November 20, 2011
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7 PM Midweek Service
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
10:15 a.m. Bible Study
Short Break
11:00 a.m. Service
- Opening Hymns
- Scripture Reading
- Message
- Closing Hymns
ANNOUNCEMENT
We will have our mid-week service on Tuesday, November 22, at 7:00 p.m. Happy Thanksgiving!
BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN
Matthew 18: 1-6
Spiritual growth is in many ways the reverse of carnal growth. When we were little children we asked, we believed, we were dependent on our parents and we were happy for it to be so. As we grew the sin we are became more apparent. Our asking became more questioning than asking. We put more confidence in our own understanding than our father and mother. Our hand was still open for the freebies but we wanted them independently of submitting to dad and mom. Eventually, we moved out, stopped asking and depended only upon ourselves.
Reverse that order and we have spiritual growth in the inner man. Christ finds his elect child completely “moved out”—separated in sin and death, with all confidence in ourselves, too proud to ask God for anything. When God first converts us we become new born babes. But we still have our old flesh which questions and is far too confident. As God grows us in grace, growing up in grace is to become children in malice. The more we grow in grace the less we think we deserve the least of God’s favors and the more dependent we become on the God of all grace. Rising to the greatness of grace is not becoming self-sufficient but becoming more and more dependent upon Christ and more desirous for the other to have the honor. It is growing little, simple, and trustful in Christ as a little child.
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Finding Fault with Others
When our children attempt to usurp our authority we would do well to consider how we do the same before God our Father. When we see short comings in those we love, if we can but see our own unfaithfulness before God then rather than lift us up in pride, it will greatly humble us before God. What is our problem when we get so big that we think we deserve a higher seat than another? We need to be converted again and become as a little child.
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Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
The greatest in heaven is the Son of God who humbled himself so low as to be made what he hated that he might make us the righteousness of God in him (Philippians 2:6-8). Christ despised the shame yet he made himself of no reputation (Hebrews 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ esteemed all better than himself: he esteemed the glory of his Father better and the salvation of his elect better than himself. How much so? He was made a curse for both! (Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; Philippians 2:3) Doing so he highly exalted God, “Wherefore God ALSO hath highly exalted him” (Philippians 2:9-11). For a child of God to esteem others better than ourselves is to highly exalt Christ, giving Christ the preeminence. When we exalt ourselves over one of Christ’s little children we do just the reverse (Matthew 18:5-6; 1 Peter 5:5-7). What a tender, faithful Father who yet forgives us our sins for his Son’s sake and continues to raise us up in his gracious nurture and admonition (Ephesians 6: 4).
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There is nothing that keeps a man out of heaven but his own will. But, there is nothing that will keep a man out of hell but God’s will. Eternal life is by God’s will, God’s gift, and God’s work (Romans 9:16; 6:23; 2 Timothy 1:9). But eternal death is the result of man’s will, man’s work, and man’s merit (Proverbs 1:23-26; Romans 6:23; 10:21). Don Fortner
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Matthew 22: 4: Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Micah 2: 9: The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory forever. 10: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.