March 22, 2015
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
Sermons on Video on YouTube. Search by pastor’s name.
?-----------------------------?
NURSERY
We have a nursery equipped with a digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live, for children four and under. Check the announcements.
?-----------------------------?
All articles in the bulletin are by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
?-----------------------------?
THE FOURTH DAY
Genesis 1: 14: And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
On the fourth day of creation, we see Christ’s ascension to the Father forty days after his resurrection foreshadowed. Like as the sun is for signs, Christ’s ascension to the Father is the sign—the proof—that Christ finished the work of redeeming his people from our sin. (Rom 4: 25) Like as the sun determines the seasons, days and years, by Christ the Sun of Righteousness, in time each of God’s elect shall experience the season of Christ’s love, the day of grace and the year of jubilee.
?-----------------------------?
When the Gospel is preached, there are two things always taking place (even though most are unaware of it); some are being prepared for glory, others are being hardened. Some are being brought to the light; some are left sitting in darkness. Some see Christ and His glory; others see no beauty about Him. Some who hear the Gospel have their hearts made tender towards sin; others have their hearts hardened in sin. No wonder we say, “Who is sufficient for these things?” The question we should all be asking is, “How is the preaching of the Gospel affecting me?” Don Bell, pastor of Lantana Grace Church, Crossville, TN
?-----------------------------?
HIM
Romans 11: 36: For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Speaking of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul writes of three things that should cause every child of God to continually rejoice in HIM!
OF Him Christ is the CAUSE of all things.
THROUGH Him Christ is the MEANS of all things.
TO Him Christ is the END of all things.
The Lord Jesus Christ is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Rev 22:13) Christ is all, and in all. (Col 3:11) We don’t make HIM Lord of our life, He already is Lord. My only hope of redemption is that God might make Him Lord of my life. All things, especially salvation, are OF HIM, as the cause, THROUGH HIM, as the means, and TO HIM, in the end. Truly God saves His elect for His own name’s sake. (Is 48:11) Has God shown you that? If He has then you will proclaim as Paul did, “to HIM be glory for ever. Amen.” David Eddmenson, pastor of Bible Baptist Church, Madisonville, KY
?-----------------------------?
Romans 12: 1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
?-----------------------------?
RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE
Ephesians 1: 18…the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints…
For those found believing on Christ Jesus, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but the righteousness which is by the faithful obedience of Christ Jesus, we shall be given a rich and glorious inheritance when we depart this life. In Revelation 21, God describes the riches and glory of the church of God in her eternal, heavenly glory. (Read Rev 21: 9-21) These riches represent the “exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2: 7)
Christ was rich. (Ps 50: 10-12; 104: 24; Deut 10: 14; Hag 2: 8) Yet, by his grace, for the sake of God’s elect, Christ became poor that we, through his poverty, might be rich. (2 Cor 8: 9) For poor, bankrupt sinners, Christ left the riches of heavenly glory to be born in a cow stable to poor parents. (Is 53: 2) He went through life with nowhere to lay his head, despised and rejected of men. (Mt 8: 20; Is 53: 3) Worst of all, Christ bore soul agony so great that blood squeezed from his pores like sweat; our Substitute endured the shame of the cross as he bore our sins and was made a curse for us (Heb 12: 2; 2 Cor 5: 21; Is 53: 6; 1 Pet 2: 24; Gal 3: 13; Rev 19: 15; Lk 22: 53) and he bore it all alone.
Now, how rich are those chosen of God, redeemed by Christ Jesus and called of the Holy Spirit? Believer, our sins are cast behind God’s back never to be remembered again; in Christ we have redemption according to “the riches of his grace” (Eph 1: 7); in Christ, we have obtained an inheritance. (Eph 1:11) God himself is our rich and glorious inheritance. (Is 28: 5)
Brethren, God is said to be rich in mercy, rich in grace, rich in goodness, rich in forbearance, rich in longsuffering, and rich in power. Heaven is having all God's riches as our safety, our comfort and our happiness. True riches are riches of his grace, riches of full assurance in Christ. Trust not in “uncertain riches” but in the “living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Tim 6: 17) “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Php 4: 19)