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
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SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 38
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HYMN PAGE 183
BENEATH THE CROSS OF JESUS
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Special Music
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MESSAGE
Norm Wells, Pastor
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HYMN PAGE 471
THE WAY OF THE CROSS LEADS HOME
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Special Music
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MESSAGE
Clay Curtis, Pastor
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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 HO
ME
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
Sunday July 12, 2020
1 Kings 1:40
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
SCHEDULED MEETINGS
Sunday Morning Bible Study 10:00 AM Simon Peter an Apsotle of Christ
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Friday Night Bible Study 7:30 PM
OPENING HYMN “I AM THINE O LORD” PAGE 358
SCRIPTURE READING
PSALMS 39
WORSHIP HYMN “COME THOU ALMIGHTY KING” PAGE 267
DEVOTIONAL
MESSAGE
“THE JOY OF FAITH”
CLOSING HYMN “I WILL PRAISE HIM!” PAGE 525
SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING FOR THE WEEK
Sunday Col 3-4 Monday Lev 16-18 Tuesday 2Ki 11-15
Wednesday Ps 84-86 Thursday Prov 11-12
Friday Ezek 31-36 Saturday Luke 21-22
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· We will come to the LORD’S table of Remembrance after this morning message
· FRIDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY will resume this Friday
OUR AIM – THE GLORY OF GOD
A preacher recently said on a local TV program that “unless the church is willing to change it will die. If we are not willing to change, we cannot keep the commandment of God and fulfill the great commission.” “Not our message,” he said, “but our methods of presenting our message. We must be willing to change our methods according to changing conditions and circumstances, and according to different cultures.”
This poor man does not understand that according to the Word of God, the Message (Christ crucified) is the method! There is only one message and one method of evangelism – the Gospel! Men create these so-called evangelistic gimmicks, skits, plays and dramas because they simply do not believe God! Thus they cannot wait upon the Lord to do His work. They must help Him out. God does not move fast enough for them. They cannot have a successful ministry waiting on God. That is the old fashioned way, and it won’t work in our day.
One thing is required in preachers – faithfulness. Faithfulness to preach the gospel, to plant and water, and wait upon the Lord God to give the increase – or not to give an increase! We all know what is going on in the churches today across our land – all of the quick man-made “methods” of “getting sinners saved.” Dear souls, this is totally, completely, and absolutely wrong! And God is not in it. It is a religion of fleshly origin, built upon fleshly reason (Prov. 3:5), and running on fleshly power. I repeat, God is not in it. It is disobedience and rebellion (I Sam. 15:22, 23).
My dear brothers and sisters, you will be condemned for saying anything against these things, for not joining in and going along with these things, and even because you do not do these things in your church; but we must not have any part in such goings on! Let others do what they will, but we will seek to honor and glorify our great God and Savior in declaring HIM to the world. Let us, by the grace of our God, plant and water and wait upon our great God and Savior to do HIS WORK, in HIS OWN TIME. Maurice Montgomery
Sunday July 19, 2020
Romans 11:33 - 36
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
SCHEDULED MEETINGS
Sunday Morning Bible Study 10:00 AM Simon Peter an Apostle of Christ
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Friday Night Bible Study 7:30 PM
OPENING HYMN “I WILL SING THE WONDROUS STORY” PAGE 508
SCRIPTURE READING
PSALMS 40
WORSHIP HYMN “HE HIDETH MY SOUL” PAGE 496
DEVOTIONAL
MESSAGE
“STRENGTHEN THY BRETHREN”
CLOSING HYMN “BLESSED ASSURANCE” PAGE 345
SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING FOR THE WEEK
Sunday 1 Thes 1-3 Monday Lev 19-21 Tuesday 2Ki 16-20
Wednesday Ps 87-89 Thursday Prov 13
Friday Ezek 37-42 Saturday Luke 23-24
AND THE REST WERE BLINDED
(Romans 11:7)
Dear reader, may God be pleased to give you sight!
