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” - John 21:15

   Here is the great question that confronts believers throughout their lives. It is a comfort to those who fail, as Peter had.  Despite the many failures of the child of God, he can say, as Peter did, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee."  This question from the Lord is also a challenge, forcing us to decide what is truly important to us. Love for Christ is the first law of the believer.  It is a law that no amount of legal hairsplitting can circumvent. Peter was in his own element: by the seashore with other fishermen. The Lord, in as much as said, "Which shall it be, Peter? Me or the nets?"  Put in those terms, the answer was easy; it had already been answered in Peter's heart. But, the professions of each of us will be tested by similar choices. "Lovest thou Me more than family, home, career, comfort, plans, hopes, money, even life?" Paul said that he counted all things worthless compared to Christ.  May we likewise love Christ more than all things, and may we always show that love in our choices!  -- Joe Terrell

Are You a Calvinist?

     Most of the time this question is asked by those who do not believe the truth; those who do not believe that God is absolutely sovereign in salvation; those who care nothing for the truth of God nor the glory of God.  And most of the time our (my) response is to quickly qualify what is meant by a Calvinist and  quickly say, that, the doctrine did not originate with a man (Calvin), nor do we follow the teachings of a man, but the doctrine of scripture alone.  But I, for one, am tired of qualifying everything for the sake of rebels; I want to quit apologizing, as it were, to people who hate God and hate those who stand for the truth, namely John Calvin. 

  Our dear brother John Calvin was a man of God, sent by God, called by God to preach and write the Truth of God, and did so faithfully and truthfully in his generation.  While I may not agree with everything he said or wrote, I agree with him in the main, in the essentials of the faith and heartily endorse this man and love him in the Lord.  Brother John’s preaching and writings glorified the Lord, abased proud man, and pointed sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinners only hope. He laid down his life for the gospel and those to whom he preached.  For what my endorsement is worth, I stand with the man, behind the man, follow the man (as Paul told us to follow him as he followed the Lord), and would like to be just half the man that brother John Calvin was.   Put all the silly, foolish, ignorant,  modern day false preachers together and, like the Pharisees before Stephen, they would not stand for a moment before the knowledge of God’s Word, wisdom, understanding of human nature and zeal for the truth of God’s glory that our dear brother Calvin was given.  Brother Spurgeon once said: “Calvinism is the gospel and the gospel is Calvinism.”

   Am I a Calvinist?  Yes sir I am!  And don’t say anything more of my dear brother unless it is in love and appreciation for the dear man.  Brother Calvin is one,  of whom the world was not worthy.  I count it an honor to be associated with him and other men just like him.