December 22,
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
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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 services—click here.
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Proverbs 14: 11:
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright
shall flourish.
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(The
following article was in Pastor Donnie Bell’s bulletin last week. It greatly touched my heart. I pray the Lord bless it to yours, too.)
HOW FAR WILL YOU STOOP?
Did
Christ for our sakes stoop from His majesty, glory, and dignity in heaven, to
the mean and contemptible state of a man? What a pattern of self-denial is here
presented to Christians! What objection or excuses against this duty can
remain, after such an example as is here given? Brethren, let me tell you, the
pagan world was never acquainted with such an argument as this to press them to
self-denial. Did Christ stoop, and cannot you stoop? Did Christ stoop so much,
and cannot you stoop the least? Was he willing to become any thing, a worm, a
reproach, a curse; and cannot you bear any abasement? Does the least slight and
neglect poison your heart with discontent, malice, and revenge? Oh, how unlike
Christ are you!
Hear, and blush in hearing, what your Lord
saith in John 13:14. "If I then, your Lord and Master, wash your feet, ye
ought also to wash one another's feet." One said, "The example does
not oblige us to the same individual act, but it obliges us to follow the
reason of the example;" that is, after Christ's example, we must be ready
to perform the humblest offices of love and service to one another. And indeed
to this it obliges most forcibly; for it is as if a master, seeing a proud
servant, that despises his work, as if it were too mean and base, should come and
take it out of his hand; and when he has done it should say, "Doth your
Lord and Master think it not beneath him to do it, and is it beneath you?"
"What more detestable," says
Bernard, "what more unworthy, or what deserves severer punishment, for a
poor man to magnify himself, after he hath seen the great and high God so
humble as to become a little child? It is intolerable impudence for a worm to
swell with pride, after it hath seen majesty emptying itself, seen one so
infinitely above us, stoop so far beneath us." Does it become us to be
proud and selfish, while our Saviour was lowly, meek, self-denying, and of a
most condescending spirit? John Flavel (1671)
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Judge Not
According to Appearance, John 7:24 – Judge not according to the appearance, but
judge righteous judgment.
There was a
poor girl who was not married when she discovered she was pregnant. She left town to have the baby. Judging by the appearance we would conclude
that this was sinful. One can only
imagine the rumors that folks must have spread about her.
Well, this
girl was a sinner alright but she was chosen of God and saved by God’s free
grace like every other child of God. She
left town because it was written in the scriptures, which Christ came to
fulfill. The Holy Ghost overshadowed her
and that holy thing formed in her womb is called “the Son of God,” the Redeemer
who successfully redeemed all his people from the curse of the law on the
cross.
Do you see
how wrong we can be when we judge according to the appearance” Therefore, God our Savior declares unto us “Judge not according to the appearance but
judge righteous judgment.”
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We do not place any religious
significance on the day recognized as Christ’s birth nor any other day. But we rejoice in our sovereign God who
overruled the pagans to preserve that day so that at least once a year the whole
world is reminded of the truth that “God was manifest in the flesh, and
dwelt among us.”
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(Matthew 1:23)
"They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God
with us." Think about the words in this verse of
Scripture – "God with us!" – The infinite Jehovah God
with us. No wonder the angels burst into
song and sang "Glory to God in the highest." This was worthy of a new star in the
Heavens. This was worthy of preserving
on record for us to read today. This was
worthy of the martyrs' death. The
Apostle Paul said, "This is worthy of all acceptation." This is the great mystery of the church, that
"God was manifest in the flesh, and dwelt among us."
Pastor Milton Howard
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While the world beholds only a baby in a
manager, God’s saints see what Simeon saw when he took the babe up in his arms,
“For mine eyes have seen THY
SALVATION, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A LIGHT
to lighten the Gentiles, and THE GLORY of thy people Israel.” (Lu
2:25-32)
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GOD’S GIFT
As we give our gifts to
one another over the next few days, remember that God’s gift of eternal life is
like our gift giving in at least three ways.
First,
when we give a gift we give it to whomsoever we will. Likewise, God gives
eternal life to whomsoever he will. (Jn 17:
1-2; 9, 24) Suppose you gave a gift to someone you love and strangers
began to accuse you of being unjust because you did not give them the same
gift. You would think they were absurd. They have no right to
question you or accuse you. Neither does any sinner have a right to
question God. (Rom 9:
14-21)
Secondly, when we give a gift we purchase
it ourselves. Likewise, God sent his Son who paid the purchase price of
his precious blood to give his people eternal life in him. (Lev
17:11; Heb 9:
22; Acts 20:
28) “Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him
from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.” (Job 33:
24)
Lastly, when we give a gift we give it to
the one for whom we purchased it. Likewise, God irresistibly creates his
people anew and gives the gift of eternal life to us through faith in
Christ. We do not purchase a gift then set it on a shelf and hope someone
will come claim it as their own. We take the gift to the one for whom we bought
it and make sure they get it. So does God. But here is a difference. When
we give a gift the person to whom we give it has the ability to receive our
gift. But each sinner to whom God shall give this free gift of eternal life
does not even have the ability to receive it until God gives faith and
repentance to receive it in his Son. (Jn 3: 5; Jn 6:53; Eph 2:8; Gal 4:
4-6)
Believers
glory in the LORD, giving all praise only to God, telling everyone we can about
the great gift Giver and the gift of his Son. (2 Cor
9:11, 8-15) “Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known
his deeds among the people.” (1 Chr 16: 8)
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Before
Christ died our death at Calvary, God’s justice demanded we be given eternal death.
Since Christ died our death at Calvary, God’s justice demands we be given eternal
life. Brethren, thank God for being a
just God and a Savior!