CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: "Come Thou Fount")

Praise the God of all creation,

Praise the Father's boundless love;

Praise the Lamb, our expiation,

Priest and King enthroned above;

Praise the Fountain of salvation,

Him by whom our spirits live;

Undivided adoration

To the ONE JEHOVAH give!

For Thy free electing favor,

Thee, O Father, we adore!

Jesus, our redeeming Saviour,

Thee we worship evermore!

Praise the God of our salvation,

Hosts on high His love proclaim;

Heav'n and earth and all creation,

Laud and magnify His name.

Isaiah 46:12-13;

Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: ¹³I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Bible Study 10 AM. Video sermon by Bill Parker

Today's Speaker: Brother Jim Casey will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.

Guest Speaker: Pastor Bill Parker will be our guest speaker on Dec. 14^th. Make your plans now to attend.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD'S FLOCK

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) The good Shepherd's flock is widely scattered. They wander far on hills, and valleys, in every land, and every climate. Some pant beneath a tropic sun. Some shiver in perpetual snows. A watchful eye sees all. And in fit time each is approached. Jesus Christ Himself draws near. He wins the heart. He enters in. He takes the throne. He shows His smile. He melts the rock. He turns the enmity to love. He sits a conqueror in a once rebel camp. All given by the Father come to Him, because He comes to them. They follow, because He calls. They run, because He draws. He opens out His arms; and then they flee quickly to the shelter.

-Henry Law (1858)

Treasure in earthen vessels

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels." 2 Corinthians 4:7

Do not be surprised if you feel that in yourself you are but an earthen vessel-if you are made deeply and daily sensible of your frail body. Do not be surprised if your clay house is often tottering-if sickness sometimes assails your mortal tabernacle-if in your flesh there dwells no good thing; if your soul often cleaves to the dust-and if you are unable to retain a sweet sense of God's goodness and love. Do not be surprised nor startled at the corruptions of your depraved nature-at the depth of sin in your carnal mind-at the vile abominations which lurk and work in your deceitful and desperately wicked heart. Bear in mind that it is the will of God that this heavenly treasure which makes you rich for eternity, should be lodged in an earthen vessel. We have ever to feel our native weakness-and that without Christ we can do nothing-that we may be clothed with humility, and feel ourselves the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints. We thus learn to prize the heights, breadths, lengths, and depths of the love of Christ, who stooped so low to raise us up so high!

J.C. Philpot

CORINTHIANS 5:21

For He hath made Him to be Sin for us; who knew no Sin: That we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.

Three reasons why it was impossible that Christ should know sin.

1. His miraculous Conception in the Womb of the Blessed Virgin. Christ not being conceived in a natural, but supernatural Manner, he did not partake of our natural Corruption. It was impossible he should, because he was the supernatural Production of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee: Therefore also, that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee (Luke 1:35.). This was an absolutely new Thing, the like was never before, nor ever will be. Behold a new Thing do I create, a woman shall compass a Man, i.e. a male Child by Conception, through the Agency of the divine Spirit. To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given. This was plainly a new Creation. The human Nature of our Lord being produced by the Exertion of the Power of the Spirit of God, no moral Taint or Impunity could attend it. For, the Holy Spirit could not give Subsistence unto an unholy Nature.

2. The human Nature of Christ was replete with all the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord God was upon him (Isaiah 61:1.). And the Father gave not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Superaddition of the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit unto the Purity of Christ's Nature, rendered it impossible that he should know sin. He having all the Gifts and Graces of the holy Spirit in their utmost Plenitude and Perfection, superadded unto the Purity of his Nature, nothing of Evil could possibly take Place in him: Such as the holy Spirit formed him, in the Virgin's Womb, such he infallibly preferred him, by his continual Presence with him, in the fullness of all his Gifts and Graces.

3. The human nature of Christ hath its Subsistence in his Divine Person. That Nature which was miraculously produced by the Power of the Holy Ghost, the Son of God took into a personal Union with himself. He assumed it to be his own in a peculiar manner that it might be at his disposal, and always under the direction of his divine Will. The human Will, and the divine Will of our Saviour are, and eternally will be distinct; but his Will as Man is in absolute Subjection to, and in all Instances, acts under the Direction of his divine Will. And, therefore, it is not possible that he should ever know Sin. Moral evil can never take place in a Nature which is ineffably united with the Person of the Son of God.