The Guide for the Week
March 10-16th 2024
The 4th Week of Lent
Bible Passage for the Week
Proverbs 17:21-28
1 Corinthians 8
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 115
Verse to Memorize
Revelation 4:11
Catechism Questions
Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Verses for this question:
Psalm 148:7-8 Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.
People to Pray for:
Church: Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
Pastor Jon Hancock
Ministry: Christ Church Columbus (Church plant)
Pastor Andrew Halsey
Civil Magistrate: Jeffersonville City Council
Steven Webb
Notes for Parents:
Proverbs 17:21-28
Verse 21 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
Verse 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him.
We live in a wicked day in which children are despised. Many people work hard to ensure they do not have children. They treat little Shih Tzus and pug dogs as their sons and daughters while popping pills that can kill conceived children in the womb. Because of this drought in believing the promises of God regarding fruitfulness and childbirth, we at Sovereign King work diligently at proclaiming the truth that children are a blessing from the Lord. We appreciate large families (if God wills) and we oppose forms of birth control that can result in the death of children made in God’s image.
However, we do need to recognize another important truth from scripture, which is that while children are a blessing from God, we need to do more than merely give birth to children. We need to recognize that children can be a grief to parents. Foolish children grow up to cause their children lots of heartache. It is, therefore, the duty of all parents to drive that foolishness far from their children. We have a duty to discipline our children and teach them the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. A child allowed to practice foolishness at a young age will grow up to be quite a grief to a father.
Now, it is important to be reminded of the difference between foolishness and childishness. Children need your help with both.
A book called Parenting from the Tree of Life has this helpful explanation
In life and certainly in parenting, there are two realms of wrong. The first realm is called, “childishness,” and represents the unintentional and non-malicious mistakes made in life. With children, it is often the result of a lack of knowledge or lack of understanding. Your son or daughter does something wrong, but he/she did not know it was wrong. There was no intent to do wrong. Childishness can also be attributed to age and the lack of physical coordination. A four-year-old drips orange juice on the floor, because the glass was too full to carefully manage. In the second realm, a child knowingly and intentionally chooses to act in defiance without regard to consequence or injury to self or others. The child knows that he is doing wrong, and continues anyway. This is referred to in scripture as, “Foolishness.” One of the more common mistakes parents make in the process of correction is that they fail to recognize the difference between childishness and foolishness, thereby treating all wrong the same way. That is neither fair to the child nor a wise way to parent. While wrongful acts of childishness and foolishness need correction, what separates the two realms is motive and intent. There is a difference between the mistakes of childhood and purposeful disobedience. Spilling a glass of water is childishness. Intentionally spilling a glass of water on a sibling is foolishness. Accidently hurting a sibling while playing is childishness; intentionally striking a sibling for winning the game is foolishness. There is a big difference between the child who accidentally dents the neighbor’s car, and the child who intentionally vandalizes it. When assessing behaviors in need of correction, parents should ask themselves, “Was my child’s wrongful action born out of childishness or foolishness?” How that question is answered will determine what happens next. Both childishness and foolishness require correction, but not the same type of correction.
Foolishness is to be driven out of a child through spanking and other disciplines. Childishness is to be corrected by teaching and exhortation. Now, childishness can become foolishness when it continues after teaching and exhortation. But it's your job, parent, to know the difference and train your children.
You want to have children that are a delight to you. You want to have children that bring you joy. It's your job through prayer, faith, instruction, and discipline to work for joyful children. It's not enough for us to fight back against the faithless fruitlessness of the world by merely having children. We need to work to raise them to be a pleasure to be around.
One application for you while you are reading this is to tell your children that you want them to be a joy to be around. Teach them that they should desire to have your approval and blessing. And then give them your approval when they do well.
1 Corinthians 8
The early church faced various issues as it grew in the Greco-Roman world. Some of these issues are quite foreign to us, yet we can still learn from them. One issue an early Christian would be confronted with is what to do about eating food that had been offered to idols. The pagans at that time celebrated various feasts dedicated to their gods. They would first offer up the food as a sacrifice to their god, and then in the temple, they would eat the food. If there was anything left, their pagan priests would sell it in the market. A Christian living in this time might be invited to attend one of these feasts or perhaps see the food in the market that was for sale at a discounted price and have to make a decision about what to do.
Some would argue that the idols aren’t real and, therefore, the meat was at a good price, so they would eat it. They knew better than all these pagans, therefore they were free to eat it. The problem was that many new believers in Corinth, having been saved out of this idolatry, had not yet understood deep down that the false gods were nothing. They may still have had some superstitious views. Either way, when they saw other “stronger” believers partaking in the meals and the food of the pagan ceremonies, their conscience was violated. Perhaps they thought their brothers were serving divine beings. They would fall back into intentional idolatry themselves because of the carelessness of their brothers.
So, who was right? Were the idols actually gods? Did the Christians have the liberty to eat this meat? In some ways, those who were eating were right. Paul says that we do know that these idols are nothing in the world. There is only one God. Furthermore, food isn’t the source of our connection with God. You have freedom in the Lord. You can eat or not eat. Eating doesn’t make you more holy, and not eating doesn’t make you less holy.
