CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: Immortal, Invisible – p. 34)

(Words by Pastor Jim Byrd)

Christ Jesus the Savior came down from above,

In covenant mercy and infinite love;

The Lord of creation a Servant became,

To save all His people from sin, guilt and shame.

Enthroned in His beauty and all glorious,

The God of creation was made like to us;

The Word was made flesh and laid glory aside,

What grace and affection for His chosen bride.

Our Prophet, High Priest and our eternal King,

Descended from heaven salvation to bring;

Em-man-u-el came, the Lord with us on earth,

Behold a great myst’ry - the dear Savior’s birth.

O what a Redeemer is Jesus our Lord,

He paid all our sin-debt, to God we’re restored;

Redeemed by His blood, He our ransom has paid,

And clothed in His beauty His saints are arrayed.

All praise to the Savior, our Refuge is He,

In Christ we are safe throughout eternity;

Come now and adore Him Who made us His choice,

Let all of His people in Jesus rejoice.

TODAY’S SERVICES

Both messages will be preached by Pastor Richard Warmack.

MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY – WEDNESDAY – 6:30 P.M.

Birthdays: Becky Pannell – Oct. 13^th

We welcome Pastor Richard Warmack and his wife Pam to our services today. Richard and Pam have been our dear friends, as well a brother and sister in Christ, and a fellow-laborer in the Gospel ministry for over 25 years. In that time Richard has been blessed to pastor Grace Baptist Church in Ruston, LA. Richard will be preaching both services today. We will have a time of food and fellowship following the worship services. This will give you an opportunity to meet with and talk to both Richard and Pam. Please be in prayer for Richard as he delivers God’s Word in Christ to us today, and pray for Richard and Pam as they travel back to their home tomorrow.

“For by one offering HE hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14).

Think about the impact and glory of this statement from God’s Holy Word. The “ONE OFFERING” of Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, was in and of itself enough to perfect “FOREVER” the ones for whom He died. How could one single offering accomplish so much? The offering was Himself, the Son of God incarnate. Christ is God in human flesh without sin. He offered Himself without spot to God. He is Godman, and it was His death as the Surety and Substitute of His people, “THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED” (chosen and set apart by God for Himself in sovereign electing grace). This perfection is the completeness of being justified based on Christ’s righteousness imputed to them and which was accomplished for them on Calvary’s cross when He redeemed them from their sins. It is the perfection of righteousness and eternal life given to them freely and fully by Christ Who is their life. Because of His one offering of Himself for their sins imputed to Him there is no way they could perish. They MUST be saved and set free FOREVER to be with Him in glory. To say otherwise is to deny Him and His one offering. And so based on His one offering, they are justified before God, and they will receive the gift of spiritual life from the dead. Based on His one offering, they will be preserved unto glory by the grace and power of God. Apart from the full application of all these blessings that come from His one offering, there could be no true perfection for those who have been sanctified by God. But, praise God, there is perfection for all who believe and rest in Christ for all salvation and eternal life. –Pastor Bill Parker

"WHAT A TREASURE!"

Oh how differently the grace of God makes justified sinners view themselves before the true and living God, as opposed to the way false religious professions makes the lost moralist view themselves. All you need to do is read the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee – "And He spake this parable unto certain WHICH TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."(Luke 18:9-14)

Before the Lord revealed Himself to me and in me, I thought quite highly of myself. I was a deacon, a Sunday School teacher, a preacher; I was under deep conviction after hearing LEGAL messages, walking the aisle so much I had worn a path in the carpet. I was in my mind a good son, a good father, a good husband, a good friend, a GOOD MAN. I tithed, went to church every time the doors were open, prayed long prayers, and had achieved a level of creature holiness that convinced me that the only way any other person could be saved was if they lived like me. BUT THEN, the grace of God found me in this self-righteous condition, pierced me through and through by His law, turned my heart and my mind toward "Him who loved me and gave Himself for me," and I was PETRIFIED with a true fear of God. Now some twenty-eight or so years later (I do not know nor do I care exactly what day I came to know the Lord) I see myself every day as I ACTUALLY AM, a sinner by birth, by nature, by practice, and even by choice, still with ONLY ONE PLEA, the same plea I had when first I saw HIM with my eyes – "God be merciful (BE PROPITIOUS, i.e., be PERFECT SATISFACTION to God's law and justice) to me A SINNER." The way this is stated, "a sinner," means A SINNER STILL. For this I owe God an infinite debt of gratitude for the fact that He would be merciful to one who is the least.