Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 3-18-2018
Bible TextEphesians 5:8-14
Date17-Mar-2018
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

March 18, 2018

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.

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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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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS

 

Proverbs 11: 4: Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

 

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AWAKE, ARISE, CHRIST SHALL GIVE THEE LIGHT

“But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Eph 5: 13-14)

 

In order to be reproved from every false way we need light.  That light is Christ himself given us through the preaching of the light of the gospel.

 

     Christ said, “I am the light of the world.” (Jn 9: 4-5) And it is through the light of his gospel that God gives his people light—“the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2Co 4:5-7)

 

    This is how Christ brings his people to believe on him. As we hear the light of the glorious gospel of Christ preached the Spirit of God reproves us effectually, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest. Arise from the dead.” When he gives this command he irresistibly awakens us, we arise and “Christ shall give thee light.”

 

     Then how the children of Light rejoice! What particular grace! Christ does not do this for all, only for his redeemed! “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” (Isa 60:1-2)

 

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The Lord Jesus Christ does not show blind men how to see. He gives them new eyes and they see Him! The Lord Jesus Christ does not tell deaf men how to hear. He gives them new ears and they hear Him! The Lord Jesus Christ does not beg lame men to walk. He gives them new legs and they leap as a hart, and follow Him! All who are in Christ receive a new mind of repentance toward Him, a new will that bows to Him, a new heart that believes and loves Him. Yes, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature! Pastor Gabe Stalnaker                                                                                    

 

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WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Eph 5: 8-11)

 

When Christ gives us light he teaches us we were darkness—not that we were only in darkness, though we were, but we were the darkness. But by the free grace of God, now we are light in Christ our Lord, not that we are only in the light, though we are, but we are light in the Lord.  Oh, what a price Christ had to pay in order to make us light in him! Therefore, we are constrained by the love of our Redeemer to obey his command to walk as his children—children of Light. 

 

     The fruit of the Light (says the oldest manuscripts) produced in his people is unlike the unfruitful works of darkness produced by our old man of sin. His fruit produces our walk in all goodness as we labor in our occupations that we might have to give to the needy rather than stealing and being covetous (Eph 4:28). The Light causes us to walk in all righteousness by being kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving brethren as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us, making us followers of God as dear children, walking in love as Christ loved us instead of being full of bitterness and malice (Eph 4: 31-5: 3). The Spirit makes us walk in all truth as we speak that which is edifying, ministering the gospel of grace to our hearers rather than lies (Eph 4:25, 29).  

 

     Christ teaches us to test what is acceptable unto him by bringing everything to his word.  Whatsoever is acceptable unto our Lord we are to walk in but whatsoever the Lord’s word says are unfruitful works of darkness, we are to avoid. That includes the workers themselves “for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.”  But not only are we to have no fellowship with them, we are even to reprove them.  

 

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SUBMIT EXPERIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD

 

If I insist I was saved contrary to God’s word based on my experience then I make the word of God submit to my experience rather than submitting my experience to the word of God.  I judge God’s sayings as untrue. In fact, I judge God himself by imputing unfaithfulness to him.  Nevertheless, such claims will not change the faithfulness of God to save in the way he says in his word.  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Ro 3:3-4)

 

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“Pray Without Ceasing” 1 Thess. 5:17

     It is a miracle of God’s grace that any of us can pray. We must be born from above before there is a heart spiritually alive to pray (Acts 9:11). The Holy Spirit, because of our infirmities, must continually help us for we know not what to pray (Rom. 8:26). And the Lord Jesus, as the elect’s Intercessor, the Father’s obedient Servant and the only One in whom the Father is well pleased, must offer out of His hand of power the prayers of all saints before the throne in the merit of His glorious righteousness before God for their acceptance in heaven (Rev. 8:3-4). When we pray, may we ever be reminded of our Lord’s word, “I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

                                                                

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  ARISE, MY LOVE, COME AWAY!

Do you have a good hope? Death will be terrifying for you if you are trusting your eternal acceptance with God upon anything you have done. But those resting in Christ will close their eyes and be awakened by their Savior saying, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song of Solomon (2: 10-13)

 

     This life has much joy in it. God has given many things to enjoy and we should. But overall sin has made this life like a long cold winter. Satan’s temptations blow hard as arctic winds. Persecution comes as frigid blasts. Afflictions are icy-sharp. At times a nor’easter blows in from the coast and sits upon us. Dark clouds hide our Beloved. The blizzard blankets us till all is still, silent, lifeless.  We become grey, barren trees of winter. Our inner man becomes weak and hungry like the little animal in its den. But then comes the Voice of our Beloved saying, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”  Our Beloved takes us by the heart and ushers us back into communion with him where, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.” The springtime of Life returns to our souls!

 

     But one day soon, my brethren, our Beloved shall usher us into his eternal garden where there will be eternal spring. Oh to awake completely whole! Oh to behold he who loved us and gave himself for us!  Oh to be made like him and dwell with him!  Then the winter will be over for good!  Then we will be with Christ forever with absolutely no more sin and no more storms to interrupt our communion!