Prayer & Preparation for June 2nd, 2024
This Lord's Day
Hey church,
Still guided by the thought that the book of Acts records for us all that Jesus continued to do and to teach (Acts 1:1), I think we're intended to see parallels in Jesus' trial/examination in Luke 22-23 and Peter and John's trial/examination in Acts 4. I plan to lead us in our study of this text by considering the two paragraphs (vv 1-4 and vv 5-12) under the headings "Jesus Opposed" and "Jesus Overcoming." To say it another way, I hope we'll see the reality of spiritual warfare (trials, persecution, suffering, hardship, etc.) and the strategy for spiritual warfare. "Child of weakness, watch and pray. Find in me thine all in all," Jesus says to us. The gospel is again clear in our text. Please pray that it will be clear in my preaching as well. And let's keep praying that God will bring lost people to our church to hear it, and that God will send the church out after the service to lost people so they hear it.
And we get to reconvene in the evening this week to observe the Lord's Table. I hope to lead us to see Christ's victory over the devil through the cross, and to connect his victory to our hope and perseverance in spiritual battles against an already-defeated foe.
Here are some details about this week's morning service:
Songs we'll sing: "Praise to the Lord (Joyful, Joyful)," "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," "God Is for Us," and "O Church Arise (Arise Shine)"
Sermon text: Acts 4:1-12
Sermon title: "Strategy and Power for War"
Cross-references: 2 Kings 18:20; Psalm 118; Luke 12:11-12; 22; Acts 3;
2 Cor. 10:3-5; 1 Pet. 2:4-8
Some quotes from my reading and study for this sermon:
"To assume that the Lord's work always looks like health, wealth, ease, or fullness is to limit and misunderstand his glory. To assume that Jesus wants a large, rich, impressive, and relevant church that is making a great impact and leaving a clear legacy is deeply dangerous. When we think that God is found only in apparent strength rather than in weakness, then we are in danger of missing him entirely. And there's a danger, too, of trying to do the work of God in our own power rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit."
John Hindley in Weakness Our Strength
Love you, church!
Jeff Tague
