Worship service 01/04/25.

Greetings and call to worship.

Greetings and good morning, saints and Christian soldiers, grace, mercy and peace be multiplied unto you through the love of the Father and the peace of Jesus Christ our Savior. We are gathered once more under the banner of the gospel on that holy day which He has consecrated for His own worship and glory, and it is our great delight to worship Him in truth being now freed from the power of sin by His grace. Rom. 6:17-18 says, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” As we are given a new heart, one enabled to love God and keep His commandments, so we are given a spirit of worship, one free from the cares and pleasures of the world, and ready to spend the day in His service as He commanded. A Puritan minister writes, “This day is to be honoured by all good Christians, and had in high veneration. It is a day of renown, on which a golden sceptre of mercy is held forth. The Christian Sabbath is the very crepusculum and dawning of the heavenly Sabbath. It is honourable, because on this day ‘God comes down to us and visits us.’ To have the King of heaven present in a special manner in our assemblies, makes the Sabbath-day honourable. Besides, the work done on this day makes it honourable. The six days are filled up with servile work, which makes them lose much of their glory; but on this day sacred work is done. The soul is employed wholly about the worship of God; it is praying, hearing, meditating; it is doing angels’ work, praising, and blessing God. Again, the day is honourable by virtue of a divine institution. Silver is of itself valuable; but when the royal stamp is put upon it, it is honourable; so God has put a sacred stamp upon this day, the stamp of divine authority, and the stamp of divine benediction. This makes it honourable; and this is sanctifying the Sabbath, to call it a delight, and honourable.”

Prayer unto the public reading of the Holy Scripture:
Our holy and righteous Father,
Full of all glory, justice, and righteousness,
Merciful and faithful—The Covenant God who will by no means clear the guilty, taking vengeance on them that follow after other gods, yet showing mercy to thousands that love thee with the whole heart and keep thy commandments:
We come before thee solemnly and sincerely, as those whom thou hast elected from before the creation of all worlds and purchased by the precious blood of thy Son, called out of darkness and brought into the fellowship of the gospel and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We bow in all reverence before thy throne, knowing the severity of thy law, the holy requirements of the gospel, as well as our own vileness and unworthiness to draw so near unto thee.
We freely confess, O Lord, that apart from the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are denied access to the covenant promises, are under the wrath and curse of God, and must be cast from thy presence as an abominable thing. Moreover, we confess that without faith in the Mediator, consent to sound doctrine and a repentant heart, endeavouring to walk evenly and zealously for thee, which is the gracious work of the Spirit, we have no evidence of fellowship with thee. For we are by nature guilty and polluted, unable of ourselves to repent or return, and altogether unfit to render thee any service that is not defiled by sin. Therefore, do we confess our utter dependence on the Father’s love, the Son’s righteousness and the Spirit’s work in our hearts. We believe that thou art our God, and the rewarder of them that diligently seek thy face. Therefore, inasmuch as we are convinced of our sin in Adam and the redemption in Jesus Christ alone, we cry out to thee for mercy: For pardoning mercy to cover our iniquities, And sanctifying mercy to make us meet for thy presence. Hear our prayers, deliver us from all trouble, cleanse us by the blood of Christ and the washing of the Spirit by the word. Sanctify us by the truth of thy word. Defend us from all evil, Strengthen our faith, subdue the lusts of the flesh that swell within us, And enable us to perform this holy service, Not in our own strength, But in the virtue which thou dost supply of thine own free goodness. And now, O Lord, as we come to the reading of thy holy word, we pray for a special blessing upon this portion of Scripture, that it may be effectual to build up thy holy church, which thou hast called thy special possession, and thy little flock. Open our hearts to receive it with meekness; Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and cause us by thy grace to live by it; And may the same Spirit who breathed life into the church in all ages; the fathers, apostles and prophets, the reformers and Puritans, so guide our whole lives, That we may grow up in Him in all things, even He who is the Bridegroom and Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, our Prophet, Priest and King. All this we ask in his most worthy name, Amen.

Devotional and doctrinal exposition on the Psalms:

Psalm 27 [12] (Verse 5): 1 David maketh this Psalm being delivered from great perils, as appeareth by the praises and thanksgiving annexed:  6 Wherein we may see the constant faith of David against the assaults of all his enemies. 7 And also the end wherefore he desireth to live and to be delivered, only to worship God in his Congregation.

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I request; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, seek ye my face; my heart answered unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

9 Hide not therefore thy face from me; nor cast thy servant away in displeasure: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 Though my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a right path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as speak cruelly.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Exposition:
We saw previously the general doctrine set forth in this verse: that the believer is protected by the Spirit of God from all evil. For while the men of this world look for a carnal saviour to deliver them from poverty, melancholy, and the want of worldly esteem, the believer looks to God to be saved from sin. The world cries for comfort; the Christian for cleanness.

And we must remember that this deliverance is twofold. First, the LORD delivers us from the guilt of sin by the free and gracious imputation of Christ’s righteousness, whereby our persons are accounted blameless and just in His sight through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Second, He implants a holy principle in our hearts, so that we are quickened and marked by a new spirit, wrought by His own almighty arm. Grace pardons the sinner, then purifies him.

