‘This Cup’
As we gathered to worship on Palm Sunday, we welcomed several visitors at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Doug Cory greeted the congregation and prayers were requested for several. Linda and Jeanette shared praises. In announcements, an Easter egg hunt for the kids will be held immediately after the morning service next Sunday and Bible Study is Wednesday evening at 6:30.
The adult Sunday school class studied John 15:1-17 about the Passover supper and Jesus teaching the disciples the importance of remaining in Him. Believers are pruned by God so they can be more fruitful and find joy through obedience. The children’s lesson taught by Terry Lett was about the true meaning of Easter.
Janet Chaney shared information about the Annie Armstrong Easter offering and Linda Abercrombie read Romans 8:20 and shared a devotional, “God Works”. God’s work is ceaseless and tireless for the good of those who love Him.
Rick Lett and Tyrel Lett served as ushers and collected the offertory. Congregational hymns included “Come and Dine” lead by Susan Cory and Karen Gardner. We enjoyed special praise music from Brother Pat Jeffers who brought us God’s word in his sermon, “This Cup”. Scripture for the message was from Matthew 26:36-49 about Jesus’ betrayal and arrests. Brother Pat told us that the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most important event ever in this world. “We gather on Sunday because Jesus died for our sins and walked out of the tomb three days later. Holy week began with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. People gathered to greet the Messiah with palm leaves, but the real victory was when He arose. (Scripture reference was Zechariah 9:9.) The next triumphant entry will be when He rides in on a white horse to destroy His enemy and claim His sport on the throne as the Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19)
As Brother Pat talked about that Thursday night in the Upper Room to observe the Passover, he reminded us about Judas slipping away to betray Jesus. “Jesus and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Gethsemane translates to the ‘oil press’ or the ‘crushing place’. What a fitting name for a place where Jesus went to pray that night. He had been crushed down and overwhelmed with great sorrow. No one has ever experienced anything like what Christ did. We will never know the agony of His prayer for us.” Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Brother Pat told us that we can’t bear our own sin. “Jesus took it for all of us. True victory begins with prayer. The cup that Jesus talks about in Matthew 26:39 is the long suffering He was asked to drink for what we’ve done, not Him. Hebrews 2:9 tells us that this cup is about Jesus taking the cup for us. Our sins have condemned us. He prayed the cup he would take, He would take for us as a way of salvation for us. What if the Father had listened to the Son and had let the cup pass? Jesus would still have been the righteous one and could have gone back to heaven (Matthew 26:53), but then there would have been no hope for salvation or eternity for us if He had let the cup pass. We would not have the New Testament if He had. If Jesus had let the cup pass, He was going back to heaven by divine intervention or by the way of the cross for sinful men. If He had avoided the cross, we would not have Him. Nothing earns you a place in Heaven except the salvation of Jesus Christ on the cross.”
In closing, Brother Pat told us, “Don’t live your life today in progressive theology-the lie of the devil. It was first introduced to Adam and Eve in the Garden. (Genesis 3:4) Satan deceived Eve with progressive theology. It’s the oldest trick in the book. It is a twisting and moving of the truth to be more user friendly. It avoids the message of judgment. Jesus taking the cup was God’s plan for our salvation. Jesus Christ was the only man acceptable to God to pay for our sins. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ. Jesus taking the cup laid the foundation for our salvation. Jesus Christ is the only way to God, forgiveness, to heaven and to eternal life. Jesus drank the cup for us so we wouldn’t have to. According to the will of the Father, Jesus drank the poison of sin which resulted in death but for resurrection. Jesus Christ did everything necessary to provide for our salvation. Jesus Christ paid that price for eternal life and a home in heaven if we will only confess our sins and believe in Him.”
We invite you to join us next Sunday for our Easter service as we remember and share in the joy and praise of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Morning worship service begins at 11 a.m. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome at Mill Creek Baptist Church located 3 1/2 miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. Roger Gill will bring us the Easter message.