35th Sovereign Grace Summer Conference July 3rd - July 5th
JULY 3RD
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
HYMN PAGE 220
HE LIVES
-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE READING
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 473
VICTORY IN JESUS
---------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Kevin Thacker, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 198
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
-----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Clay Curtis, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 106
Praise Him! Praise Him!
For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:11
Fourteen times in the Holy Scriptures we are reminded God is no respecter of persons, and we should not be either. If He said it once, that is good enough. But hearing this from the Father, from the Son, and from the Holy Spirit (through His prophets and ministers) it is something that should strongly be heeded!
What does that mean, no respecter of persons? God does not care if you are rich or poor, male or female, Jew or Gentile, educated or uneducated, or what you have done for Him: how many idols you have destroyed, how many hungry you have fed, how many people you baptized, or how many souls you have won. Who we are or what we can offer of our own hands does not please the Father. He has no pleasure in mans sacrifices. (Isa 1v11, Psa 51v16)
How then can we approach God? Only through the merit, righteousness, and completed work of Christ! It was not Abel’s physical offering that was accepted. Abel’s looking to Christ, the Lamb Slain, was accepted by the Father. (Heb 11v4)
Twice, the heavens opened and declared “This is my Son, IN WHOM I am well pleased” (Luke 3v22, Matt 17v5). Sinner, do not attempt to approach God outside of Christ. The Father will not have respect for you. The only hope we have from eternal condemnation is IN CHRIST!
Pastor Kevin Thacker
“Brethren, just as real as is the person of the true and living God, so are all his works. Just as real as the Son of God was made flesh and dwelt among us, he who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Just as real as he died to the law, we died to the law. Just as real as he was raised to the right hand of the Father, we were raised to the right hand of the Father. Just as real as his elect are in him who is Spirit, he is in all his elect who are born of his Spirit. Just as real as his creation of our inner man is now fit to enter into his presence, by the same glory and power he shall also raise our mortal bodies to immortality, in incorruption, into his presence. Just as real as he made the first heaven and the first earth, he shall make all things new in righteousness where nothing that defiles shall enter in. Just as real as we have been his since before time began, he is now ours for eternity. Our God is real and so is our salvation.” Pastor Clay Curtis
Saturday July 4, 2020 AM
Romans 9:21
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
HYMN PAGE 101
HIS NAME IS WONDERFUL
-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE READING
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 353
A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM
-----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Kevin Thacker, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 409
I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED
---------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Norm Wells, Pastor
----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 295
REVIVE US AGAIN
What is Happening?
What are preachers, who have nothing else to preach, saying about what is happening in the world today? “We are at the end! God is giving you one last chance! We are seeing the judgment from God upon this world. We are seeing God judging the United States. Nothing like this has ever happened before, it must be judgment.”
My soul, the whole flock of these misleaders and fear mongers are failing one more time. Without the gospel, folks will present anything that will excite the flesh. I have seen sermons on Sermon Audio collect 13,000 downloads, but their message just appeals to fear, and to a people who will do anything, within the power of their flesh, to deal with sin.
There is a pandemic that has touched every single atom in the universe: the fall. Our message to the members of the pandemic of sin, both lost sinners and saved sinners, is the same. We don’t need to go any farther. That is enough—Preach Christ and Him Crucified. We do not need to create a need. There is already one established. Sin is the problem; and Christ is the answer to the problem, for the lost sheep and for the found sheep, both. A glorious message, the gospel!
The events that befall us, those around us, or throughout the world, fall out for one reason—the furtherance of the gospel. “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;” Philippians 1:12 The preacher that brought me a gospel mentioned in one of his messages, “Would God start a war to save one of His elect? Absolutely!”
We know what is going to happen when the last lost sheep is found. This world will be folded up as a tent, and all will stand before the great King where He, as a Shepherd, shall divide the sheep from the goats. May the Lord give us grace and courage to only preach about Him until that Day.
