SHREVEPORT GRACE CHURCH
2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118 

CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE 

MAY 20, 2007 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP 

SUNDAY

 WEDNESDAY

7:00 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 lmessages now available on-line.

RADIO BROADCASTS: 9:00 AM Sunday on KWKH, 1130 AM, Shreveport, LA or live streaming at http://www.am1130thefan.com/pages/listen_live.html  

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

 (Tune: #380-‘Rise Up O Men Of God’) 

The conquest Jesus won

O’er Satan, sin, and hell,

With all the wonders He has done,

His saints shall sing and tell. 

On Him shall Zion place

Her only hope for heav’n,

And see, in His dear sacred face,
Ten thousand sins forgiv’n. 

He passed within the vail,

Did on His bosom bear

The worthless names that did prevail

With Him to enter there. 

Worthy the slaughtered Lamb!

Let ransomed mortals say;

For who shall sing His lovely name

In higher notes than they?

 

THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF GOD’S LAMB SLAIN

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, STOOD a Lamb as it had been slain…”  Revelation 5:6

he Lord Jesus pleads the cause of believers by his blood. Unlike other advocates, it is not enough for him to lay out only words, which is a cheaper way of pleading.  He pleads for us by the voice of his own blood, as in Heb. 12:24, where we are said to be come "to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel."

Every wound he received for us on earth is a mouth opened to plead with God on our behalf in heaven. And hence it is that in Rev. 5:6 He is represented standing before God, as a Lamb that had been slain; as it were exhibiting and revealing in heaven those deadly wounds received on earth from the justice of God, on our account. Other advocates spend their breath, Christ spent his blood.                                                                                                                                              JOHN  FLAVEL

THE LIVING WATERS

“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward:  for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar,”                                                                                 Ezekiel 47:1

he language here of Ezekiel the prophet is prophetic of the blessed work that the Lord Jesus Christ would come and accomplish for His people through His sacrificial death, to which all of the Old Testament sacrifices and priesthood pointed.  The temple symbolized the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which dwelt the fullness of the Godhead.  John 1:14 speaks of Christ the Word being made flesh and dwelling (literally ‘tabernacled’) among us.  The front of the house facing eastward (which is where the tabernacle and temple on the mount faced), typifies the coming of Christ, the SUN of righteousness, which is where the physical sun rises.  The waters flowing from the right side of the house, from under the altar, symbolize the life giving effect of Christ’s death (the altar).  Usually, if you see water running from under the threshold of a house, you would think that there was a leak, and that the situation wasn’t normal.  But here, it is used to describe LIFE, and the grace of God toward sinners for whom Christ came into this world and laid down His life.

                What is the point of all this for needy sinners for whom Christ died?  The waters flow, but they are not fed by any tributaries.  There are no man made conduits to bring the water forth, not even a supposed ‘pipe of faith,’ as some endeavor to describe faith as the means of appropriating salvation.  NO!  The waters make their own channel, as God directs them, and that in a wilderness place, where one would least likely find water.  And yet, not a drop of this water is said to run to waste, not even a single drop!  Zechariah wrote of a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (God’s spiritual Israel-Galatians 3:29) FOR SIN AND FOR UNCLEANESS, Zech. 13:1. This is none other than the cleansing effect of Christ’s shed blood, and directed toward everyone for whom He died.  Ezekiel found it up to his ankles, then to his knees, then to his waste, and then deep enough in which to swim, and a river that could not be passed over, Ezekiel 47:3-5.  Is this not a description of the super abounding grace of God through His righteousness imputed at the altar of Christ’s death, from which flows abundant and everlasting pardon, grace, peace, justification, sanctification, and a true hope of glory? Romans 5:21.  As the ancient hymn writer aptly penned those words, ‘Dear dying Lamb! Thy precious blood shall never lose its power, till all the ransomed Church of God be saved to sin no more.’  It is just such a salvation that was accomplished by our Lord Jesus in His death, and from whom flows every spiritual blessing and life for His own.

KEN WIMER

GOD’S WILL IN SAVING SINNERS

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”  1 Tmothy 2:4

he ‘all men’ whom God would have to be saved, are such whom he would also have to come to the knowledge of the truth.  This is not a mere nominal, but rather experiential knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the way, the truth, and the life, or of the true way of life and salvation by him.  All those whom God saves, they are brought by his Spirit and grace to an acquaintance with these things, which is an act of his sovereign will, and an instance of his distinguishing favor; for whilst he hides these things from the wise and prudent, he reveals them to babes: “even so, Father,” says Christ, “it seemed good in thy sight,” (Matthew 11:25, 26).

Therefore, by ‘all men’ whom God would have to be saved, we are not to understand every individual, of mankind, since it is not the will of God that all men, in this large sense, should be saved. It is his will that some men should be damned, and that very justly, for their sins and transgressions; ungodly men, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation (Jude 1:4); and to whom it will be said, go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. Moreover, if it was the will of God that every individual of mankind should be saved, then every one would be saved; for who hath resisted his will? Or can do it? Does he not do according to His will in the armies of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth? (Rom. 9:19; Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11). Nay, does he not work all things after the counsel of his own will? And it is certain that all men, in this large sense, are not saved, for some will go away into everlasting punishment, when the righteous shall go into eternal life (Matthew 25:46). Besides, the same persons God would have saved he would have come to the knowledge of the truth; but this is not his will with respect to every individual of mankind; were it his will, he would, no doubt, give to every man the means of it, which he has not done, nor does he (Acts 14:16; 17:30; Ps.147:19, 20).                                                                                                                                                                                          JOHN GILL

NOTES

·                     CLEANING SCHEDULE: Atchisons (5/13-5/26)

·                     NURSERY SCHEDULE: Tricia Pennywell/Freda Powell

·                     BIRTHDAYS: Elizabeth Strange-5/9; Jeremy Wimer-5/18; Rachel Denton-5/19; Layne Denton-5/23; Luke Pennywell-5/29

·                     THE LORD’S TABLE and FELLOWSHIP MEAL: Next Sunday, May 27.