Central Grace Church

3596 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, Virginia

Website: www.centralgracechurch.com Email: [email protected]

December 15^th 2019

9:30 am ……………………….……………………………...……………………………....Try The Spirits – 1 John 4:1-6

10:00 am ……………………….…………………..………….……………A Woman Weeping At His Feet – Luke 7:36-50

Wednesday: 7:00 pm &hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;&hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;&hel lip;& helli p;&he llip; &hell ip;&h ellip ;.&he llip; .. To The Churches, part 3, Pergamos – Revelation 2:12-17

 Next Sunday, ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 AM. NO WEDNESDAY SERVICE NEXT WEEK.

Message to Hear: ‘Draw Nigh Unto God -- https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12816843385

Birthdays: December 25^th – Earlene Sheesley, 27^th – Kathy Smith, 29^th – Ron Fannin,

30^th – Polly Peters, 31^st – Kathryn Polk

Cleaning: This Week: Teresa / Aimee, Next Week: Kesses / / / Nursery: Helen / Kathryn

Self and Pride – by Bruce Crabtree

Have you ever seen a generation so full of itself? Seemingly every thought is about self. It's not about knowing self, but about serving self. If this generation was occupied with truly knowing itself, it would be ashamed of itself. Some of the smartest people that have ever lived in this world are living today - just ask them, just listen to them, just watch them; yet, as they are suffered to carry out their wise designs they are destroying themselves.

What is it that everyone in our generation should know about themselves? That they are nothing. "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

Everyone in this generation needs to know he is deserving of nothing - not another breath, step, food, drink, health, job or freedom or anything else, but to be immediately judged of God and punished in hell forever for their sins. "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Are God's enemies deserving of any good?

How few in our generation suppose themselves to be God's enemy - or even care to think of such a thing? How many suppose themselves worthy of being rewarded with slashes of God's glittering sword? What an awakening for this generation when God exposes its sin to itself. How horrified it will be to see itself as it really is. Oh, it's so proud, so smart, so educated, so worthy, but just wait.

Lloyd Jones said "pride is the last citadel of self. We have come to realize that a man can be educated and cultured, and still be a beast. The natural man is always looking at himself and admiring himself. The whole trouble in life, is ultimately a concern about self."

The modern man is a great worshiper. He has great faith, great enlightenment, but it's all about self. Now go take a selfie.

No Excuse for Sin – by Joe Terrell

Sin lives in the believer, but the believer cannot live in sin. In his flesh dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18). Instead, his flesh is as it always was: at the same time astonishingly corrupt and steadfastly self-righteous. But Christ has died for him, and that death has been imputed to him setting him free from the Law that revealed his sin, excited the sinful passions within him, and then condemned him for all of that sin. His love for Christ Who died the death he deserved wars against his natural love for sin such that he can never find satisfaction in his sin. Any who can find an excuse for sin in the doctrine of the gospel of grace does not know the gospel. Grace forgives but does not excuse sin. Likewise, the believer in Christ seeks forgiveness of his sin, but never excuses it.

The Kingdom of God – by Don Fortner

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” – Luke 17:21

It is a spiritual kingdom not a carnal kingdom, a heavenly kingdom not an earthly kingdom, an inward kingdom not an outward kingdom. It lies not in outward things, “but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom_14:17). The Kingdom of God is established in the hearts of chosen, redeemed sinners by the omnipotent grace of King Jesus. It is established by the binding and dispossession of Satan, the strong man armed, and the overthrow of the old man, sin, with its deceitful lusts, from the throne. The Kingdom of God has its seat in the inward parts, the inner man. It does not lie in words, in an outward profession of religion. It is oil in the vessel of the heart, and is distinct from the lamp of a visible profession. It does not lie in external works and duties; but it is an inward principle of godliness in the soul, or spirit of man, produced there by the Spirit of God. The kingdom of God is a kingdom governed by grace. In this kingdom grace reigns through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ the King. Christ Jesus, as the King of saints, dwells and reigns in his people.