WELCOME TO RESCUE BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday Morning, September 20, 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
“Revive Us Again” Page 295
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SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 114
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OFFERTORY
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WORSHIP HYMN
“All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus” Page 526
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SPECIAL MUSIC
To be announced.
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Message Title
Do Not Be Afraid, Only Believe Message by Missionary Lance Hellar
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CLOSING HYMN
“He Hideth My Soul” Page 496
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‘It is God that justifieth’
--Romans 8:33--
- Every believer is eternally justified in the purpose of God. Paul, speaking of God’s eternal decree in predestination, declares that all of God’s elect were justified in his eternal purpose of grace: ‘Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’ From eternity God looked upon his Son as our Substitute, and as he looks upon us in his Son, we are, and always have been, righteous in his sight. Thomas Goodwin said, ‘We may say of all spiritual blessings in Christ, what is said of Christ, that ‘His goings forth are from everlasting.’ In Christ we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. As we are blessed with all others, so with this also, that we were justified then in Christ!’
- All of God’s elect were justified at Calvary. Having lived in perfect obedience to the law of God as our Representative, establishing its perfect righteousness for us, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died as our Substitute at Calvary, satisfying the penalty of God’s law and justice against us. In the person of our Substitute, we have satisfied the law’s requirements and its penalty. And now God, in perfect consistency with his justice and holiness, declares that we are forgiven of all sin and justified: ‘Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’
- Every believer receives justification by faith in Christ. Christ justified us by his great sin-atoning sacrifice and all who believe on Christ as Lord and Savior receive all the many benefits of his finished work, one of which is justification. It is written that our Lord Jesus Christ ‘was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Faith does not cause God to justify us. The obedience of Christ has done that for us. But faith, resting upon Christ alone as Savior, obtains peace with God, even the peace of perfect and complete justification.
Pastor Don Fortner
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“STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS”
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13
What was true of Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham is true of God’s people in every age. They confess themselves to be ‘strangers and pilgrims’ in this world. As an old hymn puts it: ‘This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.’ And so it is.
What They Are—Strangers and pilgrims, they are in the world, but not of the world. When the whole religious world is bowing down to their idols, the work of their own hands, these walk a different path. They turn their faces heavenward and turn their backs to this world, its favor and its frowns. They do not follow the broad road of worldly religion, but worship the one true God, strange! They do not consider this world their home, but look for a ‘city whose builder and maker is God’, strange! They chose suffering over ease, poverty over wealth, the riches of Christ, His grace, His glory, His salvation, greater than any earthly treasure; very strange!
Why They Are—Just as God in mercy called Abraham to come out of the land of his father, to leave Ur of the Chaldees, and it’s idolatry, and to follow Him, Christ says of all those He calls: “…ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world…” Even as I write these words, I am very much aware that in our day, the majority of professing Christians are utter strangers to being strangers in this world. They live in this world without a conflict, or a cross, or a commitment to Christ. True believers know Him who called them out of darkness, and follow Him. As they journey to that heavenly city, they rejoice to confess that they are ‘strangers and pilgrims’ here.
Thankful They Are—How thankful I am God did not leave me where I was by nature, in the world and of the world, without God and without hope. Christ was a stranger to me, I did not know Him, or want to. ‘But God,’ what blessed words! But God loved me with an everlasting love. But God sent forth His Son to redeem me. But God called me by His grace. When God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah after first bringing His servant Lot out, I imagine Lot never ceased to thank God for it. Peter asked, in light of the fact that God will destroy this present world and everything in it; ‘What manner of persons ought ye to be?’ God give us grace to live as strangers and pilgrims for the glory of that One who hath prepared for us a city.
Pastor Larry Criss
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
What an honor and a delight to have Missionaries, Lance and Robin Hellar, with us this weekend. They are scheduled to return to Papua, New Guinea, leaving on October 10. Please continue to pray for them.
Brother Lance Hellar will bring this morning’s message, and will be preaching for us and to us during our worship service this evening as well. Please make an effort to be here.
A time of fellowship with refreshments is scheduled following this morning’s worship service.
We extend our sincere condolences to Maxine Bonner, and members of her family, over the recent death of Maxine’s son, Don Merle (Butch) Bonner.
Our dear brother in the Lord, John Okpisz, departed this life last Tuesday morning, and was ushered into heaven’s glory where he is now in the presence of Jesus Christ his Lord and Saviour. Our sincere condolences to all his loved ones.
