ZEBULON BAPTIST CHURCH
Weekly Bulletin
Sunday, January 25, 2009

The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever. Psalm 93:1-5

True Saving Faith
The faith of the natural man, the unregenerate man, may seem reasonable and logical, and is often very influential (Matthew 7:21-23); but the faith of the Christian is a gift of God, a miracle, and always produces a radical change in those who possess it.

A man cannot possibly possess true saving faith whose thinking and attitude have not been radically changed concerning God and righteousness, man and sin , and Christ and grace (2 Cor. 5:14-17). The difference between the two kinds of faith, natural and spiritual, biblical and spurious, is the difference between shadows and substance, words and reality. Natural faith believes, but saving faith knows. Natural faith merely acknowledges what saving faith experiences. The difference is great. The difference is life or death. Pastor Maurice Montgomery

THE IMPORTANCE OF PREACHING
He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me. (Luke 10:16).

The contempt of the gospel runs much higher than men are aware of. We think it no great matter to neglect and contemn a messenger of Jesus Christ; but that contempt flies in the very face and authority of Christ, who gave them their commissions; yea, in the very face of God the Father, who gave Christ His commission. Christ speaks in and by His ministers, they are His mouth (Jer. 15:19).

Moreover, the sin strikes at our own souls, and we injure them as well as Christ. For, the word preached is His appointed instrument to convey spiritual life, the best of blessings, to our souls. Upon which account it is called, "The word of life", Phil. 2:16; and "The power of God to salvation", Rom 1:16. John Flavel (1621-1691)

WHY PREACH ELECTION?
I have often heard this question asked: Why preach election? Here are four reasons why I preach God's eternal and unconditional election of a people in Christ, unto salvation.

God has declared it in His Word (2 Timothy 3:16). Since God said it, it is both true and necessary. I do not have authority to omit this truth but rather am obliged to proclaim it. I do not shun to declare it and must not keep back anything profitable (Acts 20:20 & 27).

It gives all the glory to God in the salvation of a sinner from beginning to end. Our conformity to Christ and ultimate glorification is inseparably linked to, and begins with our election in Him from eternity. It is all His doing. (Eph. 1:3-4; Rom. 8:28-30; 2 Thes. 2:13-14).

It is a most comfortable doctrine to the saints. All whom He chose, He has blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Nothing needful or necessary has been withheld (Col 2:8-9).

It shuts me up to God's sovereign grace and mercy in Christ and excludes boasting. It kills our ideas of salvation by personal merit, works or will and causes us to seek Christ, Who is the salvation of God (1Cor. 1:30-31). Pastor Charles Pennington

A DESCRIPTION OF THE MESSIAH'S WORK
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy (Dan. 9:24).

In Daniel 9:24, the angel Gabriel was sent to declare and inform Daniel about the certainty of the coming of the Messiah at the appointed time (Gal. 4:4), the glory and sufficiency of His redeeming work that He would accomplish for His people. It was the same message and maybe the same messenger that declared unto Joseph that Mary would bring forth the Son of God to put away the sin of God's chosen people (Matt. 1:21). We know according to the record of scripture when the Lord Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh, He perfectly performed all things necessary to accomplish and secure the salvation of God's elect (Psa. 57:2). Let's take a close look at the six things mentioned in this scripture.

1). "To finish the transgression," or to restrain and shut it up. Our Lord said on the cross, "It is finished." He has accomplished a complete victory over sin. By His precious blood atonement our sin has been arrested, taken prisoner and confined. Sin is no longer able to exercise dominion and condemnation over God's sheep (John 10:15; Rom. 5:20).

2). "To make an end of sins," or to seal it up. Our sins and transgression have not only been shut up, but also everlastingly sealed up. God's infinite justice has been meticulously satisfied by the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ and the blood of Christ has forever cleansed us from all sins (1 John 1:7; Heb. 2:17).

3). "To make reconciliation for iniquity," or to cover it up (Psalm 32:2).
Our sins had separated us from God (Isa. 59:2). But now through Christ putting away our sin by His blood, the cause of separation is removed (1 John 4:10). Therefore the believer is eternally reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18). Every trace of sin has been removed (Heb. 10:17).

4). "To bring in everlasting righteousness." Christ Jesus has established, provided and imputed perfect righteousness to every one that trusts Him alone for salvation (Rom. 4:6). Jesus Christ is the believer's righteousness (Rom. 10:1-4; 1Cor. 1:30; Jer. 23:5).

5). "To seal up the vision and prophecy." All things that have been written in the scriptures concerning the Messiah and the blessed, redeeming work He would perform; Jesus Christ has fulfilled (Luke 24:44-48;1 Cor.15:1-4). We have found Him who is the Christ (John 1:41).

6). "To anoint the most Holy." Our Lord and Saviour died at the appointed time as God's Lamb (Acts 2:23), but He was also the anointed High Priest acting as the representative for His people (Heb. 7:26). Being appointed, anointed and empowered to fulfill all things He did not fail to glorify God and secure our eternal salvation (Isa. 42:4; Isa. 53:10-12). Pastor Tom Harding