Marrying a Stranger…Feb. 16th
The formal wedding ceremony is one we are all familiar with. But this morning we’ll look at a very different ‘wedding’ found within the pages of God’s word. 
Consider this thought; would you marry someone you’ve never met? It’s one thing to have an arranged marriage, but what if the first look you have at your wife is her coming to you behind a veil? (Maybe this is where we get the idea of the wedding veil.)
In Genesis 24, following the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham gives directions to his ‘oldest’ servant to go back to his homeland (Ur of the Chaldeans) and look for a wife for his son, Issac. The instructions are clear and God’s providential work is amazing to read. But the faith of these men is something to consider. To make a long story short; a girl is found, Rebecca, and she goes along with a stranger, Abraham’s servant, to meet a stranger, Issac, whom she will marry on sight, no pun intended. Reading the whole account in Genesis 24:1-67 gives new meaning to…’marrying a stranger.’
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, February 16, 2014
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“All Things Praise Thee” – 43
“All things praise Thee, Lord most high, heaven and earth and sea and sky…All things praise Thee night to night…and day by day…All things praise Thee, heaven’s high shrine (seraph & archangels)…” This song identifies those who praise God from within His creation. Each verse, therefore, concludes with the saints singing, “…All things praise Thee – Lord, my we!”
“O Worship the King” – 144
As a continuation of this medley we go from singing, “…This their (heaven’s high shrine’s) highest bliss (greatest joy is) to be, ever praising – Lord may we!” to “O worship the King…”! Humbling yourself to worship God allows you to see how ‘feeble’ you (we) really are. We are children of dust, but we know Who we trust!
“When My Love to Christ Grows Weak” – 350
All five verses of this song build in progression as we remember the Lord’s Supper. 1) When I start to lose my love for Christ, I need to look no further than His last few hours in the Garden of Gethsemane. 2) Then, in thought, I walk through that garden, to see Him weeping and praying alone. 3) This scene helps me stop and think about those times when my love for my fellowman is weak (which is more often than I’d like to admit). How can I love my brother better? Looking to the cross on Golgotha (Calvary) I find strength for my faith. 4) Reflectively, in this fourth verse, I stand at the cross and see “…His agony…His anguish…His faith.” 5) And finally we turn from death, to life with a new lesson learned. We are 
stronger after we suffer, and there is a power sacrifice. Thanks be to God for His self-sacrifice! May we learn from Him.
“Behold a Stranger” – 919
An invitation song we may recognize, but this morning we’ll sing it after the Lord’s Supper. Our reason is found in the second verse. But notice how verse one builds upon verse two; “Behold a Stranger at the door! He gently knocks, has knocked before, has waited long, is waiting still; you treat no other friend so ill (unkindly). But will He prove a Friend indeed? He will! The very Friend you need! The Man of Nazareth, it is He, with garments dyed (stained) at Calvary.”
“In His Presence” – 99
A beautiful contemporary song that is simple in word as well as musical structure. “In His presence there is comfort, in His presence there is peace. When we seek the Father’s heart we find such blessed assurance…”
“O Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – 226
Perhaps one of my favorite hymns (we’re singing to Him) as we consider the Old English wording. Notice especially verse two; “Here I raise my Ebenezer…” my stone of help, my reminder because, ‘thus far the Lord has helped me.’ Or as the KJV reads, ‘Hither by Thy help I’ve come.’ A clear reference from I Samuel 7:12. Yet verse three also is one to note; “O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee…” Translated, “Every day I’m in debt to God for the grace He has given me. Lord, let Your goodness chain my wandering heart to You.” But here’s why, “(I am) Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. (I am) Prone to leave the God I love.” We have wandering hearts and wandering eyes. Would that God chain us up with His goodness.
“There’s a Stranger at the Door” – 908
With our lesson being about ‘marrying a stranger’, I thought we’d sing again about the Stranger at the door. But this time we will be offering an invitation to those who might ‘let the Savior in.’ Again, a reference from the scriptures as we read the words of Christ in Revelation 3:19, 20; ‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.’ Will you, have you, let Him into your heart?
