August 21, 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.
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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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CHRIST REDEEMED US, THAT
It is nonsense to say that Christ’s redeemed do not have to hear the gospel and be born again. There are scriptures that declare plainly the necessity of the new birth, of faith and of holiness by sanctification of the Spirit. (Jn 3: 3, 5; Mt 18: 3; Jn 6: 53; Heb 11: 6; Is 54: 13; Jn 6: 44-45) But beyond these plain statements of fact, it was the very promise of God to Christ that his redeemed would be born of God and brought to faith in Christ, “he shall see his seed, he shall prolong days.” But most of all, it was the very reason that Christ laid down his life. Scripture says “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” (Ps 22; 30-31) “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Ga 3:13-14) “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Ga 4:4-6)
Therefore, by the power of his blood Christ shall see all the souls that he has redeemed born first to earth then born a second time to newness of life in the new birth. This is why it pleased the LORD to bruise him.
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Sin is not in things. Governments have forever banned certain objects by law imagining this will prohibit certain sin. Sin is not in meat or drink or objects or places. Sin comes from the sinful nature of depraved man. Christ said, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Mt 15: 11)
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BUT WHEN HE WAS STRONG
Scripture says of King Uzziah, “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper…But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” (2 Chr 26: 5, 16) When God made him strong, Uzziah began looking at the blessings rather than God who gave them; he looked to his strength but forgot that the LORD was his only strength.
Brethren, whatever temporal thing God may give us in this life, whatever spiritual blessings or gifts we have, use all to look out of ourselves, away from this world, to Christ alone and never cease looking to Christ. Temporal and spiritual blessings are good. But the God who gives them is the true blessing and is greater than all that he gives!
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CHRIST IS THE SAINT’S RULE OF LIFE
Believers “serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” “For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (Rom 7: 6; 2 Cor 3:6; Gal 2:19; 3: 11-14, 23-26; Rom 6: 14) Four times scripture declares, “The just shall live by faith” (Hab 2: 4; Rom 1: 17; Gal 3: 11; Heb 10: 38) But we never read the just shall live by law. It is because “the law is not of faith.” (Gal 3: 12) We are not constrained to obedience by the letter of the law, “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” (2 Cor 5: 14) “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1: 17) Moses ministry of law is called, “The ministration of death; the ministration of condemnation; that which is done away.” Christ’s ministry is “the ministration of the spirit; the ministration of righteousness; that which remaineth.” (2 Cor 3: 7-11)
There is nothing wrong with the law for by it we know we are guilty. (Rom 7: 7, 12-14, 22-23) But the only one who could deliver us from the law is Christ Jesus the Lord. Christ has made his saints righteous and holy so now the law has nothing to say to us because we are under grace. (1 Tim 1: 5-11) Christ fulfilled the law so that his people are dead to the law that we might “live unto God.”
Further, Christ himself never commands his disciples to look to the law but to follow him alone. (Is 45:22; Mt 16: 24-25; Jn 12:26) Christ’s disciples are “they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Rev 14: 4-5) All Christ’s ambassadors teach his disciples to follow Christ as our rule of life. (Heb 12: 1-3) “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Col 3: 1-4) “Ye became followers of us, and of the Lord.” (1 Thess 1: 4-7) Christ is our rule of life because God the Father will have the eyes of his people on Christ.
For these reasons, believers follow Christ as all our salvation apart from our works. We follow Christ’s example because Christ does what the law does not do. Christ shows us the new-covenant rule of “faith which worketh by love” in a pattern we can easily see and understand by faith. To worship God in spirit and in truth is to rest in Christ for all acceptance with God, to be led of the Spirit, to run the race of faith looking to Christ alone, putting no confidence in the flesh. (Php 3: 3; Gal 5: 18; Heb 12: 1-3)
Therefore, the apostle Paul says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
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ONE MOTIVE FOR EVERY SITUATION
1 Corinthians 10: 25: Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26: For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof….28: But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
In verse 25, he says a believer has liberty to eat and drink all things “for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Then in verse 28, he says if a weak brother points out to you that it is meat offered to idols, rather than offend the weak brother’s conscience, do not eat “for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” Believers have liberty to partake of whatever meat and drink because Christ bought us, as well as all things, and gives us all things richly to enjoy. But if our liberty will cause our weak brethren to stumble we are not to eat for the exact same reason.
Worshipping God in spirit means we have one motive for every situation: the honor of our Redeemer to whom we belong. Liberty never means Christ frees us to be our own. It means Christ frees us to worship and obey him. Our body and spirit are not our own, neither anything we are given, but all is Christ’s. Therefore, Christ and his honor is the rule of the believer’s life. The letter of law gives many different laws because one will not apply to every situation. But worshipping God in spirit gives this one motive which applies to every situation! Honor our Master!
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SEEK WHAT IS BEST FOR OTHERS
1 Corinthians 10: 24: Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Christ’s love teaches a believer not to seek what is best for himself but to seek what is best for others. That is what Christ did for his people on the cross by which we are made the righteousness of God in Christ. “For even Christ pleased not himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” (Rom 15: 3) So the Spirit teaches his child “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Php 2: 4-5) We can only do what is best for others if Christ gives us faith to trust that he will provide for us and constrains us by his love. (Gal 5: 6) But according to Christ, his sheep hear his voice, he knows us and we follow him. So the believer will obey when Christ speaks the apostle’s word into our hearts, saying, “Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Gal 5: 13-14) This is certain, when the love of Christ abides in the heart, love “seeketh not her own.” (1 Cor 13: 5) So when it comes to partaking of things indifferent let no believer seek merely what is pleasing or profitable to ourselves but seek what will profit and edify others. If we have the love of God abiding in us then this constraint of our Master’s love will be to us a light and easy yoke.
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As you look to those who are older, remember someone younger looks to you. Before posting anything or doing anything publicly think about how it will influence those who follow you as you follow Christ.