CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: “O God Our Help,” p. 10)

'Tis not by works of righteousness

Which our own hands have done;

But we are saved by sovereign grace,

Abounding through the Son.

'Tis from the mercy of our God

That all our hopes begin;

'Tis by the water and the blood

Our souls are washed from sin.

'Tis through the merits of His death;

Who hung upon the tree,

The Spirit is sent down to breathe

On such dry bones as we.

Raised from the dead, we live anew;

And justified by grace

We shall appear in glory too,

And see our Father’s face.

Bible Study: “Cleaving to the King” – II Samuel 20:2

Today’s Speaker: Brother Randy Wages will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.

Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM. Pray that God will use it for His glory.

Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. You can also hear the sermons on your computer. Just click on www.americusradio.com

Birthdays: Susan Wages – June 17^th.

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." —John 12:32

Wherever Jesus is graciously and experimentally manifested to the soul, and made known by any sweet revelation of his glorious Person, atoning blood, and finished work; a secret yet sacred power is put forth, whereby we are drawn unto him; and every grace of the Spirit flows toward him as towards its attractive center. Thus Jeremiah speaks of the saints of God as coming and singing in the height of Zion, and flowing together to the goodness of the Lord (Jer. 31:12). And thus Isaiah speaks to the church of God, "Then you shall see, and flow together, and your heart shall fear [or as the word rather means, shall 'palpitate' with love and joy], and be enlarged" (Isaiah 60:5).

This view of Christ by faith is what the apostle speaks of to the Galatians, as Jesus evidently set forth before their eyes (Gal. 3:1). As thus set before our eyes, he becomes the object of our faith to look at, ("Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth"); "the altogether lovely," to whom love flows; and the Intercessor within the veil in whom hope effectually anchors. As, then, the blessed Lord is revealed to the soul by the power of God, his glorious Person held up before the eyes of the spiritual understanding, his blood and righteousness discovered to the conscience, and his suitability to all our needs and woes experimentally manifested, the blessed Spirit raises up a living faith whereby he is looked unto and laid hold of, and thus he becomes precious to all that believe in his name.

J.C. Philpot

The affair of redemption by Christ is no new thing. The scheme of it was drawn up in eternity. The persons to be redeemed were fixed on. The Redeemer was appointed in the counsel and covenant of peace. And even the very gospel which proclaims it was ordained before the world for our glory. A Savior was provided before sin was committed, and the method of man's recovery was settled before his ruin took place. This was done without any regard to the works and merits of men, but is wholly owing to the free and sovereign grace of God and to His everlasting love.

John Gill

My shepherd is the Lord. V-1

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” What a bold statement to make; yet made and believed by most in religion today who are totally ignorant of, and follow not the one true Shepherd of the sheep.

Who is the shepherd of God’s sheep? The LORD. “Jehovah” is his name. The sovereign creator, Lord over all, without equal, fitly described in Isaiah 45:21 as a “just God and Savior.” How and when did he become my shepherd? The Father gave me to him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.” He has always been my shepherd. There never was a time he was not my shepherd nor I his sheep. In the everlasting covenant of grace, as the object of his love, God chose me in Christ, gave me to Christ and conditioned all my salvation on Christ. As the “Good Shepherd, which giveth his life for the sheep,” (John 10:11) Christ satisfied the law’s demands against every sheep of Gods fold. As the “Great Shepherd of the sheep, brought again from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,” (Hebrews 13:20) “he was raised again because of our justification.” (Romans 4:25) As the “Chief Shepherd,” (1 Peter 5:4) “he shall appear to crown his sheep with glory that fadeth not away.”

Of the lump of clay called humanity, (another metaphor) he fashioned his sheep, vessels unto honor, not based on who we are, what we would become or what he might enable us to do, but simply out of his sovereign free will and choice. My shepherd is no respecter of persons. Sheep never choose their shepherd until he chooses them. Truth is, they never choose to be sheep; they either are or they aren’t, based on the sovereign pleasure of this Shepherd who is the Lord. A goat cannot become a sheep, neither a sheep a goat. The sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient God over all is the shepherd of his sheep. He is the Shepherd who separated the sheep and the goats in election past and will do so again in the judgment.

Is this your Shepherd? Have you heard his voice? Do you follow this shepherd? To a man, by nature, even the sheep rail out, “We will not have this man rule over us.” But his “sheep hear his voice and they follow him.”

It’s one thing to make this boast; “my shepherd is the Lord,” but what is my proof? How can I tell?

This shepherd fills the “want” of his sheep. Is your “WANT” filled? If it is you have every right to say, “My shepherd is the Lord.”