CALL TO WORSHIP

Tune – Immortal, Invisible – p. 34)

(Words written by Pastor Gary Shepard)

We gather this morning to worship and praise,

The God of all glory, the Ancient of Days.

None other is worthy but Jesus alone

God’s Lamb once provided, His blood has atoned.

From sin and from darkness, He brings out His own,

Through preaching the Gospel to them He makes known,

The riches of glory and grace by His cross:

Eternal possessions which cannot be lost.

Praise be to the Father who chose us in grace.

Praise be to the Son who has died in our place.

Praise be to the Spirit who gave us new birth.

Praise be to the One God of heaven and earth.

With all of our hearts does the Lord bid us sing,

Come humbly before Him, thanksgiving to bring.

All others are idols, He lives, God alone

By grace He has saved us and made us His own.

TODAY’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –

Death in Adam; Life in Christ (2) – Romans 5:17-21

MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –

• OPENING – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

• CALL TO WORSHIP (above)

• HYMN – Standing on the Promises – p. 175

• READING – 2 Peter 1:1-11

• MESSAGE – Our Calling and Election – 2 Peter 1:10

• CLOSING HYMN – Amazing Grace – p. 236

Birthdays: Richman Margeson – Jan. 20^th | Bill Sparks – Jan. 22^nd
Tim Hall – Jan. 26^th

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

This is the God-given desire of every true child of God – to worship God in spirit and in truth. But what does this mean? It means to exalt Christ in the exercise of God-given faith, submitting to Him as our sovereign Savior Who has saved us by His grace based on His blood and righteousness alone. It means to worship by the Holy Spirit, i.e. as God the Holy Spirit leads us and inspires in the Word of truth. It is the longing and the goal of the new heart given us by the Holy Spirit in our new birth. It is to worship God as He reveals Himself to us through the glorious Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ in Whose face we see the glory of the Godhead. It is to see ourselves as totally unworthy to approach God and be accepted with and blessed by Him on the basis of anything we do or attempt to do. It is to see and admit that our total worthiness to be accepted with and blessed by God is the merits of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us glory in Christ crucified and risen from the dead. Let us sing the praises of Him Who ever lives to make intercession for us, and Who saves us and keeps us by His grace. This is how we worship in spirit and in truth.

—Pastor Bill Parker

I am most exceedingly distressed by my sins, and feel the need of Jesus' precious blood every hour! I need a supply from the Fountain! "On that day a fountain will be opened . . . a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and defilement" (Zech. 13:1). Feeling fully what I am in myself, and proving afresh that "in my flesh dwells no good thing," in this sad state I fly to Jesus as my only refuge! Oh that the depth of my sin and misery may be overcome by His rich grace, that with Mary I may weep at His dear feet, and love much, having much forgiven. While in the body we shall never be free from sin. I had been looking for something from and in my flesh which the Word of God does not warrant me to expect. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" and ever will be! The believer's perfection is in Christ. Oh, that He may condescend to teach me, and lead me to look straight out of self to a glorious Christ! —copied

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Most people consider a believer’s growth in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as a believer getting better and better in his character and his conduct. And though it is true that we who are truly saved by God’s grace in Christ Jesus, and who have been brought by God to believe in and love the Lord Jesus, should strive to be better people in every facet of obedience, conduct, attitude, any improvements we find in ourselves in these areas do not constitute our righteousness, holiness, or even our growth in grace and in knowledge of Christ. Such improvements are merely the product of God’s working in us by His grace and our efforts to express our love and gratitude to God for what He has sovereignly made us and freely given to us by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. But much of a true believer’s growth in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ causes him, in spite of any improvements in character and conduct, to see himself as a much greater sinner than he has ever imagined before. How can this be? It is because he sees that no amount of improvement in himself can begin to compare with the perfect righteousness of the law found only in the glorious Person and finished work of Christ. He sees more and more that none of his obedience, no matter how hard he tries, can contribute to the holiness and righteousness he already possesses by God’s grace in Christ. He sees more and more that if the Lord should mark iniquities, he would not stand. He might say to himself, “How can such a person as I am be just before God? Where is my righteousness to come from?” But do not lose sight of the fact that this is growth IN GRACE AND IN KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST! And so the Lord God of grace answers, "Your righteousness is from Me! Your Surety, Substitute, and Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ wrought it for you and all of His people. As the sovereign Judge of all, the Father has imputed it to you. As the Divine Comforter the Holy Spirit has revealed it to you by the Gospel, and God-given faith has brought you to receive it, put it on, and plead it before God. Precious Jesus! in You alone, I have righteousness and strength!”