Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

October 31, 2010

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

Weekly Schedule of Services

LEAST TO GREATEST

Matthew 13: 31-32

Here is great encouragement for every believer.  Our Lord assures us he shall cause his kingdom to grow: not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit.  Our Lord shall add to his kingdom and make his children grow being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11).

The Lord Jesus Christ

Christ Jesus the Son of God, is the Seed of Woman, the Promised Seed (Genesis 3: 15; Galatians 3: 16).  He is the Man who took and sowed the seed (Hebrews 2: 16; John 12: 24).  Those who think themselves something when they are nothing are called "cedars of Lebanon" "oaks of Bashan".  But he who is greatest came through the womb of a virgin (Psalm 139:15), a tender plant which grew up and we, who thought ourselves great, esteemed him, who is greatest, the least of all (Isaiah 53:2, 3; Luke 2:52).  The Lord Jesus Christ manifest that which Holy God declares is the greatest of all when he willingly made him sin in the place of those the Father gave him.  He declared God just and the Justifier and saved each particular member of his Father's house by making himself absolutely the least.  What greatness to willingly make himself least!  But When It is Grown…God the Father is well-pleased with his Son.  He has declared that the Lord Jesus Christ is THE GREATEST among all the plants of his field, the Holy One, the Faithful One, Lord of lords and King of kings (Philippians 2: 9-12).  He is the one in whom all his children lodge without sin as birds lodge in a tree (John 15:5).

The Kingdom of Heaven

The Lord declares his kingdom, his church, is like a grain of mustard seed.  The church began from very small beginnings; so small that it came without observation (Luke 17: 20-21).  The King and his children born of his Spirit is the kingdom of God.  The kingdom of God has been in the midst of this earth, since the beginning and carnal men never had any idea (Acts 7:38)--Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, the apostles and the first disciples called by Christ. The children of this world have always esteemed the Lord's people as the least--called a "sect", everywhere spoken against.  Yet, the Lord has grown his kingdom in every age. He sent them from nation to nation and no man did them harm because his everlasting covenant to save those he has chosen in Christ can not be broken (1 Chronicles 16: 20-24; Psalm 105: 8-15).  By his grace, we dwell in the eternal house of the Lord Jesus Christ as birds in the branches (Psalm 23: 6; Hebrews 3: 6).   And despite the attempts of Satan and evil men throughout time, the Lord has grown his kingdom.  The work of the Gospel, the spread of God’s Church, the growth of his Kingdom is gradual, sometimes more sometimes less in each generation, but he has grown it consistently, adding to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2: 47).  In the end of this world, we shall behold a number which no man can number (Genesis 13: 16).

The Individual Believer

Eternal life is by the Seed being sown within us--Christ in you the hope of glory.  We begin as babes. And children grow up.  The Lord compared faith to a grain of mustard seed, we grow in faith.  Believers are complete in Christ--it is not the measure of our faith that makes us complete--it is Christ in whom we are Complete.  So it is that growth in grace is not growth in self-sufficiency or away from Christ but growing up into Christ, more dependent upon him (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3: 18).  This growth will cause us not to think more of ourselves--but less of ourselves and more of Him! (John 3:30; Philippians 2; 1 Corinthians 14:20).   Using those he has grown to be least is how he grows his kingdom to be the greatest--for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great (Luke 9: 48).  Just as our Lord walked this earth, no man doing him harm until his hour was come, just as he called and maintained and grew his church, so he maintains and grows every individual child in his body. Growth of the kingdom of heaven is by the Power and Wisdom of God our Father through his Son Jesus Christ.  Growth in grace is as much by the free, irresistible grace of God as the beginning of life which came by his irresistible grace.  He shall grow his kingdom. So let this be an encouragement to us--despise not the day of small things.   What a glorious word to encourage us-thy God reigneth!

Who Do You Love?

 Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.” Has God shown you that you are your own worst enemy? Our worst enemy is most often found within us. We live in a world that teaches men to love themselves. This is the popular message of today, “You must first learn to love yourself.” Interview after interview with the famous and the not so famous reveal people to say things like, “I have learned to love myself.” This is contrary to the scriptures and this way of thinking leads men and women to eternal damnation in hell. When Job said, "I have heard of thee (GOD) by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." When God shows a man his awful state and horrible condition of sin before a thrice Holy God, I can assure you that he will not love himself. If a man does not abhor himself when he sees God, he has yet to see God. For when a man sees God, God shows him his sin, his evil and his depravity, and he confesses the same thing that the apostle Paul did, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Yes, a true sinner seeks deliverance from himself. Only Christ can deliver him. (Romans 7:23-25)                                                                                                       David Eddmenson

SERMONS
After clicking on the following sermon links you will go to sermon notes where you will find an option at the top of the page to access the audio.

Least to the Greatest

The Believer's Treasure

A Glorious Chain

ARTICLES

The Day of Atonement

The High Priest Was Chosen by the Lord

The High Priest Wore Humble Garments

The High Priest Was Personally Clean

The High Priest Had to Enter With Blood

The High Priest Came With Incense

The High Priest Accomplished Atonement Alone

ARTICLES FROM OTHERS

A Stone Child

When It Pleased God

The Past and the Present

The Line That Cannot Be Crossed

PRINTABLE TRACTS

A Good Place to Rest and Raise our Young

Saved in Childbearing

A Letter to a Preacher

The Church Were Everybody is a Nobody

O Ye of Little Faith