V O L. 25 – O C T O B E R 20 16

Jesus Loves Me This I Know…

In 1962, one of the most renowned theologians of the 20th Century spoke at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago. During the Q&A time, a student asked him if he could summarize his theology in a single sentence. Without hesitating, this theologian said, "In the words of a song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'" This line, from Susan Warner’s famous 19th Century children’s hymn, is one of the most profound biblical and theological truths; and, with the recent outlandish rejection of it by Andy Stanley—the Atlanta meg-church pastor—it is all the more important that we are settled on this issue when we come to answer the question, "How do I know that Jesus loves me?" In recent years, myriads of books have been written to seek to convince men--and particularly women--of the love of Christ. Instead of rooting the subjective experience of the love of Christ in the objective revelation of His love in Scripture, authors and teachers often seek to root the subjective experience of the love

of Christ in the subjective, immediate revelation of Christ to individuals. On the surface, doing so seems to offer people a more easily attainable experience of the love of Christ. Instead of calling people to commit to a diligent study and patient continuance in the word of God, many writers and teachers encourage an immediate, mystical experience that shortcuts the need for biblical revelation. In doing so, they actually rob individuals of the great need they have to know and to be established in the love of Christ by means of the revelation of His love in Scripture. To be sure, one must experience the love of Christ in his or her soul by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit if one is to truly have a saving knowledge of Christ. It is altogether possible for someone to read the Bible, to gain an intellectual understanding of the things of God in the Scriptures, yet not know the love of Jesus. It was Jesus who said to the Pharisees, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40). But, it was

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the same Jesus who taught (in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus)--in response to the rich man’s request to send back someone from the dead to warn his brothers of the awful misery of Hell, “They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them…If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:29-31). The Spirit of Christ has breathed out the Scriptures. He then applies the saving work of Jesus to the souls of His people by means of Scripture. The love of God is poured out in the hearts of God’s people as they receive the word of Christ with faith. It is only those who have seen Christ in the Scriptures by faith who then, in turn, experience the love of Christ in their souls. As Bernard of Clairvaux so wonderfully put it, “But what to those who find? Ah, this nor tongue nor pen can show; the love of Jesus, what it is, none but His loved ones know.” While the need for a spiritual experience of the love of Christ is real, the quest for a subjective experience of the love of Christ apart from Scripture can also often come in the form of superstitious readings of nature or providence. One sees a rainbow or a beautiful sunset and thinks, "This is a sign of God's love for me." Someone narrowly escapes a near-death incident and thinks, "Now I know that God loves me!" While we readily acknowledge that the rainbow (i.e. the sign of God's covenant mercy) and the magnificently colorful sky "declare the glory of God and show forth his handiwork" (Ps. 19:1)--and, while it is true that God reveals his overflowing goodness in the protection of His creatures by virtue of His kind providences--the reflection of His glory in creation and providence is insufficient to bring men to a saving knowledge of Christ, and are no sure mark of God’s saving love for His people. The problem with adopting a superstitious approach with regard to the love of God is that such an approach does not account for the hardship, trials and suffering experienced by those upon whom God has set His great love in Christ. The Scriptures are clear that those whom God loves from the foundation of the world, and for whom Christ died, are often those who suffer the most in this life. If I know and am assured of the love of God for me by seeing the beauty of

creation and the kind providences of life, how will I interpret natural disasters--not to mention the dark, hard and painful providences that I experience personally? While natural disasters and personal suffering may be a sign of God's judgment, they may also be signs of His chastening love (Heb. 12:5-11)--as well as trials designed to drive me to Him more and more. We can never conclude that a sunset is a mark of God's saving love (Matt. 5:45) but physical affliction a mark of His righteous indignation (2 Cor. 12:7-10). The only objective evidence of the saving love of God and Christ for His people is the cross on which Jesus died. The Apostle Paul made this abundantly clear when he wrote, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8) and "The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). As Augustine illustratively put it, "The cross was the pulpit in which Christ preached His love." The doctrine of special revelation teaches us that we can only know of the crucified Savior, and the meaning of His crucifixion, by means of the Scriptures. It was by means of the Scripture and the sacrament that the risen Jesus opened the eyes of the two on the road to Emmaus to know and understand what He had accomplished in His death and resurrection (Luke 24:13-35). It was by means of the Old Testament that the resurrected Jesus taught these things to His disciples (Luke 24:44-47). It has been said that Warner penned the words of the first line of “Jesus Loves Me” in order to comfort a dying boy. However, it has also been noted that West Point cadets would sing this hymn while on duty. How remarkable that this truth runs the gamut of both age and experience, bringing comfort to dying child and active soldier! Oh that the Lord would establish us in the revelation of the love of Christ in the Scriptures. While multitudes are searching for immediate, mystical experiences, or looking to creation or experience, to lay hold of the knowledge of the love of Christ, we must run to the Scriptures to lay hold of Christ crucified. As we do, we will begin to understand the profundity the statement, "Jesus Loves Me This I Know, for the Bible Tells Me So."

