Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 3-11-2018
Bible TextProverbs 1:1-2:6
Date10-Mar-2018
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: The Word Makes Wise (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: The Word Makes Wise (128 kbps)
 

March 11, 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: 3: The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

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Proverbs 1: 7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge:…

 

Many things can be said about this statement without coming close to exhausting its importance.  But one reason this is true is because the fear the LORD is reverence for the LORD with child-like affection and trust.  When my son was seven, we were walking to pick up his sister from school. He wanted to ride his bike.  But his helmet was wet from the rain.  I told him it was wet. Then I held it out and let him feel it.  About a block later, he said, “Daddy, you did not have to let me feel the helmet, I believe whatever you tell me.”  Fear of the LORD is reverence for the LORD with a child’s affection and trust, convinced that the LORD will only do for you what is wise and good.  When we fear the Lord, God is, himself, knowledge unto us.  Then it is by him that we filter all other knowledge to discern whether it is true or false, good or evil, beneficial or harmful. Many more reasons can be given.  But the first and the chief thing in attaining knowledge is the fear of the Lord.

 

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The Lord Jesus used the wind to declare that the Holy Spirit is irresistible over man’s will in the new birth, “the wind bloweth where it [will]…so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3: 8) Those who preach that man has a free will say God would not violate man’s will to save us.  Considering these two teachers, it is wiser to trust God over depraved men.  But beyond that, which act of God in creation does not violate man’s will?  Rain, snow, hail, and drought do.  The forms they come in do: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis.  Fact is, God violates man’s will every day. God does as he will in heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stop his hand. (Dan 4:35) The only ones unhappy that God does so in salvation are those who want to attribute salvation to their will.  The rest rejoice that God says, “as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Is 55: 10-11)

 

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INCLINE THINE EAR AND APPLY THINE HEART

 

Proverbs 2: 1: My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2: So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3: Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4: If thou horough her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6: For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

 

         As I behold our children growing older time becomes more precious to me.  I am reminded that I have a short time to teach you the gospel of Christ!  The world is waiting to swallow you up.  The young think they have plenty of time to prepare for eternity. But no one has guarantee of tomorrow. In the time it takes to take our last breathe those without Christ can come into judgment, with no righteousness in which to stand, before God who is angry with the wicked every day. (Ps 7: 11) God says that if you incline your ear to hear the gospel of Christ preached from his word and apply your heart in studying and seeking Christ like you would seek treasure, God promises to give you an understanding of the fear of the LORD and knowledge of God.

     Read Provers 1: 1-4.  Christ declares that through the preaching of his word, God makes us know Wisdom. (1 Cor 1: 24, 30)  Christ is that Wisdom who gives “instruction” (correction), turning us from the vain ways of our imagination to Christ the Way and the Truth. Through the preaching and study of God’s word the Holy Spirit makes us “perceive the words of understanding,” (1 Cor 2: 6-10), revealing the mystery of the gospel to us that even the princes of this world do not know. 

    With Christ as our Wisdom we receive the very best understanding: “the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity.”  The message of God’s word is God’s “wisdom” in establishing “the justice (righteousness) of God.” (Rom 3: 19-31) Christ alone is that Righteousness who fulfilled God’s law for his people. He established “judgment” (justice) so that by the finished work of Christ, God is just and equitable (right) to shower the believer in mercy.

     Through the preaching and study of the word Christ is able “to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”  He makes the new believer know what is true and false for every situation in life.  He gives the young believer the highest wisdom, knowledge and instruction that can be given.  The apostle Paul was probably paraphrasing our text when he told young Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, horoughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim 3: 15-17)

   To every young person who reads this I ask, “Will you hear this word and do it?”  Let nothing stop you from coming to hear the word of God preached. Then go home and make time to study what you heard in the scriptures. God makes good on all his promises.  You will have found the greatest of all treasures if you are one who God makes to “understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

 

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A WISE MAN OR A FOOL?

 

Proverbs 1: 5: A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

     God says the person who heeds this simple instruction is a wise man, “A wise man will hear.”  Are you wise? Then you will read this and give yourself to diligently hear God’s gospel preached and study what you have heard. 

      God promises the wise—“will increase learning.”  God who made him wise to seek Christ in the first place, will not only reveal Christ to him, but will also make him increase more in learning of Christ. Listen to God’s promise, “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” (Pro 1: 23)

     God promises “a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”  One, it means he will ask those who God has already made wise by this word and they will give him the interpretation of a passage.  Most young people in our congregation have parents whom God has taught the gospel. You are surrounded by believers who are more than willing to help you understand the scriptures. Your pastor would be delighted to help you!  God says, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” (Pro 1: 8-9) 

    Two, it means God will make him attain to all the counsels (all the teachings and truths) that make up the whole counsel of God (the gospel of Christ.) God shall teach the wise man every branch of doctrine which makes up the one true gospel of our Redeemer.  The wise man shall be taught that he is a depraved sinner entirely dependent upon God to save him in Christ. He will attain the doctrine of election which declares that God elected his people in Christ before the world was made. The Spirit of God will teach him that God predestinated his people to the adoption of children to be conformed to the image of his Son.  He will be taught particular redemption which declares that Christ laid down his life for his elect, accomplishing eternal redemption for us by his one offering on the cross. He will be taught Christ is his Holiness who has been formed within him so that Christ is his ever-present to keep him from the evil.  All the counsels of doctrine that make up the one counsel of the gospel shall be taught him.  If you are this wise man you will also be taught the counsel of irresistible grace so that you will look back on the day you first began to incline your ear and apply your heart and you will know it was the Spirit of God who made  you do so and you will give him all the glory.

     Yet, opposite the wise man, is the fool. He despises this wisdom and instruction.  Imagine a billionaire writes a book which contains the way to his hidden treasure. The treasure is for any who come the way the man instructs in his book. What else could you call the man who refuses to even pick up the book but a fool!  To the fool God gives a warning in Proverbs 1: 24-32. Every one of us should read it and tremble.

     May God make us wise and save us from being the fool!