But Paul makes it very clear that just because you have this knowledge, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Knowledge can puff up. You can be proud of your knowledge of the truth. The Apostle Paul then says that it isn’t the knowledge or even the liberty that matters. What matters is love. More important than how much we know or how much liberty we can exercise is how much we are loved and how much we love. Matthew Henry says in his commentary on this chapter: "Those who love God, and for his sake love their brethren and seek their welfare, are likely to be beloved of God; and how much better is it to be approved of God than to have a vain opinion of ourselves!"
What is more important than eating meat is loving your brother or sister in Christ. Why would a brother eat this food sacrificed to idols, knowing that it may give the appearance of approval of idolatry? Why would he do something that would harm his weaker brother or sister?
And here is the takeaway for us: It is important that we know what is pleasing to God. God has given us a clear and objective standard in His law. We must know His law and want to abide by it. But it's one thing to know the law, to know what is right and wrong, and another to apply this knowledge correctly. The way to apply God’s law correctly is to apply it in love. In chapter 10, Paul will give specific instructions to the Christians on when and how to eat the meat, but his main point is that I highly encourage you to read this short article on this topic : https://www.gotquestions.org/food-sacrificed-idols.html
Let all we do be done in love.
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Saul has been rejected, and Samuel has grieved. But God will not allow His people to grieve for long. It is easy for us to constantly grieve for those who stray into sin, but God does not want that to be our ultimate focus. We can lament the state of the world and our culture, but more importantly, we must look to the One whom God has anointed, Jesus Christ. There is hope for us in God’s anointed King. God desires for Samuel to go and anoint a new king, one not of the people's choosing but of God's. This new king is to be a type or a picture of Jesus Christ.
Samuel goes off in obedience to God and finds Jesse in Bethlehem. There, he meets his different children. When he sees the first son of Jesse, he just knows that he must be the new King. He is tall and possesses some maturity as the firstborn. He has all the natural gifts. But God makes it clear that there is something more important than outward appearances. God is focused on the heart of the man. It’s not that David will be ugly. In fact, when Samuel finally is shown the youngest son of Jesse, Scripture says he was handsome. But the important part is that David is loved by God, and David loves God. David is a man after God’s own heart.
God sees what no one else can see. He sees our thoughts, our desires, and our motivations. We can fool each other with our smiles and nice clothing. We can show all kinds of outward signs of obedience and godliness. And yes, those things should be present in a godly person. But God knows what you think. He knows what you love.
Therefore, each of us needs to be constantly praying like David that God will create in us clean hearts and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We are utterly dependent upon God’s grace to make us men and women after His own heart.
Psalm 115
Verse 1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
Can we really pray this prayer? That we want God to act not so that we can be made much of but so that His name will be glorified? The Psalmist is writing, pleading with God to shame the nations that don’t worship Him. He desires that God’s name will be hallowed in the earth and that the people will no longer act as if God does not matter. The people worship all kinds of idols. And they are foolish and stupid things. They are made by people and, even though they have faces, their faces don’t work. They can’t see. They can’t hear. They can’t smell. They can’t talk. They can’t feel. And they can’t walk. They are stupid. And all who worship idols become like them. There are a couple of important, inevitable truths here:
This week, as you prepare for corporate worship, let us be reminded that we exist to worship God. If we desire anything less than for Him to get the glory, we are worshiping vain, stupid idols, and how stupid would that be?
Catechism Questions:
As part of our goal this year to work on grounding ourselves in our confession of faith, the children will be working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Each week during the worship gathering, they will be asked to stand in their pew and recite the catechism question. They will also learn three verses that are connected with that question. On the fourth Sunday of the month, they will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary during the service to review the previous three weeks' questions. It is our hope that this will be a help not only to the children but also to the whole congregation in reviewing the foundations of our Christian faith.
Our current questions address the decrees of God, that is, what He in wisdom has decided to bring to pass. But this question asks how He carries out His decrees. And the answer is twofold. He does it in the works of creation and providence. That is, before time began, God had a plan, and He enacted His plan in creating the universe and in the everyday, moment-by-moment care of it.
First, when God created all things, He established in the creation His plan for it. Each thing that He created, He gave a nature. Its nature is both its intrinsic properties and its purpose in light of its creation. God created the universe to carry out His decrees. Mankind is made in His image. Man is designed to be fruitful and multiply, which is why God made male and female. We are designed to rule over the creation for His glory. Everything that God made will, by its nature, carry out His decrees. Man, however, was/is rebellious. He fights against the nature that God made and follows instead a sinful nature that he inherited from his first father, Adam, when Adam sinned. God, however, established in the creation truths regarding God’s nature. Creation displays the power, wisdom, and glory of God.
Secondly, God carries out His decrees in the works of His providence. God didn’t just create the world and step back to watch it all unfold according to its nature. Rather, God, in Holy Wisdom and power, preserves and governs all the creation and its actions. God is actively involved in every moment. All things are held together by the sovereign hand of God. God, therefore, is sovereign over everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. His plan is worked out in every single moment.
