CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: He Leadeth Me)

Hark! How the Gospel trumpet sounds!

Christ and free grace therein abounds;

Free grace to such as sinners be,

And if free grace why not for me?

The Saviour died and by His blood

Brought rebel sinners near to God;

He died to set the captives free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Thus Jesus came the poor to bless,

To clothe them with His righteousness;

That robe is spotless, full and free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Eternal life by Christ is giv'n,

And sinful men are raised to heav'n;

Then sing of grace so rich and free,

And say, my soul, why not for thee?

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

Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.

Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. To hear sermons click here

Web Sites: Visit our newly designed web site at: www.rofgrace.com

Also visit us at: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace

Birthdays: Leigh Ann Flynn – July 27^th – Jackie Renfroe – July 28^th

Jake Jones – July 30^th

The Christian’s Conflict and Encouragement

My desire being to comfort the disconsolate, I shall lay before you a few scripture truths, which the God of love has intended for the consolation of his dear children in the field of battle.

First. He who made you has fixed his love upon you freely in his Son. He loves you unchangeably, in all states and conditions, from eternity to eternity. Whatever changes, internal or external, you may pass through, the love of your God is the same. You may suffer the loss of wealth, health, ease, reputation, friends, and, like Job, be stripped of all your earthly comfort ; but you cannot be deprived of your heavenly Father's affection. He rests in his love, and joys over you with singing." Love runs through all his purposes concerning you, and all his dispensations toward you.

Secondly. He has chosen you in Christ Jesus to be his people for ever, and adopted you to be his children and heirs. He has given himself to you, to be your God and Father, your portion and inheritance for ever.

Thirdly. He has united you to his Son Jesus Christ, and fixed you in him, never to be separated from him. Jesus and you are one. One body, one building, one vine. Your union with Christ commenced with your election in him. Free sovereign grace was the cause of both. God's eternal and immutable love is the bond of your union with Jesus : therefore it can never be dissolved. That God who choose you in him, keeps you in him. Being in Christ, all that he is, and all that he has is yours. His abundant grace ; his perfect righteousness; his complete atonement; his consummate holiness ; his eternal redemption ; his perfect and all glorious salvation; his un-searchable riches of glory and blessedness, are all your own : on this very ground that you are Christ's. Christ and you being one, you stand in him complete before the throne of God. You are washed from all your sins in his blood; you are justified from all things by his righteousness : yea, you are law-fulfillers, and the righteousness of God in him. The Father views you with infinite delight. He sees no spot in you. There is no curse, no condemnation for you. You are saved with an everlasting salvation, and shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end.

Fourthly. God has made with you an everlasting covenant; not a covenant of works, but of grace ; not a conditional, but an absolute one ; not one all confusion and disorder, but one ordered in all things by his all comprehending wisdom. Not one which may vary, be disannulled and made void, but one which, like its divine author, is immutable, permanent, and everlasting. It is founded upon Jehovah's unchangeable will, and confirmed by his inviolable oath. It is sealed by the blood of his incarnate Son ; and for its fulfillment the eternal Three, have, by their joint oath, pledged themselves.

Fifthly. God has given you exceeding great and precious promises, suited to all your cases. The fulfillment of these promises is certain, because the promise is faithful and Almighty. These promises are breasts of consolation to the distressed, milk for babes, and meat for strong men ; you may safely trust them, and in trusting them, you will sweetly enjoy them.

--- Job Hupton – 1762-1829

PRIDE

1. Pride is an ancient sin. It was pride that destroyed Lucifer. He sought to sit upon the throne of God and rule the universe. He could not bear the thought that human nature, in the person of the Son of God, should be exalted above himself. It was also pride that cut down our parents in the garden when Adam set himself above the command of God to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit (read Genesis 2:16-17). He and Eve were ambitious to be gods.
2. Pride is a universal disease. It is the common malady of all Adam’s race to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Pride is self-righteousness which is directly opposed to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Pride is, quite simply, the exaltation of self. What a hideous, odious and baseless thing it is.
3. Pride keeps men from seeking the Lord. "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts" (Psalm 10:4).
4. Pride is a divisive sin. "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom" (Proverbs 13:10). "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat" (Proverbs 28:25).
5. Pride is obnoxious to the Lord. "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5). "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-18).
6. Pride keeps men from coming to Christ. It blinds a man to his own neediness before God and prevents him from seeing the necessity of being washed in the blood of Christ and robed in His perfect righteousness. Arrogance was the root problem of Paul’s brethren according to the flesh (read Romans 10:3-4). Pride prevented them from seeing that no sinner can be accepted by a holy God because of their own goodness because "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). They would not submit to be saved by the person and merits of Christ. "There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up" (Proverbs　30:13).
7. Pride, if not broken, will bring everlasting condemnation. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). "And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible" (Isaiah 13:11). "The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low" (Isaiah 2:11-12). "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD" (Obadiah 1:4).