January 24, 2010
Sundays 7:00 am Channel 27 WKYT
It is requested that all children under the age of five stay in our nursery
so there will be no distractions during the preaching of the Gospel.

HYMN OF THE DAY
Oh what shall we do our Saviour to praise
So faithful and true, abounding in grace
So strong to deliver, so good to redeem
The weakest believers who rest upon Him.

How happy the man whose heart is set free
The people who can be joyful in Thee
Their joy is to walk in the light of His face
And sweetly to rest in His comfort and grace.

Their daily delight shall be in His name
They shall by His grace His righteousness claim
This righteousness wearing and cleansed by His blood
Bold shall they appear in the presence of God.

Our Saviour alone, the Lord, let us bless
Who reigns on His throne, the Prince of all peace
Who evermore saves us by shedding His blood
All hail, blessed Saviour, Our Lord and our God.

(Tune: “O Worship The King” p. 1)

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The true measure of whether a person really believes the gospel of God’s sovereign, free grace in Christ, is not merely when he sees its doctrines in the Scriptures; especially those of Divine sovereignty in election, the particular and effectual redemption of Christ, and the invincible call of the Holy Spirit. Nor is it when he gives mental assent that they are true (though both are vital). The true measure is when he sees them as necessary for his own salvation! “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.” - Pastor Charles Pennington


Birthdays
26th – Brian Bailey 26th – Mike Farmer 26th – Lynn Nibert
27th – Judy Borders 28th – Ryan Rozeboom 29th – Opehlia Mosley
“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.” - Proverbs 25:14

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THE ONLY FREEDOM IS ENSLAVEMENT
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 7:18). The word servant is literally “Ye became enslaved” to righteousness. When Christ made me free from sin by His death on the cross, when He set me free by giving me life by His Spirit, I became enslaved by righteousness….and the only true freedom we have is being enslaved to righteousness. You are enslaved to righteousness when you cannot not be righteous. If you can not be righteous you are not a salve of righteousness. But having Christ’s righteousness, I cannot not be righteous. And having a holy nature that cannot sin, I am a slave to that holy nature (I John 3:9). That is not a denial of the sinful nature I still possess, but it is an assertion of the new nature. The only freedom a believer possesses is enslavement to righteousness. If I am not enslaved by it, I will not be it.


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SIGNS
“What sign showest Thou them, that we may see and believe Thee?” This was the response of some people to this statement of our Lord…. “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He hath sent.” They were saying, we need to see a sign in order for us to believe.
On the surface, most of us would think that we do not require a sign. We are not waiting for the preacher to perform some supernatural miracle to confirm to us what he is saying is true and should be believed. Our desire for a sign takes on a more subtle form. We believe the Gospel. We do not question the truthfulness of the report. We believe the doctrines of grace. Yet we do no have full assurance of our salvation. We think, “I could believe if I had a greater experience, a deeper repentance, a stronger faith, more victory in my life, more power over sin!” “I could believe if….” If what? If Christ died? “No, I believe that.” “I could believe if I felt….” Stop! That is looking for a sign! Truth does not need a sign to verify it. Believe what God has said! If you need a sign to help you believe, that simply means you do not believe!
SINFUL, YET HOLY
A believer, and only a believer, is full of sin and full of holiness at the same time.
United to my flesh in my natural birth, I am full of sin, and everything that man does is evil. United to Christ in my spiritual birth, I am full of holiness, and everything that man does is righteous.
That is why the apostle Paul was so distraught, yet thankful and happy at the same time, when he said, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me (the new man) from the body of this death (the old man)? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself (the new man united to Christ) serve the law of God; but with the flesh (the old man united to flesh) the law of sin.” (Romans 8:24-25) - Brian Dufour

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The doctrines of original sin, election, effectual calling, final perseverance, and all those great truths which are called Calvinism – though Calvin was not the author of them, but simply an able writer and preacher upon the subject – are, I believe, the essential doctrines of the Gospel that is in Jesus Christ. Now, I do not ask you whether you believe all this – it is possible you may not; but I believe you will before you enter Heaven. – C. H. Spurgeon


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SOME THINGS NOT WORTH IT
There are many ways to waste precious time other than by evil living.
There are……books not worth reading… television not worth watching… thoughts not worth thinking… places not worth going… games not worth playing… buildings not worth building…wars not worth fighting… victories not worth winning… friends not worth making… songs not worth singing… appointments not worth keeping… pain not worth causing… enemies not worth hating… prayers not worth praying… sermons not worth preaching… lessons not worth learning. Thank God for eternity! - Pastor Scott Richardson