FBC Morning Worship Service

Good morning to see on this Lord's Day. So thankful to the Lord for allowing us to gather together and to serve him and to worship him to learn of him and Grow in our love for him. Which could should then translate into the way we live for him.

All this takes place on the Lord's Day as we gather and we open up his word and we open up our hearts to that word let me just highlight a couple things in your bulletin if I may one of course is the Lunchtime after the morning service followed by the one o 'clock afternoon services service we've resumed these last week and Going to doing working our way through a Salter a little bit singing some psalms together.

So we're reading the psalm and then singing the songs and The most of them. Let's see. We're doing six of them this afternoon and four of them I think are familiar tunes to us that we would recognize.

And a couple that we'll be learning. So it's all you know. It's all very helpful in our Growing in our praising of the Lord and our understanding of the Psalms and our use of the Psalms. So I encourage you to be back at one o 'clock for that afternoon service together.

And then I want to also mention if you didn't get this that Starting last Sunday. We're live-streaming the Sunday school adult Sunday school lesson as well and I guess we actually started that two weeks ago and Those were live-streaming them at 930.

Or 935 I guess it actually starts but then those recordings are kept so you can go go to the church website. And you can find those Sunday school lessons. They're there To review at your convenience. So if you can't make it to Sunday school some week you can catch that if you want to review what you heard and Sunday school lesson, you can always go back and review them just like in the the messages that You hear in the live-streaming as well.

And then the last thing I just want to emphasize is on March 20th. The men are we're planning to have a men's breakfast in the morning. And that will be here at the church and there's a sign-up sheet on the foyer table or a four-year bulletin board.

And sign up for that. Have a good time of fellowship together. As we begin our worship service psalm 87 verses 1 to 3. Say this says his foundation is in the holy mountains the lord loveth the gates of zion.

More than all the dwellings of jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee. Oh city of god. So when you came in today you uh I hope you picked up there's a song sheet there. And the one song first song i'm going to sing today is that hymn glorious things of thee are spoken and we have that in our hymnal, but this um.

This handout is in a different key. It's a little easier to sing. And there's an additional stanza that fourth stanza. Is not in our hymnal and we wanted to emphasize that stanza. So jim's going to come and lead us in the first second and last stanzas of that hymn jim.

Thank you pastor again. It's uh in your handout glorious things of thee are spoken. Verses 1 2 and 4. Let's stand together, please and sing together Of our god He whose word cannot be broken Formed thee for his own abode on the rock of ancient Strange.

Remain standing, please for prayer. Kevin, would you lead us, please? Let us pray.

Lord we just thank you and praise you that we can join in your house today. Thank you for your goodness this past week For the love of christ in our hearts. And I pray lord that your spirit would move Through the message here help us to praise and worship you In our lives and be thankful.

So lord Have your your way today lord the spirit. Just come over us and lead us In a closer walk with you lord change our hearts and our minds lord in jesus name. We pray. So on the back of your bulletins our psalm reading for today is psalm 6.

And you'll notice uh asking to read this psalm responsibly. And it's been a long time since we've done that been about a year since we've done that but the way this works is you see the type. On every other verse is in the bold and those those verses.

The congregation reads so i'll begin reading in verse one. And the congregation responds in verse two and so forth and don't don't be shy just be you know. This is like you're singing okay, but this is a psalm reading.

All right, so psalm 6 let's read it. Oh lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. My soul is also sore vexed. But thou oh lord how long for in death? There is no remembrance of thee In the grave who shall give thee?

Thanks. Mine eye is consumed because of grief. It waxeth old because of all mine enemies. The lord hath heard my supplication. The lord will receive my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed.

Let them return and be ashamed suddenly. May the lord add his blessing to the reading of his word. And so we have read the psalm together and now last sunday afternoon We discovered this psalm to sing psalm 6.

Again, uh, the tune is familiar on the back side of that handout you received. Is uh, is this hymn and so let's sing it together. Jim.

Lord rebuke me not in anger as in psalm 6 but sing all three verses together.

Well, I said that was a familiar tune to us. I it's familiar to everyone who sang it last sunday afternoon. And uh, it's probably familiar to many of you too. I mentioned when we sang that last sunday Uh that that I cannot think of the other song.

That goes with that tune and down at the bottom on the right hand side of the of the sheet it tells you that The name of the tune the tune name. It's called pleading savior. And um, so what you what you can actually do is you can go to google and you can type in pleading savior uh hymn tune and it gives you all the Hymns, well, you it's I think it does gives you the hymns that that tune is attached to and I still didn't find it.

