First Baptist Church of York

A Place For New Beginnings

Tidings Article - August 2010

Dear Friends,

The second statement of the “Five Fundamentals” reads: “It is an essential doctrine of the Word of God and our Standards, that our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.” In 1910, the writers of those statements thought that the Virgin Birth was a crucial doctrine for orthodox faith. We know that the Roman Catholics believe this is important – just look at how they revere “Mary the Mother of God” – but how important is it for us today?

 

First, the Bible says it happened that way. If we reject this event that the Bible presents as an historical fact, then we could just as easily reject any or all of the rest. But faith requires that we submit ourselves to whatever God says or wants, whatever the issue might be.

 

Second, this relates to the perfect humanity of Jesus. We must remember that what we think of as “normal” humanity is not normal at all. Everyone we know has been born abnormally, with a sinful defective character that keeps us from being what we were designed to be, a perfect “image of God, made in God’s likeness.” Two sinners together have sinner babies who sin, who are not fully human. Only when we are “born again” and sin is dealt with by God do we defective humans begin to become what God meant for us to be, a pure reflection of His holy image, and fully human. Jesus was not less human than us because of this miraculous conception, he was more human.

 

Because Jesus was not born of the usual means between two sinners, he was born without sin. When the Spirit of God overshadowed Mary, she became pregnant with a perfect human, a perfect reflection of the perfect image of God.

 

He had to be completely innocent for his sacrifice on the Cross to be effective. To wipe away the dark stain of sin on us and in us, God had to use perfect blood. If he was not perfect, then he was a sinner dying for other sinners, an imperfect, unacceptable sacrifice. The divine mission of saving a sinful world demanded a complete, perfect and innocent sacrifice, fully human and fully divine. He had to be better than the rest of us, so that God could make us as good as He was.

 

But praise God that He was perfect, without sin in every way, an effective sacrifice for the sins of sinners, one who can give life to the dead because he died and lives again. Trust in Him, the Perfect Man, to give you life and make you who God wants you to be.

 

Pastor Tim


This week's sermon notes:

IT’S HARD TO HUMBLE WHEN…

July 25, 2010

Luke 14:1-14

 

 

 

Who is watching whom?

 

The world watches with limited eyes. (2 Cor. 4:4)

 

God watches with eyes that see everything. (1 Sam. 16:7; Luke 16:15)

 

 

Who is waiting for whom?

 

The world waits for God to make a mistake. (Luke 4:1-13)

 

God waits for us to admit ours. (Isaiah 30:18; Luke 5:32; 1 John 1:9)

 

 

It’s humanity that needs humility.

 

             We put our laws before God’s laws. (2-6)

 

We put ourselves before others. (7-11)

 

                  We put the temporary before the eternal. (8-14

Current Sermon Series

"Bringing Outsiders In - the Gospel of Luke"

Began February 2009, will continue in 2010 after Easter

Who is Jesus? How does he relate to us? How does he fit in with our lives?

The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as the Anointed One, who was chosen and prepared to bring people to God, especially those who are far away from Him.

Luke is the story of Jesus for outcasts, for wanderers, for those searching for truth, even if they don't know it.

Jesus heals, he comforts, he welcomes everyone to God. He gives up everything that he ever had to gain everyone who will ever come to God.

Come hear the stories, see Jesus again, for the first time.



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