Thus, whenever Scripture speaks of deliverance—as here, when David says, “He shall hide me” and “set me upon a rock”—although historically and personally we may refer this to rescue from real and outward dangers, yet more substantially we must understand it of the spiritual protection afforded us by the Lord according to the doctrine of salvation. David doubtless understood this truth, though not with the same evangelical clarity granted under the full light of the gospel; and this must be borne in mind as a rule of sober interpretation.

From this Psalm we therefore learn that although the Lord is always able and ready to succour His people, yet He is especially present “in the time of trouble.” The believer’s confidence is not suspended until distress arrives, but speaks beforehand: “He shall hide me.” And the faithful man’s desire is not to stand exposed in his own strength, but to be hidden, knowing well his weakness. Mark this carefully: while the world, in lofty arrogance, cries, “Bring it on,” the godly, in lowly meekness, says, “He shall hide me.” Presumption runs headlong into danger; faith is preserved in its head by prudence. Thus God gives the Christian soldier courage and bravery for the battle, so that we are enabled to wage holy warfare against the armies of hell in His strength and not our own. Moreover He grants unto us prudence, that we do not charge foolishly into fights too mighty for us. Remember David and Peter. Even the mightiest Christian warriors are as peons before the strength of the enemy, if we stand in our own strength.

We see also that the Lord does not immediately remove us from the world, nor free us from duty or the trial of faith, though it be perilous, but keeps us safe in His grace and strong in faith while we journey through it. Thus the pavilion signifies a royal tent—a temporary shelter—designating nearness, covering, personal care, and readiness for the warfare that must continually be waged against the enemy. The saint’s shelter is not his discharge from duty, but his supply for the fight.

Let us then, as soldiers refreshed beneath the pavilion of the Lord, take heart from His willingness to protect and preserve us; and having been sheltered, go forth again to the field. As William Gurnall exhorts in his sermon, “Prove thy pedigree, and dare to be holy, despite devils and men.”

David Dickson,
He gives a reason for so earnest a desire to have fellowship with God, maintained by the diligent use of all God’s ordinances: namely, because in this way he was assured that faith would draw from God all necessary comfort and protection, as occasion should require.

From this learn, first, that faith, maintaining communion with God, finds Him all-sufficient in every necessity, to supply whatever the creature lacks and the believer stands in need of. He will be a pavilion in warfare, a hiding place, and a rock of refuge. That is, God will so quiet a man by faith within himself, as if there were no danger at all. “In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”

Secondly, the godly cannot promise to themselves the influence and assistance of God’s grace in the time of need, except in the way of attending upon the divine ordinances, both private and public, so far as they may be enjoyed. For the prophet assures himself of this protection as the fruit of faith nourished and strengthened by the use of the ordinances. “I desire,” says he, “to dwell in the house of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy temple; for in the time of trouble he shall hide me,” and so forth.

Opening Prayer.
Our gracious and glorious Father in heaven,
Creator of heaven and earth and sovereign Lord over all things,
We thy people come before thee, and ask thee for grace and mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ. We are without strength and without hope in a world ripe for judgment. The men of this world do not serve thee nor worship according to thy laws, and they wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. Therefore deliver us from them by consecration. Make us thine, and take us to be where thou art. Yet finish thy work in us, test us and try us and make us to be like refined gold in the midst of dross and refuse. But cast the unprofitable into everlasting darkness. Yet be merciful unto us and save us for thy mercies sake, O Lord. For this we ask not for our own sake, but for the glory of Him who saved us, Him that promised it, He that is our Savior, our Lord, our Captain, our Friend. In His holy name, amen.

Lesson 65. [1.2.39.] The Contents of Holy Scripture: The Prophets. Ezekiel. Part 1. Ezekiel the Priest.

Westminster Confession of Faith 1.2.

Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments,
Genesis—Lamentations. Ezekiel.
All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

Intro.
Ezk. 1-3.

1. The Man Ezekiel — Priest, Captive, Prophet.

Ezekiel is introduced not first as a prophet, but as a priest in exile, thereby embodying in his own person the tragedy of Israel: he is a priest without a temple, a minister without sacrifices, a servant of God among the uncircumcised.

Ezekiel 1:1–3

His priestly calling is theologically fitting. He knows from what heights Israel has fallen. He knows the nature of her harlotry. He thoroughly understands defilement, holiness, and separation. He is therefore fitted to preach both judgment for their profanation of God’s sanctuary and hope for restoration through thorough repentance. Ezekiel presents the ultimate irony. Can there be a priest of Israel without the temple? If Israel is commanded to keep the ordinances, how can she in captivity? For these things are certain:
1. God has commanded Israel to keep the ceremonial ordinances.
“And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Ezekiel 20:11–12
“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.”
2. Israel profaned them rather than keeping them.
“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:5
“Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”Ezekiel 22:26
3. It was better for them to be in captivity than profane God’s holy ordinances in His land.
Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. Lev. 26:34-35
“As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.” Ezk. 20:39
4. Israel is destroyed for the disobedience, and the profanation of them. (The matter and the manner must be performed. The correct form and an upright heart.)
“But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague…” Leviticus 26:14–16
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:” Deuteronomy 28:15
“But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments… then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.” Ezekiel 20:13
(Profanation)
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD…Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me…Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.” Isaiah 1:11–14
Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.” Ezekiel 23:38-39
5. Only through the mercy of God is a remnant spared who are given a new heart and holy zeal for God’s name.
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:9

“Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you… And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:22–27

Compare:

Jeremiah 1:1 — prophet in the land, one of the priests

Daniel 1:6 — noble in exile

Ezekiel — priest in captivity

2. The Visions of God.

The book of Ezekiel begins not with a denunciation of idolatry or moral exhortation, but with visions of glory. The people of God have been cast out of their land, lost the privilege of temple worship; yet God, in infinite mercy and condescension, shows Ezekiel visions of His majesty and signs of His control over all things. The glory itself has not been overthrown—only the wicked from its external signs. Recall the visions of glory Isaiah beheld, also, and that no peculiar visions of glory are recorded in Jeremiah, but visions of judgment. The almond blossom and the boiling pot. He was sent to prophesy that the glory had departed from the temple on account of trusting in the means without the grace. Yet, the same two subsequent events occur immediately after the visions. Isa. 6, Jer. 1, Ezekiel 2. They are humbled and sent to rebuke the sins of the people and condemn the wicked; For only those who have seen the glory of God are prepared to declare it to others. And those who have seen it cannot but declare it against a rebellious and backsliding nation.

“For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word?” Jeremiah 23:18

“And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…” John 1:14

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.” John 3:11

“And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.” John 3:32

“Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.” John 6:46

“I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.” John 8:38

“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.” John 17:8

“That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled… declare we unto you.” 1 John 1:1–3

“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16

Ezekiel 1:26–28
“And above the firmament… was the likeness of a throne… This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.”

New Testament parallels:

• Revelation 4:2–6 — throne, living creatures, glory
  
• John 1:14 — “we beheld his glory”
  
• Hebrews 12:22 — heavenly Zion revealed to the faithful

3. A Stubborn House.

Each major prophet exposes Israel’s sin according to increasing guilt:

Isaiah — corruption — to be wicked
Isaiah 1:4
“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of the wicked, corrupt children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are turned away backward.”

Jeremiah — harlotry — to practice wickedness
Jeremiah 2:19-20
Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

Ezekiel — stubbornness and hardness — to persist in wickedness
Ezekiel 3:4-11
“And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”

4. One man among a thousand.
Ezekiel 9.
Isa. 1.
Jer. 5.

Conclusion.

Closing Prayer.

Amen.

Administration of the Supper.

Exhortation and explanation of the use of the Holy Sacrament.

• To profess the faith and declare openly that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. Not by endeavors, intentions, effort, merit, works or free will, neither any creature, but by the grace of Jesus Christ alone.

Psalm 115:1 – “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
Romans 3:24– “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-5– “But God which is rich in mercy, through his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead by sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saved,”

Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

• Acknowledgment of our sin and guilt—original and actual.

Psalm 51:5 – “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Lam. 1:18– “The Lord is righteous: for I have rebelled against his commandment.”

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

• To give God thanks for the blessed work of redemption.

Ephesians 1:7 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
Ephesians 2:7 – “That he might show in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

• To give God thanks that through the work of redemption, all other enterprises are blessed thereby and only thereby.

Romans 8:32 – “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Romans 8:17 – “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

• Food, shelter, companionship, fruitful seasons, promotion, leisure, rest and recreation are made a curse to us apart from Jesus Christ.

Haggai 1:6 – “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”
Mal. 2-3 “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart…Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out such a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

• To give God thanks for the means of grace, the word and sacraments, which are denied millions of others.
Isa. 53:1– “Who will believe our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”

Psalm 147:19-20 – “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.”
Deut 9:4– “Speak not thou in thine heart (after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out before thee) saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in, to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations, the Lord hath cast them out before thee.”

• To bring fresh into our memory the suffering of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:26 – “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”
Isa. 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions: he was broken for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes are we healed.”

• To increase grace in us and call us to purity and virtue—the mortification of sin.
Romans 5:18–19–“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
John 6:53–56– “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life…

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.”

Romans 6:11 – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

• To express unity with the saints and love for the brethren who partake with us.

1 Corinthians 10:17 – “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”

• To remind us of the evil of sin, that God spared not His own Son in punishing it.

Isaiah 53:10 – “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…”
• Give thanks to God for sending His Son for our salvation.
Isa. 9:6-7– “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Matt. 1:21– “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

John 3:16 – “For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Rom. 5:8-10– “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

• Warning to those who would partake in ignorance or scandalous sin.

1 Corinthians 11:27–29 – “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord… For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself…”

Scripture verse to meditate upon:

Ezekiel 37:26-28–”Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them: it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the heathen shall know, that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my Sanctuary shall be among them forevermore.”

• 1 Cor. 11:23-32 “This is my body.

Prayer.

Benediction.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/-W5lTijF1ew