So i'm at a loss. I I I hope I discover what that is sometime soon. Anyways, we pray together today. Our missionary of the week is duane ott and he serves and he and cinchi his wife serve in malaysia planting a church in the city of kluang.

So I want to pray for duane in that ministry. We also want to pray for mark barilla missionary mark and rachel serving in cameroon. Mark and his daughter are going to be flying Back to the states on friday.

His dad is in the intensive care unit Apparently with covid and pneumonia, but we want to pray for his father as well as for the burillas and travel. And uh mentioned in sunday school today, I want to pray for bob and jerry.

Bob is now in hospice care and want to pray for God's sustaining grace for him and especially for jerry. I'm glad jerry could be with us today, and I know she's Experiencing your love and your care Today and we'll do so continually as we pray for them in these days and then uh, I I Debated on how much to say about this whole mess in our In our congress this past week the house of representatives passing this equality act, which is a misnomer.

It's not it's not an act that is going to improve equality it's going to create greater division and restriction of freedom, especially freedom of religion freedom of Uh of the faith it is an act that.

It's an act that promotes uh immorality and distortion of thinking. And we've been hearing for the last year follow the science follow the science follow the science and yet This is an act that absolutely snubs its nose at science as well as creation.

Uh, so there's so so much that can be said about this, but one of the One of the problems is that it is not simply a snubbing the nose at science it is a shaking its fist in the face of god. And what god has created and how he has made man and woman and what he intends for?

A human flourishing. It's going in the very opposite direction. Many of you probably saw the uh The statement of jerry nadler one of the representatives. He says What any he said quote what any religious tradition describes as god's will Is no concern of this congress.

And how far removed that is from our founding fathers who were very concerned about? The will of the almighty. And how they they may have not been in agreement on what that will was but they were at least concerned about what the will of the creator was and it's Established that in the very bill of rights and so forth as I was Mulling over this not only that act that house the house of representatives has passed and by the way And again, you if you've been here any length of time i've been here 18 plus years now and very rarely Make a hullabaloo about anything political.

And encourage the writing of senators or congressmen or whatever. I know there's a place for that but Our the senate is supposed to take up this measure and to vote on that act. And we can pray that it is defeated in the senate and we can take action ourselves and contacting our senators about Defeating that but regardless the very fact that it is presented in in congress and the desire on the part of so many in office Official offices including the very top the very president Of our united states the fact that he would support that and so many are as well as uh, the expansion of abortion even re Recommitting funding from our government to promote abortion in foreign countries, which is a insane idea.

But nevertheless these things that are again a snub of god's clear directives in the word I I was meditating on that and this morning I was reading in psalm 28 And I came across this Says because they do not regard the works of the lord or the work of his hands He will tear them down And build them up no more.

I would be I would be very fearful If I were a member of congress Or sitting in the white house And was promoting the very things that defy The works of the lord and the work of his hands. The lord says he will tear them down and build them up no more.

But the psalm goes on to say The lord is the strength of his people. He is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh Save your people and bless your heritage be their shepherd and carry them forever. So listen, no matter what congress decides no matter what?

Laws are enacted no matter what the president of the united states signs into law That defies the work Of god and and shakes its fist at the works of god and snubs them all. The lord is the strength of his people.

He is the saving refuge of his anointed we can pray to the lord. Oh lord Save your people And bless your heritage be our shepherd And carry us forever. Let's pray. And so our father we do pray today to that very end we pray that you Would save your people and you would bless your heritage.

Father there are so many that are actively in endeavoring to cancel Your people and to cancel your hair that our heritage Who are wanting to deny? your role as shepherd That will carry us. But lord, you are the strength of your people.

You are the saving refuge of your anointed ones. And we trust in you we count upon you. And we are confident that no matter what Those in office and in power in our nation would do in defiance of you.

You will nevertheless care for your own. And father we are also aware of the fact that eventually sooner or later those who Do not regard your works And your work the work of your hands. Eventually one way or another you will tear them down and you will build them up no more.

Father we do not desire the destruction Of any one or anything we desire the conversion we desire repentance. We desire revival. But father we also decry this these efforts these flagrant Efforts to defy you.

Father we pray Accomplish your purpose even in this even if it means The tearing down to build up no more. We commit this to you. Oh lord. And father we also commit to you the work of your servants duane and sin she ought serving in malaysia.

