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This Week at Hope – Avoiding Vanity in the House of God

August 15, 2018
15 Aug 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Solomon has spent four chapters demonstrating to us the vanity of a life without God. As he comes to chapter 5, he begins dealing with the frightening possibility of finding vanity within the walls of the church. Has Solomon gone a bit too far with this ‘vanity discovery’ mission of his? Is it really possible to discover vanity in the very worship of the triune God? And in a reformed baptist congregation like ours?? The disappointing reality is that, yes, it is possible. It is possible for us to engage in a worship without or apart from God – a vain and futile worship. And when that happens, God calls us fools.

Solomon, in the first seven verses of Ecclesiastes 5, exhorts us to consider how we approach the house of God, how we engage in the worship of God once there, and how we respond to that time of worship as we leave His house. May God grant us grace to heed these words of Solomon. And a greater than Solomon has come – even Jesus Christ. This is what He said: “Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him… My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
And Solomon boils it all down for us: just fear God; be in awe of Him. He is in heaven; you are on earth. God will be seeking worshippers at Hope this Sunday morning. When He gets to you, what will he find?
Prayer this Wednesday is at the Brown’s barn.
Sunday afternoon we will continue our series Pulling Down Strongholds, as Paul begins to open up what the Bible has to say about gender and where autonomous man has sought to break God’s bonds asunder.
Songs for Sunday are as follows:
  • Holy, Holy, Holy
  • A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
  • When Morning Guilds the Skies
  • How Firm a Foundation
  • To God All Praise and Glory
in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope: Navigating Life in a Fallen World

August 8, 2018
08 Aug 2018

Dear Brethren,

Our text for Sunday is Ecclesiastes 4:4-16 where Solomon teaches us how to navigate our way through life in a fallen world. We will learn about how to go about our labor, about the importance of companionship, and about the short shelf-life of popularity. Solomon teaches us that the vanity of life under the sun is more than just empty pursuits. It can also be tied to motives, to loneliness, and to fickleness. David Gibson writes:

As you think about where you are going with your life, Ecclesiastes gives you a middle road to walk. Don’t hate your neighbor – be neither too lazy to help them nor too powerful to avoid oppressing them; don’t be so caught up in your own ‘today’ that you cannot see their ‘tomorrow’. Don’t hate yourself – laziness, frenzy, envy, and love of money will each in its own way corrode you from the inside out. Take the middle path of loving your neighbor and so properly loving yourself. Don’t drop out like the fool; don’t be sucked in like the frantic. (Living Life Backwards)

Having started the new ‘Pulling Down Strongholds’ series last week by looking at the moral revolution and how we got to where we are as a culture, Paul will continue this Sunday afternoon with a message on the topic of ‘Homosexuality’ based on the text found in Genesis 19:1-11.

Prayer Wednesday evening will be at the Noah’s house.

Please continue to pray for the Browns, the Dohms, and Paul White. They are now in Blantyre, Malawi with Mala and Masa.

A reminder about a few events coming up:
  • Labor Day All-Church Picnic: Monday, Sept 3, at the Brown’s Farm
  • Preaching With Precision & Power with Steve Lawson: October 23-25, at Ridgecrest in Asheville, NC
  • The Glory of Christ Conference: October 25-27, at Ridgecrest in Asheville, NC

Songs for Sunday are as follows:

  • Trust and Obey
  • Day by Day
  • He Will Hold Me Fast
  • What a Friend We Have in Jesus
  • Be Still My Soul
in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – When Life Is Not Fair

August 1, 2018
01 Aug 2018

Dear brothers and sisters,

We plan on being in Ecclesiastes for the next three weeks. This Sunday we will pick up in 3:16 and go through 4:3 (at least, that is the plan as of now).