Now, this is hard for us to grasp and it raises many questions in our minds. Scripture answers some of our questions, but others it simply requires us to leave to the mind of God. The upcoming catechism questions will help us flesh out this question some more. So, let's set aside for a moment our own questions and just reflect on how wise, how powerful, and how good God is. And then remember, whenever there are trials in your life, that God is the God who created all things and sustains all things. He is in control. When things seem out of control to you, things are completely within the plan of God. We can take solace in this. We may not know all the whys and hows, but we know the One who does. And we can trust Him.
How to Pray for Those we are praying for:
Mt Moriah Baptist Church
Heavenly Father, sovereign and almighty, we come before You with hearts full of reverence, lifting up Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Henryville to Your throne of grace. Lord, You have orchestrated the paths of Your servants in ways that testify to Your grand design, reuniting Pastor Joseph Spurgeon and Pastor Jon Hancock in the labor of Your vineyard. We acknowledge Your hand in their journey, from the days in Cropper and Bagdad, Kentucky, to their current callings in Henryville and Jeffersonville. We beseech You, O God, to pour out Your blessings upon Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. May it flourish under Your guidance, growing not just in numbers but in spiritual depth and understanding. Grant Pastor Jon Hancock and his congregation the wisdom to discern Your will in all things. Strengthen them to follow Your providence with unwavering faith, courage, and devotion.
Equip them, Lord, to be a beacon of Your truth and love in their community, reflecting the light of Christ in every word spoken and action taken. May their fellowship be a testament to Your grace, drawing many to Your saving embrace.
In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen.
Pastor Andrew Halsey and Pastor Joe Helt at Christ Church Columbus.
Almighty God, in Your sovereign power and infinite wisdom, we bring before You Pastor Andrew Halsey and his mission to plant Christ Church in Columbus. We ask You to endow him with wisdom from above,, a zeal for Your house that consumes him, and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide every step and decision.
Lord, we pray for growth—not merely in numbers but in the holiness and spiritual maturity of each soul that joins. May this church be a joyful community of believers, united in their pursuit of Your truth and righteousness.
We also lift up Pastor Joe Helt to You, Lord, as he joins Pastor Andrew in this noble work. Strengthen their partnership, O God, that together they may navigate the challenges and joys of church planting. Provide them with clarity of vision and unity of purpose.
Furthermore, we implore You to meet their financial needs, ensuring that not just physical sustenance but also the resources necessary for ministry are abundantly supplied. May their trust in Your provision be a witness to Your faithfulness.
We place all these requests in Your capable hands, trusting in Your providence and the perfect execution of Your will. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Jeffersonville City Council Steven Webb:
Heavenly Father, ruler of all nations and giver of wisdom,
We humbly come before You, lifting up Steven Webb and the entire city council of Jeffersonville. Lord, as Steven returns to serve on the city council, we ask for Your wisdom to be upon him. Grant him discernment that transcends human understanding, enabling him to make decisions and judgments that honor You.
Empower Steven and his colleagues to stand firm for what is righteous in Your eyes, regardless of its popularity. Instill in them a steadfast spirit that seeks justice and truth, eschewing policies that promote sin or sexual immorality. May their governance safeguard the liberties You have bestowed upon us, protecting the sanctity of life, family, and freedom.
Let Your will prevail in Jeffersonville, guiding its leaders to foster a community that enables people to live, work, and worship for your glory. Provide them with the courage to stand on and defend the principles of sound government found in your law.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Church History Spotlight
Perpetua and Her Companions, Martyrs at Carthage
7 March 202
During a persecution of Christians under the emperor Septimius Severus, a group of Christians died together in the arena at Carthage. Their final days have been recorded for us in a document that is partly in their own words, and partly in those of an anonymous narrator (sometimes thought to be Tertullian). What follow are extracts, sometimes condensed, from that document.
Vivia Perpetua was a catchumen (i.e. a convert not yet baptized), well educated and from a prosperous family, about 22 years old, married and apparently recently widowed, with a child at her breast, and with two brothers and both parents still living. (Her father was not a Christian.) Felicity (Latin: Felicitas) was a slave woman in advanced pregnancy. With them were Revocatus (also a slave), Saturninus, and Secundus. They were arrested and placed in a dungeon, but after a few days two deacons visited the prison and by a gift of money to the jailers arranged (1) that they should have an interval in the better part of the prison to refresh themselves, and (2) that Perpetua should be allowed to keep her child with her.
Perpetua writes:
After a few days there was a report that we were to have a hearing in court. And my father came to me from the city, worn out with anxiety. He came up to me, that he might cast me down, saying: "Have pity, my daughter, on my grey hairs. Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called a father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up to this flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not deliver me up to the scorn of men. Have regard to your brothers, have regard to your mother and your aunt, have regard to your son, who will not be able to live after you. Lay aside your courage, and do not bring us all to destruction; for none of us will speak in freedom if you should suffer anything." These things said my father in his affection, kissing my hands, and throwing himself at my feet, and with tears he called me not Daughter, but Lady. And I grieved over the grey hairs of my father, that he alone of all my kindred would have no joy in my death. And I comforted him, saying, "On that scaffold, whatever God wills shall happen. For know that we are not placed in our own power but in that of God." And he departed from me in sorrow.
