Independence Baptist church

Why Have I Received This Paper?

by Wayne Reynolds, Pastor

You have received this paper because somebody at Independence Baptist Church wanted you to have it. They love you, and wanted you to know they care.

I asked the church members to give me names and addresses of people they had been praying for. People they had talked with, whether extensively or in passing. They gave me your name and address because you made an impression on them; because they wanted you to know how much they cared; because they wanted you to know the great joy God has given them.

The church member who gave me your name is like the woman at the well in John 4. When Jesus revealed Himself to her, she wanted all her friends and neighbors to know about Jesus and how he had changed her life.

Jesus has made such a change in our lives. Where there was no knowledge of spiritual things, now there is some understanding. Where there was fear and dread of the future, now there is hope and joy. Anxiety is gone, replaced by the peace of God that passes all understanding. Being saved is an extremely good life. Being faithful to God and His commandments adds to the happiness and contentment of being saved. Being a Baptist in a GOOD Baptist church (Independence Baptist Church, of course) is extremely fulfilling and satisfying.

There is another reason you have received this paper. The person who send you this paper wants you to attend the services at Independence Baptist Church. You will be able to see for yourself what God has done, and how good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

If you know there should be more to life than the mundane "get up to go to work; come home to watch T. V." blues, there is. There is more to life than earning just enough money to pay all the bills, or waiting until next payday to pay the rest of the bills. There is Jesus Christ and His precious presence with His children every day and every night, 24 hours a day.

You are living your life, that is sure, but you may be missing out on the best part of life. The best part of life is found only in total, complete surrender to God and His will for your life. The world won’t teach you this vital truth, but Jesus gives, not only eternal life and happiness, but the only true peace you will ever find.

Some folks are a little hesitant about attending a new or different church. I don’t blame them, because I am something like that myself. If you would like a little taste, or preview, of the worship at Independence Baptist Church, listen to our radio broadcast over radio station KWRE on Sunday mornings at 8:00-8:15.

What Does It Mean To Be Lost? It means we have inherited a totally depraved, sinful nature from Adam.

This is the story of Adam's fall into sin. The first man, Adam, was created when God formed his body from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Adam was so special that God planted a unique garden for him to live in, which he called the "Garden of Eden". God saw it wasn't good for Adam to be alone, so in the first surgery, He took one of the ribs of Adam and created a special helper, whom Adam named "Woman". Adam and his wife were perfect in every way, and lived in a world that was completely perfect, because everything on the earth was a representation of the perfect God. Adam could use anything on the earth except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That tree was to be a constant reminder that God should be worshipped above everything else. Satan, in the first case of demon possession, took the form of a serpent and deceived Adam's wife into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. She gave the fruit to Adam, and he, fully aware that he was disobeying God, willingly ate the forbidden fruit. This act of disobedience caused Adam and his wife to die both spiritually and physically. The sinful condition of Adam has been passed to every generation, including our generation.

The Bible declares that "…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23. Since everyone is born a sinner, the need for salvation is to everyone. Jesus said, "…Ye must be born again…" John 3:3. The greatest question ever asked is found in Acts 16:30, "…What must I do to be saved?" The answer is found in the next verse, "…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Before a person can be saved, they must hear the Word of God, because "...faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God," Romans 10:17. The gospel is very simple and can be outlined as follows:

Romans 3:23, "…All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." You must repent because you are a sinner, not because of the sins you have committed. Committing sins doesn't make you a sinner. You commit sins because you are a sinner. Repentance doesn't necessarily mean a lot of weeping and wailing, although there is a Godly sorrow for sins. Repentance means "to have another mind toward". In other words, you will see yourself as God sees you, and accept His evaluation of yourself as a sinner worthy of eternal condemnation.

Acts 16:31, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

To believe and receive forgiveness of sins is more than mentally admitting the facts about sin and the cross of Calvary. Believing unto salvation involves a personal knowledge of internal wickedness before God, an abhorrence of self because of that wickedness, and an internal, spiritual turning from that wickedness. Believing also involves a personal knowledge that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. It is a fact that Jesus died for many people, but believing that He died that I might have life, in spite of my personal wickedness, is salvation.

Salvation is a simple matter of realizing you are lost, repenting of your lost condition and believing on Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. The Apostle Paul declared in Acts 20:20,21 "...I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly...repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

There is nothing complicated about salvation for Jesus has already done everything there is to do. All we do is Repent and Believe. Do not be deceived, there is no other way of salvation. We must repent of our sinfulness and believe in the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Satan has many plans of salvation, but these all end in eternal destruction for those people who are deceived by them.

Please accept this very cordial invitation to the church services of Independence Baptist Church.

Our desire is two fold: (1) to lead the lost to Christ so they won't face eternal destruction in hell, and (2) to lead the saved to a closer walk with Christ so they can find true happiness in this lift and obtain eternal rewards in eternity.