In 1873 Fanny Crosby wrote: Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

These words give comfort in the face of formidable danger. During the Anglo Boer War (1899–1902) the British soldiers, passing through the Transvaal (the Northern Province of South Africa), used them as comfort. Their salute was: “494, boys; 494”. The response was “6 further on, boys; 6 further on”. This was a reference to their Hymnal. Song 494 was “God Be with You Till We Meet Again”. And song 500 was “Blessed Assurance”. (Adapted from the WWW, 3/12/15. http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/l/e/blesseda.htm)

Today my bible reading spoke “blessed assurance” through Romans 8 (ESV):

·         ¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
·         ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
·         ³¹ … If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Read also verse 38 & 39)

Sons of God (Rom.8:14), allow His Spirit to lead you safely through even the darkest valley, so that His rod and staff may protect and comfort you (Ps.23:4).

In our continued study of “Why I am a member of the Church of Christ”, this week in the pre-teen class, we reviewed the scriptural organization of the church. To be the church of the new testament, the church should be both organized and governed by the pattern prescribed in the scriptures.

First, the church of Christ is a monarchy, not a democracy, and the church of Christ is autonomous.

Ephesians 1:22-23 “²²And God placed all things under His fee and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”

In referring to the church of Christ as a monarchy, it is meant that it is ruled by one person, Jesus Christ, not by councils, general assemblies or conferences, or by the majority of the members.

Also, the wisdom of God is seen in the autonomy of the local church. Each congregation is self-governed so if one perished, others would not be brought down with it so the “Word will never pass away.”

Finally, the organization of the church of Christ is to have Elders, Deacons and members.

Acts 14:23 “And when they have appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Elders are the “shepherds of the flock” and overseers of the church responsible for enforcing the law of Christ by holding the church to the pattern of His scriptures.

Deacons are servants and are charged with doing the work of the church.

According to 1 Corinthians 1:10 members are to be “perfectly joined together” and “united in the same mind and judgement.”

Christ has designed His church in a specific way by which we must be organized to be a congregation of Christ’s church.  

April 19^th is going to be our Friends & Family Day at Summit.  This will be the opportunity to invite someone you have been studying with, someone who you have given a Muscle and Shovel book to, a friend or a neighbor.  As Neville said in his sermon last week, everyone should invite at least one person.  We have faithful members of our church who first attended as guests on a Friends & Family Day.  This is going to be an exciting event for Summit.  There will be a chance for everyone to get involved.  We are going to have our annual workday the Saturday before to make a great first impression for our invited guests.  We can freshen up our landscaping and clean the building.

Have you noticed how our lower parking lot is expanding?  One of the obstacles for us as a church was that we would never have enough parking if we are going to grow.  God has answered our prayers!  The Lord is so good to us!  Now it is up to us to reach out and fill the church.

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will be found, knock and the door will be opened to you!  For everyone who asks will receive, he who seeks will be found and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Matt 7:7-8.

Soon we will have nice invitations to send to our invited guests.  So be in prayer for those whom you are going to invite.  Our goal is that each family will fill out 10 invitations. We want this to be an evangelistic event!  A chance to bring the Good News to our friends.  I will have a special announcement on Sunday to get prepared for this special event.  We will need help with parking, greeters at both entry ways, extra communion workers, plenty of help with food, and setting up tables and chairs for the fellowship meal following the service.  Summit will provide the meat and we will ask others to bring a covered dish or a dessert; watch for a sign-up list. 

Brothers and Sisters, in Jesus’ great commission we are commanded, “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”  Matt 28: 19.  What an opportunity to reach out into the community, to bring lost souls back into his kingdom.  May God Bless our effort!

This week I witnessed a new birth. What a blessing to see this young lady put on Christ in baptism. Based on her confession, that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, Greg Menetrey baptized his first born – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of her sins and so that she might receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Every Spring I see everything in nature being reborn. It has never changed. And so, too, if we do what the first century church did (Acts 2:38), we become what they became – Christians only.

• We also belong to what they belonged – the church of Christ, Romans 16:16.
• We partake of the Lord’s Supper when they did – every first day of the week, Acts 20:7.
• We place money in the collection plates when they did – every first day of the week, 1 Cor. 16:1ff.
• We sing as they did, without musical instruments, other than the heart, Eph.5:19; Col.3:16.
• We have no religious/Bible teacher, leader, rabbi, pastor, reverent, father, other than Jesus Christ, Matthew 23:5-10; 1 Peter 5:4.
• We have no intercessor (neither Mary nor a “saint”) other than Jesus Christ, 1 Tim.2:15.

Friend, do you know that the New Testament church has identifying marks. The above is a very short list (cf. 1 Tim.3). Do you belong to the church described in the New Testament?

Hebrews 12:2 – looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

My family spent last weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN at the Challenge Youth Conference.  We traveled with 24 youth and 9 adults from Summit.  While there, we joined 14,000 others who came together to sing songs of praise, learn more about God’s word and spend time in fun and fellowship.  We met some new people and were reunited with some long-time friends.  This was my families’ tenth trip to CYC.  Every year the experience is both exhausting and exhilarating. 

