On Friday, April 22, we will have SECRET CHURCH!
I have been looking forward to this for weeks. This will be a life-changing, God-honoring event.
So, you are thinking, "What in the world is SECRET CHURCH?" Good question.
Several years ago, a large church in Birmingham, Alabama began to have marathon Bible study nights that they called "SECRET CHURCH". The name came from the secret church in China that often meets late at night and often all night long. As the people in this Birmingham church (The Church at Brook Hills) would meet and study the Bible, they would also pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in the underground church in China and other places around the world where Christians have to meet in secret.
This SECRET CHURCH event has taken on a life of its own over the years, largely because of the incredible preacher/teacher, David Platt. Dr. Platt is probably one of the top two or three Bible teachers today. He has a way of taking very complicated truths and making them clear and easily understood.
I have eagerly waited for and listened to audios of most of the past SECRET CHURCH sessions and I have done this for years. I grow so much from this concentrated Bible study.
So what makes this different from any other Bible study? Another good question.
One thing is simply the gifted teaching from such an effective communicator as David Platt, but there is another reason this teaching is so valuable. In each SECRET CHURCH event, David teaches everything the Bible says about the topic of the night. This is a complete study. How does he do that? How can he be so thorough? Well, are you sitting down? Then, I'll tell you: He teaches for six hours straight! Well maybe not straight, there are a few breaks, but SECRET CHURCH immerses you into the Bible as you study the chosen topic with an exhaustive and in-depth study. This is exhaustive but not exhausting. In fact, to attend one of the actual SECRET CHURCH events which they host at a very large venue, you have to get tickets months in advance. This is an incredible experience.
So on Good Friday, the day that commemorates the crucifixion of Christ, we are going to broadcast a live simulcast of this year's SECRET CHURCH event from the Church at Brook Hills.
David will take about six hours and teach everything you ever wanted to know about the crucifixion of Christ. Here is the official description of the topic:
Crucifixion, Salvation, and the Glory of God - From cover to cover in Scripture, God’s grand design is to display His glory in the salvation of sinners. The climax of this redemptive plan is the cross of Christ, where God pours out His wrath due sin upon His Son so that we might receive His mercy. But how is Christ’s work on the cross applied to our lives? In the words of the Philippian jailer, “What must we do to be saved?” During this Secret Church, we will explore how the Bible answers this question as we consider God’s love, Christ’s atonement, and the Christian’s conversion, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and eventual glorification. In the end, we will find ourselves boasting only in the cross of Christ, through which we have received the grace of God and by which we now live for the glory of God.
This will be a great night.
Here is how the logistics will work:
The event begins at 7:00 p.m. Adults and youth will be in the worship center. We will have study guides for everyone so you can follow along and take notes. The teaching will go until around 1:00 a.m.. There will be breaks through-out the night at which time we will have snacks and refreshments. There is no cost for the event. The books cost us $7, so we will collect an offering at some point in the night to help defray some of that cost. If we collect more than is needed, we will send the rest to be used to support the underground church in China.
Childcare will be provided for children from kindergarten to fifth grade. There will be no cost for the child care. We ask that parents secure there own arrangements for children younger than that.
Much more information coming soon. Mark this date, though, on your calendar. Let this Easter season be one with a very strong focus on Christ. Let this event be the cornerstone of that!
Pastor Noel
