Psalm 27:7-9

There Is A Prescribed Means Of Worship.

Cain came to God with a bloodless sacrifice, the fruit of his own effort, and God rejected him. Abel came to God with the blood of an innocent lamb, a type of Christ, the Lamb of God, and God accepted him. Blessed be God, it is possible for fallen, sinful man to approach God and find acceptance with him! But the only ground upon which anyone can come to God and find grace in his sight is by the blood of Christ. We are sinners. His blood is propitiation! We are guilty. His blood is pardon! We are defiled. His blood is cleansing! We are naked. His blood is righteousness! We are separated from God. His blood is reconciliation! If you would be accepted of God, your only means of access to him is the precious blood of Christ.

Pastor Don Fortner

This Treasure Of The Gospel

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Cor. 4:7).

There is no doubt that Paul is speaking of himself and other elders, pastors, and missionaries.

1. "THIS TREASURE" is our gospel, that glorious good news of a perfect righteousness before God in Christ, the forgiveness of all sin through His blood, and an inheritance reserved in heaven for all be­lievers. This gospel we preach in the power of God to save.

2. "WE HAVE THIS TREASURE IN US;" in our MINDS to understand how God in Christ can be just and justi­fier; in our HEARTS to receive, believe, and love Christ Jesus, our Redeemer; in our MOUTHS to preach it without compromise nor covetousness; in our HANDS to take it to the far corners of this earth. Paul, in Gal. 1:15 said, "God revealed His Son IN me." This treasure is in us.

3. "IN EARTHEN VESSELS." This treasure of trea­sures is not in a vessel of pure GOLD, valuable and perfected. This treasure is not in a vessel of STEEL, hard, strong, and immovable. This treasure is not in a vessel of fine WOOD, polished without stain to be admired. God has put this treasure in EARTHEN VESSELS (clay pots), frail dust from the earth and destined to return to the same, that anything of power, excellence, or eternal which is accomplished through these pots may be ascribed to His person, power, and purpose, and not to the vessel. Thank God for all of His true servants, but thank God we are not dependent on them for any grace. They shall be saved even as we are saved, in Christ!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1993)

"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"(Psalm119:103).

David not only heard and read the Word of God, but he also feasted upon it in his heart and it was sweet and satisfying unto his soul. The Word of God is a bitter pill to the ungodly infidel, because he sees no beauty and glory in the revelation of Christ in it (Luke 24:27). However, to those who are called of God and enlightened by the Spirit, the Word of God is the heavenly manna (John 6:35) and the nourishment of the new man (2 Cor.5:17). Consider the following thoughts.

1). There is a sweetness in believing the gospel (1 Pet. 2:7).

What a great privilege God has given to the sinner to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. “Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord His trust” (Psalm 84:12). The believer finds everything he needs freely, fully and eternally provided in the Lord (Phil. 4:19; 1 Cor.1:30; Col. 2:9-10).

2). There is a sweetness in meditating upon Christ revealed in the Word, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psa. 119:97; Psa. 1:2). We love to think about the things that we love. To the believer, his Lord and Master is, "altogether lovely." The believer meditates upon the Word because we love Him and then we love Him more because we meditate upon His word. (1 Tim. 4:13-16).

3). There is a sweetness in confessing Christ (Mark 16:16).

This is the believers delight, to publicly confess what Jesus Christ has done for us at Calvary, shedding His blood to put away our sin (1 Jn.1:7). Also, to confess what Christ has done within us by making us trophies of His grace (1 Cor. 15:10). The Biblical way to confess Christ as all your salvation is believer’s baptism (Acts 8:36-38).

4). There is a sweetness in proclaiming (preaching) the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:13-17). What a great privilege and responsibility God has laid upon His church (2 Tim. 4:1-4). There is a special delight to those called, gifted and sent of God to declare the message of sovereign grace (Eph. 3:7-11). God has chosen by the preaching of the gospel to magnify Himself. God has chosen by the preaching of the gospel to call out His elect to Christ in faith (1 Cor. 1:21). God has chosen by the preaching of the gospel, with the word of truth to feed His church (Acts 20:28; John 21:15).