WELCOME TO RESCUE BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday Morning, October 11, 2015
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SCHEDULED MEETINGS
Sunday Morning Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 AM
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 AM
Sunday Evening Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:30 PM
Friday Night Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:30 PM
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OPENING HYMN
“Christ Arose” Page 216
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SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 117 - 118:1 - 14
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OFFERTORY
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WORSHIP HYMN
“One Day” Page 170
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SPECIAL MUSIC
To be announced.
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Message Title
“The Death of the Testator”
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CLOSING HYMN
“It Is Well With My Soul” Page 493
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"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" (Hebrews 9:15 - 17).
“Here the Holy Spirit shows us that Old Testament believers were redeemed by the death of Christ in exactly the same way we are, and for the same reasons. Justice must be satisfied before mercy can be given; and the only One by whom redemption could come is the God-man Mediator, Christ Jesus, of whom all the prophets spoke (Acts 10:43). The promise of eternal inheritance was made to God’s elect in and by Christ, the Mediator of the covenant (testament) (1Cor. 10:4; Luke 24:44 - 47).
However, that promise could not come without the death of Christ, the Testator, the Mediator of the covenant. Wherever there is a testament, there must be the death of the testator. No claim can be made by the heirs of the testament until the Testator dies (John 3:14 - 16; Rom. 3:19 -2 6). There was an absolute necessity for the death of God’s Son as our Substitute and the Testator of the covenant. Christ must suffer and die if we are to be redeemed (1Peter 1:18 - 21).
Promise Received
Those who are called (Heb. 9:15) receive the promise of eternal salvation, our eternal inheritance of grace in Christ by faith. Our faith does not in any way secure the inheritance. It simply receives what God our Father secured for us by his purpose and promise in eternity and Christ secured for us by his death. In fact, faith in Christ is itself a part of the inheritance. We believe because God the Holy Spirit, ‘the Blessing’ of the covenant has been sent into our hearts in saving power and grace (Gal. 3:13 -14; Gal. 4:6).
The very heart of the gospel is the finished work of Christ at Calvary, – particular, effectual redemption, -- limited atonement. We believe, according to Holy Scripture, that the sin-atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ is of infinite merit, value and efficacy, and that the blessings and benefits of our Savior’s great sacrifice are limited by the purpose of God to his elect. I know that this glorious gospel doctrine is offensive to unbelieving men, offensive to all who wish to make man a co-savior with Christ; but that only demonstrates the fact that “the offense of the cross” has not ceased.”
Excerpt from Pastor Don Fortner’s book, Discovering Christ in Hebrews
“.. where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
--Hebrews 9:16 - 17--
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“... The covenant of grace, is properly a covenant to Christ, and a testament or will to his people: it is his and their Father's will, concerning giving them both grace and glory; it consists of many gifts and legacies; in it Christ is made heir of all things, and his people are made joint heirs with him; they are given to him as his portion; and they have all things pertaining to life and godliness bequeathed to them, even all spiritual blessings; the witnesses of it are Father, Son, and Spirit; and the seals of it are the blood of Christ, and the grace of the Spirit; and this is registered in the Scriptures by holy men as notaries; and is unalterable and immutable: and this being made, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator; who is Christ; he has various parts in this will or testament; he is the surety and Mediator of it; and he is the executor of it; what is given in it, is first given to him, in order to be given to others; all things are put into his hands, and he has a power to give them to as many as the Father has given him; and here he is called the ‘testator’. Christ, as God, has an equal right to dispose of the inheritance, both of grace and glory; and as Mediator, nothing is given without his consent; and whatever is given, is given with a view to his ‘death‘, and comes through it, and by virtue of it: hence there is a ‘necessity’ of that, and that on the account of the divine perfections; particularly for the declaration of God's righteousness, or by reason of his justice; and also because of his purposes and decrees, which have fixed it, and of his promises, which are yea and amen in Christ, and are ratified by his blood, called therefore the blood of the covenant; and likewise on account of the engagements of Christ to suffer and die; as well as for the accomplishment of Scripture prophecies concerning it; and moreover, on account of the blessings which were to come to the saints through it, as a justifying righteousness, pardon of sin, peace and reconciliation, adoption and eternal life.”
Excerpt from John Gill’s Commentary on Hebrews
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Our monthly Music & Testimony Night is scheduled for next Sunday evening.