Perpetua had had a brother who died of cancer when he was eight years old.
Her narrative continues:
After a few days, Pudens, an assistant overseer of the prison, began to hold us in high esteem, seeing that God was with us, and he admitted many of the brethren to see us, that we and they might be mutually refreshed.
Perpetua had a drean, in which she saw herself fighting against a gladiator in the arena, and winning. She understood this to signify victory over the devil.
Saturus also had a vision, which he records in his own words, in which he and the others, having died in the arena, are borne by angels into a beautiful garden, where they greet other martyrs who have gone before them, and are brought before the throne of God, surrounded by twenty-four elders (see Revelation 4), who greet them and say, "Enter into joy." Perpetua says to Saturus: "I was joyful in the flesh, and here I am more joyful still."
The narrator writes:
Now Felicitas was eight months pregnant, and the law did not allow a pregnant woman to be executed. She was accordingly fearful that her death would be postponed, and instead of dying with her fellow Christians she would be put to death later in the company of some group of criminals. She and her companions accordingly prayed, and Felicity went into labor, with the pains normal to an eight-month delivery. And a servant of the jailers said to her, "If you cry out like that now, what will you do when you are thrown to the beasts, which you despised when you refused to sacrifice?" And she replied: "Now it is I that suffer what I suffer; but then Another will be in me, who will suffer for me, because I also am about to suffer for Him." Thus she brought forth a little girl, whom a certain sister brought up as her own.
The day of their victory shone forth, and they proceeded from the prison to the amphitheater, as if to an assembly, joyous and of brilliant countenance. At the gate, the guards were going to dress them in the robes of those dedicated to Saturn and to Ceres. But that noble-minded woman [Perpetua] said: "We are here precisely for refusing to honor your gods. By our deaths we earn the right not to wear such garments." The guards recognized the justice of her words, and let them wear their own clothing.
The men of their company were scheduled to be killed by beasts, but the wild boar turned on its keeper instead, and the bear refused to leave its cage. The leopard, however, attacked Saturus and mortally wounded him. He bade farewell to his guard, Pudens, encouraging him to obey God rather than man, and then fell unconscious.
For the young women there was prepared a fierce cow. Perpetua was first led in. She was tossed, and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it as a veil over her middle, rather mindful of her modesty than of her sufferings. Then the was called up again, and bound up her dishevelled hair, for it is not becoming for a martyr to die with dishevelled hair, which is a sign of mourning. She saw Felicity wounded, and took her hand and raised her up, and at the demand of the populace they were given a respite.
Now all the prisoners were to be slain with the sword, and they went to the center of the arena, first exchanging a farewell kiss of peace. The others died unmoving and silent, but when the awkward hand of the young executioner bungled her death-stroke, Perpetua cried out in pain, and herself guided his hand to her throat.
A prayer of thanksgiving for Perpetua:
O God the King of saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua and Felicitas and their companions to make a good confession, staunchly resisting, for the cause of Christ, the claims of human affection, and encouraging one another in their time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith, and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Announcements for the Week 03/10/2024- 03/16/2024
New Blog
Schedule Updates and Events:
Proverbs 17:21-28
1 Corinthians 8
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 115
Verse to Memorize
Revelation 4:11
Catechism Questions
Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Verses for this question:
Psalm 148:7-8 Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.
People to Pray for:
Church: Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
Pastor Jon Hancock
Ministry: Christ Church Columbus (Church plant)
Pastor Andrew Halsey
Civil Magistrate: Jeffersonville City Council
Steven Webb
Notes for Parents:
Proverbs 17:21-28
Verse 21 He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy.
Verse 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him.
We live in a wicked day in which children are despised. Many people work hard to ensure they do not have children. They treat little Shih Tzus and pug dogs as their sons and daughters while popping pills that can kill conceived children in the womb. Because of this drought in believing the promises of God regarding fruitfulness and childbirth, we at Sovereign King work diligently at proclaiming the truth that children are a blessing from the Lord. We appreciate large families (if God wills) and we oppose forms of birth control that can result in the death of children made in God’s image.
However, we do need to recognize another important truth from scripture, which is that while children are a blessing from God, we need to do more than merely give birth to children. We need to recognize that children can be a grief to parents. Foolish children grow up to cause their children lots of heartache. It is, therefore, the duty of all parents to drive that foolishness far from their children. We have a duty to discipline our children and teach them the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. A child allowed to practice foolishness at a young age will grow up to be quite a grief to a father.
Now, it is important to be reminded of the difference between foolishness and childishness. Children need your help with both.