We live in a world full of injustice everywhere we turn our eyes. Even our own society has fallen further away from a place of righteousness and justice. How we respond to this says a great deal about us and about our view of God. Are we living like pagans specifically in regard to our response to seasons of injustice? How do you process the news that comes to you through various media sources? Or maybe the better question to ask is how should you respond? Maybe it is not just injustice reported in the news; maybe you are experiencing some measure of injustice yourself. How we respond reveals much about our thinking. What do you do when God seems silent, distant, detached, or uninterested?
Prayer on Wednesday night will be at the Church building at our regular time 7:00 pm.
Please be in prayer for Scott and Deborah, Jason and Janet Dohm (Sovereign Redeemer in Youngsville), and Paul White (Covenant Bible Church in Taylorsville, NC) who leave early Thursday morning to go to Malawi, Africa for 10 days. Let us ‘hold the rope’ as our brothers and sisters go to minister to souls.
This Sunday we will be taking up a new series in our afternoon sessions – ‘Pulling Down Strongholds’. The idea behind it is a concern for us as a congregation, and specifically the rising generations among us, growing up in what has become largely a pagan society. It is no longer safe enough to simply not pitch your tent ever closer to Sodom. In our day the city limits of Sodom are broadening at a pace that threatens to swallow up everything in its path – the church of Jesus Christ included. We hope to deal with topics such as the feminist movement, transgender movement, evolution, humanism, paganism, environmentalism, social justice, etc. and ways that Hollywood and Nashville promote these things.
The next several Sunday afternoons, Paul Carrington will be dealing with effects from the ‘Moral Revolution’ most recently birthed in the middle of the last century. Paul writes: This Sunday afternoon, we begin our series with a look at Homosexuality & Gender (Romans 1). The Bible is very honest in its reflections on sexual sin. In our present day, man’s quest for autonomy has led to the normalizing of evil in this regard. The reality is that this is nothing more than a declared war against God’s truth. Pray He will use this series to aid and equip us for the challenges we must face.
Please note that we are aware of the various levels of maturity among the audience – yes, some of us have young children as well. We plan to be very careful in our delivery and will be no more graphic than Scripture itself. We will lean on the heads of households to take and ’step up’ the teaching on a level that is fitting and appropriate for older children in the home – good and necessary discussions that would not be fitting in our setting together. So be aware of the topic; use your own judgment in leading your families; and pray for us. We welcome feedback as we progress through these difficult topics. At the end of the day, the world is extremely bold with its message; and the church cannot afford to be timid in the proclamation of the true knowledge of God and His righteousness. We are at war. And we cannot afford to be ill-equipped. The great reformer Martin Luther said: ‘Where the battle rages is where the loyalty of the soldier is proved. And to be steady on all the battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.’
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…
 
 
Songs for Sunday are as follows:
  • In Christ Alone
  • It Is Well with My Soul
  • Like a River Glorious 
  • Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
  • Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah
in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – More than Bread – Everlasting Delight in the Saints

July 25, 2018
25 Jul 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
In John 6:34-40 we encounter, not only the first “I Am” Statement in the Gospel of John, but a lavish testimony of the “doctrines of love…” popularly known as the “doctrines of grace.” These include Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace and the Perseverance of the Saints. Thomas Goodwin describes these doctrines as God’s “pure act of good pleasure.” How so? He says that they teach us that in choosing you,” He “not only loved you, but delighted to love you… but it was an act of love, and not of love only, but of good pleasure and of delight too…. God rejoiced over you from everlasting…”    His love is so unquenchable that our text says that He will not “lose,” you and He will not “cast” you away.
 
Prayer will be held at the Brown’s Barn. We will be giving some updates on the Mission to Turkey and to focus some of our prayers in that direction.
 
Sunday night singing, 6:30 at the church. There will be no afternoon preaching.
 
Baptism at 2:00 on Sunday Afternoon, after the fellowship meal, Brandon Vanderford will be baptized in the Brown’s Lake.
 
Our Songs on Sunday includes these songs:
 
To God All Praise and Glory

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched

Irresistible Grace
He Will Hold Me Fast
Wonderful, Merciful Savior
 

To God All Praise and Glory
All praise to God, who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of wonders, pow’r, and love,
The God of our salvation!
With healing balm my soul He fills,
The God who every sorrow stills,
To God all praise and glory!

What God’s almighty pow’r hath made
His gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning dawn or evening shade
His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of His might,
Lo, all is just and all is right,
To God all praise and glory!

I cried to Him in time of need:
Lord God, O, hear my calling!
For death He gave me life indeed
And kept my feet from falling.
For this my thanks shall endless be;
O thank Him, thank our God, with me,
To God all praise and glory!

