January 19, 2025
You can find the order of worship and songs here.
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We think about the good news in terms of what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ. Jesus was "delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25) It is done! However, God's love does not run dry with Jesus' death and resurrection. Rather, God's loving purpose for forgiven and justified sinners encompasses Jesus' past work (atonement), his present work (intercession), and his future work (bringing us to glory). This is what God will do for you.
Consider Isaiah 62:1–5. "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet…" Who is speaking? Remember Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…" The Messiah refuses to be silent or be quiet. But this is not just about his words. We see from what follows that Jesus cannot be silent (words) or be still (action). But to what end? Jesus is going to speak and to act until praise and glory come to Zion/Jerusalem.
As before, Zion/Jerusalem stands not for the center of Israel's politics but the people whose king is the LORD. And for Zion/Jerusalem's sake Jesus will not be silent or stand still "until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch." Consider the well-known passage Isa 53:11 "by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities." Since "righteousness" is something we receive as a gift from Jesus, the primary idea behind "righteousness" here is not the good things we do, but what Jesus has done.
"The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory…" As things stand now, our faith in God is a liability. To be sure, no one has a problem with the Jesus who only ever seems to say "Do not judge." No one will ever get into one bit of trouble for following that Jesus. But the Jesus of the Bible, who was crucified to make atonement for sin, demonstrates that God's attitude toward sin is wrath and his commitment against unholiness is eternal judgment. Also, the Jesus of the Bible is himself the Judge of man and he will welcome the believers into his kingdom and assign the unbelieving to everlasting wrath. Following this Jesus today means trouble and a liability. But Jesus will not be silent or sit still. One day, the nations and the kings who mock the gospel message, will see its glory and our glory. This is what the Lord will do, and makes our hard faithfulness so worth it.
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Growth Resources
This year: Please see the full list of 2025 books as well as Bible reading plans on our church webpage.
This month: We are reading “The Unfolding Mystery” by Edmund Clowney.
This week: We are reflecting upon Shorter Catechism Q. & A. 4.
Everyday: Noted pastor and theologian Sinclair Ferguson posts a short reflection every day, each around 5 minutes long. "Things Unseen" cover various aspects of the Christian life, worship, and theological topics in a very accessible and edifying way. We encourage you to incorporate this into your daily life. Please see this page for more information. There you will find links to various podcast platforms as well as YouTube page.
Upcoming Events and Notices
January 12 (Lord's Day): Please join us for the monthly fellowship meal after the worship service.
January 19 (Lord's Day): Please join us for Sunday School lesson from “Essential Truths of the Christian Faith” Ch. 43 “The Holy Spirit as Sanctifier.”
January 19 (Lord's Day): Fallbrook Food Pantry is in need of empty egg cartons. Please see Peggy if you are able to help.
January 29 (Wednesday 7 PM): The Zoom study of the Pentateuch will resume.
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).