A book called Parenting from the Tree of Life has this helpful explanation
In life and certainly in parenting, there are two realms of wrong. The first realm is called, “childishness,” and represents the unintentional and non-malicious mistakes made in life. With children, it is often the result of a lack of knowledge or lack of understanding. Your son or daughter does something wrong, but he/she did not know it was wrong. There was no intent to do wrong. Childishness can also be attributed to age and the lack of physical coordination. A four-year-old drips orange juice on the floor, because the glass was too full to carefully manage. In the second realm, a child knowingly and intentionally chooses to act in defiance without regard to consequence or injury to self or others. The child knows that he is doing wrong, and continues anyway. This is referred to in scripture as, “Foolishness.” One of the more common mistakes parents make in the process of correction is that they fail to recognize the difference between childishness and foolishness, thereby treating all wrong the same way. That is neither fair to the child nor a wise way to parent. While wrongful acts of childishness and foolishness need correction, what separates the two realms is motive and intent. There is a difference between the mistakes of childhood and purposeful disobedience. Spilling a glass of water is childishness. Intentionally spilling a glass of water on a sibling is foolishness. Accidently hurting a sibling while playing is childishness; intentionally striking a sibling for winning the game is foolishness. There is a big difference between the child who accidentally dents the neighbor’s car, and the child who intentionally vandalizes it. When assessing behaviors in need of correction, parents should ask themselves, “Was my child’s wrongful action born out of childishness or foolishness?” How that question is answered will determine what happens next. Both childishness and foolishness require correction, but not the same type of correction.
Foolishness is to be driven out of a child through spanking and other disciplines. Childishness is to be corrected by teaching and exhortation. Now, childishness can become foolishness when it continues after teaching and exhortation. But it's your job, parent, to know the difference and train your children.
You want to have children that are a delight to you. You want to have children that bring you joy. It's your job through prayer, faith, instruction, and discipline to work for joyful children. It's not enough for us to fight back against the faithless fruitlessness of the world by merely having children. We need to work to raise them to be a pleasure to be around.
One application for you while you are reading this is to tell your children that you want them to be a joy to be around. Teach them that they should desire to have your approval and blessing. And then give them your approval when they do well.
1 Corinthians 8
The early church faced various issues as it grew in the Greco-Roman world. Some of these issues are quite foreign to us, yet we can still learn from them. One issue an early Christian would be confronted with is what to do about eating food that had been offered to idols. The pagans at that time celebrated various feasts dedicated to their gods. They would first offer up the food as a sacrifice to their god, and then in the temple, they would eat the food. If there was anything left, their pagan priests would sell it in the market. A Christian living in this time might be invited to attend one of these feasts or perhaps see the food in the market that was for sale at a discounted price and have to make a decision about what to do.
Some would argue that the idols aren’t real and, therefore, the meat was at a good price, so they would eat it. They knew better than all these pagans, therefore they were free to eat it. The problem was that many new believers in Corinth, having been saved out of this idolatry, had not yet understood deep down that the false gods were nothing. They may still have had some superstitious views. Either way, when they saw other “stronger” believers partaking in the meals and the food of the pagan ceremonies, their conscience was violated. Perhaps they thought their brothers were serving divine beings. They would fall back into intentional idolatry themselves because of the carelessness of their brothers.
So, who was right? Were the idols actually gods? Did the Christians have the liberty to eat this meat? In some ways, those who were eating were right. Paul says that we do know that these idols are nothing in the world. There is only one God. Furthermore, food isn’t the source of our connection with God. You have freedom in the Lord. You can eat or not eat. Eating doesn’t make you more holy, and not eating doesn’t make you less holy.
But Paul makes it very clear that just because you have this knowledge, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. Knowledge can puff up. You can be proud of your knowledge of the truth. The Apostle Paul then says that it isn’t the knowledge or even the liberty that matters. What matters is love. More important than how much we know or how much liberty we can exercise is how much we are loved and how much we love. Matthew Henry says in his commentary on this chapter: "Those who love God, and for his sake love their brethren and seek their welfare, are likely to be beloved of God; and how much better is it to be approved of God than to have a vain opinion of ourselves!"
What is more important than eating meat is loving your brother or sister in Christ. Why would a brother eat this food sacrificed to idols, knowing that it may give the appearance of approval of idolatry? Why would he do something that would harm his weaker brother or sister?
And here is the takeaway for us: It is important that we know what is pleasing to God. God has given us a clear and objective standard in His law. We must know His law and want to abide by it. But it's one thing to know the law, to know what is right and wrong, and another to apply this knowledge correctly. The way to apply God’s law correctly is to apply it in love. In chapter 10, Paul will give specific instructions to the Christians on when and how to eat the meat, but his main point is that I highly encourage you to read this short article on this topic : https://www.gotquestions.org/food-sacrificed-idols.html
Let all we do be done in love.
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Saul has been rejected, and Samuel has grieved. But God will not allow His people to grieve for long. It is easy for us to constantly grieve for those who stray into sin, but God does not want that to be our ultimate focus. We can lament the state of the world and our culture, but more importantly, we must look to the One whom God has anointed, Jesus Christ. There is hope for us in God’s anointed King. God desires for Samuel to go and anoint a new king, one not of the people's choosing but of God's. This new king is to be a type or a picture of Jesus Christ.
Samuel goes off in obedience to God and finds Jesse in Bethlehem. There, he meets his different children. When he sees the first son of Jesse, he just knows that he must be the new King. He is tall and possesses some maturity as the firstborn. He has all the natural gifts. But God makes it clear that there is something more important than outward appearances. God is focused on the heart of the man. It’s not that David will be ugly. In fact, when Samuel finally is shown the youngest son of Jesse, Scripture says he was handsome. But the important part is that David is loved by God, and David loves God. David is a man after God’s own heart.
