November 11, 2012
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST
CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd
Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
Order of service, announcements, etc, are in
attachment. All articles in the bulletin
are by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
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Ecclesiastes 5: 8: If thou seest the
oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a
province, marvel not at the matter: for he
that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
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He Withholds No Good Thing from Them
That Walk Uprightly--Ps 84:11
Walking
uprightly simply means walking by faith.
The beast of the field walks bent over on all-fours because it looks for
food in the earth below. Likewise, unbelieving
sinners walk bent over. The believer
walks uprightly, setting our affection on things above, looking for our Bread
from heaven because our life is hid with God in Christ. Our faithful covenant Father withholds no
good thing from them that walk uprightly.
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LOVE AND TRUST - THE TIE THAT BINDS
Col. 3:14: And above all things, put on love, which binds
everything together in ideal harmony.
By Henry
Mahan
The relationship which exists between true believers in the church of
the Lord Jesus Christ and between Pastor and people in the family of God is one
that cannot be understood by the natural man or by the unsaved religionist. The
carnal church must have strings attached to the Pastor to regulate his coming
and going. He is assigned a vacation time, so many outside meetings, pulpit and
visitation duties. There are set times for business meetings, certain quorums
which must be present, all things must be voted on, (having been announced
certain days in advance), members are not allowed the freedom to designate
gifts! By-laws, constitutions and rules of order are printed and distributed so
that the Pastor dare not act without the approval of the deacons, the deacons
dare not act without the approval of the congregation, and the congregation
dare not act without the due process and vote of the monthly business meeting.
All of this has come about because these people do not love and trust one
another! The Pastor who loves Christ, the church and lost souls, will not need
rules and regulations of men to motivate him or keep him in line. Deacons who
love Christ and one another do not need to be assigned duties, serve limited
terms, and be consulted on every matter. Church members who love Christ and one
another and trust their God-given leaders, do not require a written report of
every move made, every cent spent, and every work undertaken. Their
relationship is one of fervent love and complete trust. Each member is allowed
to exercise his own gift, act as a free steward of his own grace, and engage in
the ministry God has given him without interference and forced control by
others. All together fulfill the will of God and none are complete without the
others. Regenerated men understand this and you waste your time trying to
explain it to the rest.
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BEWARE
OF FALSE TEACHERS
2 Peter 2: 1
There are false teachers today as there were before Christ came, as
there were during our Lord’s earthly ministry and as there were during the days
of the apostles. (Deut 13: 1-5; MT 24: 24-25; 2 Cor 11: 3-4; Phil 3: 1-3; Col
2: 8)
First, false
teachers come appearing as God sent messengers (Mt 7: 15) but they preach craftily,
bringing in damnable heresies. They may
preach redemption by the blood of Christ, that the Lord bought them, but they
deny the successful redemption of the elect of God accomplished by our Lord. They will not declare in simple, clear words that
Christ died for the elect, only for the elect, accomplished putting away the
sins of the elect and that all the elect of God shall be called through the
truth of the gospel.
Christ is the
Prophet, Priest and King. He is God who
cannot fail. From the foundation of the
world our King has moved all things to bring the true word of the gospel to
each of his elect. Christ is the Prophet
who teaches the truth in the heart of each one of his elect. Christ is the Priest by whom atonement is fully
accomplished. In private, they may tell
you Christ died for the elect. They may
even put it in a statement of faith. But
what do they preach before all men? (1 Cor 1: 17)
Secondly, they make sinners think sinners
contribute in some small way to salvation.
They exalt the sinner to be a god by taking away the offensive truth
that sinners are helpless maggots unable to do one thing to save themselves. (Gal
5: 11) The unregenerate religious man
cannot bear to hear that salvation is of the Lord, apart from the works of men,
because it diminishes man; the regenerate man cannot bear to hear man exalted
because it diminishes his Lord and Savior.
False prophets really believe that the gospel will lead men into sinful
lives (Jude 1: 4) The truth makes a man cleanse himself of the idolatrous, garbage
man peddles but it only leads him to Christ.
(Rom 6:1-15; Gal 2:17-18) Paul was
labeled an evil doer, even bound in prison, for preaching that the believer is
complete in Christ, apart from works. (2 Ti 2: 9) All false preachers and heresies deny, in
some way, the redemptive work Christ accomplished (1 John 4:1-3).
Set all preaching in the light of Christ’s eternal Sonship and humanity,
his sovereignty and suretyship, his perfect righteousness and effectual
sacrifice, his high priestly work and intercession, his exaltation and second
coming, and beware of false prophets! (1 Cor 1: 29-31)