Special Meeting
July 18-21, 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 for Special Meeting
Thurs, July 18, 7:30pm
Fri, July 19, 7:30pm
Saturday, July 20, 10am
This Week's Sunday Schedule
11:00Am Morning Service
Normal Schedul 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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ZINGERS
By Don Fortner
My responsibility is to preach Christ and His Word. What my congregation thinks, how men and women react, or the results of the sermon are not my affair, but HIS! I will preach the sovereign grace of God in love, BUT I WILL PREACH THE SOVEREIGN GRACE OF GOD! I will preach sovereign, effectual redemption with humility and compassion, but not with apologies and timidity. “We were BOLD in our God to speak unto you THE GOSPEL OF GOD with much contention” ( I Thess 2:2)
No man serves God on his own terms, but in the place where God puts him, with the gifts God gives him, to do the work for which God condescends in great mercy and grace to use him.
Being so highly honored of God, God’s servant serves his Master willingly, with all his heart and all his might.
Christ gives everything, demands everything, and deserves everything. Let me therefore submit everything to His will and devote everything to His service.
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"Redemption through His Blood"
Ephesians 1:7
Redemption presupposes a very grave situation. Were we not a fallen, captive, enslaved, and cursed race, there would be no need for redemption. But God's elect, like all other people, are children of wrath by nature (Eph. 2:4), captives to sin, servants of satan, and under the curse of the law. Redemption is the complete deliverance of chosen sinners from that captivity, bondage, and curse into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, by the purchase of Christ's blood and the power of his grace. Redemption is the one thing you must have. You must, like the ass under the law being an accursed thing, either be redeemed or slain (Ex. 13:13; 34:20). Someone must suffer for your sins. Someone must pay for your crimes against God, either you or a suitable substitute, but someone must pay. Your very conscience tells you that!
The apostle Paul declares that REDEMPTION HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND PURCHASED FOR CHOSEN SINNERS THROUGH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THAT ALL WHO TRUST HIM HAVE IT. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
THE PURCHASER OF REDEMPTION is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, "in whom" we have it. He is the Author of it. He was called and appointed to it in eternity, in the covenant of grace. In the fullness of time he was sent to accomplish it. And he did it (Heb. 9:12). THE OBJECTS OF REDEMPTION are God's elect, the "we" of Ephesians 1:3-14, all who are blessed, chosen, predestinated, accepted, adopted, called, given faith, and sealed in Christ unto the day of resurrection. THE FACT OF REDEMPTION is beyond dispute. "In whom we have redemption". It is the present, everlasting possession of every believer. Being redeemed, all believers are right now and forever freed from sin, satan, and the law, and are possessors of everlasting life. THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION is "his blood", the blood of a man who is God! His blood is enough! God's law says it is enough, and my conscience says it is enough. No other opinion matters! THE RESULT OF REDEMPTION is "the forgiveness of sin". All who are redeemed are forgiven of all sin forever! THE CAUSE OF REDEMPTION is "his grace"! All glory to Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace!" Don Fortner
HIM and Them—How Beautiful!
The Spirit of God revealed to Isaiah the preciousness of Christ, the Messenger of the covenant, so that Isaiah wrote this most affectionate commendation of Christ, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of HIM that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good things, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Is 52: 7) After Christ ascended and gave his preachers as gifts to his people, the Holy Spirit revealed to the apostle Paul the importance of the office of a preacher so that Paul quoted Isaiah, except Paul commended Christ’s preachers, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom 10: 15)
When the Holy Spirit revealed Christ to me, it did not seem that I could give my Redeemer enough praise for the great things he had done for me. Also, I was grateful to the earthen vessels that Christ used to publish the gospel to me. My thankfulness was not as great toward those preachers as to the Lord but I had this twofold thankfulness in my heart, “How beautiful are the feet of HIM, how beautiful are the feet of them!” Since then whenever I hear the sweet sound of particular redemption accomplished by our Savior, even if the preacher is someone I have never met, hearing the Voice of Christ through the messenger, my heart cries, “How beautiful are the feet of HIM, how beautiful are the feet of them.”
The apostle Paul said, “Let no man glory in men.” So we do not exalt preachers, nor do we exalt one over another. “For all things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas…all are yours.” But right after that, Paul said of himself and of those preachers, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” So though we do not worship Christ’s preachers, we are thankful, respectful to, and honor them as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. What would the physician mean to you that God used to heal you of your deadly illness? What would the rescue worker mean to you that God used to pull you from the raging river? You would thank and praise God. And you would be thankful, with respect and honor toward that one God used. You might even say, “How beautiful are the feet of HIM, how beautiful are the feet of them!”