Pastor Norm Wells
Saturday July 4, 2020 PM
John 17:9-10
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them
HYMN PAGE 66
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE READING
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 495
HEAVEN CAME DOWN
----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
John Reeves, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYM PAGE 511
NOW I BELONG TO JESUS
-----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Clay Curtis, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 404
THE SOLID ROCK
My people
(Lev.26:12)
Nowhere in God’s Holy Word, is there a more clearer declaration, of the doctrine of Election than when we see this phrase “My People”, God chose a people unto Himself (Eph.1:4), he did not choose all mankind, for some have been “fitted for destruction (Rom.9:22)”. The word “fitted” means there was something done, prepared, framed. The simple fact is this, All of mankind come into this world fit for destruction, All have sinned against our maker, all have earned the wrath of God, yet God hath afore prepared some unto Glory (Rom. 9:23)! He calls them “My people”, they are His by purchase. The wages of sin, (the cost, the price to be paid), is death! And God paid that price, for His people! He could not die in the Spirit, so He humbled Himself and was manifest in the flesh, the Son of the Living God, Jesus the Christ! The Savior, the Substitute, the Sacrifice, the Atonement, He laid down his life, that His chosen people would have life, He was made sin, that we would be made righteous in Him! Then He took His life up again and has been highly exalted to sit on the Throne of Glory! He is making intercession for all those He calls “MY PEOPLE”, Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, oh what wonderous grace to be called His people!
Pastor John Reeves
WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE IN ELECTION?
We find God’s purpose in choosing some to salvation and passing by others in Romans 9: 11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;). God chooses whom he will, not based on any good or evil in us. He did so to declare that salvation is not of our works but of God that calleth, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom 9: 15-16). By sovereign grace, God chose a multitude in Christ, blessed us with all blessings, thus preparing us for glory before the foundation of the world. He calls us to life and faith in Christ "that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” (Ro 9:23). It makes believers thank God and give him all praise and honor for saving us according to his sovereign grace! And that is God’s purpose, that God might receive all the glory!
Pastor Clay Curtis
Sunday July 5, 2020
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
HYMN PAGE 527
GLORY TO HIS NAME
-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 38
----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 183
BENEATH THE CROSS OF JESUS
-----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Norm Wells, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 471
THE WAY OF THE CROSS LEADS HOME
-----------------------------
Special Music
-----------------------------
MESSAGE
Clay Curtis, Pastor
-----------------------------
HYMN PAGE 542
WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN
SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING FOR THE WEEK
Sunday Col 1-2 Monday Lev 13-15 Tuesday 2Ki 6-10
Wednesday Ps 81-83 Thursday Prov 10
Friday Ezek 25-30 Saturday Luke 19-20
‘As he is, so are we in this world’
--1 John 4:17--
“We all know that believers in this world bear a likeness to our Lord in his humiliation. As he was in this world, so are we in this world. As he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, so are we. As he was the object of the world’s hatred, so are we. As he was tempted by Satan, so are we. As he was despised and forsaken of men, so shall we be. As he went through many sufferings and death to glory, so must we. This is a great blessing of grace and a wondrous condescension of mercy, that we should have such a likeness to our Redeemer.
But our text does not say, ‘as he was’. It says, ‘as he is’. Do you behold the Son of God, our Savior, in glory? There sits God in our nature. And though we are not yet there personally, we are there in our Representative. And being in Christ, we are like Christ. As he is the Son of God, we are the sons of God. As he is loved by God with an everlasting and unchangeable love of complacency and delight, so are we. Yes, God loves us just as he loves his well-beloved Son. As Christ is chosen of God and precious, so are we chosen and precious in his sight. Oh, blessed grace! As our Lord in heaven is perfectly righteous, so are we! He is justified and acquitted from that charge of sin, which he voluntarily took upon himself. And in him we are completely righteous. I wish that we could all grasp this truth - Christ is all our righteousness, and we are immaculately righteous in him. ‘With his spotless garments on I am as holy as God’s Son!’ ‘In him is no sin.’ And, if I am in him, I am freed from, justified from and cleansed from all sin in the sight of God.
But John specifically says here that there is a likeness between the nature of God in heaven and his children upon the earth. ‘God is love.’ And the children of God in this world reflect this nature of their Father in heaven. The love of God is patient, kind, faithful, forgiving and sincere. And all of his children reflect this nature of love in this world, for ‘As he is, so are we in this world’.”
Don Fortner
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” Galatians 4:9
Paul is asking these people, I ask you, and I ask myself; how can we turn from salvation through Christ back to the bondage of the law? That is like receiving a pardon on death row from the governor. Tasting freedom, then saying “I want to go back to my cell. I want to call my lawyer and try to get this verdict overturned”. If a prisoner did that, we would take them from death row and put them in a hospital. That is madness!
How much more is it illogical to walk away from the prefect work of Jesus Christ our Lord to our own works? How insulting is that, to not trust the Master and think we can do a better job?