The CYC experience was tremendous. The singing was amazing.  We heard some wonderful lessons: on the power of the cross through the resurrection (Reed Swindle), the power of God’s word and that the Bible is ‘The’ book not just ‘A’ book (Craig Evans), the power of the Spirit working in us (Ralph Gilmore), and the power of God and his message working in our lives (Lonnie Jones).

I know over time the specific lessons will fade in our minds. So, I wonder, a year from now, after this event is long over, what do I want the young people to remember about it?

I want them to remember: 

· They have parents that thought this is important enough to send their children there for a weekend

· There are adults who have invested in their lives by spending 3 days chaperoning a trip like this

· They have support from and through the other 24 young people that were on this trip with them

· They are not alone in their Christian walk (14,000 other people came together for the cause of Christ)

· It’s important to spend time with God’s people and in God’s word

· That God wants us in Heaven more than we want to be there (John 3:16, Phil 3:10, I Cor 15:12)

The deadly Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) comes for the Latin “corona” (crown) and Greek “korone (garland). It is so named because of the way it looks. While the virologists around the world rush for a cure, I wonder if this disease could impact church attendance? In countries where the outbreak is more serious the advice is to avoid social gatherings. In the United States the CDC’s advice to pregnant women is “usual preventive actions to avoid infection like washing hands often and avoiding people who are sick” (t.ly/dOEWr).

Since I am certain Satan will use this disease, it is important for us to get ahead of his tactics. 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) — 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

I believe Satan will use fear and lies. So, we must use faith and truth.

We know that God is love – “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8 ESV). And we know that … “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18 ESV).

The truth is that faithful Christians have nothing to fear from this virus. Why? Because death has no power over a Christian (Rom.6:8-10).

Friends, this is not a time to panic. This is a time to help those who are not Christians to become immune to disease as all faithful Christians are (Romans 6:3-5).

Images of the coronavirus from t.ly/w1EJv.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.Hebrews 12:1-2

Crowds usually get a bad rap.  Crowded elevators make us uncomfortable.  Crowded stores test our patience, and following the crowd pretty much never leads to anything good.  But, the cloud of witnesses that the Hebrew writer reminds us of is a wonderful encouragement as we go through life.

There are difficult things that seem impossible until someone goes first and accomplishes them.  World records in sports are constantly surpassed as the achievement of one athlete spurs on the next one to be faster or stronger.  The Christian life is much like that.  Living faithful to the point of death (Revelation 2:10) sometimes seems beyond reach.  Forgiving the person who did you great harm seems like way too much to ask.  The thought of talking about faith to a friend might bring on a panic attack.

Isn’t it wonderful to have a crowd of people who endured the same struggles we face and overcame them?  Knowing how much men and women before me did for Christ has a way of taking away my excuses and raising my view of what is possible.

Just like a little leaguer looks to the stands to see if mom and dad are watching as he walks to the plate, we look to the cloud of witnesses to see that Jesus is watching and cheering us all the way home.  Jesus lived and died to show us that we can do it, and to give us everything we need to overcome the challenges of life.  

Nearly one in five Americans suffer from mental illness (46.6 million t.ly/1V6VE). And the number one reason why people don’t get help is the high cost involved. It is for this reason that Summit offers free to inexpensive Christian Counseling.

Several years ago, a group called “Occupy Wall Street” riled against the stock market elite. Maybe you too had a cause you felt strongly against – that occupied your mind for a time. Or you might find your mind occupied by an addiction that is consuming your every waking moment. Or it may be anger towards someone who has hurt you. It might even be a situation that you have innocently been drawn into – like the death of a spouse or child. Or your mind may be occupied by unforgiveness – some deep hurt from your past.

Whether what occupies your mind is good, neutral or evil – since the creation of the World, God has jealously desired that position. In Mt.6 Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve two masters. Either God or money (Wall Street) will be our master.

All must make a choice as to what we will allow to occupy our minds. It is impossible for our brain to focus on two things at the same time. Would it not be great if our minds where filled all day with appreciative thoughts as we meditate on God? Psalm 119:103 (ESV) — 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

What are the different things we can allow to occupy our minds?
• Your mind could be occupied like the bitter Lemonhead. You are stuck in
unforgiveness & anger which leads to bitterness. Would it not be great if you could forgive? If that person/event could stop controlling your every waking moment?
• Your mind could be occupied like the anxious Twizzlers. You are all twisted up because you are worried about the future.
• Your mind could be occupied like the confusing gingerbread. You are working synergistically with the current culture – not wanting to offend anyone. And so, you fail to be true to God’s core values inside your heart, choosing political correctness instead.

· Or, your mind could reflect the gummy bears. This is where we are all lovable and never hurtful. It is a world of appreciation and not frustration as we seek to serve and not be served.

Are you ready to allow God’s thoughts to occupy your mind? Can you say as King David that God’s words are … “10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10 ESV).

The result of desiring and letting God occupy your mind are words and thoughts that are acceptable in His sight.

Psalm 19:14 (ESV) — 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Friend imagine living in a perpetual spiritual candy land. You don’t have to let bitterness, anxiety, or confusion occupy your mind. Maybe it is through Christian Counseling. Reach out … let God’s contentment occupy your mind and flood your soul.