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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2015-02-19, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015. PAGE 15. By Pastor Andrew Versteeg Brussels Community Bible Chapel Our church meets at the Brussels Business and Cultural Centre; formerly known as the Brussels Public School. Recently I was looking for something in the supply room and I came across an old blueprint of the school. The school was built in the early 1960s and since that time a few additions and renovations have taken place. When we are going to build something, we usually begin with a blue print. We need a plan and we have to communicate that plan to those involved in the construction of that building. A complete set of plans tells you everything you need to know about the building, and as you look at the blueprint you get a good picture in your mind as to what the building will look and be like. A lot of blueprints actually include some three dimensional views of the building. But blueprints are just blueprints; they are not the real thing. By that, I mean they are just lines on paper, they are pictures and details about what the building will be, but they are not the building. You cannot live in a blueprint, or set up your office in a blueprint, or move your business into a blueprint, or attend school in a blueprint. The blueprint gives us the picture of what the building will actually be when it is built. I want us to think about God’s word in terms of a blueprint, and in terms of a building, the completion of the blueprint. John 1:17 says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” This verse essentially teaches us that in God’s word there is a blueprint, which is the Law that was given through Moses, and there is a building, which is grace and truth which became reality through Jesus Christ. The Law, as it was given through Moses, began with the Ten Commandments and then included many details about how the people were to live holy lives before the Lord. Through the Law, God was telling the people then and us now that He is holy, completely holy, and that if we would be His children then we too must be completely holy. The Law was meant to be obeyed completely/perfectly in order for a person to be right with God. Our problem is that we are incapable of keeping the Law perfectly, and all of our attempts at being good fall far short of God’s holy standard. But thankfully the Law also showed to us that God is gracious and merciful. He is compassionate and understands that we are incapable of being completely holy. In the Law there was provision for grace so that we could be made right with God. Lambs and other animals were sacrificed as a payment for that which was not right before God. There was a sacrifice for sin. Keep in mind that this is still the blueprint; not the reality. These sacrifices could not pay for sin, but they were pictures to tell us that a perfect sacrifice was coming. These sacrifices were telling us to look ahead to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Then Jesus came to earth, as we celebrate at Christmas. He was the reality. He was what the blueprint was looking forward to. To say it another way, Jesus Christ is the building. John 1:17 tells us that “grace and truth were realized, or became reality, through Jesus Christ.” First grace became reality through Jesus. In Jesus’ life we see God’s grace and compassion, His kindness and mercy; and we especially see His grace when He died on the cross as a payment for our sin. Truth became reality through Jesus as well. This was realized in His life because all that He did was right. Jesus never sinned and His life was a life of complete truth, or to say it another way, complete righteousness. Grace and truth are the two things that we need in order to become children of God and receive eternal life: grace to pardon our sin, and truth as completed obedience. How can this be reality in our lives, or to put it another way, how can we enter into this completed building? The answer is through faith in Jesus Christ. All that Jesus did He did on our behalf so that we can become children of God. This becomes reality in our lives by receiving and believing in the Lord Jesus. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Often we think that if we try to be good and do some good things in our life, then God will accept us based on those things. But God is completely holy and we need to recognize that all of our attempts at being holy/good are only attempts THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. 17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph’s Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N. ARISE Missions Conference @ Huron Chapel Friday: February 20th 7:00pm Movie night for all ages Saturday: February 21 9:30am Digging Deeper…sessions on prayer, giving & going 7:00pm Family Fun Night in the village Sunday February 22: 10:30 am Arise with Tim Whatley in the morning service 119 John’s Ave. in Auburn - huronchapel.com CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS MINISTER Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. All Welcome MUSIC DIRECTOR Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224 Sunday, February 22 ~ Lent 1 – “Jesus Calms...” Sunday, March 1 ~ Lent 2 – “Jesus Laughs…” Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m. MUSIC DIRECTOR Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed. Children Welcome Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, February 22 Brussels Business & Cultural Centre at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Nursery care available 519-887-9017 Worship & Sunday School - 10 am Coffee & Snacks - 11 am We invite you to join our church family in: Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2 - a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and made possible by the Brussels churches working together. SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Service 7:30 pm Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH BRUSSELS WORSHIP SERVICE AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am All Welcome United Church Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div. Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224 blythunited@tcc.on.ca Church bookings: 519-887-6377 Other concerns: 226-963-1175 getlivingwater.org Living Water Christian Fellowship 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 Feb. 22: Ps.84; SoS.1 Evangelical Missionary Church Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham “Deepen Desire” FREE MOVIE: Fri., Feb. 20 ~ 7:30 p.m. 250 Princess St., Brussels 519-887-6388 www.bmfchurch.com Pastor Ken Gazley Guests Welcome Jesus Is Lord! Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Worship Service 10:00 am Sunday School 11:15 am From the Minister’s Study God’s word is the blueprint, then you come in Continued on page 23