God sees what no one else can see. He sees our thoughts, our desires, and our motivations. We can fool each other with our smiles and nice clothing. We can show all kinds of outward signs of obedience and godliness. And yes, those things should be present in a godly person. But God knows what you think. He knows what you love.
Therefore, each of us needs to be constantly praying like David that God will create in us clean hearts and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We are utterly dependent upon God’s grace to make us men and women after His own heart.
Psalm 115
Verse 1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
Can we really pray this prayer? That we want God to act not so that we can be made much of but so that His name will be glorified? The Psalmist is writing, pleading with God to shame the nations that don’t worship Him. He desires that God’s name will be hallowed in the earth and that the people will no longer act as if God does not matter. The people worship all kinds of idols. And they are foolish and stupid things. They are made by people and, even though they have faces, their faces don’t work. They can’t see. They can’t hear. They can’t smell. They can’t talk. They can’t feel. And they can’t walk. They are stupid. And all who worship idols become like them. There are a couple of important, inevitable truths here:
- We are all made to worship, and worship is what we will do. It is not a matter of whether but who. Who will we worship? We are so good at making our own gods to worship, but these gods can’t do anything.
- We will become like what we worship. If we worship the triune God, we will become holy. We will be truthful. We will be loving. We will be wise. If we worship stupid idols, then we become stupid people.
- Those who won’t glorify God will create idols in an attempt to glorify themselves. God will judge them. But those who glorify Him will be blessed. There is great joy in worshiping God.
This week, as you prepare for corporate worship, let us be reminded that we exist to worship God. If we desire anything less than for Him to get the glory, we are worshiping vain, stupid idols, and how stupid would that be?
Catechism Questions:
As part of our goal this year to work on grounding ourselves in our confession of faith, the children will be working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Each week during the worship gathering, they will be asked to stand in their pew and recite the catechism question. They will also learn three verses that are connected with that question. On the fourth Sunday of the month, they will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary during the service to review the previous three weeks' questions. It is our hope that this will be a help not only to the children but also to the whole congregation in reviewing the foundations of our Christian faith.
Our current questions address the decrees of God, that is, what He in wisdom has decided to bring to pass. But this question asks how He carries out His decrees. And the answer is twofold. He does it in the works of creation and providence. That is, before time began, God had a plan, and He enacted His plan in creating the universe and in the everyday, moment-by-moment care of it.
First, when God created all things, He established in the creation His plan for it. Each thing that He created, He gave a nature. Its nature is both its intrinsic properties and its purpose in light of its creation. God created the universe to carry out His decrees. Mankind is made in His image. Man is designed to be fruitful and multiply, which is why God made male and female. We are designed to rule over the creation for His glory. Everything that God made will, by its nature, carry out His decrees. Man, however, was/is rebellious. He fights against the nature that God made and follows instead a sinful nature that he inherited from his first father, Adam, when Adam sinned. God, however, established in the creation truths regarding God’s nature. Creation displays the power, wisdom, and glory of God.
Secondly, God carries out His decrees in the works of His providence. God didn’t just create the world and step back to watch it all unfold according to its nature. Rather, God, in Holy Wisdom and power, preserves and governs all the creation and its actions. God is actively involved in every moment. All things are held together by the sovereign hand of God. God, therefore, is sovereign over everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. His plan is worked out in every single moment.
Now, this is hard for us to grasp and it raises many questions in our minds. Scripture answers some of our questions, but others it simply requires us to leave to the mind of God. The upcoming catechism questions will help us flesh out this question some more. So, let's set aside for a moment our own questions and just reflect on how wise, how powerful, and how good God is. And then remember, whenever there are trials in your life, that God is the God who created all things and sustains all things. He is in control. When things seem out of control to you, things are completely within the plan of God. We can take solace in this. We may not know all the whys and hows, but we know the One who does. And we can trust Him.
How to Pray for Those we are praying for:
Mt Moriah Baptist Church
Heavenly Father, sovereign and almighty, we come before You with hearts full of reverence, lifting up Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Henryville to Your throne of grace. Lord, You have orchestrated the paths of Your servants in ways that testify to Your grand design, reuniting Pastor Joseph Spurgeon and Pastor Jon Hancock in the labor of Your vineyard. We acknowledge Your hand in their journey, from the days in Cropper and Bagdad, Kentucky, to their current callings in Henryville and Jeffersonville. We beseech You, O God, to pour out Your blessings upon Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. May it flourish under Your guidance, growing not just in numbers but in spiritual depth and understanding. Grant Pastor Jon Hancock and his congregation the wisdom to discern Your will in all things. Strengthen them to follow Your providence with unwavering faith, courage, and devotion.
Equip them, Lord, to be a beacon of Your truth and love in their community, reflecting the light of Christ in every word spoken and action taken. May their fellowship be a testament to Your grace, drawing many to Your saving embrace.
In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen.
Pastor Andrew Halsey and Pastor Joe Helt at Christ Church Columbus.
