Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 1-20-2019
Bible TextIsaiah 57:19-21
Date19-Jan-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Fruit of the Lips (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Fruit of the Lips (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

January 20, 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

 

Services Broadcast Live @ www.FreeGraceMedia.com/live

 

?-----------------------------?

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: The videos are now listed as individual sermons, as well as full servicesclick here.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS

Proverbs 12: 21: There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

The very reason God saves his child is to bring that child to give God all the glory and praise for saving him, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet 2: 9).

 

?-----------------------------?

 

WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE IN ELECTION?

 

We find God’s purpose in choosing some to salvation and passing by others in Romans 9: 11: (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;).  God chooses whom he will, not based on any good or evil in us.  He did so to declare that salvation is not of our works but of God that calleth, “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom 9: 15-16).  By sovereign grace, God chose a multitude in Christ, blessed us with all blessings, thus preparing us for glory before the foundation of the world.  He calls us to life and faith in Christ "that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” (Ro 9:23).  It makes believers thank God and give him all praise and honor for saving us according to his sovereign grace!  And that is God’s purpose, that God might receive all the glory!

 

?-----------------------------?

 

The sacrifice of praise is most seen when God is thanked for taking, as well as giving. “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:20-21).  Pastor John Chapman

 

?-----------------------------?

 

I CREATE THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS

 

Isaiah 57: 19: I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.  20: But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  21: There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

 

The wicked described here is the reprobate justly hardened by God.  He has no one to blame but himself.  Yet, by our first birth, every elect child of God are “the wicked”, too.  Our condition is the same as those in Noah’s day, “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6: 5; Mt 15: 18-20; Ja 3: 6, 8; Ro 3:13) Every believer was once nothing but a lost, wicked sinner.  So we see by our text that it is the LORD alone who creates peace on our lips.  How so?

 

The New Creation

 

Christ makes God’s elect a new creation by justifying his people from all our sin on the cross and by putting in us a new spirit.  Salvation is not by justifying us alone but also by creating in us a new spirit in which is no guile (Ps 32:2).  This new creation is not made by merely remodeling our old sinful nature.  Nothing is done to our sinful nature.  God makes us an entirely new creation, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. [creation]” (Gal 6: 15).  Out of this newly created heart comes the fruit of the lips (Isa 65:18).

 

The Effectual Command

 

Christ creates fruit on our lips by speaking in effectual power into our hearts, “Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD.”  The result accomplished is “and I will heal him.”  Not only does Christ receive glory for justifying us on the cross, he also gets the glory because he comes and preaches peace to us through his minister preaching the gospel (Eph 2: 12-18; Col 1: 20).  Christ declares effectually in our hearts the redemption that he accomplished for us on the cross when he reconciled us unto God by magnifying and honoring God’s law.  By Christ speaking effectually, we are born of the incorruptible seed, the Word of God, which is preached unto us (1 Pet 1: 23, 25).

 

The Fruit on our Lips

 

What is this fruit on our lips?  For the first time in our lives (and for the rest of our lives) we give God all the praise and glory.  God said, “Even everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him…This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise” (Is 43: 7, 21).  Christ says to us, “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips” (Ho 14:2).  Brethren, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb 13:15).

 

?-----------------------------?

 

Our Trouble Filled Days   Man that is born of woman is of few days,  and full of trouble” – Job 14:1

 

     We received recently some news of yet another brother and sister going through great troubles.  God warns us and promises of them.  This is a world full of sin, in trouble with God, full of troubles, and we are in it.  Though not in trouble with God, His people are not immune from trouble.  Contrary to what false prophets say, God’s people are sent various troubles by their Heavenly Father which are for their good and His glory.  The Lord sends these troubles upon His people for their good; to make them look to Him, think on Him, think on eternity (our long home), testify of Him, wean us from this dying world, and to help our brethren who are going through the same troubles.  We glorify God more while going through troubles (if we witness a good testimony) than when in times of peace and prosperity.   Brother Scott Richardson use to say; ‘a child of God has three kinds of trouble;  troubles he is in, troubles he is coming out of, and troubles he is going into.’

 

     Do not think that you have worse troubles or more troubles than your brethren, for the Lord sends the same kinds of troubles to His people but to a different degree, according to His wisdom and their need. When this new life is begun in a child of God, his troubles with God are over (accomplished by Christ), but his troubles in this world are just begun.  

 

      All saints endure all kinds of troubles; troubles with sin, sorrow, heartache, pain, sicknesses, loneliness, abandonment, darkness, depression, despair, worry, doubts, fears, anxiety; spiritual troubles, heart troubles, soul troubles, physical troubles . . . troubles at home, in the world, and even in the church.  But God says, “the same afflictions are ACCOMPLISHED in your brethren thoughout the world.”    The Lord sends them to accomplish something.  They accomplish the complete transformation of a son of Adam into a son of God.  It is the transformation of a man that is earthy, sensual, and bound to this world, into a child of God, made meet (fit) for Glory . . .  by the turning away our eyes from things seen to things unseen; by setting our affection on things above; by giving us a new heart, that hates the cause of these troubles… SIN! . . . a  heart that desires nothing of this world’s perishing things but rather desirous of ‘one thing’;  that we may dwell in the house of the Lord forever, beholding the beauty of the Lord and enquiring into His temple.

 

     It is impossible to prepare for great troubles, though we are told to expect them.  We don’t want them, don’t like to think about them, but they will come.  But know this; with the trouble, no matter what it is, comes the grace to endure it.  Our God has promised not to send more than we are able to bear and with that trouble a way to escape or endure it.  The Way?  Christ Himself.  By looking to Him, calling on Him, trusting Him, and walking with Him.  Like the three Hebrews in the furnace, He walked with them, and walks with us, through the furnace of affliction and trouble.  The furnace of fiery trials is good for us. It removes the dross, the refuse, the dung we get on us from being on the dungheap.  So while no trouble or affliction is enjoyable, yet the Lord tells to us to expect them. And when they come, call on Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee.   And some day, one day soon, He will come and deliver us out of all these troubles.  Pastor Paul Mahan