March 2, 2014
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.
*******
I saw where someone wrote recently,
“there’s a lot more in the word of God, than Christ.” That is a sad and
horrible statement. If I tell you that I grew up in
Deer Park TX, my first car was a Plymouth Duster and I worked at Houston
Independent School District, this is not a treatise on cities, cars or
companies. It is all about me. The scriptures have some things to
say about Heaven, Hell, Bethlehem and even heresy, but we need to understand
that the word of God concerns His Son Jesus Christ, all Him, only Him, always
Him. Every other person, place, thing and subject are included, only as
they relate to, reveal and glorify Him.
When it comes right down to it, He is all
there is. Anyone who does not, by God’s grace, know this, has no business
saying or writing anything about God or His word. If God will ever reveal
anything to you, it will begin right there; Christ is all. If God is ever going
to use you for His glory, in His ministry, in any capacity, He will cause you
to determine to know nothing, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Chris Cunningham
*******
From “Jonah & the Convenient Ship”
Preached by Charles Spurgeon
It is very easy to make up a providence
when you want to do so. If you sit down and try to find, in the
ways of God to you, an excuse for the wrong which you mean to commit, the crafty
devil and your deceitful heart together will soon conjure up a plea for
providence.
Such a method of reasoning would have led
many into sin who are famous in history for their virtue. The three holy
children would have escaped the fire, and Daniel would never have been in the
lion’s den, if they had been guided by what men
call providences. But note other plain instances, such as Joseph. Joseph’s
mistress is so kind to him, and he is in such a splendid position as head of
the household, it is hard for him to deny her desire and lose his place. Had not
providence put him into his fortunate position? Shall he throw it away? When
his mistress tempts him, shall he risk all? Would it not be better to think
that providence plainly hinted that he should comply? Joseph was not so base as
to reason in that fashion. He knows that adultery cannot be tolerated, and so
he flees from his mistress, and leaves his garment in her hands, rather than
remain near her seductions.
Look at David,
too. He is brought out by Ahishai upon the field at night. There lies king
Saul, sound asleep; and Abishai says to David, “God hath delivered thine enemy
into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the
spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time!”
What a providence, was it not? The cruel foe was altogether in David’s hands,
and the executioner was eager to settle all further conflict by one fatal
stroke! What could be clearer or simpler? Wonderful providence! Yet David never
said a word as to providence, but replied, “Destroy him not: for who can
stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” He
therefore came away, and left the king sleeping as he was. He would not follow
opportunities, but would keep to the law of his God. I pray you, do the same;
and if ever everything seems to lead up to wrong-doing, and many circumstances
unite to steer you in that direction, do not yield to them.
Your guide in
life is not a so called providence,
but an unquestionable precept of the Lord. Do as God bids you, and do it at
once. God help you to follow where he has laid down the lines! By his Spirit
may he lead you in the way everlasting; for the path of obedience is the way of
peace and righteousness.
*******
Christ is All
Colossians 3: 11
The apostle Paul writes to believers who “have put off the old man with
his deeds and have put on the new man.” By
the “old man” is meant the corrupt nature of our first birth; by the "new
man" is meant the new nature of the new birth created of God in God’s
image and renewed in the knowledge of God.
Paul’s objective in writing the letter to the Colossians is mine to
you. He wanted them to ignore
will-worshippers and philosophers who claimed Christ is not all that they might
make themselves to differ by something in or by them. All fleshly, carnal distinctions
by which men think they are righteous in themselves and despise others mean nothing
in Christ.
There is “neither Greek nor Jew.” Those born of God are taught of God
that man’s race by his first birth has nothing whatsoever to do with his
salvation. There is “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision.” Those recreated
after the image of God are taught of God that true righteousness and true
holiness is not in the externals of religion. (2 Cor 5: 17-18) There is “neither
Barbarian or Scythian.” In the new man we are taught of God that we are no
better than the unwise, unlearned, uneducated, crude and uncivilized for Christ
is our Wisdom. There is “neither bond nor free.” In Christ, the believer’s
standing is not based on civil law. If he is bound under civil law then
spiritually he is Christ’s free man; if he is free under civil law then
spiritually he is Christ’s willing bond servant.
“But Christ is All and in All.” I
have had men say to me, “Christ is not all.”
Can you imagine saying, “God is not all?” What ignorance, arrogance and shame! Let it be settled here and now, God the Holy
Spirit says through the apostle Paul, “Christ is All!”
Note how many times throughout this letter the Holy Spirit repeatedly
connects the word “all” with Christ. He begins
declaring Christ is God, the Head of Creation, the Head of the Church and by
him are ALL things. (Col 1: 15-19) Then declares Christ is the salvation of God’s
elect: who reconciled ALL to himself, who has ALL riches, in whom are ALL the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge, who is ALL the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, who has forgiven us ALL trespasses. (Col 1: 20-23, 27; 2: 2-3; 8-13)
Scripture declare God our Savior Jesus Christ is the believers: High
Priest & Lamb (Heb 2: 17; 4: 14), Advocate & Propitiation (1 Jn 2:
1-2); Way, Truth & Life (Jn 14: 6), Bread (Jn 6: 35), Door (Jn 10: 7-9), Shepherd
(Jn 10: 11), Resurrection (Jn 11: 25), Master & Lord (Jn 13: 13), Vine (Jn
15: 5), Light (Jn 8: 12), Foundation (1
Cor 3: 11), Root & Ensign (Is 11: 10), Raiment (Rev 3: 18) Head (Eph 4:
15), Hope (1 Ti 1: 1), Refuge (Ps 46: 1), Peace (Eph 2: 14), Passover (1 Cor 5:
7), Portion (Ps 16: 5), Freedom (Jn 8: 36), Fountain (Jer 17: 13), Example (1
Pet 2: 21), Dew (Ho 14: 5), Sun & Shield (Ps 84: 11), Strength & Song
(Is 12: 2), Rock, Shield, Horn, High Tower, Refuge & Savior (2 Sa 22: 3), Supply
(Php 4: 19), Ladder (Gen 28: 12) Treasure (2 Cor 4: 7), Temple (Rev 21: 22),
Ark (Heb 9: 4; Ps 40: 8; Rev 11: 19), Altar (Heb 13: 10), Wisdom, Righteousness,
Sanctification, & Redemption. (1 Cor 1: 30)
Reader, ignore every man who insists
that except a believer add to Christ we cannot be saved. That is the old man and his deeds that God
makes the believer put off. Carnal distinctions are nothing. Christ is the one
thing needful! (Lu 10: 41-42) We are commanded to seek him, come to him,
believe him, rest in him, abide in him, follow him, let nothing turn us from
him, watch and be ready for his return, and in the last day be found in
him. “And this is the record, that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 Jn 5: 11)
Since Christ is All and in All the loss
of anything in this world is really no loss at all!