Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
—Psalm 127:1
We continue this Sunday with our new series, “FROM JOY, FOR JOY / GOSPEL MISSION,” a ten-month study in the book of Acts. We invite you to prepare for this upcoming Sunday’s service by using this excerpt of our September 18th bulletin below. We encourage you to use the topic, passage, liturgy, and songs for prayer and reflection.
Preaching Passage for this Sunday: Acts 1:12–26
Supplementary Bible Testament Reading: Matthew 16:13–18
Song to practice: “By Thy Mercy”
Reflect:
It is worth pondering the point that our responsibility is actually a derivative of God’s sovereignty. If he were not totally sovereign, then it is difficult to see how he could give us total responsibility. Responsibility implies an authority before which and to which we are responsible. The idea of free will is that it is totally subjective and self-generating. Responsibility, by contrast, is a response to some objective and external authority.
—Graeme Goldsworthy, Prayer and the Knowledge of God