CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune – Love Divine – p. 2)

Jesus is our great salvation,

Worthy of our best esteem;

He has saved His church, His nation;

Join to sing aloud of Him.

When involved in sin and ruin,

And no refuge was there found;

Jesus our distress was viewing;

Grace did more than sin abound.

By His Spirit, Jesus calls us

To His pow'rful cleansing blood;

Causes us to call upon Him,

Crying out, "My Lord and God."

Save us from a mere profession,

Save us from hypocrisy;

Give us, Lord, the sweet possession,

Of Thy righteousness and Thee.

TODAY’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –

Who Are the True Jews? – Romans 2:17-29

MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m –

• OPENING – Jude 24-25

• CALL TO WORSHIP (above)

• HYMN – It Is Well – p. 256

• READING – Hebrews 3:1-14

• MESSAGE – If You Continue – Colossians 1:23-25

• CLOSING HYMN – Once For All – p. 205

Birthdays: Jane Margeson – June 8^th

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. (Psalm 122:1)

Do you receive Christ in all His offices, giving up yourselves to be taught by Him as a Prophet, in all things relating to your salvation, renouncing your own knowledge and wisdom; to be justified by His righteousness, and washed in His blood, renouncing all your own righteousness, as filthy rags, saying,“in the Lord alone have I righteousness, and counting all things but loss and dung, that ye may win Christ, and be found, in Him, not having your own righteousness but that which is of God by faith”; and to be guided and conducted, ruled and governed by Him as your sovereign Lord and King, yielding a hearty and cheerful obedience to all His laws and commandments, and saying, “Other lords besides Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name.” —Thomas Boston

PRESERVATION AND PERSEVERANCE

Never lose sight of this glorious fact of God’s power and grace – The certain perseverance of all of God’s people unto glory is due to the fact that HE preserves us by His power and grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord stated this plainly –

John 10 – (27) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. (29) My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. (30) I and My Father are one.

As long as God holds us, we cannot fall. As long as Christ intercedes for us, we cannot be charged with sin. In Him we are charged with His righteousness. As long as God the Holy Spirit indwells us we cannot forsake Christ. By His power and grace, we will cling to Him and hold on to Him for dear life. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). So, when God’s Word shows that we are saved “IF we believe,” “IF we repent,” and “IF we continue,” it does not mean that these are conditions we must fulfill out of our own power, goodness, will, and determination, else we will not be saved. These “IF’s” are evidences of the power, goodness, and determination of God to save us and keep us in and by Christ unto eternal blessedness and glory. —Pastor Bill Parker

THE FAITH OF GOD’S ELECT

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Pet. 1:10).

Am I one of God’s elect? Election is known by the calling of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. This calling is the effectual and invincible calling to faith in Christ. So, to be sure of my election, I must be sure that I have the faith of God’s elect. Consider –

The faith of God’s elect is the gift of God that comes to His elect through Jesus Christ our Lord and the fruit of His righteousness imputed to us – “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1).

It comes to God’s elect from Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit under the preaching of the truth of His Gospel – “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17). God brings His people to the Gospel truth and gives them spiritual ears to hear its beauty and glory in Christ – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). So, the faith of God’s elect has as its foundation the Word of God and as its object the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood and righteousness as the only ground of salvation – “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10).

The faith of God’s elect issues forth in repentance of dead works and idolatry where a sinner is brought by God to turn away from sin and self and turn to Christ for all salvation and blessedness – “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Php. 3:7-8).

The faith of God’s elect issues forth in the obedience of love, grace, and gratitude – “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6).