“Here in Romans, the writer is declaring Sovereign Grace in Election. (Romans 11:5). There is no confusion here. The words are as clear as a bell ring. You are either blind or not! The Truths of God’s Words are as simple and clear as the miracles Christ preformed while walking this earth. In the end, there was no question as to who had given the blind man sight in John chapter 9. Yet those religious Jews still did not believe, because they were not God’s sheep (John 10:26). In truth, they were the ones still blinded. We come into this world blinded by our own pride and self-righteousness. Blinded by our own works, our nature is to make ourselves out to be more than we are. Dear reader! My words are inadequate in describing how thankful I am in the knowledge that ‘Once I was blind, but now I see.’ I see that God supplied a substitute in His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, for my sins. I see that CHRIST has fulfilled all that I need to be reconciled to GOD. I see that, for CHRIST SAKE, I was not left with the rest who were blinded. Amazing Grace How Sweet The Sound!”
John Reeves
ABOUT CASUAL WORSHIP
“I believe that our thoughts of God are reflected in every part of our worship service. What part will the preaching of the Word of God have in the service? Will the truth of Christ and His saving work be the message? Are the hymns that we sing such that glorify God? Are the words true to Scripture? Are we faithful to join with God's people? Do we come on time? If late, do we come in quietly? Do we dress appropriately?
We do not set rules and would never want to say anything that would keep anyone from coming to hear the Gospel. However, we live in a time when everyone wants to be casual, but there is nothing casual about the worship of God Almighty.”
Pastor Milton Howard
“Before we can worship God in peace of conscience and liberty of heart, we must know, upon authority of God’s Word and by the power of God’s Spirit, that the entire question of sin has been forever settled by the blood of a divine sin offering. All of God’s claims and all our necessities as ruined, guilty sinners have been forever answered. This gives us peace; and in the enjoyment of that peace, we worship God. We have a perfect Sacrifice and a perfect conscience.”
Brother Scott Richardson
Sunday July 26, 2020
Isaiah 28:14-16
Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
Isa 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
SCHEDULED MEETINGS
Sunday Morning Bible Study 10:00 AM Simon Peter an Apostle of Christ
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Friday Night Bible Study 7:30 PM
OPENING HYMN “A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM” PAGE 353
SCRIPTURE READING
PSALMS 41
WORSHIP HYMN “AT CALVARY” PAGE 338
DEVOTIONAL
MESSAGE
“PHILIPPIAN’S SERIES" (PT 10)
Worlds Greatest Servant
CLOSING HYMN “MY FAITH HAS FOUND A RESTING PLACE”
PAGE 405
SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING FOR THE WEEK
Sunday 1Thes 4-5 Monday Lev 22-24 Tuesday 2Ki 21-25
Wednesday Ps 90-92 Thursday Prov 14-14
Friday Ezek 43-48 Saturday John 1-2
THE WORLD’S REGARD TOWARD THE FAITHFUL
1 Corinthians 4: 9: For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10: We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
God made the apostles suffer before the world, angels and men. But what a blessing of God’s grace to be regarded by this ungodly world as “fools for Christ’s sake.” Persecution and affliction in our day is light compared to the apostles (vv11-13). But Paul reminds us that God appoints our suffering (1 Thess 3: 3). “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Php 1: 29-30). Christ said, “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me they shall persecute you” (Jn 15:20). If we declare God’s sovereign, free grace in divine election in Christ then we shall be rejected by the ungodly. If we declare Christ’s particular redemption of his sheep then most will despise us. If we preach the necessity of the irresistible, regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit then we will suffer for Christ’s sake. But what a blessing to know God sovereignly appointed it and it is only by God’s all-sufficient grace that we stand. It is to the praise of Christ’s power when the Spirit of God gives us grace to believe and preach the truth of our Redeemer come what may!
Pastor Clay Curtis
THANK GOD FOR THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL!
“The longer I live the more I bless God that we have not received a classical gospel, nor a mathematical gospel, nor a metaphysical gospel. It is not a gospel confined to scholars and men of genius, but a poor man’s gospel, a ploughman’s gospel; for that is the kind of gospel which we can live upon and die upon. It is to us not a luxury of refinement, but the staple food of life. We want no fine words when the heart is heavy, neither do we need problems when we are lying upon the verge of eternity, weak in body and tempted in mind. At such times we magnify the simplicity of the gospel. Jesus in the flesh, made manifest, becomes our soul’s bread. Jesus bleeding on the cross, a substitute for sinners, is our soul’s drink. This is the gospel for babes, and strong men want no more.
C. H. Spurgeon
