Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 12-23-2018
Bible TextIsaiah 7:14
Date22-Dec-2018
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

December 23, 2018

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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ANNOUNCEMENT

This Thursday, December 27, Kevin Thacker is scheduled to preach the mid-week service.

 

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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS

 

Proverbs 12: 17: He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

 

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Isaiah 7: 14: Behold, a virgin…shall call his name Immanuel.

 

When did the virgin call Jesus, Immanuel? “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Lu 1:46-47)

 

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JOY TO THE WORLD

     I love to sing the hymns about the Savior’s birth.  The world associates these songs with Christmas, but they are not Christmas carols.  They are songs rejoicing in the birth of Christ the Savior.  The joy found in these songs is not that a cute baby was born.  The joy in these songs is in why that baby was born.  God was born as a man so He would be able to establish righteousness as the representative of His elect who were sinful men and women.  God was born as a man so He could be the substitute for His elect who were sinful men and women, and by His sacrifice for them, put their sin away.  None of that would have been possible unless God became a man.                                                                                              Pastor  Frank Tate

 

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Matthew 1: 21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  As you enjoy time with your families this week thank God for sending his only begotten Son.  God was made flesh.  He took the form of a servant that by his obedience God’s elect would be made righteous.  We rejoice that Christ was born.  But the great message of the gospel is that Christ willingly was crucified and by his blood accomplished our eternal redemption!

 

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THREE THINGS DECLARED IN CHRIST’S BIRTH

   The birth of Jesus Christ declares three great truths.

 

     One, the birth of Christ declares his people were dead in trespasses and in sins, incapable of justifying ourselves by the works of the law.  (Rom 3: 10-22)  Nothing less than the Son of God coming in human flesh and laying down his life for his people could justify us from our sins.

 

     Two, the birth of Christ manifests the love of God for his elect.  God’s love is only in his Son toward those God chose in his Son.  (Rom 8: 39; Eph 1: 3-6)  We know God’s elect are the “us” to whom God manifested his love because Christ accomplished that for which God sent him: Christ propitiated God for us so that God gives each of his people eternal life through him—"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jo 4:9-10).

 

    Three, the birth of Christ declares God is righteous.  Christ was born to die that he might declare God’s “righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom 3: 26).   God would not justify his guilty people at the expense of his justice because God is righteous.  Therefore, God sent his own Son who took flesh and upheld the law by bearing our sin and curse on the cross.  God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for all his people—that is how righteous God is (Rom 8: 32).  The birth of our Lord Jesus that he might die as the Substitute of his people declares it was a necessity, due to the holy and righteous character of God, that God justify his people in harmony with his justice.  Thanks be to God, Christ succeeded, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Ps 85: 10).

 

     So if anyone asks you why the Lord Jesus was born into this world these are three good reasons that you can give them. 

                                       

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OUR GIFT GIVING AND GOD’S GIFT GIVING

 

As we give our gifts to one another over the next few days, remember that God’s gift of eternal life is like our gift giving in at least three ways.  One, when we give a gift we give it to whomsoever we will.  Likewise, God gives eternal life to whomsoever he will (Jn 17: 1-2; 9, 24). Two, when we give a gift we purchase it ourselves.  Likewise, God sent his Son who paid the purchase price—his precious blood—to give his people eternal life in him. (Lev 17:11; Heb 9: 22; Acts 20: 28; Job 33: 24).  Three, when we purchase a gift we give it to the one it is meant for.  We sit it on a shelf, hoping someone will claim it.  We make sure the one for whom we bought it get our gift.  So does God (Jn 3: 5; Jn 6:53; Eph 2:8; Gal 4: 4-6).  He even has to give us life and faith to receive it.  Then through faith, God gives us the gift of eternal life in his dear Son.

 

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I once read about a farmer who was drafted for service during the American Civil War. His name was Blake.  The news brought him great grief of mind for his wife had already died and if he were to be killed; his children would be left orphans.  The day before he was to leave for the army, his neighbor, Charlie Durham, came to visit him.  “Blake,” he said, “I’ve been thinking: You’re needed here at home, so I’ve decided to go in your place.”  Blake was speechless.  The offer seemed too good to be true.  He grasped the hand of the young man and praised God that he was willing to serve as his substitute.  Charlie Durham went to the front lines and fulfilled Blake’s responsibilities.  But he was shot and killed in his first battle.

 

     When Blake heard the news, he immediately saddled his horse and rode out to the battlefield and there found the body of his friend.  He arranged to have it buried in the churchyard near the spot where they had often stopped to talk after the services.  On a piece of marble, he carved an inscription with his own hands.  It was roughly done, but with every blow of the hammer on the chisel, tears fell from his eyes.  He placed the marker on the grave of his devoted substitute.  The inscription was brief, but there was never an inscription carved on a tombstone that was more honoring to the man of whom it spoke or more heartfelt by the man who did the engraving than this one.  It read, “HE DIED FOR ME.”  Pastor Don Fortner                                                                       

 

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After I read that story, I wondered what would have happened had Blake received another draft notice.  Could he not have said, “I was drafted some time ago, and I served at the Battle of Such and Such and there I was shot and killed in fulfillment of my duty to my country.  I am no longer subject to the draft.  I am dead even though I live.  Yonder, there, is my grave”?

 

     I doubt that the government of that day would have accepted Blake’s argument and would have drafted him a “second” time.  But God is just and righteous in all of His works.  If Christ died for me as my Substitute in fulfillment of my duty to God’s justice and righteousness, then God shall never call upon me to die the death of the wicked; He shall never punish the same sins twice.

 

     If you have trusted Christ as the Savior of your soul, that is evidence that Christ died as your Substitute.  Faith does not make Christ’s death effective; His death was effective all on its own.  But God-given faith in Christ is given only to those for whom Christ died.  Therefore, if you trust is in Christ and Him alone, it is the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1) – things such as your inclusion in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), your predestined adoption as sons of God and, therefore, heirs of God, (Eph 1:5, Rom 8:17), and your redemption from the law, sin and death (Eph 1:7, Rom 8:2). Even more, it is the evidence that you died and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3).  God will never again bring you into a condemning, fear-inducing sense of guilt over your sin.  If your trust is in Christ, the only ones who will put you in fear of hell again are Satan (called the Accuser of the Brethren) and his agents occupying the pulpits of legalistic religion (Rev 10:9-11; 2 Cor 11:14, 15).  And when Satan accuses you before God by the mouth of one of his hellish prophets, you may point to the cross and to the tomb and say, “There I died and there I was buried and I am no longer subject to accusation or condemnation.”  You may boldly proclaim, “Who is he that condemns me?  Christ died for me, even more, is raised from the dead and is seated at God’s right hand interceding for me. (Rom 8:34) I am crucified with Him, so leave me alone!”  And, like believers of all ages, you will have overcome that foul spirit by the word of your testimony and the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 12.11)   Pastor Joe Terrell