Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 11-22-2015
Bible TextEphesians 2:8
Date21-Nov-2015
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Grace, Salvation & Faith (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Grace, Salvation & Faith (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

November 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

 

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.   Check the announcements.

 

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All articles in the bulletin are by the pastor unless otherwise noted.

 

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ANNOUNCEMENT

 

No mid-week service Thanksgiving Day, Thurs, Nov 26. 

 

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THE GLORY OF GOD’S GRACE

Ephesians 2: 8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

     Salvation—beginning to end—is by God’s grace. God elected a people unto salvation by grace, the very opposite of works. (Rom 11: 5-6)  It was grace that abounded over sin and reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 5: 20-21) The stewardship of every God-sent preacher is a “dispensation of the grace of God.” (Eph 3: 2-8)  The gospel we preach is “the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20: 24)  We are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3: 24)  We are called by God’s grace. (Gal 1: 15)  It is “grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5: 2) Believers are what we are by the grace of God. (I Cor 15: 10)      

    So what is grace? Let me have your undivided attention. Grace is God’s glory! When Moses asked to see God’s glory, first, God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee”—God’s goodness is his glory. Then, God said, “I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee;”—God’s name is his glory.  Lastly, God said, “and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”—God’s grace is his glory. (Ex 33: 19)

    All who add their wisdom, will or works attempt to rob God of his glory. God says, “My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Is 42: 8) But those saved apart from any merit in us glory that salvation is of the Lord, “to the praise of the glory of his grace,…” (Eph 1: 6)

 

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The Apostle exhorts us to adorn the inward man, Peter 3:4. Many clothe the body in gold apparel and deck it with pearls and diamonds—but have no regard to deck their souls with the jewels of grace!—Thomas Watson

 

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THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE SAVED THEM

“In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence  saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isa. 63:9).

 

     Who is the angel of God’s presence spoken of here in this verse quoted?  It is none other than the same person who speaks in verse 1 of this same chapter; “I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”  It is none other than our blessed God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This angel is not a created angel but rather the Mediator and messenger of the everlasting covenant of grace (Mal. 3:1).

     Who else could it be said, “in all their affliction he was afflicted?” Indeed, Christ was afflicted for our transgression, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4).

     Who else but the Lord Jesus Christ could it be said, “in his love and pity he redeemed them?”  None but Christ!  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1John 4:10). We are indeed redeemed with His precious blood (1 Peter 1:18; Heb. 9:12).

     The Lord Jesus Christ has always appeared before God as our Intercessor (Heb. 7:25).  He is the Surety and sacrifice of the everlasting gospel (Heb. 7:22; 13:20).  He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). The very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ before the throne of God as our Representative, Substitute and Mediator is the guarantee of our salvation (Eph. 2:4-6: Rom. 8:34).

     The Lord Jesus Christ having accomplished our righteousness and redemption is now entered in and now occupies the throne of glory for us as our Forerunner; that, “we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”  (Heb. 6:19-20). Tom Harding, pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church, Pikeville, KY

 

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1 Corinthians 3: 11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

     We are very eager to put our hands to work. Like Uzzah, we must needs prop up the ark when we see it stumbling; when faith totters, we must come to bear a helping hand. But this is prejudicial to the work of God upon the soul. If the whole is to be a spiritual building; if we are "living stones" built upon a living Head, every stone in that spiritual temple must be laid by God the Spirit. And if so, everything of nature, of creature, of self, must be effectually laid low, that Christ may be all—that Christ, and Christ alone, may be formed in our heart, the hope of glory.

     How many trials some of you have passed through! how many sharp and cutting exercises! how many harassing temptations! how many sinkings of heart! how many fiery darts from hell! how many doubts and fears! how much hard bondage! how many galling chains! how often has the very iron entered into your soul! Why? That you may be prevented from adding one stone by your own hands to the spiritual building.

    The Apostle tells us that "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid," even Jesus Christ. He then speaks of those who build "wood, hay, and stubble," as well as of those who used "gold, silver, and precious stones;" and that the "wood, hay, and stubble" must be burned with fire. It is after the Lord has laid a foundation in the sinner's conscience, brought him near to himself, made Jesus precious to his soul, raised up hope and love in his heart, that he is so apt to take materials God never recognizes, "wood, hay, straw, stubble," and rear thereby a flimsy superstructure of his own. But this gives way in the trying hour: it cannot stand one gust of temptation. One spark of the wrath to come, one discovery of God's dread majesty, will burn up this "wood, hay, and stubble" like straw in the oven.

     The Lord's people, therefore, have to pass through troubles, trials, exercises, and temptations, doubts and fears, and all that harassing path that they usually walk in, that they may be prevented from erecting a superstructure of nature upon the foundation of grace, "wood, hay, and stubble" upon the glorious mystery of an incarnate God. JC Philpot

 

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I WILL DAMN WHO I WILL DAMN!

     God never says, "I will damn who I will damn.”  Before the foundation of the world, God graciously chose to save a multitude without a cause in them. But God never condemns anyone without a cause in them. God is just. It would be unjust to randomly damn men without a cause. God freely saves whom he will by grace alone. Grace can never be earned by the sinner. But damnation is always the just wage earned by the guilty sinner. (Mr 16: 16; 2 Thess 2: 12; Rom 6: 23)