"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25)
When I come before you to preach, my hope is not that people who hear my message will exercise the power of their free-will and believe on Christ. My hope looks to another power, that of the omnipotent Redeemer who must lay hold of spiritually dead sinners and make them willing to forsake every idol and be saved by grace alone through His sacrifice alone. –Pastor Jim Byrd
WHEN WE SEE CHRIST Tune to "MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE" CM/DOUBLE Words by JIM BYRD 1. O what a wondrous, joyful day, When God the Son we see; And we shall dwell with Him on high, From sin forever free. In love He chose us by His grace, Before the earth was made; He came into this world of sin, And all the law obeyed.
2. The Savior took our load of guilt, Our sins on Him were laid; And by His bloody sacrifice, Our debt was fully paid. The Christ who died and rose again, Now reigns upon His throne; And by the power of His grace, To us He is made known.
3. How wonderful and marvelous, When we shall see His face; And fix our eyes upon the Lamb, Who saved us by His grace. Take courage children of the Lord, With Him we soon shall be; And sing the praises of our King, Throughout eternity.
CONGREGATIONAL SCRIPTURE READINGS: MORNING: JOHN 10:11-18 EVENING: LUKE 24:36-53
HONEST ACKNOWLEDGMENTS OF A BELIEVER I find to this day seven abominations in my heart: (1) Inclinings to unbelief. (2) Suddenly to forget the love and mercy that Christ manifests. (3) A leaning to the works of the law. (4) Wanderings and coldness in prayer. (5) To forget to watch for that I pray for. (6) Apt to murmur because I have no more, and yet ready to abuse what I have. (7) I can do none of those things which God commands me, but my corruptions will thrust in themselves, "When I would do good, evil is present with me." These things I continually see and feel, and am afflicted and oppressed with; yet the wisdom of God doth order them for my good. (1) They make me abhor myself. (2) They keep me from trusting my own heart. (3) They convince me of the insufficiency of all inherent righteousness. (4) They show me the necessity of flying to Jesus. (5) They press me to pray to God. (6) They show me the need I have to watch and be sober. (7) And provoke me to look to God, through Christ, to help me, and carry me through this world. Amen. –John Bunyan (author of Pilgrim’s Progress)
GOOD DOCTRINE It is impossible to preach the Lord Jesus Christ and not preach His doctrine. Doctrine is a biblical word meaning instruction or teaching and is often a synonym for the gospel. Paul referred to the glorious gospel of the grace of God as being "good doctrine" in 1 Timothy 4:6. The accusation raised against the apostles by those who despised the truth of eternal salvation conditioned upon the person and work of Jesus Christ was that they had "filled Jerusalem with your doctrine" (Acts 5:28). Those men went forth preaching the gospel, that is, salvation accomplished by the substitutionary, justice-satisfying death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus whom "God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (verses 30-31). Solomon said in Proverbs 4:1-2, " Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law." Let all that would learn from the Lord come to the scriptures as little children, anxious to learn and study the gospel of God’s free grace. The Lord said in Deuteronomy 32:2, "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." As the rain and the dew are necessary for natural life, so the doctrine of the sovereign grace of God to sinners through \pard softlineChrist is necessary for spiritual and eternal life. Like the rain and the dew, the gospel comes from above, is a gift of God and falls where the Lord sends it. "For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:10-11). Those who believe the gospel are said to "have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you" (Romans 5:17). –Pastor Jim Byrd
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