And we thank you for their faithfulness and for their efforts in this country that doesn't even know the degree of religious freedom that we enjoy and yet they are able to Strategically share the gospel and endeavoring to plant a church in kluong.

I pray that you would bless those efforts And that you would bring forth much fruit in that endeavor. We pray for mark and rachel barilla for their families serving in cameroon. And pray especially for mark and kelsey as they travel to the states on friday.

We pray for journeying mercies we pray for mark's father that you would be merciful gracious to him And grant healing if that would be in your will for his life. We also commit to your care our Our friend and loved one bob klein and pray For your grace to be his portion.

I pray that you would sustain him in these days of his life and whatever These days ahead hold for him. I pray that he would continue to find a rest and peace and comfort in your care and in his knowledge of you and his Confidence that to be absent from the body is to be present for the lord.

So regardless of what the days hold in the in the coming weeks That he has much to look forward to. I pray also for jerry that you would be of comfort and strength to her encourage her and give her the physical and emotional and mental stamina.

Through these days we pray Lord, I continue to pray that you would Meet with us in this service. Speak to us through your word. And we ask these things in jesus name. Amen. Okay on.

That let's turn to page number 541 And sing another praise unto the lord. Let's all stand together. We're going to sing all four verses lord. Speak to me number 541 return your bibles to acts. Chapter 2 for scripture reading today.

Acts chapter 2. I want to read together verses 37 through the end of the chapter. Acts chapter 2. Follow along in your copy of scriptures. I read beginning in verse 37. Actually, I will start with verse 36.

Our focus will be verses 37 to 47. Now peter says therefore let all the house of israel know assuredly That god hath made that same jesus whom you have crucified both lord and christ. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto peter and to the rest of the apostles men and brethren What shall we do?

Then peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off.

Even as many as the lord our god shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day there were added unto them about 3 000 souls.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted.

Parted them to all men. As every man had need. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart?

Praising god and having favor with all the people. And the lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. May the lord again at his blessing to the reading of his word a brief prayer, please.

So our father as we contemplate this historical event at the birth of the church the founding of This building that jesus said he would build. I pray that you would teach us. Help us to learn. What is the basic character of that church that jesus is building?

We pray in jesus name. Amen. I've read articles about Various mega churches in our country and you've all you've all come across mega churches. Maybe some of you've attended one or more and in your history but this article was talking about all of the add-ons to these churches, you know, like Church has uh has a coffee shop and uh has a fitness center.

Some churches have daycare centers athletic centers many of these most of these mega churches would have state-of-the-art staging uh capability and lighting. Effects and so on and so forth some of even some of them even do things like the the fogging, you know.

To to to create some kind of an effect and professional level bands and orchestras and so forth. Well needless to say This passage that we just read the church in its infancy didn't know anything about any of that stuff not in the least but it was definitely.

It was definitely the kind of church if you're if you've been converted if you know christ is your savior. It is definitely the kind of church this that we're reading of in acts 2. That you would want to be a part of that you would want to join.

It's the kind of church that Faith baptist needs to be the kind that we read about here in this passage so What does comprise the basic character? Of the church that christ is building in a community.

And we're not talking about the universal church the the church that encompasses every believer that's ever Trusted christ from the beginning to the end and all ages and everywhere. We're not talking about the universal church.

We're talking about the local church. What comprises the basic character? Of the church that christ is building in a community. So from this passage, let me suggest five qualities five basic and fundamental qualities of a local church the first is that The church is made up of people made up of people.

That seems to be a nonsensical thing to say. But it is important to get this point. That the church is not a building. It's not a facility. The church is a people and we we see this in our passage when it says in verse 41.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized talking about people people became a part of this church and and. And and they were added in the end of verse 47 says the lord added to the church daily.

Such as should be such people as should be saved. Who were these people? Who were these people? You go back to verses 5 in this chapter to verses 5 through 13. And we won't read all that but what we discover in reviewing it.

Is that these were people? That that were religious people. Verse 5 says there were dwelling at jerusalem jews devout men religious devoted religious people. Out of every nation under heaven. They were religious people.

They were also curious people verse 8 they hear they heard the um The apostles they heard these people speaking in these foreign languages. As the spirit of god came upon them and they started speaking they were speaking in foreign languages.

And so verse 8 says. These people ask how do we hear every man in our own language in which we were born? And in verse 12 They were all amazed and were in doubt saying to one another. What does this mean?