The Lord forsaketh not His flock,
His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand
He leads His own, His chosen band,
To God all praise and glory!

Ye who confess Christ’s holy name,
To God give praise and glory!
Ye who the Father’s power proclaim,
To God give praise and glory!
All idols under foot be trod,
The Lord is God! the Lord is God!
To God all praise and glory!

Then come before His presence now
And banish fear and sadness;
To your Redeemer pay your vow
And sing with joy and gladness:
Though great distress my soul befell,
The Lord, my God, did all things well,
To God all praise and glory!

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched
Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity joined with pow’r:
He is able,
He is able,
He is able,
He is willing; doubt no more.

Come, ye needy, come and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Ev’ry grace that brings you nigh,
Without money,
Without money,
Without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and broken by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all:
Not the righteous,
Not the righteous,
Not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him;
This He gives you,
This He gives you,
This He gives you;
‘Tis the Spirit’s rising beam.

Lo! th’incarnate God, ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood;
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude:
None but Jesus,
None but Jesus,
None but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.

Irresistible Grace
I sought You, Lord, but now I see
You were the one who was seeking me
I found You, Lord, and then I knew
That I was found by You

You have called me with irresistible grace
This was Your eternal plan
Thank you, Lord, for saving me
On Your grace now I can stand

I took Your hand when I was weak
Sinking, yet always within Your reach
My feet were firm though on the sea
For You took hold of me

I sought, I walked, because Your grace
Long before had fixed my place
And now I love – how can it be?
‘Twas You who first loved me

He Will Hold Me Fast
When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path;
For my love is often cold;
He must hold me fast.

   He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.

Those He saves are His delight,
Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in His holy sight,
He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost;
His promises shall last;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.

For my life He bled and died,
Christ will hold me fast;
Justice has been satisfied;
He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life,
He will hold me fast
‘Till our faith is turned to sight,
When He comes at last!

Wonderful, Merciful Savior
Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb could
Rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost our way
Oh, we’ve hopelessly lost the way

   You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we’re falling before Your throne

   You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – What are you looking to gain?

July 18, 2018
18 Jul 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

How do you know if you are truly saved, or if you are simply fooling yourself by seeking your own gain? John Chapter 6 examines the characteristics of true and false disciples. False disciples are looking for something for themselves while true disciples have one holy desire to do the will of Jesus Christ. They are not fixated on themselves. They want bread from heaven… being unconcerned about the earthly benefits of bread and health. In our text for Sunday, John 6:22-33, we find Jesus confronting the crowd for their unbelief – even though they like what they see in Jesus. They are seeking some form of personal gain. What God is seeking is true worshipers who desire to obey Him, and fellowship with Him regardless of the times and the seasons the Lord ordains. The life and death question that must be asked is, what are you looking to gain? The answer to this question will determine your eternal destiny,

Church membership: Now that we have completed our series, “Joined and Knit Together,” covering the basic elements of healthy church life,  we are now desiring to meet with folks who are interested in becoming members at Hope Baptist. The Elders would like to make appointments with whoever is interested. Please contact one of the Elders to get on a schedule. If you missed any of the sessions you can find the audio messages here

Women’s Mentoring will be held at the Brown’s Barn at 10 am on Wednesday. They will be discussing the second half of the book on productive moms… School-age kids bring their school work and for younger kids, childcare is provided.

Prayer is at the Noah home

The Elders and Deacons and their wives will be departing on Thursday for an Elder Deacon Retreat near Asheville. We will be focusing on how do we bind ourselves together for the spread of the gospel locally and around the world and make that our dominant focus of prayer, conversation and planning. We will be studying 1 Thessalonians 1-5.

Our Songs for Sunday are, 

Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts
Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts,
Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men,
From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again.

Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call;
To them that seek Thee Thou art good,
To them that find Thee all in all.

We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still;
We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead,
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.

Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,
Where’er our changeful lot is cast;
Glad when Thy gracious smile we see,
Blest when our faith can hold Thee fast.

How Sweet and Awful Is the Place
How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores!

While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
“Lord, why was I a guest?”