Pastor Kevin Thacker
“When true followers of Jesus Christ boldly state that we are not under the Law of Moses, we’re not saying we’re without law. Every believer is ‘Under The Law To Christ’ (1 Cor. 9:21). When we experience the miracle of The New Birth, the love of God is put in our hearts by the power of God the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). ‘Faith, which works by love’ motivates God’s children (Gal. 5:6). ‘The love of Christ constraineth us’ (2 Cor. 5:14). God’s preachers don’t have to coerce true believers to come to church, to fellowship with one another, to minister to the needs of suffering members of the Body of Christ, to support the church with their monies. Hebrews 6:10 describes these involvements as a ‘labor of love’. True followers of Jesus Christ will obey our Sovereign King because we love Him. ‘...love is the fulfilling of the law’.” Gene Harmon
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have contributed to our 35th Sovereign Grace Conference
• Join us for our FELLOWSHIP DINNER concluding this morning service.
• Friday Night Bible Study will be CANCELED this coming Friday
• MAY GOD’S BLESSING BE UPON YOU AS YOU TRAVEL HOME
Pray For Grace
2 Corinthians 12: 7: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8: For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
We all hate the pain we suffer in a trial, therefore as Paul did, we find ourselves beseeching the Lord that the thing might depart from us. The point Paul is admitting here is that this was the opposite of patience. He was not content to suffer this buffeting of Satan; he was not praying for grace; he was praying for the trial to be over, for it to depart from him. But how did the Lord reply to Paul? 9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
If we will come to experience, to have it proven to us that we have no strength and that God's all-sufficient grace shall sustain us as he has promised, it will not come by the trial necessarily being removed, but by God's grace which enables us to sufficiently bear it. Only then is it proven to us that as he has promised so he is able to perform. This is the perfect work James wrote about (Ja 1: 4.) Paul is writing this after he patiently endured through the strength of God's grace. Therefore listen to what experience taught him, 9:…Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, (instead of asking for them to be removed) that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Pastor Clay Curtis
Physical or Spiritual?
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) Hebrews 12:18-21
What an experience is recorded here, yet all this was physical. The mountain, the law, the tabernacle, the priests, and the sacrifices were all physical. We see all the blood of all the animals, blood on the hands of the priests, blood on the clothes of the priests, blood on the feet of the priests, yet all was physical. Not one person was ever saved by all this physical activity, physical religion, or by all the spilled blood of animals. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4) We are never brought to a physical religious experience for our salvation. Most religious experiences begin with “I”; “I” is in the middle; and “I” is at the conclusion.
“But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24
When the Lord is pleased to cause His lost sheep to hear the glorious gospel of the Son of God, and the Spirit is pleased to regenerate them, they are brought to a spiritual place—Mt. Zion, to Christ. Not one of these items listed can be taken physically. They are all spiritual, intangible to the flesh, understood only in the Spirit. They are not seen by physical eyes, but by spiritual eyes; not heard with the physical ears, but heard with spiritual ears; not by the natural heart we are born with, but with a new heart given by the Spirit. Not to a physical law, but the spiritual—written on our hearts. Not by a physical experience, but a new birth from the Spirit of God. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8
The elect are not brought to a physical form or formality, but to a Spiritual God. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) They are not brought to a fleshly experience, but to a spiritual birth. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63) The testimony of a believer, one whom God has blessed with the new birth, is “It was all of Him!”
Pastor Norm Wells
I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE
(Luke 22:32)
What a powerful statement to be made for my soul, God Prayed for me! Can any proclamation be more assuring, more powerful than to have the one who created me pray for me, pray that my Faith fail not! In mine own eye’s I fail miserably all the day long. But when the Lord turns my eyes from me too look to Him, I feel the confidence Paul had when he wrote “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”. (Rom. 8:34). What a hope is ours who have been given life, given the gift of Faith, given the knowledge of God, in the face of His Son, Christ Jesus! I can walk through this valley of the shadow of death, with no fear of the chaos that is in the world, no fear of my detestable flesh, for I too am confident, that nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus the Lord! If God be for me, who or what can come against me? And this confidence can all be laid at the Feet of this one who Sovereignly Rules all things, and prays for me, His Name is Jesus! As the Sovereign of all that is, shall His prayers not be answered? Shall His desires not be fulfilled? Shall he be turned by His creation? If so, He could not be called God! If so, the blood He shed that day for the sins of His “Elect”, was shed in vain, and to be counted as worthless! I guess it all boils down to one thing! He has loved me from the foundation of the world, and when He prays for me, I have full confidence that whatever his desire for me is, it will come to pass! Pastor John Reeves