Almighty God, in Your sovereign power and infinite wisdom, we bring before You Pastor Andrew Halsey and his mission to plant Christ Church in Columbus. We ask You to endow him with wisdom from above,, a zeal for Your house that consumes him, and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide every step and decision.
Lord, we pray for growth—not merely in numbers but in the holiness and spiritual maturity of each soul that joins. May this church be a joyful community of believers, united in their pursuit of Your truth and righteousness.
We also lift up Pastor Joe Helt to You, Lord, as he joins Pastor Andrew in this noble work. Strengthen their partnership, O God, that together they may navigate the challenges and joys of church planting. Provide them with clarity of vision and unity of purpose.
Furthermore, we implore You to meet their financial needs, ensuring that not just physical sustenance but also the resources necessary for ministry are abundantly supplied. May their trust in Your provision be a witness to Your faithfulness.
We place all these requests in Your capable hands, trusting in Your providence and the perfect execution of Your will. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Jeffersonville City Council Steven Webb:
Heavenly Father, ruler of all nations and giver of wisdom,
We humbly come before You, lifting up Steven Webb and the entire city council of Jeffersonville. Lord, as Steven returns to serve on the city council, we ask for Your wisdom to be upon him. Grant him discernment that transcends human understanding, enabling him to make decisions and judgments that honor You.
Empower Steven and his colleagues to stand firm for what is righteous in Your eyes, regardless of its popularity. Instill in them a steadfast spirit that seeks justice and truth, eschewing policies that promote sin or sexual immorality. May their governance safeguard the liberties You have bestowed upon us, protecting the sanctity of life, family, and freedom.
Let Your will prevail in Jeffersonville, guiding its leaders to foster a community that enables people to live, work, and worship for your glory. Provide them with the courage to stand on and defend the principles of sound government found in your law.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
Church History Spotlight
Perpetua and Her Companions, Martyrs at Carthage
7 March 202
During a persecution of Christians under the emperor Septimius Severus, a group of Christians died together in the arena at Carthage. Their final days have been recorded for us in a document that is partly in their own words, and partly in those of an anonymous narrator (sometimes thought to be Tertullian). What follow are extracts, sometimes condensed, from that document.
Vivia Perpetua was a catchumen (i.e. a convert not yet baptized), well educated and from a prosperous family, about 22 years old, married and apparently recently widowed, with a child at her breast, and with two brothers and both parents still living. (Her father was not a Christian.) Felicity (Latin: Felicitas) was a slave woman in advanced pregnancy. With them were Revocatus (also a slave), Saturninus, and Secundus. They were arrested and placed in a dungeon, but after a few days two deacons visited the prison and by a gift of money to the jailers arranged (1) that they should have an interval in the better part of the prison to refresh themselves, and (2) that Perpetua should be allowed to keep her child with her.
Perpetua writes:
After a few days there was a report that we were to have a hearing in court. And my father came to me from the city, worn out with anxiety. He came up to me, that he might cast me down, saying: "Have pity, my daughter, on my grey hairs. Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called a father by you. If with these hands I have brought you up to this flower of your age, if I have preferred you to all your brothers, do not deliver me up to the scorn of men. Have regard to your brothers, have regard to your mother and your aunt, have regard to your son, who will not be able to live after you. Lay aside your courage, and do not bring us all to destruction; for none of us will speak in freedom if you should suffer anything." These things said my father in his affection, kissing my hands, and throwing himself at my feet, and with tears he called me not Daughter, but Lady. And I grieved over the grey hairs of my father, that he alone of all my kindred would have no joy in my death. And I comforted him, saying, "On that scaffold, whatever God wills shall happen. For know that we are not placed in our own power but in that of God." And he departed from me in sorrow.
Perpetua had had a brother who died of cancer when he was eight years old.
Her narrative continues:
After a few days, Pudens, an assistant overseer of the prison, began to hold us in high esteem, seeing that God was with us, and he admitted many of the brethren to see us, that we and they might be mutually refreshed.
Perpetua had a drean, in which she saw herself fighting against a gladiator in the arena, and winning. She understood this to signify victory over the devil.
Saturus also had a vision, which he records in his own words, in which he and the others, having died in the arena, are borne by angels into a beautiful garden, where they greet other martyrs who have gone before them, and are brought before the throne of God, surrounded by twenty-four elders (see Revelation 4), who greet them and say, "Enter into joy." Perpetua says to Saturus: "I was joyful in the flesh, and here I am more joyful still."
The narrator writes:
Now Felicitas was eight months pregnant, and the law did not allow a pregnant woman to be executed. She was accordingly fearful that her death would be postponed, and instead of dying with her fellow Christians she would be put to death later in the company of some group of criminals. She and her companions accordingly prayed, and Felicity went into labor, with the pains normal to an eight-month delivery. And a servant of the jailers said to her, "If you cry out like that now, what will you do when you are thrown to the beasts, which you despised when you refused to sacrifice?" And she replied: "Now it is I that suffer what I suffer; but then Another will be in me, who will suffer for me, because I also am about to suffer for Him." Thus she brought forth a little girl, whom a certain sister brought up as her own.
