November 29, 2009

CALL TO WORSHIP

(Words written by Winston Pannell)

(Tune: "The Great Physician")

A Prophet came from God one day, Emanuel, God with us,

In search of sinners gone astray, that Prophet's name was Jesus.

Come unto me, I'll give you rest; I have established righteousness,

And in me you will find God's rest - Jesus, blessed Jesus.

A Priest upon the altar laid His sacrifice for sinners,

And once for all atonement made because His name is Jesus;

Sinless humanity He gave; altar of deity the place;

All my sins were put away; Jesus, blessed Jesus

A King enthroned in heav'n above now reigns and rules forever,

Ensuring all the Father loves are brought to final glory,

Taking our cause He intercedes; ever His righteousness He pleads

And before the throne I see, Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Salvation is God's gift of grace to us the promise given -

Believe His Word, repent today; receive the joy of heaven;

Trusting His righteousness alone, sinners have access to the throne;

Of His sovereign grace and love; Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Bible Study: "The End of Sin" - 1Samuel 31

Today's Speaker: Brother Winston Pannell will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God's word.

Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM -WISK. You can also hear the sermons on your computer. Just click on http://www.americusradio.com/

Birthdays: Randy Wages - Dec. 5^th.

CHRIST OUR COVENANT

"Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." (II Samuel 23:5)

David's words in the time of his death reveal much as to what a believer's comfort is at all times. David was a king and a prophet. He did great and mighty things by the power of God. He was a man after God's own heart. Yet, with all he did, it was all marred and polluted by sin. He was also an adulterer, a murderer, and a sinner in heart. There was no comfort in himself, in what he'd done or in his circumstances around him. How could he live or die in peace?

His comfort was in the covenant. It was in the pledge and covenant of God who does not lie or change. God's covenant with His people is an "everlasting covenant." It was made before David ever breathed his first breath and God included and ordered all things pertaining to the salvation of David the sinner. His comfort was in the fact that God has already made this covenant of His grace and mercy "sure" in One who stood as the Surety of it, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the promise of God to save and bless His people placing all the securing of it into the hands of the Mediator of the Covenant, Christ Jesus. David, like every true believer did not cease to grieve over his sins; but above that, he was enabled by the Spirit of God to rejoice and find comfort in His Savior. Like David, the covenant people of God find in this covenant all their salvation. Finding all, they want no more and need no more. God is perfectly satisfied and we are perfectly satisfied; all in the same God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the Sheep, in the blood of the everlasting covenant. By the blood of the Lamb, the covenant is confirmed (Dan. 9:26) and all things pertaining to our salvation is secured. This is all the believer's desire. Christ is our desire for God has said of His holy One, "I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people." (Isa. 49:8) Christ is the Covenant and God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Him. He alone at any and all time is our comfort. Covenant comfort!

Gary Shepard

All of Grace or Not Grace at All

(Matt. 9:10-17)

"Higher Knowledge" as illustrated by the new wine in old bottles:

But what about those of us who have been taught and embraced the doctrines of grace? How do we know that God has done a heart work and that we haven't simply acquired a "higher knowledge" - something we've simply grown to understand?

Well in vs. 13, the telling indicator of whether our faith is genuine or not is that it will always be accompanied by the inseparable gift of repentance - of a radical change from our natural persuasion (of imagining that salvation is conditioned at least in some way and/or to some degree on the sinner), turning to the truth that all of salvation is conditioned on Christ alone. That turning is the repentance Christ calls sinners unto.

Absent such a casting away of the old notions of salvation by some contributing work of our hand, our agreement to the doctrines of grace is akin to trying to put new wine in old bottles. For new bottles - (those for whom Christ came to call to repentance or to this about-face) - they totally renounce their former self-righteous, religious notions wherein they imagined that salvation was conditioned on the sinner to any degree whatsoever. In repentance, they not only see the truth of the Gospel of grace, but that its antithesis, the false gospel we all initially embrace - was simply a system of works camouflaged to appear as grace to our former unenlightened minds and hearts. New wine requires new bottles.

Consider the parallel passage in Luke (Luke 5:38-39) reads "³⁸But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. (as we read in Matt. But in vs. 39 he adds...) ³⁹No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." That is one doesn't immediately desire the new - for we cling to our natural predisposition.

But contrary to our natural taste buds, God prepares new bottles (an awakening) that we might change courses and repent so as to say, "Out with the old and in with the new." As new bottles, we not only embrace the new wine, but in doing so we've lose our taste for the old.

How about you? Has God granted you repentance? Has He granted you this radical change of heart and mind? If so, then you too can rejoice. For that evidences that the bridegroom has indeed come and swept you off of your feet and clothed you in the new wedding garment - in His very righteousness.

Seeing clearly from God's word that there is no mixing of the old (works) with the new (grace), I pray that you too can rejoice in this bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, and with your heart say "Out with the old - in with the new."

As Christ Himself tells us, He (Christ, the bridegroom) calls His bride (the redeemed elect - those for whom He came, lived and died) to repentance. For in the newness of life, they are brought to see that truly it is "All of grace," exposing that what they previously believed really is "not grace at all."