Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 5-19-2019
Bible TextEphesians 4:1-3
Date18-May-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

May 19, 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

 

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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 servicesclick here.

 

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Proverbs 13: 9: The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

 

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IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE

 

1 Corinthian 15: 51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

 

Having several dear brothers and sisters approaching their last days on this earth, all week I have been thinking about what it must be like when a believer draws our last breath.  This phrase keeps coming to mind—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”  Paul used this phrase when telling us what shall happen when our Savior returns.  Whether we are alive or our bodies have been in the grave many years, “we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”  This is how instantaneously this change will come when the Lord returns.  But this change will also come that instantly the moment we take our last breath. 

   

     Think of that aged brother: his body broken, his mind failing, then he draws his last breath.  In a moment” he is absent from the body and present with the Lord.  “In the twinkling of an eye” God wipes away all tears from his eyes and there is no more death, no sorrow, no crying, and no more pain: for the former things are passed away.  He has overcome by the blood of the Lamb.  The fountain of the water of life is his freely by God’s grace.  He has inherited all things.  He was in a body of death.  Then “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” he hears Christ speak to him from the throne, “Behold, I make all things new.  It is done.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  I am your God, and you are my son.”  (2 Cor 5: 8; Rev 21: 4-7)

 

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ELECTION PERVERTED

 

     Some say God looked down to see if you would believe and saw that you would.  So, He elected you to salvation in Jesus Christ. What is said here amounts to this; God saw you would do something, then He predestinated you to do it after He saw you would. That would be the most dishonest thing in the world. God would be taking credit for something He did not do.  

                                                                                  Pastor Scott Richardson

 

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DO NOT YOUR ALMS BEFORE MEN

 

Matthew 6: 1: Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  2: Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3: But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 

In and out of religion men help the needy “before men, to be seen of them.”  Few simply help without blowing a trumpet.  They post photographs with those they helped so all can see.  Christ said the praise they receive from men is their only reward.  But, believer, have you and I ever obeyed this word?  As soon as we do the least thing, our flesh is so lifted up in pride.  It is rare if we do not at least tell our spouse.  But even if we do not tell, in our flesh, we wish someone knew.

 

     Brethren, our Savior enriched poor, needy sinners more than all the alms doers of this world combined.  He who was rich sunk himself into the poverty of the cross to make his poor people rich (2 Cor 8: 9).  But Christ did nothing for man’s “vainglory.” He “made himself of no reputation” (Php 2:3, 7).  His concern was to please our Father who “seeth in secret.”  His Father rewarded him by raising him to his right hand and shall reward him openly when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   

 

     Indeed, we ought to obey this word of our Master simply in gratitude that he has made us his sons.  Yet, never imagine that we have obeyed this word in righteousness nor that any of our works will earn us special rewards in heaven.  Our reward will be eternal life given freely to us poor and needy sinners because Christ is the great Alms-doer who gave us his righteousness.

 

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THE VOCATION WHEREWITH YE ARE CALLED

 

Ephesians 4: 1: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

The word “vocation” means calling.  It is the work, mission and purpose of one’s life. The vocation of each sanctified child of God is to dedicate ourselves to Christ and his church by hearing, supporting and sending forth the preaching of the gospel of Christ.  This is our life’s purpose on this earth for which God called us into the unity of the Spirit.

 

     How important is our vocation?  Notice, it does not say walk worthy of the vocation “to which” ye are called.  No doubt we are called to this vocation.  But to press upon us its importance, it says walk worthy of the vocation “wherewith” ye are called.  God used brethren that he had already called, who walked worthy of their vocation by using what God had given them to send forth the preaching of the gospel of Christ to us.  Therefore, it is the vocation “wherewith” ye are called.  Was it important that they walk worthy of their vocation?  It was the difference between our life and death!    Also, notice it does not say the vocation wherewith ye “were” called but the vocation wherewith ye “are” called.  We must walk worthy of our vocation—forebearing one another in love as we hear and support the preaching of the gospel—because we need Christ to call and keep us through the preaching of the gospel today as much as we needed it the first hour.

 

     Brethren, it pleased God to save his people through the foolishness of preaching from the first hour to the last.  Hearing the preaching of the person of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ is how we abide in the doctrine of Christ.  He is the Prophet who teaches us as the gospel is preached.  Our Prophet, Priest and King has the words of eternal life.  If we are sure he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then we can go to no other.  That is no exaggeration!  We need the preaching of the gospel of Christ more than our “necessary food.”  In our jobs we have all been forbearing with co-workers for a salary far less valuable than the unsearchable riches of Christ.  How much more in “the vocation wherewith ye are called!”  So let us walk worthy of our vocation “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace!”