May 5, 2013
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, nursery schedule, etc.,
are in attachment. All articles in the
bulletin are by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
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“Because thou sayest, I am rich”
(Revelation 3:17)
What makes mistaken men afraid of sovereign
grace to preach!
The reason is, if truth be said,
because they are so rich.
Why so offensive in their eyes does God’s election seem?
Because they think themselves so wise
that they have chosen Him.
Of perseverance why so loath are some to speak or hear?
Because, as masters over sloth, they
vow to persevere.
Whence is imputed righteousness a point so little known?
Because men think they all possess
some righteousness their own.
Not so the needy, helpless soul, prefers his humble prayer;
He looks to Him that works the whole,
and seeks his treasure there.
His language is, “Let me, my God, on sovereign grace rely;
And own ’tis free, because bestowed
on one so vile as I.
“Election! ’tis a word divine; for, Lord, I plainly see,
Had not Thy choice [preceded]
mine, I ne’er had chosen Thee.
“For perseverance strength I’ve none, but would on this depend
That Jesus, having loved His own,
will love them to the end.
“Empty and bare, I come to Thee for righteousness divine;
O may Thy matchless merits be, by
imputation, mine.”
Thus differ these; yet hoping each to make salvation sure.
Now most men will approve the rich,
but Christ has blessed the poor.
– Joseph Hart (1712-68)
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BUT IF IT DIE
John 12: 20-30
Certain Greeks came to Jerusalem the week Christ was to go to the cross. They came to Philip and said, “Sir, we would
see Jesus.” Instead of coming to Christ, Philip first told Andrew. Why? At that
time, it was not safe to be a disciple of Christ. The chief priests wanted to kill Christ and
all associated with him. (Jn 11: 53-54, 57; 12: 10-11) Philipp and Andrew did not want Christ to be
killed or themselves to be killed for identifying with Christ. We are like Philipp and Andrew. So let us
learn from this most important word of Christ Jesus.
The Hour is Come
Andrew and
Philip decided it was best to go tell the Lord Jesus. (v22) At all times, it is best to go to the Lord
Jesus. He will answer. The hour had come when the Son of man should
be glorified in the redemption of his people by the sacrifice of himself. (v23;
Jn 17: 1-5) Also, the hour had come when
Christ would be glorified in Andrew and Philipp’s heart in a better light.
Maybe, you have been pouring out your heart to Christ but have not gotten an
answer. Maybe the hour is come that
Christ is about to answer you. Listen
carefully.
Christ Had to Die to Bring Forth Fruit
The Master
answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
(v24) In a single corn of wheat there is
much fruit. But it must die to bring forth that fruit. Christ is the promised
Seed. (Gen 22: 18; Gal 3: 16) In Christ
the Seed there was much fruit because God put all his elect in Christ before
the world began. (Eph 1: 3-6) But for us
to live, it was necessary that Christ lay down his life on the cross: to put
away our sin and eternally justify us, to provide all righteousness and
eternally redeem us from the curse of the law. (Heb 10: 4-14; Eph 1: 7) Christ laid down his life and brings forth
much fruit: the righteousness of God is manifested, God is just and the
Justifer of the believer, and now all his children shall be born of Christ and
given eternal life. (Jam 1: 18; Is 53: 10-11) But none of this would have
happened had Christ not willingly laid down his life and died that we might
live.
We Must Die to Have Eternal Life
We are like
Philipp and Andrew. We think holding on
to this life is life when it is death and think losing this life for Christ is
death when it is life. Philip and Andrew did not say that
but Christ was answering their heart. Here is the
Master’s lesson to them and to us, “He that
loveth his life shall lose it.” (v25) We
can save our life: from humility, from confessing our sin, from submitting to
Christ in faith, from family and friends rejecting us. Doing so, we can abide alone in a moment of
pleasure called life for maybe ninety years. Then lose it. Christ said “And he that
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (v25) Or we can lay down our life for Christ: die
to this world, renounce our works, repent from our sin, believe on Christ and
have eternal life. But we cannot have
both! (Mt 6: 24) Christ was going to the cross to suffer rejection at the hands
of men, laying down his life for his Father and for his brethren. So he said,
“If any man serve me, let him follow me and where I am, there shall also my
servant be” (v26). He is not hanging on a
cross now, not in a tomb now, but is seated eternally glorified at the right
hand of the Father. That is where those
are and shall be forever who lay down their life, take up Christ’s cross and
follow him. (Col 3: 1-4)
God the Father Honors Those Who Honor
his Son
Christ said,
“If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. (v26) The Lord Jesus was
serving his Father in that hour and the Father honored him, “Then came there a
voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
(v27-29) Every sinner who gives up this
life for Christ, who bears the reproach of family and friends to serve Christ,
who desires for our Savior to receive all the glory, the Father has and will
honor together with Christ. He honored
us when he glorified Christ raising Christ from the dead and us in him; he
honored us and glorified Christ when the Father raised us from spiritual death
in the new birth; he honors us and glorifies Christ by providing all our needs
in this earth; he will honor us and glorify Christ when he raises our spirit to
be with him after death; he will honor us and glorify Christ when he raises our
bodies in the resurrection; he will honor us and glorify Christ when he returns
to be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe. Let a man
hold on to his bowl of beans for this life of dry dust then lose it all. But let us lay down our life for Christ and
live forever.
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Build your nest upon no tree in this world, for God has already given this
forest to death; and every tree whereon we would rest our hope and confidence
is ready to be cut down. We must flee from the uneasy and frail objects in
order to build on the rock, Christ Jesus. Set not your hearts on the flowers of
this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of
the Valley – He changes not! Live nearer to Christ than to any person on this
earth; so that when they are taken, you may have Him to love and lean
upon. Robert M’Cheyne