Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 2-10-2019
Bible Text1 John 4:7-21
Date09-Feb-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

February 10, 2019

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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Proverbs 12: 24: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

 

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THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM!

 

God’s love is manifested toward us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, “that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4: 9).  God sent his Son to die in the place of God’s particular people so that God could give us life.  Oh, what love!  God sent Christ to manifest his righteousness by fulfilling God’s law, so that God could justly give life to each one for whom he died.  Oh, what love!  Christ bore the sin of his people so that God could justly pour out the wages of sin on him in place of his people, so that God could justly pour out mercy on his people, giving us life through Christ’s righteousness.  Oh, what love!  Before Christ died for his people, God’s justice demanded our death; since Christ died for his people, God’s justice demands our life. Oh, what love!

 

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A DEBT TO PAY


“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” It is plainly stated “love for another fulfills the law.”


     Would you not owe a brother or sister anything? Would not you like to be with any of your brethren and say I love them – enjoy them – pray for them?

 

     To be able to come into a worship service with your heart filled with love for Christ the Lord and His people, and leave the service rejoicing, because again, “the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts”?

 

     This is a debt we will always be paying; and if we aren’t paying on this debt, the law comes and condemns us – because “love fulfills the law” – failing to love one another is a grievous failure of the law, “and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” So we have a debt to pay that will never be paid, we will always owe it to one another to love each other until one day God makes all things new in glory!

 

     May God in His blessed grace enable us to continually and freely always pay on this debt, “To love one another”.  – Pastor Don Bell

 

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If I weep for that body from which the soul is departed, how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed!  Augustine (354-430 AD)

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True God-given love is not the sentimental show the vainly religious world is engaged in as they preach a false gospel—that love is only another religious work of an unregenerate religious man attempting to obligate God to save him.  Love which is of God is unfeigned love given by Christ when he creates a new man within the sinner in righteous and true holiness, giving us a spiritual knowledge of him.  When we have God, who is love, abiding in us then we love others who have God abiding in them.  "…for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God..for God is love.” (1 Jn 4:7-8)

 

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2 Corinthians 5:14: "The love of Christ constrains us."

 

Grace comes with majesty upon the heart.  Grace is not in theory—but virtue.  Grace does not lie as a sleepy habit in the soul—but will put forth itself in vigorous and glorious actions.  Grace can no more be concealed, than fire.  Like new wine, it will have vent.  Grace does not lie in the heart as a stone in the earth—but as seed in the earth; and it will spring up into good works.  Thomas Watson (1620-1686)

 

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LOVING ONE ANOTHER

I John 4: 11: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

 

     How did God love us?  He loved us while we were yet sinners.  He reconciled us while we were yet sinners.  He loved us unconditionally.  "Herein is love, NOT that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."  God's love for us was eternal, unchangeable, and effectual.  What is it then that keeps me from loving others?  Can it be that such an object of undeserving grace and mercy now requires a worthiness in others?  Can it be that such a one who was saved by sovereign mercy, alone, now refuses to show mercy?  God forbid!  Let us first contemplate his love for us and we will have no problem loving others.

Pastor Darvin Pruitt                                             

 

                                                                                                           

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Before being quick to make objections to the message preached, in love to those who labored for us, let us spend as much time in God’s word looking up what was preached and asking God for understanding as the preacher spent studying and asking God for the message.  “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Ja 1: 19).

 

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“ESAU HAVE I HATED”

 

            In Romans 9:13 the apostle Paul quotes that which God spoke to his people by the prophet Malachi (Mal. 1:1-2). Jacob represents all God’s elect. Esau represents the non-elect sons of Adam. Paul tells us plainly that God loved Jacob and hated Esau from eternity, without any consideration of their works. His purpose is to show us that the purpose of God according to election stands not upon the footing of human works, but upon the footing of his sovereign grace alone (Rom. 9:11). 

 

        The amazing, wonderful thing in Romans 9:13 is God’s statement, “Jacob have I loved!” God owed nothing to Jacob.  Jacob had no claim upon God.  God knew what kind of person Jacob would be, a sinful wretch! Yet, God loved Jacob, all his Jacobs, with an everlasting free, sovereign love.  That love is God’s eternal benevolence, “his everlasting will, purpose, and determination to deliver, bless, and save his people” (Toplady).  Wonder of wonders, that God should love such wretches as he knew we would be and determine to save us!

 

       However, it is the statement “Esau have I hated,” that causes most people trouble in understanding the text. Perhaps the trouble arises from the failure to understand the meaning of the word “hated” as it is used in this text. It does not imply a positive hatred, which involved contempt, anger and wrath. That cannot be the meaning of the word here, because God’s anger and wrath against men is always a judicial response to man’s sin.  And Paul plainly tells us that Esau’s works were not under consideration when God said, “Esau have I hated.”  The hatred here spoken of is 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. (John Gill)

 

      This is the way our Lord used the word “hate” in Luke 14:26. We are not commanded to treat our families or ourselves with contempt, anger, and wrath. But we must, as we seek to follow Christ, give no consideration to our earthly relationships. We must pass them by and choose Christ. That is what the word “hatred” means in Romans 9:13. God passed by Esau, giving him no consideration. His only consideration was for Jacob, his elect. God loved Jacob. God considered Jacob. God chose Jacob. Let Jacob rejoice.                                                                                       Pastor Don Fortner

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HOW DO I KNOW IF I REALLY LOVE?

 

How do I know if I really love the Lord Jesus Christ?  Well, how do you know you love your husband or your wife, or your children and grandchildren, or your dearest friend?  When you love a person then you enjoy thinking about that person; you want to hear about them; you love those they love; you want to please them and hate to displease them; and you want to be with them.  When you love the Lord Jesus Christ then all these things are so: you love thinking about Christ; you want to hear about your Redeemer so you never want to miss hearing the gospel preached; you love your brethren who Christ loves; the motive of your heart is to please Christ and never displease him; and you want to be with Christ and know him face to face.  This is how you know you love the Lord Jesus.