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’S SERVICES – Messages by Pastor Bill Parker
BIBLE CLASS – 10:00 a.m. –
The Election Hath Obtained It – Romans 11:7-10
MORNING WORSHIP – 11:00 a.m – OPENING – John 17:1-5 CALL TO WORSHIP (above) HYMN – There Is Power in the Blood – p. 198 READING – Psalm 9 MESSAGE – The Power of an Endless Life – Heb. 7:11-19 CLOSING HYMN – O For a Thousand Tongues – p. 46
Christian, rejoice in your union with Jesus! The changes of time cannot touch it! The storms of life cannot injure it! The sword of persecution cannot sever it! The damps of death cannot affect it! The malice of hell cannot move it! It is a union which will last forever! It follows, therefore, that you, if a partaker of it, will be rich forever, safe forever, dignified forever, and blessed forever! —John MacDuff
CHRIST OUR SURETY
Our Surety is expressly said to have been made both sin and a curse for His redeemed, that they “might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13). And what a blessedness is there contained in this one view of the completeness of the church in Jesus! So that, in the very moment that the child of God feels the workings of corruption within himself, and is groaning under a body of sin and death, which he carries about with him, though he sees nothing in himself but sin and imperfection, yea, sometimes, as it appears to him growing imperfections, yet looking to the Lord Jesus as his Surety, and considering the Redeemer’s holiness, and not anything in himself as the standard of justification, here he rests his well-founded hope. This was blessedly set forth by the Holy Ghost – “Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength, even to Him shall men come, and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed” (Isaiah 45:24). —Robert Hawker
TRUE GODLINESS
True godliness is not being perfect within ourselves. True godliness is based upon the fact of our perfection in Christ and based upon His perfection laid to our charge. We who are saved by God’s grace are not yet perfect within ourselves. So, what is true godliness? It is believing, following, worshipping, and glorifying God as we rest in Christ for all perfection and look for Him to come again and change our vile bodies and fashion us like unto His glorious body (Php. 3:21). A godly person clings to Christ as his only righteousness before God, and he longs for the perfection that he will experience in glory when he leaves this sinful world and leaves this sinful flesh beh ind.—Copied
ALL DRESSED ALIKE
An old preacher remarked that he had observed a family of children who were all dressed alike. Upon inquiry as to the reason, the answer was, so that none could boast of having better clothes than the others. There was an equality among them as far as their clothing was concerned. It is also that way in the family of God. Each of the Lord’s children is dressed in the best robe, the righteousness of the Savior Who brought in everlasting righteousness by His substitutionary, justice-satisfying death (Daniel 9:24); His name is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6). One garment covers each of the Savior’s brethren – the robe of their elder Brother. Certainly, the people of God differ in talents, abilities, attainments and gifts, but all are equally justified before God by His grace, through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. —Pastor Jim Byrd
“WISE UNTO SALVATION”
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of Whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:14-15). How does one become “wise unto salvation”? It is by God-given faith in the Lord Jesus Christ wherein we are taught of God concerning the glorious Person of Christ (God manifest in the flesh) and the accomplished work of Christ on the cross to redeem and secure the salvation of all for whom He lived, died, and arose from the dead. All of this is revealed in the “Holy Scriptures” as God the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to God’s way of salvation by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. He reveals to us Christ as the very wisdom and power of God unto salvation –
“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).