2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE

SEPTEMBER 10, 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

William Gadsby’s Hymnal

(Tune: #236- ‘Amazing Grace’)

he gospel is good news indeed,

To sinners deep in debt;

The man who has no works to plead,

Will thankful be for it.

No news can be compared with this,

To men oppressed with sin;

Who know what legal bondage is,

And labor but in vain.

Freedom from sin and Satan’s chains,

And legal toil as well,

The gospel sweetly now proclaims;

Which tidings suit them well.

How gladly does the prisoner hear

What gospel has to tell!

‘Tis perfect love that casts out fear,

And brings him from his cell.

The man that feels his guilt abound,

And knows himself unclean,

Will find the gospel’s joyful sound

Is welcome news to him.

FLESH AND SPIRIT

elievers are a compound of flesh and spirit.  The newly created soul dwells in a sinful body, and is opposed by a carnal nature (I Cor. 3:3).  There may be true grace within, though much carnality appears without.  Weak faith in Jesus may be opposed with strong corruptions and unbelief.  A little true knowledge of Jesus in the heart, yet beset with great ignorance and weakness of judgment; the dawning of true hope in Jesus but interposed with clouds of darkness; the stirrings of real love to Jesus, but resisted by the love of the world, and the objects of sense; real esteem for a preached gospel, and yet carnal contentions and debates may arise about ministers and things of no real profit to the soul.  This is true:  yet such weaklings in the faith, such babes in Christ are as safe because beloved by the same Father, redeemed by the same precious blood of Jesus, and renewed by the power of the same Spirit, as young men and fathers in Christ.

                                                                                                               W. MASON

A CHARGE TO KEEP

“that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine…”

I Timothy 1:3

ote the urgency of the mission for which Paul left Timothy in Ephesus.  It was a charge to keep some from teaching any other doctrine than that of the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming, justifying, reconciling work at Calvary.  What was the cause of this charge to Timothy? Here particularly it was those who went about preaching a justification conditioned on something done by man, or in man.  One was a condition of works, the other a condition of heart, but nonetheless, to make justification a condition of anything other than Christ and His finished work at Calvary is to stand in opposition and contradiction to the clear revelation of the Gospel of our Lord.

We have the same charge to keep today.  There are those who allude to the Gospel of Grace in their preaching, and yet keep their shoe laces loose, so that they can take their ‘gospel’ shoes off or put them on when convenient.  They prefer to walk barefooted at times rather than to have their feet always shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. How so?  Yea and nay preaching- 2 Corinthians 1:18, 19

1)                     Making the justification of sinners at different times and circumstances (in eternity, at faith, through works), rather than accomplished wholly, completely and exclusively at the cross upon completion of Christ’s work there- Romans 5:9,10

2)                    Insisting that forgiveness of sins is conditioned on believing first rather than believing being dependent on sins having already been put away at the cross- Colossians 2:13.

3)                    Thinking that somehow, in spite of all that Christ accomplished at Calvary our salvation was merely secured, but that somehow we continue under the wrath of God until we believe. Either Christ satisfied God’s justice or He didn’t.  Either He drank the cup of damnation dry or He didn’t.  Either He put away the sin of His people once for all or He didn’t.  There is no question that all are born into this world enemies of God in their minds and hearts, Colossians 1:21.  However, God in love and grace looks upon each one of His elect as redeemed, justified, and already reconciled by the blood of Christ- Colossians 1:21,22, and therefore in time gives them His Spirit to reconcile them in their hearts and minds to Him in submission to His righteousness imputed as revealed in the Gospel.  

This truth is exclusive and cuts out any other doctrine.  Nothing is to be introduced, embraced, or believed that is not according to the revelation of His Word.  No wonder Paul says to Timothy, ‘charge some that they teach no other doctrine,’ v. 3.  I pray that the Lord will grant us this same persuasion, and teach us according to His truth                                                                     KEN WIMER