Free Gift

     For some people visiting a different church for the first time can be an uncomfortable experience.  The unfamiliar building, the unfamiliar people, and the unfamiliar auditorium can upset the "comfort zone" each one of us has constructed for ourselves.  This "fear of the unknown" can be all that it takes for any of us to choose to stay home on a Sunday morning. 

     Here at Grace Baptist Church we want to make sure that your first visit with us is a pleasant one.  We want to let you know how much we appreciate that you have overcome the "unfamiliar" and chose to worship with us.  We also want to reassure you that you're not alone in initially feeling out of place, we've all been there at one time or another, and we want to do what we can to make your first visit the best it can be.  

     For these reasons, we have a special gift reserved just for you.  It is something that goes nicely with the abundance of friendly faces, warm handshakes, and the sense of belonging that awaits you when you visit with us here at Grace Baptist Church . 

     When you arrive this coming Sunday morning you'll be met by one of our "Greeters" who will welcome you.  The "Greeters" will give you an Information Packet about our church, and provide direction toward our auditorium (and child care if you desire to use it).  At the doorway of the auditorium our Ushers will make sure you have a bulletin for the service, and if you need help, one of them will help you find a comfortable place to sit.  

     During the morning announcements you'll receive a general welcome from Pastor Jeff Sheeks and each visitor will be encouraged to fill out the Visitor's Card that is located in the Information Packet that you received earlier.  The Visitor's Card provides us with basic information about you, helps us to know how you found out about Grace Baptist Church , and if you indicate, it tells us how we might be of service to you.

     After the service you'll be directed to our Information Center in the foyer where you can drop off your Visitor's Card and pick up the free gift we've put together for you.  We hope that it helps you feel welcome at Grace and that it expresses in a small way how happy we are that you were with us this morning.  See you this Sunday morning!

     But, let's say you never take us up on our invitation to attend this Sunday morning at Grace, what's the "free gift" for you?  In the spirit of "truth in advertising" we want to let you know there is still a "free gift" for you as well.

     The "gift" we have for you is one you can receive right here and right now.  It is one that cost more than any of us could comprehend, but we didn't have to spend a dime for it.  It's one we want to present to you, but we are not the one's who got it for you.  It's a gift you desperately need and you might not even know it.  "What is it?" you ask.  It's Eternal Salvation in Jesus Christ.

     In the Bible, in the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, and verses 8-9, God says that salvation is a "gift" that He gives by His grace to everyone who receives His son by faith.  It's a gift we can't earn, we can't work for it, and we can't buy it.  It is absolutely positively "free" to those who accept it by faith (John 1:12 ).

     Let me back up for a moment and explain a few things.  First off, the Bible says in Romans 5:12 that we all have a sin nature. We have this nature because we are decedents of Adam.  Adam brought sin into the world by his rebellion against God's clear command concerning "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:6).  We aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners--it's our nature.

     Secondly, not only do we have a sin nature, we also actively commit sins .  In Romans 3:23, God says that " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".  None of us measures up to God's standard and therefore we all stand guilty before Him.  This guilty verdict is horrible because Romans 6:23 tells us that because we are guilty we have earned both physical death and spiritual death (eternal separation from the presence of God).  You see, God is holy and perfect, and He can not have any sin in His presence.  If the story stopped there, we would be utterly without hope.

     But, thank God, it doesn't.  Romans 6:23 continues, saying, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".  The "wages" of sin we have earned need not be the final word against us.  God has provided, by His grace, the gift of eternal life in the person and work of His Son Jesus.  All we need to believe to receive this gift is that Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary for us.  He died in our place, as our substitute, receiving for us the "wages" (eternal punishment) for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to God.

     You see, it's not what we do that determines whether or not we go to heaven, it's what we believe about Jesus that will determine our eternal destination.  Do you believe you are a sinner?   Do you believe you cannot save yourself?  Do you believe Jesus, the Son of God, died on Calvary to pay for your sins?   Do you believe God raised Jesus from the dead three days later to proclaim His acceptance of Christ's sin payment for your sins?  If you believe these truths, according to Romans 10:9-10, "...thou shalt be saved".

     In Romans 10:13  we read that the invitation to accept the "free gift" of salvation is extended to everyone ( " Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved").  What does it mean to "call upon the Lord" in this text?  It means that I must come to a time and place in my life where I recognize and admit to God that I am a sinner.  I must admit that I can't save myself, no matter how hard I try.  I must accept what Christ did for me on the Cross.  I must receive God's gift of salvation in Jesus by faith and ask God to save me from my sins.  If you would like to do that right here, right now, then pray with me.

"Dear God,  I confess to you that I am a sinner.  I ask you to please save me from my sins because I put my faith and trust in what Jesus did for me on the Cross.  Please come into my heart and life and give me the power to live a life that glorifies you. Thank you Lord for honoring your promise, for saving me, and for giving me eternal life.  Amen."

     We rejoice with you over your decision to trust Christ as your own personal Savior and we invite you to visit or contact us so that we can get a little booklet entitled "Basic Bible Truths", by Ralph Burns, into your hands.  It will provide you with some important truths concerning where God desires your life to go now that you're a believer.  We look forward to hearing from you!