So these were religious people who were curious people. But verse 13 also shows us that some of them were rather critical and skeptical. Others were mocking and said. These men are full of new wine. But when you get down to verse 41 After peter preaches his sermon and they want to know what do we need to do in order to be saved?

He answers their question. And it says they That received his word were baptized and so forth these people. They're people they're religious curious skeptical some critical but lost people. The church is comprised of people not programs not ministries not buildings but people.

Secondly. The church is made up of people who meet two basic spiritual requirements. This is brought out in verse 41. One of those requirements is those basic spiritual requirements is that they willingly receive the gospel.

They willingly received the gospel. First part of the verse says they that gladly Received his word were baptized. They willingly received the gospel. What is it? They received they received his word.

Whose word peter's word. What word what he just preached? And what did he preach? He preached the truth about jesus. We see this back in verse 36 that we started with in our reading. What was that truth about jesus that they?

Willingly received they received the truth that jesus is the christ. He is the lord the messiah. They had to come to believe this you see. And this is important for us to remember that these very religious jewish people they were looking for their messiah.

But up to this point they did not think that jesus was the messiah. They didn't think that he was the lord. But peter preaches this word. He preaches the truth about christ and they had to come to receive the truth About jesus that he is the lord christ the lord messiah.

They need to receive more than that though. They also needed to receive The truth that they were guilty of sin. In fact in verse 36 Peter points out their guilt and he's very pointed. He said he said no assuredly that god has made this jesus whom you have crucified.

You have crucified. Now now think about that. This is on the day of pentecost it's weeks after the crucifixion and the resurrection. And it is very likely that the majority of those who are listening to peter as he preaches weren't even.

Well, probably weren't even there in jerusalem on the day of the crucifixion. Many of them probably were because of the the pilgrim feasts and so forth and Religiously trying to keep up those feasts. But they did not they did not take up the nails that pierced his hands and his feet.

They didn't take the spear and thrust it into his side but peter makes a point that They are culpable. That we are culpable as sinners. In need of the grace of god in salvation. We are culpable Of our sin and they needed to accept that guilt.

We need to accept our guilt. If we're going to meet the one of the basic spiritual requirements That make up the people of the church then he accepted their guilt and then They not only accepted the truth of jesus and accepted the the fact of their guilt, but they repented.

Verse 38 peter said to them repent. Repent and be baptized. Repent. Have a change of mind about that affects a change of life. Turn from what you were. Turn from what you thought. Turn from what you believed to.

A new way of thinking a new way of believing a new way of living. Repent turn. They needed to repent and they needed to call upon the lord as their savior. Back in verse 21 in the middle of his sermon peter is applying uh, the prophecy of joel to this situation of the uh, the speaking in in tongues of those foreign languages.

And verse 21, he says it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the lord shall be saved. So these individuals Who were to comprise the church? Are people who met the basic spiritual requirement of willingly receiving the gospel?

Have you? Have you come to that place? Where you Accepted the truth about jesus where you accepted your own guilt your own personal guilt your sin. That put jesus on the cross. Have you repented? Of your sin.

Have you placed your faith and trust upon jesus calling upon him as your savior? It is only those who have done so Who can comprise? The local church. And by the way, notice that there is no there is no point here.

There is no place for an unregenerate church membership. It is not the church's place to just Allow anybody to join that church that wants to join that church. Only those who are regenerated Who have been regenerated by the spirit of god who have received the gospel of christ can be a part of?

The church so one of those basic requirements is they willingly receive the gospel. A second Basic spiritual requirement is that they willingly testify of that repentant faith. Verse 41 goes on to say.

They that gladly received his word were baptized. They were baptized. This is a public testimony Of their repentant faith in jesus christ as their lord and in that Public testimony they are expressing publicly that they are dead to their former life dead to it.

My old religion. It's old. I'm turning from it. My old way of thinking my old way of living. I'm dead to that. They are placed into the under the water as christ was placed in the grave to say i'm dead to my old way of life.

But then being brought up out of the water they express Publicly a commitment to a new life. I am now raised to walk in newness of life to walk after the lord jesus christ. By the way, I found it interesting that maybe you've heard of this and heard of this statistic, but Archaeology in archaeologists in jerusalem have uncovered Dozens of What we might call baptismal pools.

They were they were used by the jews for ritual cleansing. But they were sufficiently large and insufficient number. That when we read here about 3 000 people being receiving the word and being baptized in that day.