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there’s room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?”

’Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

Pity the nations, O our God,
Constrain the earth to come;
Send thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

We long to see thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May, with one voice and heart and soul,
Sing thy redeeming grace.

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
Come behold the wondrous mystery
In the dawning of the King
He the theme of heaven’s praises
Robed in frail humanity
In our longing, in our darkness
Now the light of life has come
Look to Christ, who condescended
Took on flesh to ransom us

Come behold the wondrous mystery
He the perfect Son of Man
In His living, in His suffering
Never trace nor stain of sin
See the true and better Adam
Come to save the hell-bound man
Christ the great and sure fulfillment
Of the law; in Him we stand

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Christ the Lord upon the tree
In the stead of ruined sinners
Hangs the Lamb in victory
See the price of our redemption
See the Father’s plan unfold
Bringing many sons to glory
Grace unmeasured, love untold

Come behold the wondrous mystery
Slain by death the God of life
But no grave could e’er restrain Him
Praise the Lord; He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliverance
How unwavering our hope
Christ in power resurrected
As we will be when He comes

Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!
Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Saviour, makes me whole.

   Hallelujah! what a Saviour!
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him;
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my vict’ry wins.

Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows o’er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night o’ertakes me,
He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find,
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope: All According to Purpose and Plan

July 11, 2018
11 Jul 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday finds us in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes (3:1-15). It is here we are reminded that, no matter what time (event) of life we are experiencing at this very moment, there is a purpose for it according to the will of our God. The Author of our days and moments has made everything beautiful in its time. Do you believe that? We are wired to want to know, to search out, to understand the ways of God – but His judgments are unsearchable, and His ways past finding out.
God orchestrates these events in spite of our lack of understanding and apart from our control – and He does this so that we may fear Him. So what is the best thing we can do? Rejoice; do good, and enjoy God’s good gifts. Are you able to do that?
David Gibson reminds us: What difference would it make to our now to begin to live in the light of the fact that there will be a then? Ecclesiastes tells us to learn now, today, that there really is a time for everything. Learning now that the season or seasons I am in will not always be the season of my life can at least help to prepare me for the chapters of my life God has yet to write…It is possible that actively embracing the fact of change in advance of change can help us to adjust our step that little bit more readily when autumn or winter is upon us. Living like this is also what helps us to realize that so much of the time, we use our times to seek satisfaction rather than living in the times God has given and so receiving satisfaction from Him as a gift. Satisfaction comes when you know you are a time-bound creature and God is the eternal Creator. Satisfaction lodges in my heart when I accept the boundaries of my creaturely existence and accept the seasons of my life as coming from his good and wise hands.
Prayer Wednesday evening will be at the Burke’s home.
On Sunday afternoon we will wrap up our Joined and Knit Together series with a consideration of ‘Church Discipline’.
Songs for Sunday are as follows:
  • Reformation Hymn
  • I Sing the Mighty Power of God
  • Come All Ye Pining Hungry Poor
  • What God Ordains Is Always Good
  • All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – I am the Bread of Life

June 27, 2018
27 Jun 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Please pray for Sona who went in for foot surgery this morning. She plans to be home this afternoon…
Prayer will be at the Noah’s
Equipping the Saints… Even if you are not going on the trip to the Museum of the Bible on Friday, I will be providing resources that I encourage you to listen to. Those who are going will be listening to these resources on the integrity of the Bible in vehicles on the way, and there will be a call-in sharing opportunity as we all travel to Washington… I’ll send out the details on Thursday. Why should you believe the Bible? Why do you? Our trip to the Museum of the Bible on June 29 is a mini apologetics course on the historicity and reliability of the Bible. It is designed to help you answer extremely important questions.
On Sunday, we will be “beholding,” the “glory,” of Jesus Christ by examining John 6 and the feeding of the 20,000… No other miracle involved so many people, and it is the only miracle which is recorded in all four Gospels. Further, this narrative contains the first of seven, “I Am” Statements – “I am the living bread.” John Owen explains it this way, “every sacred truth that reveals something of the glory of Christ to our souls is a pearl or precious stone which enriches us.” It will be clear as we read this section, that the focus is not on the miracle, but rather on Himself.
Our songs for Sunday are as follows… remember to sing the songs in the voice intended by the author… either a personal cry to the Lord, a teaching or exhortation to your brethren, or a call to the unconverted to turn to Christ…

  • Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
  • Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us
  • Break Thou the Bread of Life
  • Speak, O Lord
  • Behold the Lamb
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, the voice: a personal prayer for guidance
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rfl hand;
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through;
Strong Deliv’rer, strong Deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield,
Be Thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Bear me through the swelling current,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side;
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee,
I will ever give to Thee.

Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us, the voice: a unified corporate call for shepherding

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy folds prepare
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us
Be the Guardian of our way
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us
Seek us when we go astray
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Hear, O hear us when we pray
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Hear, O hear us when we pray

Thou hast promised to receive us
Poor and sinful tho’ we be
Thou hast mercy to relieve us
Grace to cleanse and pow’r to free
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Early let us turn to Thee
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Early let us turn to Thee

Early let us seek Thy favor
Early let us do Thy will
Blessed Lord and only Savior
With Thy love our beings fill
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast loved us, love us still
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast loved us, love us still

Break Thou the Bread of Life, the voice: a personal request for intimacy with Jesus, the Bread of life

Break Thou the bread of life,
Dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves
Beside the sea;
Throughout the sacred page
I seek Thee, Lord,
My spirit pants for Thee,
O living Word.

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord,
To me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread
By Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease,
All fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace,
My All in all.

Thou art the Bread of Life,
O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth
That saveth me;
Give me to eat and live
With Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth,
For Thou art love.

O send Thy Spirit, Lord,
Now unto me,
That He may touch mine eyes,
And make me see:
Show me the truth concealed
Within Thy Word,
That in Thy Book revealed
I see Thee Lord.

Speak, O Lord – the voice: a corporate request to the Lord to speak to us as a church

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow’r that can never fail –
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us –
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

Behold the Lamb, the voice: a corporate call to one another to behold the lamb of God

Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away
Slain for us and we remember
The promise made that all who come in faith
Find forgiveness at the cross
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of peace
Around the table of the King

The body of our Saviour Jesus Christ
Torn for you eat and remember
The wounds that heal the death that brings us life
Paid the price to make us one
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of love
Around the table of the King

The blood that cleanses ev’ry stain of sin
Shed for you drink and remember
He drained death’s cup that we may enter in
To receive the life of God
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of grace
Around the table of the King

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body here on earth
As we share in His suffering
We proclaim Christ will come again!
And we’ll join in the feast of Heaven
Around the table of the King

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – The Reality of Mortality

June 20, 2018
20 Jun 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday we are back in the book of Ecclesiastes (2:12-26). We have seen thus far in this book that we were created for something greater than the here and the now. Though we are part of the cycle of this created world, we must look beyond it for true meaning and purpose. We have seen that no pursuit of wisdom and pleasure will ever result in lasting joy and satisfaction. Such pursuits leave us with two fistfuls of wind.

On Sunday we will consider the reality of mortality – that it is appointed unto man to die once. How we face that reality will determine our very happiness and contentment today. Here is that David Gibson quote from our first study that seemed to grab our attention:

Left to our own devices, we tend to live life forward. One day follows another, and weeks turn into months and months into years. We do not know the future, but we plan and hope and dream of where we will be, and what we would like to be doing, and whom we might be with. We live forward. Ecclesiastes teaches us to live life backward. It encourages us to take the one thing in the future that is certain— our death— and work backward from that point into all the details and decisions and heartaches of our lives, and to think about them from the perspective of the end. It is the destination that makes sense of the journey. If we know for sure where we are heading, then we can know for sure what we need to do before we get there. Ecclesiastes invites us to let the end sculpt our priorities and goals, our greatest ambitions and our strongest desires. I want to persuade you that only if you prepare to die can you really learn how to live.

So the question is this – is the end sculpting your priorities and goals, your greatest ambitions, and strongest desires? How are you dealing with the reality of mortality?

Prayer tomorrow night will be at the Burke’s house.

We will be continuing our Joined and Knit Together series. Paul Carrington will be bringing a message regarding the Christian Sabbath.

