CALL TO WORSHIP (Tune – “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place” – p. 228) (Words by Pastor Jim Byrd)
Behold our great and sovereign God, the source of boundless grace, Ordained a people for Himself, of Adam’s fallen race. The Father chose His only Son to be our Surety; And grace was given us in Him in old eternity.
When time had in her fulness come, the Lord from heav’n above; Came down to be the Son of Man; what cov’nant grace and love. To save His people from our sins, Christ suffered, bled and died; The law demanded death for sin; now God is satisfied.
The tomb could not the Savior hold, from death the Lord arose; And now He sits upon His throne, triumphant o’er His foes. He is our Shield and Hiding Place, our freedom from the law; Rejoice in Christ our Righteousness, and comfort from Him draw
Today: Bible Classes – 10:00 a.m.; Morning Worship – 11:00 a.m. Messages by Pastor Bill Parker
Television Broadcast: Reign of Grace Television Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.
Live Streaming – 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. – Sermon Audio web site
Hymns for service: “Standing on the Promises” – p. 175 “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” – p. 460
CHRIST IS ALL
Christ is eyes to the blind, ears to the deaf, legs to the lame, clothing to the naked, riches to the poor, honor to the contemptible, life to the dead, liberty to the captives, joy to them that are of a saddened heart, beauty to the deformed, that garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, peace to the troubled conscience, consolation to the sorrowful; light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to them that wander in the wilderness of sin, death and desperation. To such Christ is a guide by His Spirit and Word, to bring them to the door of hope (Himself), the way of peace, truth, and that life of fullness and plenty in Himself. -- John Heydon
ACCEPTABLE TO GOD BY JESUS CHRIST
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
We are met here today to sing praises to our sovereign Lord and Savior, to pray together, to hear the Gospel and God’s Word preached. This is part of our public identification with and confession of Christ before the world. Believers have spiritual life from Christ and are to offer their whole their whole selves (body and soul) in consecration to the Lord. This includes our prayers, praise, worship, and our witness in preaching and hearing, and our obedience of faith. But understand that these “spiritual sacrifices” are not accepted by God because they are perfect in themselves, or because they come from some imagined perfect, sinless nature within us. They are “acceptable to God BY JESUS CHRIST.” The blood of Christ cleanses not only our persons but also our offerings of praise, prayers, worship, and obedience. We offer these unto God NOT to be saved or to gain spiritual and eternal life, and NOT to make us righteous before God. We offer these unto God because we have already been declared righteous in Christ and have already been made alive in and by Him. We have an Advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1-2), and all things that are accepted and received by God are “acceptable to God BY JESUS CHRIST.” – Pastor Bill Parker
WAVE UPON WAVE
I have often likened the trials of believers to their standing on the edge of the beach as the waves crash in the surf. It is not a matter of “if” the waves will come; it’s a matter of “when” they’ll come and “how bad they’ll be.” Sometimes their frequency and severity are overwhelming as with Job. As God turned Satan loose to try Job, we read of those trials which came often and severely. Job received bad news from the messengers and the words we read are telling, “while they were yet speaking.” That is, before the news of one trial was still on the lips of the messengers, news of more and even greater trials came while they were yet speaking. Wave upon wave came crashing on him. How could he find any reason to have hope, any real consolation as he was buffeted by these waves? It was in this – Whatever trial came, they came sent of God most wise and gracious. They were sent by His heavenly Father. No matter what he had and no matter what he lost, it was because the all-wise God had given it to him or taken it from him. Not fate, chance or luck, not the devil or any man like himself but “the Lord.” It was the Father who pities His child and remembers that they are but dust. He knows our weakness, frailty and unbelief, and He sends no trial haphazardly or to find out something about us. He knows all there is about us. No, the trials are to prove the faith that He has given and to show His strength in the midst of our weakness. He works them all together for our good and His glory so we say, “Blessed is the name of the Lord.” As the psalmist says, “we stagger to and fro like a drunken man being tossed by the waves but in the midst of it, “they cry unto the Lord.” Each wave is a “wonderful wave” as they wash us up on the Rock of salvation. They make us flee to the Lord Jesus Christ. They prove our insufficiency and His sufficiency, our helplessness and His strength. His strength is manifested in our weakness. Furthermore, the greatest thing is this – There is nothing of His wrath, no punishment for sin in any of these waves! Those waves of His just judgment crashed on the head of our Substitute, the crucified Christ! He said so – “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalms 42:7). Or as Jonah 2:3, “For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.” -- Pastor Gary Shepard
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