****** Cleaning duty this week: Gene and Judy Harmon ******
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SUGGESTED BIBLE READINGS FOR THIS WEEK
Monday Wednesday Friday
Genesis 43 Psalm 37 Mark 12
Genesis 44 Psalm 38 Mark 13
Genesis 45 Psalm 39 Mark 14
Romans 9 Romans 10 Romans 11
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“What is faith? It is made up of three things – Knowledge, belief, and trust. Knowledge comes first. "I know WHOM I have believed." "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" I need to be informed of a fact before I can possibly believe it. The mind goes on to Believe that these things are true. "I am persuaded that HE IS ABLE to keep..." The heart believes that Jesus Christ is in truth our God and Saviour. One more ingredient is needed, and that is Trust! Commit yourself to the merciful God. "I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have COMMITTED to Him." Rest your hope on the gracious Gospel; trust your soul to the living Redeemer.”
--C. H. Spurgeon
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“It was not possible with God to impute sin to the innocent Jesus, neither could he inflict punishment on him. And if Christ did not endure proper punishment, his sufferings were not, nor could be, satisfactory to the law and justice of God for our sins, and it is in vain to hope for salvation through his sufferings and death.”
--John Brine
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“Satan is as old as the world, and is grown very cunning by experience. When he was but a young serpent, he easily deceived and outwitted our first parents; but now he is that old serpent, as John speaks. Yet, notwithstanding all his plots, devices, and stratagems, God’s chosen ones shall overcome him by the blood of the Lamb.”
–Thomas Brooks
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The Law And The Gospel
“There are but two methods whereby any son of Adam can be justified – either by perfect obedience to the law or because Christ Jesus has kept the law perfectly and died in our stead.
Upon a life I did not live,
Upon a death I did not die,
Another’s death, another’s life,
I rest my soul eternally!
The law knows nothing of mercy! The gospel knows nothing else! By the law I learn that I am guilty and depraved before God; but by the gospel of Christ, I learn that I am justified freely by His grace. By the law I learn that I have ruined myself by sin and am exposed to Divine vengeance; but by the gospel I learn that my Redeemer was made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him. By the law I became acquainted with my Father’s holiness, and by the gospel I learn His mercy and love. In a word, by the law I am stripped, exposed, and slain; but by the gospel I am quickened, justified, accepted, and clothed in His beauty.
To see God’s law by Christ fulfilled,
And hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.
--Milford Hall
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“For their rock is not as our ROCK . . .”
– Deuteronomy 32:31
“MAN has come up with all sorts of inventions over the years of what he thinks are ‘improvements’ over what God hath made. All such inventions eventually prove to be far inferior to God’s creation. One such modern invention is man-made stone. I have had a hand in laying both natural stone and this new ‘stone’ (which is not stone at all). There is no comparison between the two. God’s natural stone is solid stone, through and through. Man-made ‘stone’ merely looks like stone on the surface (only beautiful on the outside) and is a mixture of cement and sand. God’s natural stone is hard and difficult to break, while man-made ‘stone’ is very brittle and easily broken. God’s natural stone is suitable for a foundation (the only sure foundation), while man-made stone has no structural integrity at all, but is only for looks. God’s natural stone is able to support anything that adheres to it, such as vines and climbing plants; while man-made ‘stone’ will not support anything but will eventually come down with the vine that lays hold of it. And the greatest difference of all, that which proves to be the real difference is . . . the test of time. This man-made stuff hasn’t been around too long, nor do I think it shall be. But that which the Lord hath made has endured for millenniums. In all this we see how that God’s ‘Stone’, which is Christ the Lord, is far superior to the man-made ‘jesus’ and religion of today. Christ is true Stone, solid Stone, tried Stone, substantial Stone, eternal Stone, beautiful, unbreakable, unmovable . . . a solid, eternal, foundation for the soul that rests upon Him; the One upon which the church has been built and will forever stand. The man-made ‘jesus’ of today bears the name only, and is no real savior or foundation at all. Truly “their rock is NOT AS OUR ROCK!” (Deut.32:31).”
Pastor Paul Mahan
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“Faith in Christ is NOT TO WORK but to cease from our labor and to rest in Him for all things. Faith in Christ is NOT TO DO ANYTHING, but to believe and own that ALL IS DONE in Him, by Him, and is imputed to us so fully that we are rewarded as if we did it ourselves!”
Pastor Henry Mahan
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“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” (Romans 4:4 - 6).
