We will serve the LORD’S SUPPER following the message this morning. This is a Gospel ordinance given to every believer as expression of our faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ who put away our sins by His death on the cross and work out righteousness for us by which we are justified before God. We will serve the noon meal in our fellowship hall following these worship services.
IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST ENOUGH?
The answer is unequivocally “YES!” The blood of Jesus Christ is more than enough to put away all the sins of all God’s chosen people given to Him before the foundation of the world and whose names were written in the Lamb’s book of life. The blood of Jesus Christ is more than enough to make all of His people completely, unchangeably, and eternally righteous before a holy and just God. The blood of Jesus Christ (which is His death on the cross) is more than enough to give spiritual life to all for whom He died and arose on the third day. The blood of Jesus Christ is more than enough to bring them to and secure them for eternity in glory with God in Christ. Any doctrine of reasoning of men that diminishes the blood of Christ by stating or implying that it is not enough is blasphemy and a denial of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. – Pastor Bill Parker
SAVED BY GRACE
We are saved by grace free grace, rich grace sovereign grace, distinguishing grace without one atom of works, without one grain of creature merit, without anything of the flesh. Oh! Sweet grace, blessed grace! Oh! What a help, what a strength, what a rest for a poor, toiling, striving, laboring soul to find that grace has done all the work to feel that grace has triumphed in the cross of Christ to find that nothing is required, nothing is needed, nothing is to be done! -- J. C. Philpot
THE VINE, THE BRANCHES, AND THE FRUIT
There are no conditions upon sinners to obtain or maintain salvation. As the Surety and Substitute of His people, the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all conditions required for His people to be saved. This is God’s grace based on the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. Unbelievers conclude that if this is true, there is no reason for faith, repentance, love, and obedience. But this is only the sinful reasoning of unregenerate people who have no motive for believing and serving God but legalism. You see, though there are no conditions upon sinners to obtain or maintain salvation, there are fruits and evidences of salvation working in those who are graced by God through Christ. Christ said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). This is NOT fruit that believers produce by their own power, goodness, or wills, but it is the fruit of God’s grace in Christ that they bear from Him who is the Vine. It is the fruit of faith, repentance, love, and the obedience of faith as believers walk after the Spirit and looking unto Christ as the Author and Finisher of faith.
– Pastor Bill Parker
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE IN PRAYER
When we pray, it is not with the intention of changing the will of God; it is not to ask our Father to alter that which He has determined to do. In prayer, we bow our heads indicating our natural unworthiness to come before Him and make any request. It is only through the blood of Christ that we can come near the throne of God. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). We close our eyes when we pray signifying that we want to shut out all things in this world of vanity and focus only upon the Lord. Prayer is taking the attitude of utter dependency upon God; it is to be a time of worship, thanksgiving, confession and the spreading of our petitions before Him. We seek only those things which are in accordance with His will. We come to God, not to ask Him to revise His will, but to request our wills be brought into conformity to His. It is to seek only those things that are according to His eternal counsel. —Pastor Jim Byrd
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