Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

January 19, 2014

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

LOCATION

Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2^nd 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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PERSON AND WORK OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14: 16-17

     The Lord Jesus saw his disciples' hearts were filled with sorrow because he was going to the cross.  Christ told them it was expedient for them that he should go away; but that when he did, he would pray the Father and the Father would send them another Comforter, who was to abide with them forever.  The Comforter, the Spirit of truth is God the Holy Spirit who has the distinct work of comforting the believer with the truth of Christ.

A Distinct Person, a Particular Work

     God the Holy Spirit is a distinct person in the Godhead performing a particular work for his people.  He is the third person of the Godhead. We worship one God in three persons, not three Gods.  This is an unspeakable mystery, but a mystery of God’s revealing, therefore, believed by all those born again of God the Holy Spirit. (1 Jn 5: 7)  This text shows that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person of the Godhead because each person is spoken of as performing a separate, particular work. “I will pray,” says the Son. The Father will send. The Holy Spirit will comfort

Visible Form

     Another evidence of the distinct person of the Holy Spirit is that he appeared in visible form.  The Holy Spirit descended upon Christ at his baptism in visible form as a dove (Jn 1: 32) On the day of Pentecost there came the sound as of a rushing mighty wind and cloven tongues like the appearance of fire sat upon the disciples and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.  (Acts 2: 1-4)

Acts and Deeds

     Further evidence that the Spirit is a distinct person in the Godhead is acts and deeds which God the Holy Spirit performs. The Holy Spirit moved men to speak and write the scriptures. (2 Pet 1:21)  Also, it is the Holy Spirit which regenerates to spiritual life and sanctifies us in conversion. (Jn 3:6; Rom 15:16)  Furthermore, the Holy Spirit separates and directs men for the work of the ministry. (Acts 13:2; 8:29, 39)

Personal Qualities

    Also, it is evident the Holy Spirit is a distinct person in that the Holy Spirit has personal qualities such as “knowing.” (1 Cor 2: 9-11; “a will”  (1 Cor 12:11) and “power”. (Rom 15:13)

     These visible manifestations, personal acts and deeds, along with qualities like understanding, will, and power all shows the Holy Spirit is not an attribute of God, not a mere influence of God. He is God, a distinct person in the Godhead.  We worship one God, in three persons.

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Proverbs 17:9: He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 28:13: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

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GOD LEADS HIS DEAR CHILDREN ALONG
   

     On our first setting out to follow the Lord, we know but little of the depths of evil and folly in our hearts.  Indeed, we are superficial in everything.  It is as we get on in our practical career that we begin to prove the reality of things; we find out the depths of evil in ourselves, the utter hollowness and worthlessness of all that is in the world, and the urgent need of the most complete dependence upon the grace of God every moment.  All this is very good; it makes us humble and self-distrusting; it delivers us from pride and self-sufficiency, and leads us to cling, in childlike simplicity, to the One who alone is able to keep us from falling.  Thus, as we grow in self-knowledge, we get a deeper sense of grace, a more profound acquaintance with the wondrous love of the heart of God, His tenderness toward us, His marvelous patience in bearing with all our infirmities and failings, His rich mercy in having taken us up at all, His loving ministry to all our varied need, His numberless interpositions on our behalf, the exercises through which He has seen fit to lead us for our souls’ deep and permanent profit.

    The practical effect of all this is invaluable; it imparts depth, solidity, (firmness) and mellowness to the character; it cures us of all our crude notions and vain theories; it delivers us from one-sidedness and wild extremes; it makes us tender, thoughtful, patient, and considerate toward others; it corrects our harsh judgments and gives a gracious desire to put the best possible construction upon the actions of others, and a readiness to attribute the best motives in cases which may seem to us equivocal (doubtful as to meaning or motive etc.)     C. H. Mackintosh

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Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

     Faith is belief, trust and confidence in God and in His Christ. Faith in God (Christ) gives peace, hope, assurance, rest, joy, strength, courage, patience and many more things to the believer. Faith cometh by hearing. In the wisdom and purpose of God, faith cometh by hearing His Word, the gospel, preached. If by His grace we hear it, believe it, and receive it, then all things mentioned will be ours. And all grace, mercy and peace will be multiplied, will grow, as we hear and feed upon the "sincere milk of the Word." If we do not hear, the opposite is true. If we do not hear the Word:

- Trust will not grow, but doubt will.

- Hope will not grow, but despair will.

- Peace will not grow, but turmoil will.

- Assurance will not grow, but worry will.

- Patience will not grow, but impatience will, impulsiveness will.

- Joy will not grow, but sadness will.

- Strength will not grow, but weakness will.

- Courage will not grow, but fear and cowardice will.

- Godliness will not grow, but worldliness will.

- Knowledge will not grow, but ignorance will.

- Fellowship will not grow, but loneliness will.

- Humility will not grow, but pride will.

- Selflessness will not grow, but selfishness will.

- Kindness will not grow, but meanness will.

- Gentleness will not grow, but hardness will.

- Righteousness will not grow, but self-righteousness will.

- Temperance will not grow, but intemperance will.

- Love will not grow, but hate will.

      How important then is the hearing of God's Word? We cannot live without it. We cannot cope without It. We cannot please God without It. We cannot be justified without it. We cannot live together without it. We cannot have any rest for our souls without it. Hear it again; “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”   Paul Mahan

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     Scripture is very clear that when a believer is born again, there is a new nature born in that believer that has never been there before.  The new birth is not a change, an enlightening, nor an improvement of the flesh.  The new birth is the birth of a new man created in the image of  and with the nature of Christ Jesus.  This is why the warfare with sin does not begin before a sinner is born again.  Before the new birth, the old man has no one to fight against, but after the new birth, the old man and the new man war against each other until the flesh dies and the new man departs to be forever with the Lord.  The only reason anyone would deny the existence of two distinct, opposite natures in a believer is because that person only has one nature: Adam’s sinful nature. Frank Tate

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Colossians 3:11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.