CALL TO WORSHIP (Tune – Immortal, Invisible – p. 34) (Words 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: Bible Classes – 10:00 a.m.; Morning Worship – 11:00 a.m. Messages by Pastor Bill Parker
Television Broadcast: Reign of Grace Television Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.
Live Streaming – 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. – Sermon Audio web site
Hymns for service: There Is a Fountain – p. 222 Break Thou the Bread of Life – p. 176
We will serve THE LORD’S SUPPER following the message this morning. All who trust Christ and Him alone for salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, eternal life, and final glory are commanded by God and invited by us to partake of this blessed memorial ordinance. After our worship services, we will serve lunch in our dining hall. All are invited to stay and eat with us.
THE FAITHFULNESS OF JESUS CHRIST
When the Bible states that we are justified "by the faith OF Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16), it does not mean that we are justified before God based simply on the fact that Jesus Christ had perfect faith in His Father (which He did have). It does not mean that Jesus Christ believed for us or that our believing in Him is not necessary as the fruit of His accomplished work on the cross. It means that we are justified by His faithfulness to accomplish what the Father sent Him to accomplish – the complete redemption of His people by establishing righteousness for them through His obedience unto death (John 17:4). Christ said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34).
-- Pastor Bill Parker
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
It is the “mercies of God” in Christ that true believers are commanded, encouraged, and motivated to the obedience of faith, love, and gratitude. It is not by the threatenings of law. That makes one a legalist. It is not by any promises of earned rewards. That makes one a mercenary. It is not to pay a legal debt to justice. That makes one a forced slave. It is by God’s free, unmerited, unearned grace and mercy which comes to His elect through the merits of Christ’s blood and righteousness imputed alone. That makes a true child of God a willing, loving bondservant of Christ. -- Pastor Bill Parker
Prayer is not a way for believers to change God’s mind as if to persuade God to do or not do something, give or not give something. Prayer is the God-ordained way of bringing our wills into subjection to God’s sovereign will – “Thy will be done.” It is, therefore, a means through which God blesses us according to His will. God’s will and God’s promises are sure and certain to His people in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20). So the first thing to be concerned with in prayer is this – “Will a holy God accept our pitiful prayers?” God the Holy Spirit teaches us in God’s Word that the only prayers accepted by God are those from His children (saved by grace) who approach Him on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest and one Mediator between God and men (Heb. 4:14-16).
“And God heard THEIR groaning, and God remembered HIS covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Exodus 2:24)
This is a precious scripture. My soul, put a note upon it. No sigh, no groan, no tear of God's people can pass unobserved. He puts the tears of His people in His bottle. Surely then He can never overlook what gives vent to those tears, the sorrows of the soul. Our spiritual afflictions Jesus knows, and numbers all. How sweet the thought! The Spirit makes intercession for the saints with the groanings which they cannot utter. And do, my soul, observe the cause of deliverance. Not our sighs, nor our groanings, nor our brokenness of heart; not these, for what benefit can these render to an holy God? But God has respect in all to His own everlasting covenant. Yes, Jesus is the all in all of the covenant. God the Father has respect to Him. For His sake, for His righteousness, for His atoning blood, the groanings of His people find audience at the mercy-seat and restores. And God has respect to His own word, His oath, His promises to His dear Son. Oh blessed assurance! Oh precious security! How shall any poor groaning child of God go unheard, unpardoned, unrelieved, who has double security in the glory of God the Father's sovereign grace, and covenant word and oath to depend upon; and the everlasting covenant righteousness, and atoning blood of God the Son, to be found in? Here, my soul, rest, forever rest, your sure claim to grace and glory. –Robert Hawker
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