SHREVEPORT GRACE CHURCH
2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118
CHRIST ALONE - SCRIPTURE ALONE - GRACE ALONE
April 27, 2008
SUNDAY
Scripture Reading/Prayer: Psalm 96 (Mike)
Call to Worship: Light in God’s Light
Scripture Reading/Prayer: 1 Thessalonians 4 (David)
Hymn: # 277- O Thou, In Whose Presence
Message: THE BLESSED ONE – Psalm 1
Hymn: # 272- My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
THE LORD’S TABLE
Hymn: # Nor Silver Nor Gold
7:00 PM - Mid-week meeting
Nursery care available during all services; for ages 4 and younger.
Ken Wimer, Pastor- ( (318) 687-4943
E-mail: pastor@shrevegrace.org
Web Site: http://www.shrevegrace.org
Audio Messages Available On-Line; Updated weekly
Radio Broadcast: 9:00 AM (CST) Sunday on KWKH;
AM Radio 1130, Shreveport, LA area or LIVE streaming at http://www.kwkhonline.com/common/gap_streamer.php
Call To Worship
(Tune: #118- ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’)
1 – In darkness born, I went astray
And wandered from the gospel way;
And since the Savior gave me sight,
I cannot see without His light.
2 – So poor, and blind, and lame I am,
My all is bound up in the Lamb;
And blessed am I when I can see
My spirit’s inmost poverty.
3 – I cannot walk without His might,
I cannot see without His light;
I can have no access to God,
But through the merits of His blood.
Comfort For The Lord’s People
“Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned…” Isaiah 40:2
Christ has done all the fighting with Satan, sin and death, and, "we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us," "that her iniquity is pardoned." All Zion's iniquity in one lump was removed in one day when Jesus put it away by the sacrifice of Himself. How comfortable the privilege to say with the Psalmist, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and do not forget all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities," (Ps. 103:2,3). How many? "All your iniquities." How clearly Paul states this in Col. 2:13: "having forgiven you all trespasses. Where are the sins of God's people? Hezekiah says, "You have cast all my sins behind Your back," (Isaiah 38:17). The soul says, "Sought for, they shall not be found," (Jer. 50:20). Micah says, "You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," (Micah 7:19). Not in the shallows, but where they can never be seen or re-appear. The soul that once enjoys the comfort of that, is very uncomfortable without the enjoyment of it. And what a blessing to know that we are now receiving double favors, favors more abundant, in spite of all our sins.
Thomas Bradbury
How Should Man Be Just With God?
“I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?”- Job 9:2
If it is true, as many Bible historians believe, that Job is the oldest of the inspired books of Scripture, then it is also clear evidence that one of the oldest and most vital questions that anyone can ask is, ‘How should man be just with God?’ Amazingly, as old as the question is, most still have not stopped to consider the answer that God Himself gives, over and over again throughout the inspired Word. Does your answer line up with that of God’s Word?
1. “Being justified FREELY by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”- Romans 3:24.
2. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so BY THE OBEDIENCE OF ONE shall many be made righteous”- Romans 5:19
Notice the manner of our justification. Through the term ‘freely’ we see how that no one is justified conditioned on anything in them or done by them. The law demands perfect obedience, and only such obedience satisfies the law. Paul wrote in Galatians 2:21, ‘If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.’ Clearly, our justification before God cannot be both what we contribute in any fashion or manner, plus what Christ did. Were any part of it dependant on us, Christ died in vain!
Note also the method of our justification- ‘through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ A violated law required just payment, and that is what the Lord Jesus provided fully and completely in His coming, doing, and dying. So complete was the ransom price He paid that when He finished the work at the cross and commended His Spirit unto God the Father crying, ‘It is finished,’ the whole work of redemption was accomplished, as far as the legal deliverance from guilt and condemnation Yes, we do still await the redemption of our bodies for our final glorification, but that is the effect of the ONE redemption that God the Father purposed from eternity, and that Christ accomplished at Calvary.
Note clearly the means of our justification- ‘By the obedience of one,’ or ‘by the ONE obedience. How were we made sinners? It was by the imputation of Adam’s sin that we were made (legally constituted sinners). None of us was there when Adam fell, but as sons of Adam, we were all constituted sinners and condemned in his disobedience. Even so, it was by the imputation of Christ’s obedience that the sons of God were all constituted righteous and justified by His ONE obedience. Again, none of us was there personally, but because of Christ’s perfect obedience all of His seed, chosen in Him from eternity, were all together, at one time justified and sanctified. Thankfully, it was accomplished wholly by Christ, because if there were even the smallest requirement left to any one of us, none could EVER be saved.
Ken Wimer
Crumbs of Mercy
Never was a poor sinner more unworthy of favor from God or His people than myself. I deserve not a name and a place among the children, but am as vile as a dog, and would be glad for crumbs of mercy that fall from the children's table. But such is the free grace of God towards me, through the slain Lamb, that He deals with me as a child, a dear child, and feasts me as a prince with Him according to the royalty, the dignity of His own infinite state. If salvation in all its parts were not all of grace, it would not suit such a wretched, miserable sinner as I am. But oh, blessed be God, there is salvation enough for me in Christ to be had of the freest grace—of grace in which there is no scantiness, but an immense and eternal fullness to fill my needy soul, through all time and to eternity! And glad am I, under all my sins, miseries and needs, to live under the reign of grace—of this grace which reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ my Lord! Excerpt from Ann Dutton’s letters
The Savior Did Not Die In Vain
Consider how Christ, the Son of God, by Himself, has certainly purged His people from their sins. He was delivered up for their offenses, and He was raised again for their justification. Try to grasp the extent to which He saved and redeemed (before God) the people on whose behalf He had been smitten of God. He redeemed them as effectively as a benefactor who secured the release from prison of a debtor, by first assuming responsibility for his debt and then cancelling it BY PAYING IT IN FULL!
Gaze in wonder and adoration on this sovereign love of God, who loved those whom it pleased Him to love. He was not pleased simply to invite them to be saved nor to make salvation possible for them. No, the Lord has actually saved and redeemed them in the Lord Jesus Christ because He, being one with them, passed through the hell and condemnation that should have been theirs. HE HAS GIVEN THEM HIS LIFE, HAVING TAKEN THEIR DEATH ON HIMSELF! In view of this salvation that has been accomplished by our Savior, I am not afraid to say to you who are near to entering His presence, "Rejoice in anticipation of the glory which you already possess by faith; for this is the pledge which God Himself has given to the elect of His sovereign love, which was already theirs in Christ Jesus even before time began." I speak of a salvation which has either already been accomplished by our Savior, or else it never will be. César Malan