Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 6-18-2017
Bible TextIsaiah 55:6
Date17-Jun-2017
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

June 18, 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

 

Services Broadcast Live @ www.FreeGraceMedia.com/live

 

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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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ANNOUNCEMENT

Brother Eric and Brother Scott will be bringing the messages this morning. I am scheduled to preach this morning in the conference at Lantana Grace Church in Crossville, TN and this evening for Kingsport Grace Church in Kingsport, TN. Pray for us as God enables you.

 

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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS

Proverbs 8: 1: Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2: She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3: She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4: Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5: O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6: Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7: For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8: All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9: They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. 10: Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11: For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.


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WHY I PREACH CHRIST

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord,
and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)

By Daniel Parks

A preacher preaches either himself or Christ Jesus the Lord.  Preachers of themselves are preachers of their own persons, moral standards, family values, religion, sect, politics, or whatever else they personally think is important for you to know and embrace.  Preachers of Christ Jesus the Lord are ... preachers of Christ Jesus the Lord!

     I sometimes am asked why I devote my ministry to preaching Christ rather than to preaching what preachers of themselves preach. I am happy to reply!  (See 1 Peter 3:15.) I preach Christ because …

 

I. I preach the gospel – and Christ is the gospel!

II. I was predestined to preach Christ (Jeremiah 1:5).

III. God called me to preach Christ (Galatians 1:15f).

IV. Christ commissioned me to preach Christ (Mark 16:15).

V. God entrusted me with His gospel of Christ (1 Timothy 1:11; cp. 6:20; Galatians 2:7; also 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 4).

VI. I am an “ambassador for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

VII. I preach what I know – Christ (John 3:11).

VIII. I am not ashamed of Christ (Luke 9:26; Romans 1:16).

IX. I deliberately preach nothing but Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2).

X. I follow Christ’s example in preaching (Luke 24:27).

XI. I preach what is most precious to me – “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

XII. I am concerned for the salvation of your soul – and “the gospel of Christ ... is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16; cp. 1 Corinthians 1:17, 21; Acts 16:31 & Mark 16:15f; Colossians 1:28).

XIII. I endeavor to be innocent of blood-guiltiness (Acts 20:26f).

XIV. “Necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16; cp. Acts 4:20).

XV. Believers in Christ find in Him all they need, and they do not need what is preached by preachers of themselves.  You need Christ’s salvation, not someone else’s religion and morality.  You need Christ’s imputed righteousness, not someone else’s laws.  You need Christ’s imparted holiness, not someone else’s piety.  You need Christ, not someone else.

     Do you trust in the Christ I preach, or in someone else?

 

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"But we have this treasure in clay vessels." 2 Corinthians 4:7

By JC Philpot

How different is the estimate that the Christian makes of riches, honors and comforts—from that made by the world and the flesh! The world's idea of riches are only such as consist in gold and silver, in houses, lands, or other tangible property. The world's estimate of honors, are only such as man has to bestow. The world's notion of comfort, is "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind." But the true Christian takes a different estimate of these matters, and feels that the only true riches are those of God's grace in the heart, the only real honor is that which comes from God, the only solid comfort is that which is imparted by the Holy Spirit to a broken and contrite spirit.

 

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II Corinthians 4: 7: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us"

By Henry Mahan

 

     Lest we be exalted above measure, lest we forget the pit from which we have been lifted, lest we forget Who maketh us to differ, lest we forget that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing, and lest we forget that without Him we can do nothing, we have this treasure of glory, this gift of life, this knowledge of the glory of  God in earthen vessels!  This treasure is not in vessels of fine wood to be admired.  This treasure is in vessels of clay, worthless crumbling dirt!  "Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return."  Why?  That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us!  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God!

 

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RESPONSIBILITY

Isaiah 55: 6: Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 

Salvation is by the grace of God alone. The works of God’s grace in Christ are not in any way dependent upon, determined by, or accomplished by the will, works or worth of man (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom 11:6; II Tim. 1:9).  Election (Eph. 1:3-6), redemption (Rom. 3:24), justification (Gal. 2:16), regeneration (James 1:18), sanctification (Heb. 10:10, 14), preservation (John 10:27-29) and glorification (Jude 24-25) are all of God’s free and sovereign grace.  All is of the Lord and by the Lord. So if you seek the LORD, God will receive all the glory, because God first seeks his own.  If we are saved God receives all the glory because God saves his own.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Author and Finisher of our faith because salvation, including all things necessary to bring us to that ultimate end, is all to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.

     Equally true is that we have a responsibility to obey God’s command to seek the Lord and call upon him while he may be found.  Christ said, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.  And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it, it shall be measured to you; and unto you that hear shall more be given.”  Mk 4: 25) Rolph Barnard used to confirm our Lord’s word by saying, “Walk in the light God has given you and he will give you more light.”

     What is the light God has given us in this place?  God has given a place where the gospel is preached in spirit and in truth. That is light that not everyone in this world has.  We have a responsibility to seek God by hearing the gospel preached. God has given us the written word. We have a responsibility to seek God in his word. God has said that if we return to the Lord he will have mercy on us and abundantly pardon.  We have a responsibility to repent and cast all our care on Christ right this minute. This is light God has given us.

     Have we walked in this light? Do not use God’s sovereignty as an excuse not to seek God. Christ also said, “he that hath not”—that is he that hath not meted God’s light with a measure of true seeking—“from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”  (Mk 4: 25) This is one reason God declares there is urgency to this thing of seeking the Lord. God says, “Seek ye the LORD, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” He says, “those that seek me early shall find me!” (Pro 8: 17)  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near!”