December 27, 2015

Sunday Worship

Radio WXCC 96.5 fm (internet wxccfm.com) 8:30 A.M.

Radio 98.1 fm; SuddenLink TV (channel 9) 10:30 A.M.

Bible Study 10:30 A.M.

Morning Service 11:15 A.M.

Wednesday Worship 7:00 P.M.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa. 9:6-7

ALL OR NONE

How dangerous it is to join anything of our own to the righteousness of Christ, in pursuit of justification before God! Jesus Christ will never endure this; it reflects upon His work dishonorably. He will be all, or none, in our justification. If He has finished the work, what need is there of our additions? And if not, to what purpose are they? Can we finish that which Christ Himself could not complete? Did He finish the work, and will He ever divide the glory and praise of it with us? No, no; Christ is no half-Saviour. It is a hard thing to bring proud hearts to rest upon Christ for righteousness. God humbles the proud by calling sinners wholly from their own righteousness to Christ for their justification. John Flavel

Is Our Message Offensive?

PAUL called his message "the offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11). Again and again he warned that the true gospel of God's grace and glory would meet with great opposition from the religious world and the natural world. "The preaching of the cross is foolishness" (1 Corinthians 1:18). "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Our Lord said, "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13). He also said, "They shall put you out of the synagogues (organized religion): yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service" (John 16:2). If what we preach is NOT offensive to the religionist and to the worldling, then it is NOT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. I repeat, it is not the gospel!

1. GOD'S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY in creation, providence and redemption offends man's claim to free will! "We will not have this man to REIGN over us" (Luke 19:14).

2. The preaching of TOTAL DEPRAVITY AND INABILITY offends man's dignity and claim to personal righteousness. "We be not born of fornication," that is, "We be not (they say) born in sin." "We may not be perfect, but we are not totally corrupt in God's sight."

3. The gospel of Christ comes by REVELATION, and this offends man's natural wisdom. The college professor knows as much about the mysteries of grace as the farmhand, which is nothing apart from the Spirit of God.

4. EFFECTUAL REDEMPTION through the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Substitute and Sin-offering, offends man's pride. Men would have God do all that He wants to do and all that He can do, but there must be a work left for the sinner to perform, that we might share somewhat in the glory.

5. THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST offends man's desire for recognition here and hereafter. "They said unto him, grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory" (Mark 10:37). "Let us have a system of rewards to distinguish us in some way from the beggar." We have established our social levels here and choose to continue them in heaven. Pastor Henry T. Mahan

COMPLETE IN CHRIST

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (Col. 2:9-10).

All that is necessary to secure our eternal salvation is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:7-9; 4:19). There is a completion or a complete filling up in Him, so as to leave nothing lacking in the sinner. In the Lord Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of God (John 1:16; Col. 1:19). He is perfect and the believer stands perfected in Him (1Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:22; Jude 1:24).

All that is lacking in us by our ruin and sin in Adam is abundantly, freely and eternally supplied to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20). His perfect obedience is our righteousness (Phil. 2:7-8). His sacrifice for sin is our atonement (Heb. 2:17). His word is our instruction (2Tim. 3:16). His wisdom is our direction (Col. 2:3). His power is our protection (1Peter 1:5). His blood sacrifice is our justification (Rom. 5:9). His grace is our salvation (Rom. 3:24). His eternal love is our security (Rom. 8:32-39). His everlasting mercy is our hope (Lam. 3:22-26). His fullness is our completeness (John 1:16). His immutability is our strength (Mal. 3:6). His resurrection is the guarantee of our final glory (Rev. 1:18). His intercession is the assurance of all our deliverance from sin (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). Tell me my friend, what could we possibly want for, when all the Godhead is engaged to make the believer complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, to His eternal glory (Rom. 8:29-30; Jude 1:24-25).

Everything a guilty and vile sinner needs to stand before God justified, righteous, reconciled and accepted is found in Christ (Eph. 1:6: Phil. 3:7-9). Read this verse again carefully; “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).