Also, pray for Scott and Deborah as they will be away attending the marriage of Don Hart’s daughter.

The songs for Sunday are as follows:

  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness
  • I Surrender All
  • Come All Ye Pining
  • Show Us Christ
  • Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God
    •    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nbMfLQd2P4)

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – Many Reasons to Follow Jesus

June 12, 2018
12 Jun 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
 
In our text for Sunday, John 5 24-47, John continues to appeal to his readers to believe in and follow Jesus. But his appeal is not groundless and not vague. He gives reasons. This chapter is one of the pivotal places in the Bible where the writer gives specific reasons to believe that Jesus is God. There are two major headings under which we can understand John’s instruction:
 
 I. He Gives Everlasting Life, v24-30
II. Five Witnesses to the Life Which is in Christ, v31-47 
 
Notice that since He is God in the flesh, He has LIFE  in His Name (count how many times “life” and “believe” appear in our text).
In this section, John lists many reasons to believe. We will try to cover all of them on Sunday. He is obviously concerned with “life” which is our happiness… for he writes these things that our joy might be made full and that we would have life in His Name. Isaac Ambrose describes this beautifully,
 
“Only Christ is the whole of man’s happiness, the sun to enlighten him, the physician to heal him the wall of fire to defend him, the friend to comfort him, the pearl to enrich him, the Ark to support him, the rock to sustain him under the heaviest pressures. As a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of waters in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land…” Isaac Ambrose, (17)
 
Women’s mentoring is this Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at the Brown’s Barn from 10-12 noon. We will be reading a booklet called “How Can I Feel Productive As A Mom?” by Esther Engelsma. Childcare will be provided for preschool children. You can watch a video interview with Scott and Deborah Brown on some of the content of this book by clicking here.
 
Prayer on Wednesday will be held at the Brown’s Barn, 3721 Quarry Road, Wake Forest at 7:00 pm.
 
Remember to pray for our Father Daughter Retreat, Saturday 9:00-4:00. The Elders will be answering questions the ladies would like to ask them… girls, come with your questions… stump the Elders… For more details or to make your reservation, contact Alan Hillman, [email protected]
 
During our worship service, as we sing to the Lord, to one another and to the unconverted among us, these will be our songs:
 
When Morning Gilds the Skies
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Complete in Thee
Ancient Words
When Morning Gilds the Skies
When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries
May Jesus Christ be praised:
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised.When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised:
When evil thoughts molest,
With this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised.

Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised:
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised.

In heav’n’s eternal bliss
The loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised:
The powers of darkness fear,
When this sweet chant they hear,
May Jesus Christ be praised.

Let earth’s wide circle round
In joyful notes resound,
May Jesus Christ be praised:
Let air and sea and sky,
From depth to height, reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised.

Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be praised:
Be this th’eternal song,
Through all the ages on,
May Jesus Christ be praised.

 
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious – Thy great name we praiseUnresting, unhasting, and silent as light
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love

To all, life Thou givest – to both great and small
In all life Thou livest – the true life of all
Thy wisdom so boundless, Thy mercy so free
Eternal Thy goodness for naught changeth Thee

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight
All praise we would render – O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!

 
Complete In Thee
Complete in Thee, no work of mine
Could take, dear Lord, the place of Thine.
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I shall stand complete in Thee!Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified salvation-wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified I, too, shall be.

Complete in Thee, each want supplied,
And no good thing to me denied,
Since Thou my portion, Lord, will be,
I ask no more, complete in Thee!

Complete in Thee, no more shall sin
Thy grace has conquered reign within;
Thy blood shall bid the tempter flee,
And I shall stand complete in Thee!

Dear Savior, when, before Thy bar,
All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among the chosen I shall be,
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee!

 
Ancient Words
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope;
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home.

Ancient words, ever true,
Changing me, and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our faith,
Handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart;
Oh let the ancient words impart.

   Ancient words, ever true,
Changing me, and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

 
And Can It Be
And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain;
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace,
Humbled Himself because of love
And bled for all His chosen race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free
For, O my God, it found out me.
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray –
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off; my heart was free.
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.

