May 1, 2016
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
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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 by the pastor unless otherwise noted. As you read the bulletin at home with your children be sure to look up the scripture references.
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Our Lord Jesus Christ divides the whole human race into two groups. The reprobate he calls “the world.” The elect he calls them “which thou gavest me out of the world.” –Don Fortner
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When we assemble together, we have the promise from Jesus Christ that He is in our midst. Our Sovereign Lord and Saviour has reserved special blessings for His saints who assemble together in His name to worship Him. When we absent ourselves from the gathering of the saints, we rob ourselves of those special blessings reserved for His enlightened children who assemble together for public worship. I can’t imagine why any saint of God would deliberately and willfully forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.–Gene Harmon
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Psalm 5: 7: But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 8: Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. 9: For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. 10: Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. 11: But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12: For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
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WHAT THEN IS THE NEW BIRTH?
What, then, is the new birth? It is not the removal of anything from the sinner nor the changing of anything physical or fleshly in the sinner; instead, it is the communication of SOMETHING NEW to the sinner. The new birth is the impartation of a NEW NATURE. When we were born the first time, we received from our parents their nature; so when we are born again, we receive from God His nature. The Spirit of God begets within us a spiritual nature (Gal. 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4). That which is born of man is human; that which is born of God is divine and spiritual. Nicodemus was startled. He was amazed at the Saviour's words. Yet he ought not to have been. Man by birth and nature is blind and opposed to the things of God. No amount of religious training can change this evil nature. His chief need is a NEW NATURE, or to be BORN AGAIN. It is a must! A man must have a spiritual nature before he can understand, enter, or enjoy the kingdom of God.—Henry Mahan
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Over two thousand years ago, the Captain of our Salvation appeared to his disciples on Mt. Olivet for the last time: “and he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned’ (Mk. 16:15-16). And that great commission from our ‘Commander In Chief’ will remain in force until He returns. I pray that he gives me grace to obey it.—Larry Criss
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THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD
Ephesians 2: 19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but…of the household of God; 20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Every saint in heaven and earth is a member of the house of God. (Eph 3: 15) In order to show this the Holy Spirit uses the metaphor of a temple.
THE BUILDER—“And are built.” Every house has builder. Christ is the Builder of his temple. (Heb 8: 1-2) God was speaking of Christ when he said of Solomon, “He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.” (1 Ch 17: 12) Christ is the Branch of whom the LORD said, “he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” (Zech 6: 12-13) Every stone is made ready by Christ so that there is no need of man’s hammer or ax or tool of iron. (1 Ki 6: 7) Saints are God’s workmanship, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 2: 5)
THE FOUNDATION—“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” Jesus Christ is our Foundation the same as he was the apostles foundation. The apostle Peter said, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (1 Pet 2: 6-7) The apostle Paul said, “We are labourers together with God:…ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3: 9-11)
THE PURPOSE—“[We are] an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Christ’s church is his holy temple and God inhabits us through the Spirit. Our first purpose is to be one in God with God in us. Christ said, “the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (Jn 17: 22-23) Our purpose is to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ as his holy, royal priesthood. (Hos 14:2; 1 Pet 2: 9; Ps 69: 30-31; Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 2: 5, 9; Rev 5: 9-10 )
Brethren, do not look back to old Israel, to old Jerusalem, or to the old temple. True Zion, heavenly Jerusalem, the city and the temple of God is God in Christ in his people and his people in Christ in God.
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