-Rev. Nick Batzig

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WEEKLY MEETINGS Adult Sunday School | Sundays in October | 9:30 AM | Travis Peacock will continue teaching the adult Sunday school class in the worship room. New Members Class | Sundays in October | 9:30 AM | Sunday mornings at the City Center | Rev. Batzig will continue teaching a 10 week course for anyone seeking membership at New Covenant. Please contact the church office at newcovpres@gmail.com if you would like to participate. Children’s Sunday School | Sundays in October | 9:30 AM | Since the 4th thru 8th graders will be meeting for a catechetical training class this quarter we will have Sunday school classes for the preschool class and younger elementary class only this quarter. Parents are encouraged to pick up their children from their classrooms immediately following Sunday school. For more information please email Meghan at newcovpres@gmail.com. Catechetical Training Sunday School Class | 9:30 AM | Sundays in October | This quarter we are offering a catechetical class for the older elementary class and the youth group in the cafeteria. For more information please email David Prussia at jdprussia@gmail.com Men’s Breakfast and Book Study | October 4, 11, 18, 25 | 6:00 AM | The men will continue meeting at the Omelet Café in Richmond Hill to study “Let’s Study John” by Mark Johnston. For more information or to join this study please contact Bobby Wise at bobbywise84@yahoo.com. New Covenant University Fellowship | October 4, 11, 18, 25 | 7:15 PM | NCUF will continue their study of the book of Colossians at the church plant resident’s house in the Southside | For more information please email Maggie Carr at southsideplant@gmail.com. Fort Stewart Bible Study | October 6, 13, 20, 27 | 12:00 PM | Mark Bowyer will continue leading a study of “Let’s Study John” by Mark Johnston during the lunch hour on Fort Stewart | If you plan to attend please bring a sack lunch | For more information please email Mark Bowyer at mwbowyer@gmail.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS Women’s Wednesday | October 5 | 6:15 PM | The women will continue their monthly fellowship time at the home of Vickie Myers. For more information please see Jane Jones. Saturday Morning Women’s Bible Study | October 8 | 9: 00 am | The ladies will continue their study of 1,2,3 John. For more information please see Danielle Peacock. Small Groups | October 12, 19 | 6:30 PM | Small Groups will meet on the second and third weeks of the month | For more information please see David Prussia. Youth Group Bible Study | October 12, 19 | 6:30 PM | At the church office | The youth group will continue their study of the book of Ephesians. For more information or if you would like to join the youth group please email David Prussia at jdprussia@gmail.com. Worship at Midway Congregational Church | October 16 | On Oct. 16th we will meet at the Midway Congregational Church for worship while the Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival is going on. We will not have Sunday school or evening worship on this day. Immediately following the service we would like to invite everyone to stay for a picnic on the church grounds, weather permitting. Please bring a sack lunch. More details are TBA.

Magnolia Manor | October 26 | 6:30 PM | We will meet at the Magnolia Manor Assisted Living Home for a potluck dinner and Bible Study Fellowship | Dinner theme is TBA.

David and Meghan’s Wedding | October 29 | 2:00 PM | At CBC Savannah | Candy Reception to Follow | If you are able to attend please RSVP at davidandmeghan2016@gmail.com.

Chili Cookoff | October 30 | 12:00 PM | At the Wetlands Center immediately following the morning worship service | Drop off your best pot of chili to the Wetlands Center before morning worship. We will have a contest to determine who makes the best chili!

High Gravity Theology Night | October 30 | 6:00 PM | On the last Sunday of each month we continue our study of Geerhardus Vos’ “Reformed Dogmatics” with attendees. This month we will continue our study of chapter 2.

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2016 FINANCIAL UPDATE

MONTHLY GIVING

January………..………….………………………………………………………....February.……….…………………………………………....………………....….. March………………….…………………………………………………….….…...April………………….………………………………………….…………….….....May………………….………………………………………………………….….....June.……….……………...………………………………….………....…………July…………………………………………………….…….…...………………....August………………………………………………………….….…...…………...

2016 YTD Giving $233,944 Average MTD Giving $29,243

ATTENDANCE

8/7/16 –142 8/14/16 – 141 8/21/16 – 148 8/28/16 –138

9/11/16 -155 9/18/16 -145

January AVG Attendance | 157 February AVG Attendance | 151

March AVG Attendance | 144 April AVG Attendance | 135 May AVG Attendance | 139 June AVG Attendance | 132 July AVG Attendance | 136

August AVG Attendance | 143