No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach th’eternal throne
And claim the crown, thro’ Christ my own.
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me.

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

This Week at Hope – The Pursuit of Two Fistfuls of Wind

June 6, 2018
06 Jun 2018

Dear brothers and sisters, 

We would do well to heed the wise words of the Preacher – “Indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” Only a fool would think that he could find what Solomon was too ignorant or too poor to find. Sadly, the world is full of fools. I am afraid that, as we look across the landscape of the ‘church’ of our day, we will find that there is also no shortage of fools even among professing Christians. Listen to the words of John Angell James (from the first half of the nineteenth century):
Have not multitudes since Solomon’s time, made the same melancholy confession? Is it not a general admission, that the pleasure of worldly objects arises more from hope and anticipation – rather than possession? They are like beautiful bubbles, which, as they float, reflect the colors of the rainbow – but dissolve and vanish when grasped! Tell me, admirers of earthly good – have you realized what you expected? Are not the scenes of festivity and amusement resorted to by many with aching hearts? Does not the smiling countenance often conceal a troubled heart? Is not the laugh resorted to – in order to suppress the sigh?
 
Even if it were granted, that the possession of wealth, the gratifications of taste, and the indulgence of appetite, could give happiness in seasons of health and prosperity – they must inevitably fail in the day of sickness and adversity. If they were satisfying for a season – they are all fragile and uncertain! All the enjoyments of this life are like gathered flowers, which are no sooner plucked than they begin to lose their beauty and their fragrance while we look at them and smell them; and which, however mirthful and beautiful they appeared while they were growing – begin to wither as soon as they are in our hands!

May God give us the grace to consider our end; to know that it is fixed and it is certain. And then to live each day backward from that reality.

Prayer on Wednesday night will be at the Brown’s Barn.
 
Sunday afternoon we will be taking a break from our Joined and Knit Together series in order to have an installation service for our new church officers – Paul, Ash, and Josh. It will be a time of celebration and thankfulness for God’s kindness and demonstration of His love by gifting His church with these men. Scott will be bringing a short message on Exemplary Elders and Deacons in the New Testament.
The songs for Sunday are as follows:
 
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing

Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sin and sorrow grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders of His love
 
Living Waters
Are you thirsty
Are you empty
Come and drink these living waters
Tired and broken
Peace unspoken
Rest beside these living waters

Christ is calling
Find refreshing
At the cross of living waters
Lay your life down
All the old gone
Rise up in these living waters

There’s a river that flows
With mercy and love
Bringing joy to the city of our God
There our hope is secure
Do not fear anymore
Praise the Lord of living waters

Spirit moving
Mercy washing
Healing in these living waters
Lead your children
To the shore line
Life is in these living waters

Are you thirsty
Are you empty
Come and drink these living waters
Love, forgiveness
Vast and boundless
Christ, He is our living waters

 
O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Greatest treasure of my longing soul
My God, like You there is no other
True delight is found in You alone
Your grace, a well too deep to fathom
Your love exceeds the heavens’ reach
Your truth, a fount of perfect wisdom
My highest good and my unending need
 
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Strong defender of my weary heart
My sword to fight the cruel deceiver
And my shield against his hateful darts
My song when enemies surround me
My hope when tides of sorrow rise
My joy when trials are abounding
Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night
 
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Gracious Savior of my ruined life
My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders
In my place You suffered bled and died
You rose, the grave and death are conquered
You broke my bonds of sin and shame
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
May all my days bring glory to Your Name
 
 
I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow
I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and ev’ry grace,
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer,
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And, by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in ev’ry part.

Yea, more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe,
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Humbled my heart and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;
“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”
“’Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward tri-als I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Wonderful, Merciful Savior
Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb could
Rescue the souls of men
Oh, You rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost our way
Oh, we’ve hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we’re falling before Your throne

in This Week at Hope Baptist /by

Worship With Us

Please come visit us for our Church Service on Sunday. Our services are held from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM and are immediately followed by a fellowship meal onsite. Visitors are always welcome, and should consider themselves to be our guests – there is always plenty of food. Please come and join us!

Hope Baptist Church is holding services in Wake Forest, located at 825 Averette Rd, Wake Forest, NC 27587