GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE
July 4, 2010

“It matters not what a man knows, if Christ be not to him the pearl of great price” — William Tiptaft

• We are happy to have Pastor Mike Walker and his wife, Sandy, in our fellowship this morning. Mike is a long time friend of this assembly. He is the pastor of Covenant of Grace Baptist Church in N. Wilkesboro, NC. — Congratulations are in order: Mike and Sandy were married just three weeks ago! Bro. Walker will preach the gospel to you today.
• I am preaching today for RESCUE BAPTIST CHURCH in Rescue, CA, where Bro. Gene Harmon is pastor.
• Bro. Ron Wood will bring the message here on Tuesday night.

Christ the Alpha and Omega — Don Fortner
(Tune: #118 — When I Survey— LM)

1. I lift my eyes to heav’n above,
And through creation’s limits rove;
Through earth, and sky, and regions vast, —
Christ Jesus is the First and Last!

2. His name with joy and faith I view,
He’s Alpha and Omega, too!
He drew creation’s wondrous plan,
And finished what He first began.

3. When o’er His Word my eyes are cast,
I see Him there the First and Last;
And all the blessings there made known,
Their Alpha and Omega own.

4. The work of grace within my soul,
Since God my Savior made me whole,
From first to last His glories show,
And lay free-will and reason low.

5. Thus when the toils of life are past,
Christ still shall be the First and Last;
And when I bow before the King,
I’ll Alpha and Omega sing!

“All Things are Ready”

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.”
(Matthew 22:4)

Here is an announcement of grace which fell from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is specifically designed and intended to be for the benefit of you who are yet under the wrath of God. Here the Lord Jesus commands saved sinners to declare to lost sinners that “all things are ready!”

The Lord God sends his servants with an invitation to sinners, calling poor, needy sinners to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Come just as you are. Bring nothing with you. This is one marriage at which no guests with gifts will ever be admitted. At this marriage, all the gifts come from the Father of the Groom and are bestowed because of the Groom. The bride has no dowry!

All Things for Salvation

In Christ all things are ready for the salvation and eternal bliss of needy sinners. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and whosoever will, let him come!”

Here is complete pardon for all sin. It is found in Christ’s blood atonement. Precious blood indeed is sin-atoning blood (Ephesians 1:7).

Here is complete righteousness. Our Savior’s name is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (JEREMIAH 23:6). The perfect righteousness of Christ, his perfect obedience, is imputed to every sinner who trusts him. He is made of God unto us righteousness. And he is that new man created in every heaven born soul in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 1:27).

Here is sure acceptance. The Savior’s promise is: — “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Here is unconditional salvation. Since salvation is by his grace, and not by your works, your will or your worth, it is absolutely free and unconditional. God saves sinners upon the grounds of what Christ has done, his obedience, his sin-atoning death, and his intercession. Salvation is by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone.

Here is absolute security. He who died for sinners is alive again for evermore. Because he lives, we who believe shall live also. Until our all glorious Substitute and Surety can be dragged from his lofty throne in heaven and put to death again, not one of those for whom he died can perish. He says, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish!”

Justified from All Things

In Acts 13:39 we read, — “by Christ all that believe are justified from all things.” When the Son of God says, “All things are ready”, he means all things. “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

There is no justification for sinners by the works of the law. — “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified.” There is no justification to be obtained by religious rites and ceremonies. Baptism, church membership, Bible reading, prayers, and a life of religious devotion, all are totally useless, in so far as the matter of justification is concerned. But there is free, full, complete justification from all things in Christ. By his blood, by the imputation of his righteousness, by the grace of God every believing sinner is completely and forever justified from all iniquity, all transgression, and all sin! This free, full, complete justification in Christ belongs to every believer. If you trust Christ, it is ours presently; and it is ours permanently.

All Things Possible

In the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:23-26) we are told, “with God all things are possible.” You know the story. That rich man walked away from Christ. So far as we know, he went to hell, clinging to his riches.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

When the disciples saw this impressive, moral, upright, religious man walk away from the Master, they understood what had happened. This young man was confronted with the claims of Christ the Lord and refused to bow. Then they said, “Who then can be saved?” And our Lord tells us two things plainly, in response to their question: (1.) “With men this is impossible.” (2.) “But with God all things are possible!”

No sinner is beyond the reach of God’s omnipotent grace. There is no filth that the blood of Christ cannot cleanse. There is no spiritual deformity that the grace of Christ cannot correct. There is no nakedness of soul that the righteousness of Christ cannot cover. God help you now to come to Christ. Why do you tarry? Why will you die, when there is life, eternal life to be had in Christ? Trust the Savior now. Oh, may God the Holy Spirit graciously force you to come to the marriage supper! — “all things are ready: Come unto the marriage!”