 10/4
Hymn 16 - To God Be The Glory Hymn 130 - Beneath, The Cross of Jesus Hymn 150 - 'Tis the Christ Hymn 141 - Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed Hymn 267 - There Is a Fountain 10/11 Hymn 31 - The Name High Over All Booklet 27 - Change Your Church, O God Hymn 174 - Arise, My Soul, Arise Booklet 42 - How Awesome Is Your Name (Psalm 8) 10/18 Hymn 63 - Come, Thou Almighty King Booklet 32 - For The Sake of His Name Hymn 220 - Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken Psalm 23b 10/25 Hymn 65 - Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart Hymn 21 - Fairest Lord Jesus! Hymn 335 - And Can It Be? Booklet 41 - Why Do the Nations Rage? (Psalm 2)
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Join us each Sunday this fall for a time in which we will look a broad look at protestant history, a closer look at Baptist history, and our place as First Baptist Church within the past 176 years of this history. We will see how our church been influenced or not by movements in Baptist history and protestant Christianity at large.
This teaching series will take place during our Christian Life Hour at 11:15 AM on Sundays. The series begins Sunday, October 4. This hymn is based on passage that the sermon is taken from, Mark 10:17–31. It is sung to the tune of O God, Our Help in Ages Past, attributed to William Croft (1678–1727) What can I do to live fore’er? Commandments I have done. My good I show, but one thing lacks, So says my God, the Son. I see my wealth, my goods, my kin, And see salvation’s cost. I set them down to save my soul And run hard to the cross. “Who can be saved?” I cry to God Who hears my desperate plea. “No works or worth have I to give, “O, pray, dear God, save me!” Though trials come, my Father knows. I leave this world behind. And both in now and time to come, All that is His is mine! John the Baptist was once asked by the people, “Are you Elijah?” He replied, “I am not” (John 1:21). However, Christ said of him, “he is Elijah who is to come” (Matt 11:14). How could John say he was not Elijah but Christ said he was?
Matthew and Mark help us answer this question in their record of a conversation between Jesus and Peter, James, and John. In trying to figure out how Jesus could die before establishing His kingdom, the three disciples asked Jesus why Elijah was to come first, that is, before the establishment of His kingdom (Matthew 17:10; Mark 9:11). Jesus affirmed that Elijah would come and restore all things, meaning that he would turn Israel to repentance as promised long ago (Matt 17:11; Mark 9:12; cf. Mal 4:5–6). But then Jesus also says that Elijah came, was not recognized, and was treated as his captors pleased (Matt 17:12; Mark 9:13). The disciples understood Jesus that the Elijah who came was John the Baptist (Matt 17:13). Apparently, John the Baptist was Elijah who came (cf. Matt 11:14), and Elijah was going to come again. John did not think of himself as the literal, historical Elijah, and neither did Jesus. At the same time, Jesus did see John as the promised Elijah of Malachi 4:5 and identified John the Baptist as Elijah according to Malachi’s promise. John apparently prophesied “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:16–17; cf. Mal 4:5–6) and could thus be identified by the name of Elijah. For Jesus to call John Elijah was to assume that Mal 4:5–6 characterized his life (cf. Luke 1:16–17) and to indicate this assumption by virtue of calling him by this name. The question at this point, then, would be whether Malachi thought his use of the name Elijah referred to the historical Elijah or spoke of a “generic Elijah” who would come and could be characterized by the historical Elijah (cf. 2 Kgs 2:15). One way or the other, we find that the apostle John prophesied of two prophets to come just before the end of this age and that they do miracles like Moses and Elijah of old (Rev 11:6). Perhaps one of them will be the literal, historical Elijah. At the very least, it would seem that this Elijah-like prophet is the Elijah that Malachi promised and that Jesus promised would come as well. Whether the historical Elijah or a generic, Elijah-like prophet, we will have to wait and see! As we have seen, Mark is somewhat abbreviated when the Evangelists of the other Gospels give more detail. What follows is an account of all the details given from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) on the record of the Transfiguration. (John does not record the Transfiguration.) Except for a few words here and there, the words below are quotations from each account. What is apparent is that some authors add certain details that others do not.
After about eight days (Luke 9:28), six to be precise (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2), Jesus took Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2) to pray (Luke 9:28). While Jesus was praying (Luke 9:29), He was transfigured before them (Matt 17:2; Mark 9:2), altering the appearance of his face (Luke 9:29) so that it shone like the sun (Matt 17:2). His clothes, too, became white as light (Matt 17:1), radiant and intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them (Mark 9:3), and dazzlingly so (Luke 9:29). Then Moses and Elijah appeared (Matt 17:3) in glory (Luke 9:30), Elijah being with Moses (Mark 9:4), and were talking with Jesus (Matt 17;3; Mark 9:4) about his departure which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but, when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him (Luke 9:33). As Moses and Elijah were parting from Jesus (Luke 9:33), Peter addressed Jesus with reverence as Lord (Matt 17:4), Rabbi (Mark 9:5), or Master (Luke 9:33), and said, “It is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Matt 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33). He did not know what he said (Mark 9:6; Luke 9:33) because he and the other two disciples were terrified (Mark 9:6). As Peter was saying these things (Luke 9:34), a bright (Matt 17:5) cloud overshadowed them (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34), and they were afraid as they entered the cloud (Luke 9:34). A voice came out of the cloud and said (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35), “This is my Son, my Chosen One” (Luke 9:35), “my beloved Son” (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7), “with whom I am well pleased” (Matt 17:5), “listen to him!” (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). When the voice had spoken (Luke 9:36) and when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified, but Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear” (Matt 17:6–7). And suddenly (Mark 9:8), when they lifted up their eyes (Matt 17:8), they no longer saw no anyone with them but Jesus alone (Matt 17:8; Mark 9:8; Luke 9:36). Join us on Sunday nights for our study through Titus, a look at how the grace of God results in the godliness of His people. We will study through the book passage-by-passage and pick up bits and pieces of how to ready through New Testament letters along the way.
The ladies will meet at 6 PM on the following Sundays: 9/13, 9/27, 10/11, 10/25, 11/8, 11/29, and 12/13. The men will meet at 6 PM on the following Sundays: 9/6, 9/20, 10/18, 11/1, 11/15, 12/6, and 12/20. We hope to see you there! |
Pastor David HuffstutlerPastor Huffstutler regularly writes articles for our Sunday bulletin. See his bio on our pastoral bio page. Archives
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5304 Charles Street, Rockford, IL 61108
5304 Charles Street, Rockford, IL 61108