Join all who love His name, and sing His praises and fame;
Great God, prepare each heart and voice,
Great God, prepare each heart and voice;
In Christ, we will rejoice; in Christ, we will rejoice.
[CHORUS] We're looking to Jesus,
Trusting and hoping in Jesus;
We're looking only to Jesus,
The Lord our Righteousness.
God's glory now shines forth, in Christ, He is satisfied;
His love provides what He demands,
His love provides what He demands;
And Christ paid all the costs; and Christ paid all the costs.
In Christ I am secure; by Him my soul is sustained;
From Him I all things now receive,
From Him I all things now receive;
In Him my soul shall live; in Him my soul shall live.
Psalm 34:8-9
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Bible Study 10 AM.Video sermon by Bill Parker
Today's Speaker: Brother Winston Pannell will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.
THE FULL AND SIMPLE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
"And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:29)
The "fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ" is the fullness of salvation in Him and by Him as the crucified, resurrected Redeemer, the one Mediator between God and men. This "fullness" is a comfort to God's people. It binds us together in the simplicity of Christ. God the Holy Spirit will never take any truth of Scripture and use it to divide or confuse brethren in the church. He is the Comforter who continually convicts us of sin and continually drives us to the crucified, risen Christ for all comfort, peace, and unity. The plain and simple preaching of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit will always inspire unity, peace, and growth in the church. Divisions and confusion are the workings of sinful, proud men, not God. Men will constantly raise issues to add on to the simplicity that is in Christ. They will confuse and complicate matters, but the simple Gospel remains the same. It never changes. It is the revelation of the glorious Person and finished work of Christ on the cross to save His people from their sins. It is the revelation of the "righteousness of God" which is Christ's obedience unto death, the shedding of His precious blood to satisfy God's justice and fully pay our sin-debt. It is the truth that God is just to justify the ungodly based solely upon the righteousness of Christ imputed (charged) to the accounts of His people. God the Holy Spirit proceeds forth from the Father and the Son to impart the resurrected, spiritual life of Christ to His people in the new birth. He teaches us of our utter depravity and impotence to save ourselves by our best works. He slays us by the law of God as He shows us that the law can only condemn us based on our best efforts to obey. He drives us to Christ and Him alone, to plead His righteousness alone, for our whole eternal salvation. We see by His invincible power that if we are to be saved it is totally of God's free and sovereign grace and mercy in Christ. What a simple but glorious message this is!
- Pastor Bill Parker
Song of Solomon 1:4
Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.
There is a powerful efficacious drawing of soul to Christ, at conversion, when God calls a poor sinner by his grace, brings him to Christ, enables him to venture upon him, and believe in him for life and salvation; which is what Christ speaks of in John 6:44 when he says, "No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me, draw him." A soul's coming to Christ for life, is not the produce of power and free-will in man, but of the grace of God in drawing, though it is not effected by force or compulsion; it is true, the sinner, in his natural estate, "is stout-hearted, and "far from righteousness," averse to Christ and the way of salvation by him; but by mighty grace, this stout heart is brought down. and made willing to submit to God's way of salvation; this obduracy is removed, and hardness of heart taken away by him, who has promised to take away the stony heart, and give an heart of flesh." Unconverted sinners are indeed unwilling to come to Christ for life; but those who belong to the election of grace, are made "willing in the day of Christ's power:" the manslayer did not more willingly flee from the avenger of blood, to the city of refuge, than a sinner, sensible of sin, and the danger of his state, does to Christ for salvation; for though a soul is not brought to Christ; by the power of his free-will, yet he is not brought against his will: drawing does not always suppose force and compulsion; there are other ways of drawing besides that. Thus the fame of a skillful physician draws many people to him; thus music draws the ear; love the heart; and pleasure the mind. Nor is this done by mere moral suasion, which is what ministers use; knowing the terrors of the Lord, they persuade men: but if the mighty power of grace does not attend their ministry, not one soul will ever be converted; though they represent the joys of heaven and the terrors of hell, in never such a lively manner; speak in never such moving strains, and use the most powerful arguments to win upon souls; yet they will stretch out their "hands all the day, to a gainsaying and disobedient people;" they will return with a "who hath believed our report?" the arm of the Lord not being revealed unto them. God does not act as a mere moral cause in man's conversion; he does not only propose an object, and then leave the will to choose, but powerfully and effectually works both to will and to do of his own good pleasure.
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