October
27, 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.
Remember
We Were a Reproach
Ephesians
2: 11: Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh,
who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the
flesh made by hands;
Before God
quickened the Ephesian believers and called them to faith in Christ they were a
reproach in the judgmental eyes of the self-righteous Jews.
Every believer
resides for now in an unregenerate broken fragment of a shattered clay pot
called “flesh”. Our fleshly man sometimes
judges others, even by accusing them of judging us. One thing that silences that judgmental
Pharisee within the child of God is the Light of Christ reminding us that we were
once the reproach of self-righteous men, just as the Gentiles were the reproach
of the Jews. God could have left us to
ourselves and we would have went on being the object of those, “Which say,
Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou”, to which we
retaliated with the same fleshly sword of vain judgment. But by God’s grace he took
us from being “a smoke in his nose, a fire that burneth all the day” and made
us a sweet-smelling savor in Christ Jesus our Righteousness. (Is 65: 5; Eph 5:
1-2)
Therefore,
brethren, let us not reproach others. We are yet the same sinner in our
flesh. It is only by God’s grace that we
are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwells
in us.
*******
“JUDGE NOT!”
Sometimes when God rebukes his child in our heart, stripping us of our
false refuge, the knee-jerk reaction is to first think our brethren are judging
us. The scripture we use to justify our feelings is the word of our Savior, “Judge
not, that ye be not judged.” (Mt 7: 1)
The moment I use the Lord’s word to accuse another of judging me, I have
become the judge judging the one I am accusing.
It is why we go on for a time feeling condemned in our own conscious.
The Spirit of God says to his child, “If we would judge ourselves,
[condemn ourselves] we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Cor
11: 31-32) Child of God, remember that one purpose of the gospel is to chasten
us. Also remember, usually it is God who is chastening us, not those around us. If we condemn ourselves to God, we shall find
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1: 9)
*******
THE CARES OF THIS LIFE
By Todd Nibert
The Bible does recognize “The cares of this life”, also called, “The
cares of the world.” The word “cares” means, “That which distracts.” The cares
of making a living, the cares of raising a family, the cares of doing a good
job at what we are doing - there are so many things that can be considered “The
cares of this life.”
The Lord warned us about having our hearts “overcharged” with the cares
of this life (Luke 21:34). “Overcharged” is the drowsiness associated with
drunkenness or gluttony. Our hearts may become drowsy and dull with regard to
the things of God because they have become “Overcharged with the cares of this
life.” If we continue in this state, it will prove at the end we were nothing
more than thorn-choked hearers, where “The cares of this world choked the
Word.” May we always remember, “The cares of this life” are unimportant
compared with the life to come. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness: and all these things shall be added to you.
Why This Good Hope?
Ephesians 2: 7: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Brethren, do you really believe on Christ and rest in him for all your
salvation? Why did God quicken your soul to this
good hope? It was because God raised us to show us “the excedding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus?” As a member of Christ's
mystical body, you have already ascended, and are already sitting at the right
hand of God with Christ, who is sitting as the Head of his body there.
When God teaches us this then the gospel becomes a delight of riches
freely bestowed upon us. Total depravity becomes glorious because by the depths
of our sins we see the heights of his love.
Election is precious because Christ is the Elect in whom God chose us. Particular redemption is glorious because by
Christ’s redemption of his particular people our sins have been put away to
never again be remembered by God. Irresistible grace becomes precious because
we behold how the Spirit raised us from the dead and our flesh profits nothing.
Preservation of the saints becomes precious because it is by this same power of
God that we persevere. The riches of God’s mercy, love and grace becomes one
harmonious gospel that delights our souls!
*******
Laboring and Sitting Should Be at Christ’s Feet
From a
sermon by Charles Spurgeon
Mary was not praised for sitting still; no, but for sitting still at
Jesus’ feet. And so, Christians are not to be praised, if they neglect duties,
merely because they live in retirement, and keep much at home: it is not
sitting, I say, but sitting at Jesus’ feet. Had Martha been sitting still, or
had Mary been sitting anywhere else, I doubt not that the Master would have
given a word of rebuke; he would never have said that mere sitting still was
choosing the good part. Indeed, I know some of you who are none the better for
doing nothing, but a great deal the worse; for those who do nothing grow sour,
and are always willing to find fault with the way in which others serve Christ.
Do not think, therefore, that mere activity is in itself an evil: I believe it
is a blessing. Taking a survey of Christ’s Church, you will find that those who
have most fellowship with Christ, are not the persons who are recluses or
hermits, who have much time to spend with themselves, but they are the useful
indefatigable laborers who are toiling for Jesus, and who in their toil have
him side by side with them, so that they are workers together with God.