November 5, 2017
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
MAILING ADDRESS:
7 Birch Street
Pennington, NJ, 08538
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
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NURSERY
We have a nursery equipped with a
digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live, for children
four and under.
All
articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: watch videos of our full services—click here.
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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS
Proverbs 10: 12: Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
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Numerous churches would describe
themselves as "Christ centered", and many preachers would
describe their preaching as "Christ centered preaching". While on the surface this may seem like a
good thing, in reality it is not. The
statement implies that Christ is the focus, and everything else takes a
backseat to Christ. But that is not
right! Christ is not the main
attraction. He is the only
attraction! He is not what is most
important. He is all! All else is nothing! Christ is not a centerpiece. He is all!
Pastor Todd Nibert
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Proverb 21:24: A proud and
haughty man – “Scoffer" is his name; He acts with arrogant
pride.
1. “A proud and haughty man” is one whose opinion of himself is too
high, and whose opinion of God and His Christ is too low.
2. “He acts with arrogant pride.” It is bad enough that he is proud and
haughty in his heart. But he must be so also in his actions. He
is, before God and in the presence of others, arrogant, self-willed,
presumptuous, argumentative, blasphemous, wrathful.
3. “‘Scoffer’ is his name” – for
so God has named him. He who scorns and scoffs against God will be scorned and
scoffed by God. Repeatedly we find this truth declared. Indeed, it is probably
only against such persons that we read of God laughing: “He who sits in the
heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision” (Psalm 2:4);
-- “The Lord laughs at him, for
He sees that his day is coming” (Psalm 37:13);
-- “I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and
your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon
you” (Proverbs 1:26f).
--Now is the time for such a person
to cease raging against Jehovah and His Christ, and plotting vain things
against them, and to obey the gospel call to “Serve the LORD with fear, and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the
way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who
put their trust in Him” (Psalm 2). Missionary Daniel Parks
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WHERETO WE HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED
Philippians 3: 16: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let
us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
From the time our children were
little until now when we gather at the dinner table there is always something
everyone can eat. When our children were
babies they could not eat the food that their mother and I could eat because they
were unable to chew it. Yet, when we
came to the table there was food provided suitable for the age of every member
of our family. As our first child grew
she was able to eat foods that her baby brother was unable to eat while there
was food her mother and I enjoyed which she was still unable to eat. Yet, there was food provided suitable for the
age of every member of our family.
It is the same way when the family of God assembles to partake of the
gospel feast. As the gospel is preached,
God fills the table with something for every member of his family. Those who
are newborn babies in faith cannot eat the same food as those more matured in
faith because they are unable to receive it.
Yet, in every word preached God provides food suitable for the faith of
every member at the table. As God grows one
child he is able to receive doctrine that another younger in faith cannot yet
receive while he himself cannot yet take in things that his more mature brethren
are made to rejoice in. Yet, in every word preached God provides food suitable
for the faith of every member of his family.
Now, think how unreasonable it would have been for one of my children to
refuse to come to the table because they were too young to eat the food of
those older than they or because there was food provided for the younger at the
table. Sometimes when a believer becomes critical of the message preached and/or
critical of their brethren this is the problem.
Like the apostle Paul, no believer has fully attained to a perfect
knowledge of Christ. But we press toward the mark, Christ, for the prize of
eternal glory with Christ. As we do, we expect God shall grow us, as well as our
brethren, in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If God has truly matured one in faith then he has
already attained to the knowledge that only God can grow his child. So then rather
than separating from a brother younger in faith who does not yet have the same
mind as he in some area of scripture, his assurance concerning that brother will
be that “God shall reveal even this to
you.” Never will he think he has outgrown any doctrine which glorifies
Christ which is needful to grow God’s babes.
Likewise, when he hears preaching that he himself may not yet understand,
rather than reject God’s messenger and refuse to come to the table with God’s
family, his assurance concerning his own self will be the same, “God shall reveal even this to you.”
Therefore, whatever measure of grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus
that God has made us already attain unto, let us continue in the same measure
with our mind set on that whereunto we have already attained. As every believer
at God’s table does this then every brother and sister shall continue together with
one mind because no matter whereunto we have already attained our mind is set
on one and the same thing, Christ Jesus our Lord.
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FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST
Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
God looks on the heart. Therefore, a
good deed can be a bad if the motive is bad. Likewise, a deed which does not
appear good to this world can be a good before God if the motive is good. For instance, Rahab lied. God commends that as a good deed because God
knows she did it for the sake of Christ. With God, the motive of the new heart is
everything. The purpose in everything
God does and the only right motive in things believers do is “for Christ’s sake.” Notice, we are exhorted by this one motive, and
likewise, God is moved by this one
motive—“Forgiving one another, even, as
God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you.”
One Reason for Forgiveness
The one great reason that we have
forgiveness of our sins with God our Father is “for Christ’s sake.” The very God we sinned against provided his own
dear Son to suffer and lay down his life that the very God against whom we
transgressed might be able to forgive us. God could not forgive us any other way than
for his law to be executed upon us. (Eze 18: 4; 20) In order for God to save
his people and be just, it must be a sacrifice who is God so that God might be
just and the Justifier of his people. Amazing
Love! Our great God and Father provided himself a Lamb in his own Son who died
in the place of his people. (1 Jn 4: 9-11)
Righteousness
on The Cross
Look at Calvary’s cross and see perfect
righteousness. “For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
(Gal 5: 14) In Christ we see the only one who loved his neighbor as himself in
perfect righteousness. Christ filled
full the righteousness of the law in perfect love when he willingly gave
himself to be separated from God in place of his people that God might righteously
justify his people. Christ condescended
to the furthest depths of shame to exalt God and his brethren to the highest
heights of honor! Therefore, God has forgiven us in harmony with his
righteousness—“for Christ’s sake.”
Constrained
by Love
Now God gives each his regenerate
children this light and easy yoke: “be ye
kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” He has put this one motive in our
hearts: “even as God, for Christ’s sake,
has forgiven you.” It is not law that constrains believers but God’s
forgiveness “for Christ’s sake.”
Believer, when you see what God has done for you for Christ’s sake does
it not give you a reverence for God above all others? Does it not take complete
control of your inner man? Grace and
love is a light and easy yoke because grace and love is a light and easy
constraint!