Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 6-23-2019
Bible TextRomans 10:16
Date22-Jun-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Gospel; Offer or Command (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Gospel; Offer or Command (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

June 23, 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

 

?-----------------------------?

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.

?-----------------------------?

 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The videos are now listed as individual sermons, as well as full servicesclick here.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

REMEMBER

 

·         Sunday, July 7, Jeff Moyer, Joyce Moyer and Greg Cooper are scheduled to confess Christ in believer’s baptism.  In August, Cyril and Lenore Rennels are scheduled to do so in the Doodnath’s pool.

·         Our conference is scheduled for July Friday, July 19—Sun, July 21.  We will have services Friday night, Saturday morning and night, and Sunday morning.  I have invited four faithful pastors who each will preach two sermons for us: John Chapman, David Eddmenson, Don Fortner, and Paul Mahan.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

Proverbs 13: 13: Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

Did Lazarus receive life when he came forth from the grave? That is what men claim when they walk an aisle to come to Christ. They believe that walk gives them eternal life. Lazarus was four days dead and could NOT come forth until Christ gave him the command, the power and the life to come. The scripture says that our Lord, “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth.” (John 11:43-44) It was the effectual call of the Lord Jesus that gave Lazarus the ability to walk, the “walk” didn’t give life,” it was the result of the life given. The coming forth was the result of the call and command that Christ gave. Let us not get the cart before the horse. With the command of Christ to come, comes the power of Christ to come. But a dead man cannot take the first step.  Pastor David Eddmenson

 

?-----------------------------?

 

Christ’s sheep contribute none of their own wool to their garments of salvation. They wear only the fine linen of Christ’s obedience.  Pastor Don Fortner

 

?-----------------------------?

THE GOSPEL: COMMAND OR OFFER?

 

Romans 10: 16: But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

 

Notice the words “obeyed the gospel.” Do we obey an offer?  No, we obey a command.  Men and women in military, did you have “offering officers” or “commanding officers?”  When you got off the bus at bootcamp did your drill sergeant “offer” you opportunity to do a million a push-ups or “command” you?  The gospel is not an offer, it is a command from God.

 

     First, the gospel is a command due to the nature of our relationship to God.  God is the Creator, we are his creation; God is the Ruler, we are subservient to God.  Therefore, God has always commanded us. (Ge 2:17; 3:11; 6:22; 7:16; 1 Jn 3:23-24).

 

     Secondly, the gospel is a command so that we know we are obligated to obey.  If I invite you to my home then you are not obligated.  Invitations say things like “we humbly request your presence if you will kindly accept our invitation.”  But if you are commanded then you are obligated.  Worship of God’s Son is a command from God the Father, not an option.  God commands all men to repent and believe on his Son. (Acts 17: 30)  We are obligated to do so.

 

     Thirdly, the gospel is a command to honor Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.  When God first ordained prophets they were esteemed higher than kings.  They ruled God’s nation.  It exalted Christ our Prophet.  By Christ, the gospel comes into the hearts of those he redeemed effectually so that his people are made willing to give Christ all glory for our obedience.  The gospel command honors Christ our High Priest.  During the Levitical priesthood, all obeyed the priest because he told Israel how they could come to God.  Christ transferred the sins of his people to himself, Christ made the sacrifice to God, Christ entered the holiest with his blood, Christ made atonement and represents his people to God. The gospel is a command to honor Christ our High Priest.  The gospel is a command to honor Christ our King.  Servants in a kingdom are not offered the invitation to obey a sovereign king; they are commanded.  Christ our King is sovereign over heaven, earth and hell.  The gospel is a feast to which we are obligated to attend, else we incur the King’s displeasure (Luke 14: 16-24).

 

     By calling the gospel an offer preacher’s take away the authority of God and exalt the sinner.  They tone down the sinner’s disobedience.  God does not humbly request your presence before his throne if you will accept his offer. He commands you kiss the feet of his Son lest he be angry and ye be cast out!  If we hear a preacher call the gospel an offer, it should alert us that he will most likely misrepresent Christ and his accomplished redemption of God’s elect.

 

?-----------------------------?

 

WHAT IS DISOBEDIENCE TO THE GOSPEL COMMAND?

 

Refusal to obey the gospel command is direct disobedience to God. 

 

      One, disobedience to the gospel command is refusal to bow to God as God.  By refusing to believe on the Son of God, a sinner refuses to own God as his God. He rejects God’s authority over him.   In Psalm 14:1 the words “there is” are added by the translators.  They were not in the original.  The fool has not said there is no God.  “The fool hath said in his heart, No God!”  To refuse to obey God’s command to believe on his Son is to say, “No, God, I will not have this man reign over me”  (Lu 19:14)!

 

     Two, disobedience to the gospel command is to question the motive of the sender.  God sent the gospel because he loves his elect freely without a cause in us.  He chose us by his free and sovereign grace.  Therefore, God purposed to save his people simply because he would by his free grace.  The gospel is God declaring to us the sovereign, unchangeable love of God for his elect.  Therefore, to reject God’s command to believe on Christ is to question God’s motive in sending his Son; it is to call God a liar (1 Jn 5:10).

 

     Three, disobedience to the gospel command is to reject the unspeakable gift of God, Christ Jesus his Son.  Amazing love!  Amazing grace!  God gave his only begotten Son to save worthless sinners like us.  Oh, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Though he was rich, yet for the sakes of his poor people, he became poor, that we through his poverty, might be rich (2 Cor 8: 9).  How would you feel if you spent your hard-earned money to purchase a valuable gift for someone you love, only to have that person reject your gift?  To disobey God’s command to believe on his unspeakable gift, Christ Jesus, is to spit in God the Father’s face by spitting in his Son’s face.  Unbelief says, “I would rather spend eternity in hell than to be saved by this gift of God, Christ Jesus his Son!”

 

     If we obey the gospel command it is to the glory of God’s grace.  But if we disobey there is no one to blame but ourselves.  It is the depraved will of man to disobey God’s gospel command the same as it is the depraved will to disobey the commands of God’s law. 

 

?-----------------------------?

 

“They have not all obeyed the gospel…” (Rom 10: 16)

 

Obeying the gospel is not merely hearing and agreeing the gospel is true.  It is believing on God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as God commands.  It is to repent—to have a radical change of mind—concerning God’s holy requirements, my inability, and Christ as Salvation.  It is to renounce self’s righteousness and confess self’s guilt.  It is to publicly confess Christ in believer’s baptism, unite with brethren under the gospel and become a disciple (student) of Christ for life.  May God make us obey the gospel command today.