September 24, 2023
September 24 — 11 AM Worship
You can find the order of worship and songs here.
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God rescued Israel from bitter bondage in Egypt. The Egyptian taskmasters were harsh and gave no thought to the well-being of those unfortunate enough to be pressed into slavery. The slaves gave and gave, and Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt took and took some more. It, therefore, must have been truly jarring when the LORD, the God of Abraham and Jacob and Isaac commanded them to rest!
Today we take weekend off for granted. This was not the case for humanity for most of human history. The command to rest was the gift of the Redeemer God whose deep yearning was to see his people made whole. Never before has mankind ever met a god who cared, not only for the select few elites of society, but for slaves in bondage as well. Thus when God freed them from bondage, he commanded them to rest on the Sabbath day.
This is what makes Israel's persistent refusal to keep the Sabbath day holy such a mystery. They were given the gift, not only for their body to rest, but for their souls to be refreshed in the presence of their rest-giving God. But Israel throughout history defied this gift of rest, and treated with contempt that very thing that made them unique and honored over all peoples of the earth. Their God was the rest-giving Redeemer. They were a people loved and protected. But they chose rather to live as people who serve the idols who take and take some more.
How about you? What does it mean for you to rest in God? What bearing does that have on your life, schedule, and choices? Would you hear the Savior's voice? "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
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Growth Resources
This Year: Please see the full list of 2023 books as well as Bible reading plans on our church webpage: gracefallbrook.church/12-for-23
This Month: For August and September we are reading "Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?" By Timothy Keller.
This Week: We encourage you to make use of:
- Kevin DeYoung's "The Good News We Almost Forgot" pages 178–182, Lord's Day 38, for personal or family devotions.
- "Select Letters of John Newton," Letter 33 (pages 203–205), "The Benefits of Affliction."
- Andrew Peterson's hymn, "Is He Worthy?" YouTube / Apple Music / Spotify.
- Past sermons are available on our church webpage: gracefallbrook.church/sermons.
Upcoming Events and Notices
September 27 (Wednesday 6:30 PM): Please join us as we study James 1:5–11. Zoom Meeting ID: 882 4255 0244.
October 1: Please join us for the "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith" for Sunday School lesson: Ch. 16 "The Holiness of God." Also October 15.
Thank you for your continued support of Grace Fallbrook (PCA). Your loving support makes the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of the saints possible. Please visit gracefallbrook.church/give and click on "Give Online Now." You will be directed to the PCA Foundation where you can give towards Grace Fallbrook (PCA).