2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE

NOVEMBER 26, 2006

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

6:30 PM- Mid-week Service

Nursery care available for all services for ages 4 and younger.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ken Wimer, Pastor- ( (318) 687-4943

PO Box 5028, Shreveport, LA 71135

E-MAIL: pastor@shrevegrace.org

WEB SITE: http://www.shrevegrace.org Updated weekly with audio messages now available on-line.

CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: #488 ‘I Will Sing of My Redeemer’)

amb of God, we fall before Thee,

Humbly trusting in Thy cross;

That alone be all our glory;

All things else are dung and dross;

Thee we own a perfect Savior,

Only Source of all that’s good:

Every grace and every favor

Comes to us through Jesus’ blood.

Jesus gives us true repentance,

By His Spirit sent from heaven;

Jesus whispers this sweet sentence,

“Son, thy sins are all forgiven.”

Faith He gives us to believe it;

Grateful hearts His love to prize;

Want we wisdom? He must give it;

Hearing ears, and seeing eyes.

When we live on Jesus’ merit,

Then we worship God aright,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Then we vitally unite.

Hear the whole conclusion of it;

Great or good, whate’er we call,

God, or King, or Priest, or Prophet,

Jesus Christ is All in All.

A VESSEL OF MERCY

hese sins of mine I saw, when the Lord opened my eyes, did deserve the damnation of hell---and I wondered at the infinite forbearance of God in allowing me to live so long out  of hell, when I was such fit fuel for everlasting burnings!  And I could have justified Him if He had sent me down to the pit the next moment.

                But, Oh!  Behold, I was a vessel of mercy, and therefore the Lord made known unto me the riches of His glory, not only in sparing, but in pardoning mercy also.  He not only spared me from hell, but forever delivered me from going down to the pit by the ransom which He had found---by His own Son, to bear my sin, to be made a curse, and to die for me!  By this mighty ransom—this infinite price of the life of the Son of God laid down for my redemption, did the God of all grace did let me go free.

Excerpt from Anne Dutton’s letters

PUBLIC PRAYER

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” 1 Timothy 2:8

hile it is the privilege of all of God’s children to pray to Him, and we have the example of the prayers of both men and women recorded in Scripture, yet, because Paul is here speaking of public prayer in the assembly, it is addressed particularly to men everywhere and the spirit with which they are to pray.

“Men everywhere,” shows that it is not limited to men of certain title.  There are some organizations that limit public prayer to pastors, elders, or deacons, who may be officially recognized and ordained to those offices.  Because of a certain authority imposed upon them by some institution or organization, they are set above the people in a ‘clergy’ and laity distinction.  However, we do not find any such distinctions in Scripture with regard to authority being conferred based on title, education, or position as conferred by men.

Having made that statement, there are two qualifications imposed by God the Spirit on any man who would lead the congregation in worship.

1.                   “Lifting up holy hands”- These are men who evidence their justification (declared righteousness) before God through faith in His Son and His finished work at Calvary.  The thief on the cross addressed such a prayer to God in crying, ‘Remember me when thou comest in Thy kingdom,’ Luke 23:42.  He had nothing in himself as holiness to recommend him to God, but Christ’s acknowledgment of him as accepted by His imputed righteousness was all sufficient for Him.  The publican addressed such a prayer, lifting holy hands in crying, ‘Be merciful to me a sinner,’ Luke 18:13. He looked to the mercy seat, a type of Christ’s propitiation as his only righteousness before God, 1 John 2:2.

2.                   “Without wrath and doubting”- Prayer is to be offered to God in an attitude of quietness, peace, and faith by those who know themselves redeemed and justified by the blood of Christ and called out by His Spirit.  They know to whom their prayers are addressed, (the ALL Sovereign God), and believe that He hears and answers according to His will.  Trouble, turmoil, and conflict in a congregation may at times cause someone to lash out in prayer, scold, or even doubt God’s presence.  Nonetheless, may we ever pray to God in the same spirit as the church gathered in the first century, trusting God’s sovereign will and purpose as found in Acts 4:23-31, without an angry and unforgiving temper towards men.                                                                                                                KEN WIMER