March 11, 2018

We will have a church dinner after services this morning.
Everyone is welcome. There will be no evening services.

HYMN OF THE DAY
FAITH IN CHRIST FOR CLEANSING
Words by ISAAC WATTS, 1709

How sad our state by nature is!
Our sin how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive minds
Fast In his slavish chains.
But there's a voice of sovereign grace
Sounds from the sacred Word,
Ho, ye despairing sinners, come,
And trust upon the Lord."

My soul obeys th' almighty call,
And runs to this relief;
I would believe Thy promise, Lord,
Oh! Help my unbelief.
To the dear fountain of Thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly;
Here let me wash my spotted soul
From crimes of deepest dye.

Stretch out Thine arm, victorious King!
My reigning sins subdue;
Drive the old dragon from his seat,
With all his hellish crew.
A guilty, weak and helpless worm,
On Thy kind arms I fall;
Be Thou my strength and righteousness
My Jesus and my all.

Tune: My Faith Has Found a Resting Place, #228

As we have opportunity to preach or to witness to someone, it is not God honoring to tell them that God loves them and Christ died for them. The word of God and our Lord Jesus Christ gives us what we are to say, “except ye believe I Am He ye shall die in your sins”. He that believeth on the Son of God hath life; he that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him."

To be without Christ is to be without God and without hope in this world - again, “God is angry with the wicked everyday”. "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned". "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish". "God commands all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he shall judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained"

This is just a few of the things that sinners need to hear, we must be faithful to tell them that Christ Jesus is the only way God can be approached and the only one by whom God deals with the sinner. As Scott Richardson said; "God will not be spoken too nor will he speak to any man except through Jesus Christ".

Oh, how I remember the weight of my sins, and God's wrath against my soul, it struck fear to my heart, and I tried to get on God's good side by my works, by my sincerity, but my burden grew heavier instead of lighter. But thank God, someone told me about Christ bearing my sin in his own body on the tree. I thought did he really do that for me?

When God gave me faith to believe on Christ, all the condemnation I felt was taken away, I'll never forget when I found out God wasn't mad at me anymore. What I am saying is this, a soul will feel the weight of sin, before he will know the forgiveness of sin, and he will feel the condemnation of God before he will know the acceptance of God. What about God's elect? No man has any reason to believe he is one of God's elect and one for whom Christ died until he repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. And until that happens all he can expect is the "indignation and wrath of God" against him for their sin and unbelief. - Pastor

We have all, at one time or another, started a project with a worthy goal, but failed to see it through to its completion. God is not that way. "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). This gives His children great assurance and blissful comfort. Of this much I am absolutely certain: I fail the Lord miserably every day. If He were to abandon me, leaving me to my own weakness and foolishness, I would stray from Him and eventually perish in my sins. But the God of all grace will keep me and bring me to Himself in perfect safety. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Psalm 119:71). The Saviour has promised never to leave or forsake His chosen, redeemed, regenerated people, and it is certain that He will accomplish His gracious designs by glorifying us. - Jack Shanks

TRUE WORSHIP

True worship is not primarily a cultural thing. It is not simply offering to God our sentiments and feelings expressed according to our culture. It is based on knowledge of the majesty and holiness of God and what He requires in worship. It is not primarily cultural; it is spiritual. Those who know the true God will come into His presence with holy awe and reverence, whatever their cultural background.