November
10, 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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Hell for the false preacher will be a
place where all the people that he led there will be unrestrained to vent their
anger upon him for not telling them the truth.
PEACE LIKE A RIVER
Isaiah 48: 16-22
This passage declares how the
believer’s peace is like a river and our righteousness as the waves of the
sea. It also declares why there is no
peace to the wicked. Are you interested in peace?
Come Near to Christ and Hear
The Lord Jesus says, “Come ye near
unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the
time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath
sent me.” (v16) Christ existed before his incarnation, even as the Word and Son
of God from all eternity. He has not spoken in secret. In the garden, Christ
spoke openly. He spoke through each prophet, as in this passage. But now, in
the end of the world, the LORD God and his Spirit has sent Christ in the flesh.
(Heb 1: 1; Jn 8: 42; 18: 20) He is now
speaking through the gospel. Christ
says, “Come ye near and hear this.” See
that you refuse not his Voice. (Heb 12: 25)
Christ Teaches His People to Profit
The Lord Jesus says “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee
by the way that thou shouldest go.” (v17)
Christ is God. He is the Redeemer
of a particular people who he redeemed from the curse of the law typified in the
children of Israel who he redeemed out of Egypt. (Is 53: 8; Gal 3: 13) Christ
is the Holy One of his elect Israel, called out from Jew and Gentle, making us holy
by forming himself in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. (Mt 1:21)
Christ teaches us to profit. You who he has called by grace learned the
gospel because Christ taught you. Christ
only teaches us that which is profitable. The Lord only leads us in the way
that is best. Christ leads each of his redeemed in the Way of truth, in the Way
faith, in the Way of grace. He is that Way.
A Word to Rebels
There
are many who refuse to hear Christ and follow him together with his people in
his church. They have no one to blame
for not having the peace and righteousness which Christ gives (which Christ is)
but self; they have no one to blame for not having a spiritual family, but
self. Christ says, “O that thou hadst
hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy
righteousness as the waves of the sea: Thy seed also had been as the sand, and
the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have
been cut off nor destroyed from before me.” (vv18-19)
Christ’s commandments are not grievous, “And this is his commandment,
That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another,
as he gave us commandment.” (1 Jn 3: 23) But separating you and yours from
Christ and his gospel is not faith or love it is enmity against God and enmity
against yours. All who are cut shall be
so, not because the fault lies in Christ, or in his people, but because the
fault lies in the sinner. Our Lord said of those in Jerusalem, “I would have
gathered you—and YE WOULD NOT!” (Mt 23: 37)
Christ is Our Peace, Righteousness and Fruitfulness
Those who believe on Christ have peace like a river. Reconciliation
wrought for us by Christ laying down his life for us is “the peace of God which
passeth all understanding.” (Php 4: 7) The
Holy Spirit has washed us inwardly in regeneration. Now the believer has inward
peace which our Lord Jesus Christ made by the blood of his cross. Peace can
never be changed between our satisfied God and his child. In the midst of all
of this world’s tribulation Christ Jesus says, ‘My peace I give to you.” (Rom
5: 1; Ps 85: 10; Is 32: 17) In the
darkness, Christ is our Light. (Ps 27:1) In the deep, underneath are his
everlasting arms. (Deut 33: 27) In the storm, Christ voice says, “Peace be
still.” And there is great calm. (Mr 4: 39) In sickness, Christ is our health. (Pro
3: 8) Whatever the providence, our “times are in his hands.” (Ps 31: 15)
The believer has righteousness as the waves of the sea. Where did the
water in the sea come from? It came from God. Likewise the righteousness of his
people is “of me, saith the LORD.” (Is 54: 17) How long have the waves of the sea been coming one
after another? Forever! Likewise, his
righteousness is everlasting righteousness. (Ps 119: 142) The overwhelming power of the waves of the sea is
unstoppable. Likewise, nothing is more powerful than the LORD our Righteousness!
None can lay anything to the charge of God’s elect since Christ put away our
sin. (Rom 8: 33) His
obedience has been made our obedience. By his blood, our sins and iniquities,
he remembers no more. (Heb 10: 17) Those born of his Spirit have
been made the righteousness of God in Christ through faith in him. (2 Cor 5: 21)
Our Savior has made us fruitful. Our spiritual seed is as the sand of
the sea. (v19) The whole family in heaven and earth is ours and we are
personally being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus
Christ to the praise and glory of God. (Eph 3: 15; Php 1: 11) Our name
shall not be cut off because it is Christ’s name (v19; Jer 23: 6; 33: 16)
Our Commission is to Declare Christ and His Works
The Lord Jesus commands us to leave every false way, “Go ye forth of
Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans.” (v20)
Those who hear come out of spiritual Babylon and flee to Christ in
heavenly Jerusalem joining with his people in his church under his gospel (Rev
18: 4)
Now, Christ commands us to declare that Christ has successfully redeemed
his people, “with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to
the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.” (v20) We
declare God’s full provision of grace in Christ in all things, “they thirsted
not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of
the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.” (v21) Believer,
have you have lacked anything since Christ called you by his grace? Never! (Jn 4:14)
Yet, what a sad word to those who will not submit to Christ in faith, “There
is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.”
May God give each who read this grace to heed Christ’s command, “Come ye
near unto me, hear ye this!” Believe on Christ and thou shalt be saved!
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A person can say every right word as
they profess to believe on Christ. But
by separating themselves from his gospel and his people they deny every word by
their works. Faith without works is the
faith of devils and it is dead. (Ja 2: 19-20) Christ’s people cannot be driven
away because Christ cannot fail, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the
words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God.” “Blessed
art thou, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father
which is in heaven.” (Jn 6: 68-69;Mt 16: 17)