February
3, 2019
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com
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.
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The
videos are now listed as individual sermons, as well as full services—click here.
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Proverbs
12: 23: A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth
foolishness.
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JUDGE THIS RATHER
Brethren, Christ grows each member of his
body in grace and knowledge of him according to the measure that pleases our Lord.
Therefore, if a brother struggles to
understand a particular doctrine or stumbles in some way, why then would I not
be longsuffering, rather than impatient, when I know that only Christ our
Prophet is able to make the word effectual and give the increase? Do we expect the youngest child in our own households
to understand what the oldest is able to comprehend? Would his siblings jump to the conclusion
that the youngest is no longer part of the family for that reason? Likewise, if I am the one who does not
understand a particular doctrine would I be wise to jump to the conclusion that
the rest of the family is embracing lies?
The wise thing would be to ask God for understanding as I search the scriptures
and wait on the Lord to teach me. Not
only does every member of Christ’s body receive our measure of grace and gifts
from Christ but also all is of God’s free grace. Scripture is clear that though we may have
gifts differing one from another, yet every member of the body is useful and
necessary (1 Cor 12: 12-31). The apostle
Paul said, “Covet earnestly the best
gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way”—that more excellent
way is love! (1 Cor 12: 12-31; 13: 1-8)
There is no room in any child saved by grace
for pride or envy, and especially not for contempt. These things only endeavor to divide rather
than keep the unity of the Spirit. Who
am I to judge one of Christ’s servants? “To his own Master he standeth or falleth.” But we know that all who Christ bought with his
precious blood and in whom Christ dwells shall stand: “for God is able to make him stand” (Rom 14:2). “Let us
not therefore judge one another any more: but JUDGE THIS RATHER, that no man
put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way…Let us
therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith
one may edify another…We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of
the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as
it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me” (Rom 14:13,19).
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AN
ADVOCATE
“I
have to advocate for my patient” is a phrase I often hear from nurses and
family members who have a loved one in the hospital. Doctors have so many patients they don’t have
time to think about every detail of every patient, so nurses have to advocate
for their patients. Nurses are understaffed so they don’t have the time to
think about every detail of every patient, so family members have to advocate
for their loved one. No one in the
medical profession can possibly care about a patient as much as the family of
the patient. It is just better to have
someone who loves you advocate for you when you cannot advocate for yourself.
“If any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) What a soul thrilling
thought for God’s people! Christ the
Savior always advocates for His sinful people.
His people cannot advocate for themselves: they have nothing to
plead. Christ our advocate is always
accepted because He pleads His blood for the sin of His people. Our Savior is never too overwhelmed to think
about His people. Our Savior never has
more pressing issues than His people.
Our Savior is the advocate for the people He loves. What more could we want? Pastor
Frank Tate
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WE WILL REMEMBER
Psalm
20: 7: Some trust in chariots, and
some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8: They are brought
down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
All sinners fall into one of these two
categories, either they trust in carnal strength or they trust in the LORD our
God. Chariots and horses represent the
various carnal, vain securities which sinners look to for salvation. If any sinner trust in his own righteousness
and works, God says, “I will declare thy
righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee” (Is 57: 12). Salvation is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us” (Titus 3: 5).
By
the grace of God, sinners born and taught of God trust the LORD our God alone
for salvation. One thing which marked Israel as God’s peculiar people was the
absence of the horse and chariot in their midst (Deut 17: 16) They were to
trust God alone to deliver them. We see
this fulfilled in perfection as we behold Christ ride into Jerusalem, not in a
chariot or on a mighty stallion, but on a lowly ass’s colt. The righteous servant of God perfectly
submitted to God the Father and Christ is the perfect righteousness of his
people. Now, Christ reigns supreme—John “saw heaven open, and behold a WHITE HORSE;
and HE that sat upon him was called FAITHFUL AND TRUE…THE WORD OF GOD…KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:11-16).
When the Spirit gives us faith, we are to never look to our works for
salvation, only to the LORD our God. All
who trust in any other refuge “are brought
down and fallen.” But all who
believe on Christ “are risen, and stand upright.”
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Wearisomeness with the warfare in our souls
is one means by which our heavenly Father graciously causes his child to calmly
and joyfully anticipate entering into the rest that awaits us in Heaven. Pastor
Don Fortner
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YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM
“YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM…” (COLOSSIANS 2:10) The believers standing in
Christ does not fluctuate with his feelings, not even the increase or decrease
of his faith or understanding or anything else. He stands complete in Christ.
God would never trust any of His children to stand before Him at any time in
their own selves; that is, in their merits or certain good frames of mind. He
knows our frame. He remembers that we are yet dust. Therefore, He has on
purpose provided for them this perfect standing in Christ Jesus. “Ye are
complete in Him,” the Holy Ghost said. He says in another place, “Ye are
perfect in Christ Jesus,” (Col. 1:28.)
The very nature of our God
requires us to be perfect and complete before Him at all times. He, out of
necessity, therefore provided all this for His children; a perfection, a
completeness, which can never be diminished. It is as unchanging as God
himself, (Hebrews 6:17; 13:8). Every true believer may walk through this world
in perfect liberty, free from anything and everything – yes, even his sin, fear
of condemnation, and all else that would cause him to doubt of his
completeness. He may freely come to God, worship Him, call Him “Father,” and
this he may do at all times with the utmost confidence and thankfulness,
because in Christ he stands, first and foremost and always, complete before
God. O thanks be to God for Jesus Christ. Pastor Bruce Crabtree
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THE STATE OF THINGS
Psalm
20: 8: They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.
This is the current state of the unbeliever
and the believer. Those who do not believe on Christ, right
now, “ARE brought down and fallen.” Christ Jesus said of himself, "He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn 3:18). Yet, all who trust
Christ “ARE risen, and stand upright.” (Ps 20: 8) Sinner, believe on Christ
now! All who believe on Christ are risen
and, right now, stand upright. The
Spirit of God says to us, “If ye then BE
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye ARE dead, and
your life IS hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who IS our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Col 3:1-4).