Wait for a few seconds before this song begins…
“Faithful Love” – no book
Marriage is all about love. As Christ loves His bride, so we ought to love our spouse. The scripture states plainly, Issac loved Rebecca (Genesis 24:67). He married a stranger, but he loved and cherished her. Our Savior is faithful and His love is unequaled. In faithful love He came to earth to show the Father’s love to us. And in so doing, thanks be to God, the groom and the bride will never be strangers.
The Beautiful Bride of Christ…Feb. 9th
This past weekend we enjoyed a time with Wayne & Tami Roberts as they presented their Marriage Seminar, “His Shoes/Her Shoes”. Sunday mornings lesson was focused, appropriately, on Christ’s bride. As a young boy it was difficult for me to see Christ with a bride. And to be honest, Revelation didn’t offer much clarification.
But Revelation chapter 19, verse 7 describes the wedding of Christ and His bride. And when we see the church as being Christ’s bride it begins to make sense. Several of our songs are laced with imagery of the body of believers, Christ’s church, being the bride of Christ. So how prepared would you say you are to be His holy bride? How do you present yourself? Do you consider yourself…’beautiful?’
“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15
Sunday morning, February 9, 2014
The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.
“A Common Love” 705
Singing to encourage each other, we’ll begin this service with a song of love…common love.
“When All of God’s Singers Get Home” – 859
Perhaps the older we get, the more eager we are to get home and relax. Personally, I find music (singing) to be relaxing. When we gather around the throne of God we’ll be singing. Relaxing, yes, but more likely rewarding.
“How Deep the Father’s Love” – no book
We’ve sung this spiritual song many times, but for me it only gets better. Think about the love of our Father…how deep is His love for us? We could conclude that Job’s friend, Zophar, was wrong on many accounts. However, when it comes to God’s love, I think he had it right…Job 11:7-9, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above…They are deeper than the depths below…Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”
“I Love You, Lord” – 779
Notice the simplicity of this song; “I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You. O my soul rejoice! Take joy, my King in what You hear; may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.” Appropriately we’ll sing this song after the Lord’s Supper; would that we all bow and say (sing), “I love you, Lord!”
“He Is My Everything” – no book
From years gone by I recall singing this song in youth devotionals. This morning we’ll sing it as we pass the collection plate. But it’s more than just a simple ‘devo’ song, we are professing that God is everything to us. Question: will you back up these words with action? If someone is important to you (if they are your ‘everything’) than you will value them. So, how valuable is He?
“The Church’s One Foundation” – no book
A familiar message that has been put to several tunes. But for sake of argument, don’t focus on the musical score this time around, instead notice the words. “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is His new creation, by water and the Word: From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride, with His own blood He bought her (the church), and for her life He died. Elect from every nation (He chose the church) yet one over all the earth, her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name (Jesus) she blesses, partakes one holy food (God’s Word, the Bread of Life), and to one hope she presses with every grace endued (provided). Though with a scornful (dislike) wonder we see her sore oppressed, her doctrine (Word) rent asunder (torn apart) by names and creeds distressed (compromising God’s word), yet saints their watch are keeping, they cry ‘How long, how long?’ And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song. Amid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she (the church) waits her consummation (Christ’s return) of peace forever more; till with a vision glorious her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.’ AMEN!
“Have You Been to Jesus” – 904
The third verse of this ‘invitation song’ gives power to this morning’s lesson as we consider being the ‘bride of Christ.’ “When the Bridegroom cometh (when Jesus comes back) will your robes be white (no wonder we see today’s bride dressed in white…she is to be pure for her groom), pure and white in the blood of the Lamb…”
“He Gave Me a Song” – 608
Next time you attend a wedding, take a moment to look into the eyes of the bride. Who could be happier than a bride on her wedding day? In like manner, our joy is more complete when we see ourselves as the bride of Christ, a beautiful bride. But our beauty isn’t physical…it’s a spiritual attraction that God is looking for. Would that we all keep our self pure for the wedding day!