Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 6-2-2019
Bible TextGenesis 15:4
Date01-Jun-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael & Isaac (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael & Isaac (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

June 2, 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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CONFERENCE DATES

 

Our summer meeting is always on the third weekend in July.  This year the dates are Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21.  We have four preachers scheduled to preach two messages each: Pastors Don Fortner, Paul Mahan, David Eddmenson and John Chapman.  Services are scheduled for Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday morning. 

 

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Proverbs 13: 11: Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

 

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How often should I forgive my brother?  As often as you would have God forgive you.                                                                        Pastor John Chapman

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Charles Spurgeon once said, “Nine out, of ten of the arrows in a preacher’s quiver ought to be shot at the sinner’s good works, for these are his worst enemies.”                      

 

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“Run, sinner, run, the law commands,

But gives us neither feet nor hands,

Far better news the gospel brings

It bids us fly and gives us wings.”

                                                                        John Bunyan

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THE VALUE OF GOD’S ELECT

 

“Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.” Ex. 30:14-15

 

     The individual value of the soul of each of God’s elect is the same…the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  All in Israel, from twenty years old and above, were required to give an offering, half a shekel, to make an atonement for his soul.  Obviously, they were not redeemed with money, but the same amount of money for all represented the consistency of the immeasurable value of the blood of Christ.  The price paid to redeem Abraham, Moses, the prophets and the apostles was the same price paid to redeem the repentant thief on the cross...the fountain of blood which flowed from the side of our precious Lord and Savior…                                                                  Pastor Marvin Stalnaker     

                                           

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HAGAR, SARAH, ISHMAEL & ISAAC

Genesis 15:4; Gal 4: 21-31

 

The LORD promised Abraham that his barren wife, Sara, would have a son with whom the LORD would establish his covenant and his seed after him.  After ten years passed, Sarah suggested Abraham take her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, to wife so that Sarah might obtain children by her (Gen 16: 1-4, 15).  Hagar bare Abraham a son named Ishmael.  After fifteen more years passed the LORD fulfilled his promise and Sarah bare Abraham a son named Isaac.  (Gen 21: 1-2).  When Sarah saw Hagar’s son mocking her son she said unto Abraham cast them out “for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”  Though it grieved Abraham, the LORD told Abraham to cast them out “for in Isaac shall thy seed be called (Gen 21: 10-12).  In Galatians 4: 21-31 the Spirit of God teaches us this is an allegory which shows us two covenants, two religions and two people.

 

Two Covenants—Hagar represents the covenant of works given at Mt Sinai.  It genders bondage because it requires the sinner to obey the law, even in thought, to earn eternal life.  God gave the law to show us our sins to declare us all guilty.   Sarah represents the everlasting covenant of grace which God the Father made with his Son to save his elect.  Sara is the freewoman; so the everlasting covenant is of God’s free grace.  Sarah remained Abraham’s true wife, though Hagar entered in; so the covenant of grace remained unchanged though the law at Mt. Sinai entered in (Gal 3: 16-17).  Hagar was only a handmaid to Sarah; so the law was only a handmaid to the covenant of grace to teach us our need of Christ (Gal 3: 24-25). Abraham’s heir could not come through Hagar because then it would not be by God’s promise; if we were saved by the works of the law salvation would cease to be by God’s promise and grace (Gal 3: 18, 21-22).

 

Two Religions—Hagar represents works religion (Gal 4: 25).  She was a slave and brought forth a son into slavery; works religion produces children into bondage (Galatians 3: 10-12; 4: 3, 8-10).  Sara represents the true church of God above which is free and is the mother of all true believers.  When Christ finished redeeming his people, he arose to true heavenly Mt. Zion in true heavenly Jerusalem above.  So the prophecy is fulfilled which says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem (Isa 2:2-3)  All true believers come to Christ in heavenly Mt Zion in heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12: 18-24).

 

Two People—Ishmael was born of a bondwoman, by Abraham’s works, therefore Ishmael was born after the flesh.  He represents those who make a profession in religion which was produced by law-preaching and fleshly means.  Isaac represents true children of God born-again by God’s promise by God’s grace, by the Spirit of God.  We were born because God the Father chose us in Christ, because the Son of God redeemed us from the curse of the law and because God the Holy Spirit regenerated us (Gal 3:29; 4: 4-7).  Like as Ishmael mocked Isaac, those born after the flesh persecute those born of the Spirit.  The self-righteous world persecuted Christ and today will-worshipping religion still persecutes God’s true children.  They call true believers antinomians because we declare believers are not under the law but under grace since Christ fulfilled the law for us (Rom 10: 1-4; Gal 4: 16, 17; 6: 12-14; Php 3: 3)  But false religion with her sons of flesh shall soon be cast out by God as was Rahab and Ishmael.

     So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Ga 4: 31; 5:1-6).