In loving memory of Annie Robinson, a Memorial Service will be held in her honor here at Rescue Baptist Church at 1:30 PM Tuesday, October 13.
We will come to The Lord’s Table during our evening worship service next Sunday, Lord willing.
******* Cleaning duty this week: Gene & Judy Harmon *******
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SUGGESTED BIBLE READINGS FOR THIS WEEK
Monday Wednesday Friday
Exodus 2 Psalm 46 Luke 5
Exodus 3 Psalm 47 Luke 6
Exodus 4 Psalm 48 Luke 7
1 Corinthians 2 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 4
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude, verse 1).
“... Blessed for ever be God our Father, for sanctifying, setting apart, choosing, and electing the Church in Christ, before all worlds, that it should be holy and without blame before Him in love! Blessed for ever be God the Son, for uniting the Church to Himself, in a oneness and union, preserving her before all time, and preserving through all time, his Church as His own, and redeeming her to Himself, for His social spouse and companion, to whom He might impart all communicable grace here, and glory for ever. And blessed for ever be God the Holy Ghost, for calling the Church with an holy calling, and by His regenerating grace, quickening her, when dead in trespasses and sins, and bringing her into a new and spiritual life in Christ Jesus! Blessed by the Holy Three in One, for all our mercies in time, and to all eternity.”
--Robert Hawker
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“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
“There is but one human righteousness, and it is Christ, His Person and work. When we speak of ‘our Righteousness’, we are speaking of Him, for He is eternally, ‘THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ (Jer 23:6). In this regard, as in all others, nothing can be added to, nor taken away from Him. Our gracious, loving Father has brought us the Best Robe, one woven throughout, without seam. Nothing we do can mar it, no matter how hideous our sin, and no imagined goodness that we perform can add a stitch unto it. Do not presume that works of faith wrought in and through us by God, Who worketh in us both to will and do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13), are meritorious in any way or considered as supplemental to His. If we are considered in ourselves at all, even based on our best work, we are undone. And do not despair, though your sin become exceeding sinful to you. Of God are we in Christ Jesus, Who is made unto us Righteousness (1Cor 1:30). We have no other, and need no other.”
Pastor Chris Cunningham
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“The mere knowledge of facts about the Bible, and even about the person and work of Christ, will not save us unless that knowledge leads us to really and truly trust our souls in the blessed Redeemer’s hands. Faith must act in this fashion: ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that He came to save sinners, and therefore, as a sinner, I rest myself on Him. I know that His righteousness and blood justify the ungodly; therefore, I trust Him to be both my righteousness and redemption before God’.”
Pastor Henry Mahan
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Grace Before Grace
“Before Noah’s salvation in the ark is revealed, before Noah’s character is revealed, the grace of God is first revealed. Let it always be clear that the grace of God precedes all that God has done for us, and all that He will do in us, in salvation (Genesis 6:8).”
Pastor John Chapman
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Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69).
“From the standpoint of God’s eternal decree, it may be truly said that believing sinners will not turn away from Christ because they CANNOT; but from the standpoint of the believer’s experience, it may just as truly be said that believers cannot turn away from Christ because they WILL NOT. And this is not presumption. It is the simple, saving, childlike faith and trust of a believing sinner, a true believer. The desperate NEED of his soul can only be satisfied in Christ Jesus the Lord!”
--Pastor Maurice Montgomery
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Personal, spiritual, experimental knowledge
“It is our dim, scanty, and imperfect knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in His eternal love—and in His grace and glory—which leaves us so often cold, lifeless, and dead in our affections towards Him. If there were more blessed revelations to our soul of the Person and work, grace and glory, beauty and blessedness of the Lord Jesus Christ—it is impossible but that we would more and more warmly and tenderly fall in love with Him—for He is the most glorious object that the eyes of faith can see! He fills heaven with the resplendent beams of His glorious majesty—and has ravished the hearts of thousands of His dear family upon earth by the manifestations of His bleeding, dying love. Just in proportion to our personal, spiritual, experimental knowledge of Him, will be our love to Him.”
--J. C. Philpot
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“It was to save sinners that Christ Jesus came into the world. He did not come to help them save themselves, nor to induce them to save themselves, nor even to enable them to save themselves. He came to save them!”
--William Hendricksen
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“... thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
