Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 3-16-2014
Bible TextColossians 1:21-23
Date14-Mar-2014
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: From Alienated Enemies to Holy Friends (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: From Alienated Enemies to Holy Friends (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

March 16, 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

 

Services Broadcast Live @ www.FreeGraceMedia.com/live

 

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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Christ's love is like his name, and that is Wonderful (Isa. 9: 6) yea, it is so wonderful, that it is above all creatures, beyond all measure, contrary to all nature. It is above all creatures, for it is above the angels, and therefore above all others. It is beyond all measure, for time did not begin it, and time shall never end it; place doth not bound it, sin doth not exceed it, no estate, no age, no sex is denied it, tongues cannot express it, understandings cannot conceive it: and it is contrary to all nature; for what nature can love where it is hated? What nature can forgive where it is provoked? What nature can offer reconciliation where it receiveth wrong? What nature can heap up kindness upon contempt, favor upon ingratitude, mercy upon sin? And yet Christ's love hath led him to all this; so that well may we spend all our days in admiring and adoring of this wonderful love, and be always ravished with the thoughts of it.  Thomas Brooks

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“God never means less than he says, but he always means far more than we think he says.” Charles Spurgeon


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      Election is a blessed doctrine.  It is the eternal expression of the love of God who has, by irresistible will, predestinated a people to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself.  Election is not the passing by of good people, people who want to be saved, or people who have some potential in them.  This is a straw man built by ignorant men who refuse to submit themselves to the word of God.  There is none good – none righteous.  Darvin Pruitt                                                                    

                                                                                       

 

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FROM ALIENTED ENEMIES TO RECONCILED FRIENDS


Colossians 1: 22: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22: In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

     
     The believer is reconciled through faith in Christ, not by our works, but by Christ’s finished work.  Notice the key words in this passage.
     First, by our original birth every believer was once “alienated and enemies” of God.  We were alienated: from God, from the life of God, ignorant of God, ignorant of our need of salvation, ignorant of how God saves. (Eph 4: 18)  But our condition was worse than alienation. We were also “enemies in our minds.”  The carnal mind is hatred against God. (Rom 8: 7)  We fought actively against God by our “wicked works.” (Is 59: 2; Ro 5:12)  Now, some wicked works may have indeed been what comes to mind: base, outward, sinful acts. But most of our wicked works were by good works, whereby we tried to justify ourselves in our minds.   Yes, the works may have been good in themselves, we may have even professed that we knew God, but with our mind and conscience defiled, by seeking to come to God by our works, every good work was a wicked work whereby we denied God. (Ti 1; 15-16) There is no pleasing God while we are in the flesh. (Rom 8: 5-8)

     Oh, but catch this next word: “reconciled.” “Yet now hath he reconciled.”  Who did the reconciling? Christ did.  He reconciled a particular people, God’s elect. He did so “in the body of his flesh through death.”  In the body of his flesh Christ was made under the law, in the body of his flesh Christ was made sin for us, in the body of his flesh Christ was numbered with the transgressors, in the body of his flesh Christ bore the wounds we deserved, and in the body of his flesh Christ died. By this Christ reconciled us. “Yet now hath he” means it is done. It can never be undone.  (Ro 5: 10; 2 Cor 5: 18-21)  A part of reconciliation involves a work God also does within the sinner. As Christ’s ambassador preaches the gospel to us, the Holy Spirit regenerates us and Christ commands effectually into the new heart, “be ye reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5: 20) Our hearts are purged from dead works as the Spirit reveals in us that God has already reconciled us into a state of eternal peace with himself, justifying us of all our sins past, present and future, by Christ’s blood, which we could never do by our works. (Heb 9: 14) So the glory goes to God for this inward work, the same as Christ’s work accomplished for us. But there is more.  

     Next, catch this important word: “present.”  Believer, Christ Jesus has accomplished this work “to present you holy and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.” Right now Christ, as our High Priest, appears in the holiest of holies in the presence of God bearing our names on his breastplate. And Christ shall return to present us to himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, as a bride prepared for her husband.

     Lastly, do not miss this word: “continue.”  Believer, our faith will be proven to be the gift of God “if we continue in the faith” to the end trusting Christ.  Christ himself, and him presenting us to the Father holy and without blame, is the hope of the gospel. Some are moved away from this hope to join with will-workers for the works of the law, for the wages of unrighteousness or for other crooked reasons.  Such who do so are debtors to keep the whole law, Christ shall profit them nothing. (Gal 5: 2-4) There remains nothing for them but a “certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Heb 10: 27) But believers continue “grounded and settled” by God our Father sending forth the Holy Spirit, by Christ Jesus, strengthening our inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. (Eph 3: 14-17)  We are living stones, fitly framed together, built upon Christ our Foundation. (Eph 2: 19-22) We are truly grounded on Christ the Foundation when we “settle down” on Christ like a house settles on its foundation.  (Mt 7: 24-25) 

     Brethren, our life, right now, is hid with Christ in God. It is only “as though” our life is in this earth. The reality is, we are dead to the law, dead to this world and our life is in Christ at God’s right hand. (Read Col 2: 20-23; 3: 1-4) We must endure much tribulation before we enter glory with Christ. (Acts 14: 22) But whatever trials come, whatever doubts or fears, remember Christ’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor 12: 9)  So turn a deaf ear to every man that would turn you back to the rudiments of this world and keep looking nowhere else but to Christ. “Ye are complete in him.” (Col 2: 10)  May the Lord ground and settle us more with these words as only he can. 

 

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     Law, precepts, rules and regulations, and all the training and teaching and adorning that you can give a poor sinner, never conquers the carnal mind, which is enmity against God. Omnipotent, Sovereign Grace alone can subdue a poor ruined sinner to the feet of Jesus. Sinners may come forward and make a decision for Jesus; they may make their commitment and re-commitments; they may be baptized and join the local Church and begin to talk and act different and be outwardly religious the rest of their lives, and desire to go to heaven when they die – and talk a lot about it. But all this will not subdue the sinful will and carnal mind of a sinner. Only Omnipotent Grace, God’s almighty grace will do it.   Bruce Crabtree