October 16, 2011
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7 PM Midweek Service
Dead to the World
A young person asked his Bible teacher, “How is the believer dead to the world when he lives in the world, works a regular job, raises a family, and owns property in the world?’ The teacher sent him out to the gravesite of a friend with instructions to criticize the dead friend, harass him, and find fault, and then praise him with glowing terms and brag on him to excess. Upon his return, the teacher asked, “What did your friend say when you criticized him?” The young person answered, “Nothing.” The teacher asked, “How did he react when you praised him?” The young person said, “It made no difference to him; he is dead!” “That is what it means to be dead to this world,” said the teacher. Its applause means nothing and its hatred means nothing. We neither admire the people of this world nor do we fear them. The riches of this world are but the fancy of fools, and the honors of this world mean little or nothing; for to be a child of God is the highest calling. The religious traditions and ceremonies of the world have no attraction or meaning when Christ is all! That which was once important to us we now consider loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ, our Lord. This spiritual life in Christ cannot be explained; it must be experienced.
Pastor Henry Mahan
RESTING IN THE POTTER’S HAND
Jeremiah 18: 1-11
Clay in the Potter’s Hand (Jeremiah 18: 6)
God is the potter using mud just as a potter in a studio. O mighty man you are literally dirt created of God (Genesis 2: 7.) God is not in your hands for you to handle, neither are his people. You are in the hands of God. God is not ruled by your will but you are ruled by his. God has power and right to do with all what he will. (Rom 9: 33; Is 64:8.) To his vessel of mercy God gives a heart to submit to Christ and to their brethren. To vessels of dishonor, God lets them choke on the vomit of intellectual theories, uncertain riches and teachers heaped up to tickle their itching ears--“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter.”
The Wheels (Jeremiah 18: 3)
God eternally purposed to have a people. He saves each one by his grace, by his Son, quickened by his Spirit, and molded by his hand. All whom God chose in Christ, God predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. Everything that happens in time are “the wheels” of providence by which God is fulfilling his eternal purpose which God purposed from eternity (Ro 8: 28-31; Eph 1: 5-11.)
The Work of God on the Wheels
As a potter turns the wheels, he takes his hand and centers the lump of clay. The potter makes the vessel take the shape he wants from that center point. A lump of clay is full of many little individual pebbles and grit which point in different directions. If the potter shaped a raw piece of clay then took it straight to the kiln, under the fire, those stiff particles would cause the vessel to break apart. So the potter works the clay up and down on the wheels turning those particles all in the same direction. Then when the vessel goes into the heat the fire tempers them together making the vessel strong so that it comes out a vessel of honor. With God that center point is Christ (Ro 8: 29.) Everything God is doing in providence is God’s hand turning his children to faith in Christ who is our Righteousness, yea, all our salvation, tempering his children together.
The Equity and Justice of God
When God gives his light to a people in the form of the gospel through is preachers, as God did with his prophets in Israel’s day, yet they turn from Salvation to idolaters, then God gives plenty of warning and space to repent. If they repent, God delights to show mercy. God alone receives the praise when this happens (Jer 18: 7-8.) But if the people harden their hearts God will take away his light and bring to pass his promised wrath. There is no one to blame but the sinner (Jer 18: 9.) God does not predestinate sinners to hell; they earn it. God is the God of equity and justice (Jn 3: 18-21; Rom 9: 11-16; Col 1: 12.)
Salvation of God by Jesus Christ through Faith
A sinner makes our ways and our doings good only by believing God through faith in his Son (Jer 18: 11; Jn 6: 29; 2 Cor 5:21.) The self-righteous refuse to hear the messenger God sends saying, “there is no hope, we will walk after our own devices and the imagination of our evil heart” (Jer 18: 12.) Who has heard of such absurdity! (Jer 18: 13.) Forsake Christ the Pure Snow, the Rock of the field, the Fountain of Living Waters? Is God unjust to forget you who have forgotten him and walked in your own path rather than the Way cast up before your eyes, the Way cast up on the cross, the Way cast up to the right hand of God having accomplished the redemption of his people? (Jer 18: 15.) The law shall not perish from the believer for whom Christ our High Priest has finished it; counsel shall not perish from God’s children in Christ our Wisdom; the Word shall not perish from Christ our Prophet through his prophets whom he has sent; but will you not stop till you have devised evil devices against the God’s own? Will you smite God’s prophet with your tongue? Turn the shoulder and refuse to hear the word of life sent to you? (Jer 18: 18.) “Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.”
Kiss the Son Lest He Break you Like a Potter’s Vessel
Kiss the Son today! God said to Christ his King “thou shalt break them as a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2; Jer 19: 1-10.) God is not mocked! “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (Is 45: 9.) Rejoice, you vessels of honor, for in Christ our omnipotent, gracious, sovereign Potter, we have, are and shall be saved for we are the work of the saving hand of our Potter (Is 43: 21; 44: 21; 60: 21.) To God be the praise and dominion forever. Amen!