Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 4-15-2018
Bible TextRomans 8:29
Date14-Apr-2018
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

April 15, 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: 9: An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

 

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Our exalted King, Jesus Christ the Glorified God-man, holds the keys of hell and death in His Sovereign Hands (Rev. 1:18).  The Blessed Redeemer of His chosen people is the only One who can unlock the door of THE PRISON HOUSE OF UNBELIEF and set the prisoner free!  Until He does, not only will hell-deserving sinners be held by the power of spiritual darkness, they love that darkness and have no desire to be set free (John 3:19 - 20).  OH! how blessed God’s children are!  and how thankful we are to our Sovereign God who has delivered us from the power of darkness (Colossians 1:12  - 14).   Pastor Gene Harmon

 

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JACOB HAVE I LOVED!

 

            “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom. 9:13 / Mal.1). 

 

The word “hated” does not imply a positive hatred, which involves contempt, anger, and wrath.  Rather it is, as John Gill rightly observed, a “negative hatred, which is God’s will not to give eternal life to some persons; a neglect of them; taking no notice of them; passing them by when he chose others.  So the word ‘hate’ is used for neglect; taking no notice.”

 

     This is the way our Lord used the word in Luke 14:26, “If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”  We are not commanded to treat our families and our own lives contemptuously, with anger and wrath.  But we must, as we seek to follow Christ, give no consideration to our earthly relationships.  We must pass by them and choose Christ.  That is what the word “hated” means in our text.  God passed by Esau, giving him no consideration.  His only consideration was for Jacob.  God loved Jacob.  He considered Jacob.  He chose Jacob.  The wonder of this text is not that God “hated,” or passed by, Esau.  The amazing thing is that God loved Jacob.

 

     Paul is using Jacob as a representative of all God’s elect, and Esau as the representative of all who are not among the elect, the reprobate of the world.  He writes to show us that the purpose of God, according to election, stands upon the footing of grace alone, and that it is not in any way determined by, or dependent upon, our works.  And, the grace by which we have been chosen, redeemed, and called, springs from the love of God for Jacob, that is to say, His elect.  The love of God is His eternal benevolence, “His everlasting will, purpose, and determination to deliver, bless and save His people” (Augustus Toplady).  

 

     “God is love” (I John 4:8-16).  John does not tell us that the God of heaven and earth is a loving God, or a God of love.  Love is an attribute of God’s Being.  Because God is love, God must and will love.  But we fall into grave and serious error if we attempt to measure and understand God’s love by our own.  Our love is a passion to be loved.  God’s love is a determination to bless and save.  Our love is caused by something worthy of love in the ones we love.  God’s love is caused by His love.  “God’s love is not drawn out by our being loveable, but springs up like an artesian well, from the depths of his nature.”  (Alexander MacLaren).  Pastor Don Fortner

 

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NO KING, NO RULE, NO RIGHT, NO WRONG

 

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25

 

     This scripture clearly describes the day in which we live. These days there is no absolute Sovereign God being preached; no Creator, no Owner, no Judge; no Law, no Lord on the throne; no fear of God; so there is no right nor wrong, no sin, no punishment for sin; everyone is free to do anything they like.  Blame it on the pulpit.  Blame our sick society on the many false preachers who have told everyone for so long now how much God loves them all, no matter who they are or what they are doing; no matter that they live like hell and hate God in Heaven . . . he loves you anyway (they say). So men and women believe these liars and live as they please, with no fear of God, and no fear of any consequences for sin.  O the dreadful realization, the great and terrible surprise people shall have when they face the true and living God; the God of the Bible; the Holy and Righteous Lord and King of the universe Who hates sin. 

 

     May the same Lord unite our hearts to fear His Name, and call upon Him to have mercy upon us all.  And may we NOT fear to condemn the world, warn our fellows, and urge them to call upon the Lord for mercy.  Pastor Paul Mahan

                                                           

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Weeping Endureth for A Night...But Joy Cometh in the Morning!  Psalm 30:5

 

Their mourning shall last but till morning. God will turn their winter’s night into a summer’s day; their sighing into singing; their grief into gladness; their mour­ning into music; their bitter into sweet; their wilderness into a paradise. The life of a Chris­tian is filled with interchanges of sickness and health, weakness and strength, want and wealth, disgrace and honor, crosses and comforts, miser­ies and mercies, joys and sorrows, mirth and mourning; all honey would harm us, all wormwood would undo us. A composition of both is the best way in the world to keep our souls in a healthy constitution. It is best for the health of the soul that the south wind of mercy and the north wind of adversity do both blow upon it, and though every wind that blows shall blow good to the saints, yet certainly their sins die most and their grace thrives more when they are under the drying, nipping north wind of calamity, as well as under the warm, cherishing south wind of mercy and prosperity. - Thomas Brooks

 

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"Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." Psalm 35:3

 

To keep water sweet, it must be perpetually running; and to keep the life of God up in the soul, there must be continual exercises. This is the reason why the Lord's people have so many conflicts, trials, painful exercises, sharp sorrows, and deep temptations,—to keep them alive unto God; to bring them out of, and to keep them out of that slothful, sluggish, wretched state of carnal security and dead assurance in which so many seem to have fallen asleep—fallen asleep like the sailor upon the top of the mast, not knowing what a fearful gulf is boiling up below. The Lord, therefore, "trieth the righteous." He will not suffer his people to be at ease in Zion; to be settled on their lees, and get into a wretched Moabitish state. He therefore sends afflictions upon them, tribulations, and trials, and allows Satan to tempt and harass them. And under these feelings the blessed Spirit, from time to time, raises up in them this sigh and cry, "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." None but thyself, Lord, can save me; nothing short of thy voice can whisper peace to my conscience; nothing short of thy blood can speak away guilt from lying as a heavy burden upon my heart; nothing short of thy love shed abroad by the Holy Ghost can make my soul happy in thyself.  JC Philpot

 

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THE CHIEF REASON

 

Romans 8: 29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 

The chief reason God chose a people to save is not for us but for his Son, “that he might be the firstborn among many brethren”, “that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Rom 8: 29; Col 1: 18)  Sinner, if you reject the gospel of unmerited grace you reject Christ having the glory as the Firstborn. Satan and a host of angels tried that and God cast them out forever. Those saved sing “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1: 5-6)