That time that that was not a problem there were plenty of places for them to have been baptized. Now one thing again to note the membership of the local body Is for those who have been regenerated. But I also want you to note how that membership in the local body is a given.

It's a given. These who received the word were baptized and they were added on that day. They were baptized and they were added to them that comprised that local church now. Here's the reason I point that out because There can be and maybe is and part of many in these days some misunderstanding about about Being converted and then being baptized and yet having no connection with a local church.

And a guy called me or not call me. He he texted me emailed me About a year and a half ago and he said to me, um Uh, and he's somebody who's who's been here in our church years ago, but he said to me, uh, I have a friend Who just got saved?

And wants to be baptized. And I said, well, that's wonderful praise the lord glad to hear that and he said will you baptize this person? And I said, well, i'd be glad to meet with this individual and um, you know talk to them about their about their conversion testimony and um.

And so forth and he's like well what you know, like why why do you need to do that? Isn't this enough? And I said well, there's also the matter that the person who i'm going to baptize is also Going to become a member of faith baptist church.

And he's a great exception to that. Well, I don't know that this person would want to be a member of your church. And my response was well, then I will not baptize that person. What do you mean? Why not?

Well, because if you look at the scriptures, what what is what is the pattern? They were saved and baptized and added to the church so there's no there's no place of somebody professing faith in christ and then say, you know baptize me in your baptistry and then i'll Maybe see you again someday.

Maybe not. I I We'll see neither here nor there. And I responded in that way and the guy wrote back said well, what about what about uh, What a what about the ethiopian eunuch out in the wilderness, you know, he was baptized and and out right out there in the wilderness and you know tried to explain that this is a The beginning of the age there wasn't even a church in ethiopia for him to become a part of.

He wanted to publicly testify that that was a different situation altogether. And that is not the norm. In the new testament in the epistles and following you discover that people are saved. Baptized and they become a part of that local assembly.

So the church is made up of people. People who meet these two basic spiritual requirements. They receive the gospel and they testify of repentant faith and then thirdly. They are people who make basic spiritual commitments basic spiritual commitments.

This comes out in verse 42 and there is if you will an umbrella commitment an overarching commitment. Look at this in verse 42 says they continued steadfastly. They continued steadfastly and they continued steadfastly in some different things.

But that continuing steadfastly is like an umbrella. It's an it's an overarching commitment. It is a commitment to faithfulness a commitment to faithfulness. That continuing steadfastly could be translated literally they continually devoted themselves to these things faithfulness.

Faithfulness in what area they were faithfully committed to learning to learning. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. What is that apostles doctrine. Well, I think it could be described simply as everything jesus taught them.

Everything jesus taught them you remember back in luke chapter 24. In luke 24 verses 44 and 45 after the resurrection. We read in verse 44 jesus said to them these are the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you.

That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of moses and in the prophets and in the psalms concerning me. So jesus is going to Open up for them an understanding of the old testament scriptures.

Verse 45 goes on to say then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. So jesus took them to seminary. Took them to seminary where they learned How to understand and interpret and to teach and communicate The old testament scriptures and what they meant.

What what was the apostles doctrine that they were faithfully committed themselves to learning a christ-illuminated old testament. And I think more than that back in acts 1 verse 3 Jesus had that three years of public ministry where he was teaching them and you know This is where we have the accounts of the parables and the you know, his prophetic teaching and all the rest of that.

But after the resurrection and before the ascension Verse 3 says he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days. And Speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of god so so jesus taught the apostles how to understand the old testament and the application and the Connection between all that was written in the old testament Concerning him and what that has to do with the kingdom of god.

In other words Jesus taught them everything they needed to pass on. So that we 2 000 years later Could know christ. Could know god's will could know god's word. This commitment to learning Is still necessary today.

But listen, for example to some of paul's exhortations. To his protege timothy and then also to titus in first timothy 4 verse 6 he says. To timothy if you put these put these things before the brothers you will be a good servant of christ Jesus being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine you have followed.

What's what's paul telling timothy he needs to do? He needs to take this truth this doctrine these words that he's been trained in he needs to take that and communicate it to his church in ephesus. Verse 12 verse 11.

He says command and teach these things. In verse 13, he says Until I come devote yourself to the public reading of scripture to exhortation to teaching. In verse 16, he tells timothy keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching persist in this.

For by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers. And in his second letter to timothy in chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 paul tells timothy. He tells him I charge you in the presence of god and of the lord.