The day of their victory shone forth, and they proceeded from the prison to the amphitheater, as if to an assembly, joyous and of brilliant countenance. At the gate, the guards were going to dress them in the robes of those dedicated to Saturn and to Ceres. But that noble-minded woman [Perpetua] said: "We are here precisely for refusing to honor your gods. By our deaths we earn the right not to wear such garments." The guards recognized the justice of her words, and let them wear their own clothing.
The men of their company were scheduled to be killed by beasts, but the wild boar turned on its keeper instead, and the bear refused to leave its cage. The leopard, however, attacked Saturus and mortally wounded him. He bade farewell to his guard, Pudens, encouraging him to obey God rather than man, and then fell unconscious.
For the young women there was prepared a fierce cow. Perpetua was first led in. She was tossed, and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it as a veil over her middle, rather mindful of her modesty than of her sufferings. Then the was called up again, and bound up her dishevelled hair, for it is not becoming for a martyr to die with dishevelled hair, which is a sign of mourning. She saw Felicity wounded, and took her hand and raised her up, and at the demand of the populace they were given a respite.
Now all the prisoners were to be slain with the sword, and they went to the center of the arena, first exchanging a farewell kiss of peace. The others died unmoving and silent, but when the awkward hand of the young executioner bungled her death-stroke, Perpetua cried out in pain, and herself guided his hand to her throat.
A prayer of thanksgiving for Perpetua:
O God the King of saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua and Felicitas and their companions to make a good confession, staunchly resisting, for the cause of Christ, the claims of human affection, and encouraging one another in their time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith, and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Announcements for the Week 03/10/2024- 03/16/2024
New Blog
- Read This: The Bible, though most importantly the revelation of Jesus, is also a book of relationship. Stories and instruction abound on how to treat other people. We are commanded to love others. In a social media world, you need real life fellowship more than ever. https://www.sovereignkingchurch.com/blog/2024/02/22/read-this
- Expectant Mothers: We request special prayers for Shawn Crone, Chelsea Mix, Rowina Spurgeon, and Maddie Sands.
- Sicknesses: The flu bug has been going around again. Praying for all those who have been hit. Remember that God is sovereign. Give thanks that God is teaching us to look forward to the day when there will be no more sickness.
- Prayer for Mt Moriah Baptist Church: Join in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Henryville. Years ago before Sovereign King Church was planted, I, Pastor Joseph, was a youth pastor in Cropper Kentucky. Pastor Jon Hancock (the pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church) was a youth pastor in Bagdad, Kentucky. The two churches were 10 minutes apart and they often partnered together. After I left Cropper, I lost track of Jon Hancock. It wasn’t until years later when Sovereign King was meeting in Henryville, that I caught back up with him. We were both pastors of likeminded churches near each other again. God’s providence is great. We have since moved to Jeffersonville but Pastor Jon is still faithfully pastoring in Henryville. Pray that God would bless the church and help it to grow. Pray for wisdom in leading and in following the providence of God.
- Prayer for Pastor Andrew Halsey: Pastor Andrew Halsey is planting a church in Columbus called Christ Church. Pray for him to have wisdom, zeal, and the power of the Holy Spirit in his work. Pray that God will add to their number and help them to grow in holiness. Pray also for Pastor Joe Helt who has recently joined in this work. Pray that God would provide for all their financial needs as well.
- Jeffersonville City County Steven Webb: Steven Webb is a returning member to the city council. Pray that he would have wisdom from above in the decisions and judgements he makes. Pray that he and the rest of the city council would seek to do what is right whether it is popular or not. That they would not support wicked policies that promote sexual immorality and other sins but rather protect the God-given rights and liberties of Jeffersonville.
Schedule Updates and Events:
- New Members Class: The Final New Members Class will continue this Sunday 1:00 to 2:00 PM, immediately following our worship service.
- Women’s Bible Study: Join the women of Sovereign King Church for some edifying study and fellowship. Wednesday March 13 at 6:30 PM
- Genevan Pub: Calling all men 16 and older. Join us for as we walk through the second chapter of the Westminster confession of faith. Fellowship starts at 4 and discussion at 5PM. We will meet at the church building.
- Ladies Night Out: Friday, March 22 at 6:30 PM at Dragon King’s Daughter. Ladies 16 and older are invited for a lovely time of fellowship and exemplary food. Please RSVP at the following link https://subspla.sh/3t6yq3c
- Palm Sunday: On March 24, Celebrate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem with worship and a fellowship meal afterward. Read the instructions and sign up here https://www.sovereignkingchurch.com/blog/2024/02/28/fellowship-meal-instructions
- Good Friday: Join us as we remember the sacrifice of our savior Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. His death paid the penalty of our sins. March 29, 6:30-8:00 PM
- Growing Kids God’s Way: We will be starting a weekly parenting class in April. More details to come.
- Spring Dance: April 12 at the Cox’s Home. Come join us for a barn/line dancing night! Don’t know how to dance? Don’t worry about it! there will be a lesson, The lesson will consist of two or three dances. Be there @6:45pm and the lesson will start @7:00, after the lesson it’s all fellowship and dancing. All Adults and young teens 12 and older are invited!! Water will be provided but feel free to bring snacks to share. We will be finishing @9:00pm.