The Living Stone!

Michael E. Wood

May 9, 2012

City Light Preaching Nights

Various preachers and pastors from biblically based churches from around the city of Sacramento have been given the task to preach a series of messages on the attributes of God, hosted by Immanuel Baptist Church the first Saturday night of each month from May through the remainder of this year. Pastor Robert Briggs of Immanuel Baptist preached the first night, May 5^th, on “The Knowable God”.

Quoting from J.I. Packer, he noted, “It is better to know a little of God than to know a great deal about God.” “All men know God “, Pastor Briggs went on to say, reading the text from Romans 1:19-23  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

The first four verses of the following poem came to mind as he was preaching and was completed Wednesday morning while pondering the thoughts that had been expressed.

In what way do you know Him

Who is God of all the earth?

Do you know Him just by nature

Or in truth of all His worth?

For He himself has shown you

Even though you may suppress

The truth of who He is

By all your own ungodliness.

And though you may now hide behind

The things of your own mind,

Born out of such imagination

In the end you’ll find-

He has indeed revealed to you

And made it very clear,

Jehovah-Tisidkenu* alone

Is He whom you should fear!

For those of us He purchased

And has made His very own,

We take delight in giving praise,

For Jesus did atone.

As for our sake He took upon

Himself all of our sin,

And justice met with mercy,

For us righteousness to win.

And as we are now justified

And give the glory due,

God likewise will be honored

By His condemnation too.

For all who are not humbled

With new hearts made to repent,

Rejecting Jesus as the only One

Of whom He sent

Will bow before Him in the judgment

When comes the final day

And proclaim Him Lord of all,

His triumph then display.

Oh will you not now come to Him?

By grace through faith alone

And trust in Him for mercy

As He Is The Living Stone!

(*Jehovah Tisidkenu- Jehovah is our righteousness.)

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The following City Lights Preaching Night Schedule is included as an invitation to anyone may read this blog during this season of special meetings. Thank you Greg Garcia and Viktor Palenyy for your labor of love.

CITY LIGHT PREACHING NIGHT A SERIES ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

6:30 PM WHERE: IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH (1424 24TH STREET - MIDTOWN)

1.	The Knowable God	May 5th	Robert Briggs	Immanuel Baptist Church
2.	The Triune God	June 2nd	Steve Meister	River City Grace
3.	The Infinite-Personal God	July 7th	Greg Stoever	River City Grace
4.	The Holy God	August 4th	Phil Layton	Gold Country Baptist Church
5.	The Loving God	September 8th	Erik Myers	Veritas
6.	The Wrathful God	October 6th	Jeremy Twombley	Immanuel Baptist Church
7.	The Faithful God	November 3rd	Ron Poarch	Grace Reformation Church
8.	The Beautiful God	December 1st	Jon Mroos	Elk Grove Bible Church