January 7, 2018
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
MAILING ADDRESS:
7 Birch Street
Pennington, NJ, 08538
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
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NURSERY
We have a nursery equipped with a
digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live, for children
four and under.
All
articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The videos are now listed as individual
sermons, as well as full services—click here.
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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS
Proverbs 10: 22: The blessing
of the LORD,
it maketh rich, and
he addeth no sorrow
with it.
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Next, Sunday Brother Eric Lutter is
scheduled to bring both messages. I am scheduled to preach for Pastor Greg
Elmquist in the conference at Grace Gospel Church in Apopka, Florida with
Pastors Todd Nibert, John Chapman and Donnie Bell.
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WILL YOU HELP ME?
Yes, as your pastor, I desperately need your help. I’m not asking for something which is
unimportant or optional, but something which is essential to the spiritual
well-being of ourselves, our children and all who frequent this assembly. Nor am I asking for something which can be
done by anyone and everyone, but is a privilege exclusive to you, the saints of
God.
Brothers and Sisters, I am asking for your prayers. As you have graciously granted me many
requests through the years, for which I am thankful, I earnestly implore you to
grant me this request. For your sakes
and for mine, don’t permit me to stand before you from time to time without
being uplifted before the throne of grace by your personal and united prayers.
I am a mere man whom God has chosen to deal with the souls of men and
the consequences are solemn and eternal.
My message will either be a savor of life unto life, or of death unto
death, “And who is sufficient for these things?”
I earnestly want my preaching to be profitable unto you and blessed to
the salvation of your children. These
spiritual blessings descend from heaven on the wings of pure grace, but God has
chosen to disseminate this precious treasure through “earthen vessels.”
“Brethren, pray for us” (I Thessalonians 5:25). Pastor Maurice Montgomery
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TOTAL DEPRAVITY
A vicious, blood-thirsty mob gathered
around the foot of the cross where Christ hung.
There were scribes, priests, governors, officers, Jews, Gentiles, men,
women, rich and poor. All were taking great delight in the bloody spectacle.
The hearts of the two thieves was so full of hatred against God that even while
they hung dying on a cross, while the blood-thirsty mob spewed out hate against
the Savior of sinners saying, “He trusted
in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son
of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his
teeth.” (Mt 27: 43-44) The impenitent theif saw himself too righteous to
need Christ even while hung on a cross on the precipice of eternity; he saw
himself too well to need the physician even while the judgment of God stared
him dead in the eye. He cursed God until he drew his last breathe then went to
hell where he is cursing God to this day.
Take a long, hard look at this mob and these thieves. By nature, there is no difference in our
hearts and theirs. God was not preventing
them from believing. Sin had dominion over them. They would not and could
receive the Gospel. By nature, our hearts are the same as theirs. This is what our Lord Jesus declared when he
said, “For from within, out of the heart
of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the
man.” (Mk 7: 21-23) This is total depravity. By nature, this is you and
this is me!
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OUR MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
(Lu 23: 34)
In the midst of the hellish mob were
a people God loved from everlasting. They were chosen of God in Christ before
the foundation of the world for whom Christ became Surety. Christ said, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are
thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.” (Jn 17: 9)
What mercy to intercede for those who were treating him with such base
venomous enmity. What faithfulness “having
loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end!” (Jn 13:
1) In mercy and faith he was laying down his life in the room and stead for
many who were consenting to and relishing in his cruel death, even for one who
railed on him while he hung on a cross beside him. Yet, he would call him to
faith in a few short minutes and many of those ones railing at his feet he
would call to faith in just a little while on the day of Pentecost!
My brethren, what a merciful and faithful high priest is our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ!
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DISTINGUISHING GRACE
“And one of the malefactors which
were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But
the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou
art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due
reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto
Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Lu 23:
39-42)
There was no difference between these
two thieves. Neither respected the law of God, neither respected the law of
man, neither respected Christ, neither were religious and neither were seeking
God. Both were dying, both needed forgiveness and both were railing on Christ.
Yet, while God left one in his sin, God granted the other life, faith
and repentance. The repentant thief had no merit of any kind. He was simply a
depraved criminal in the process of being executed for his crimes. But
scripture says, “it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” (Rom 9:
16) The difference is that God chose one of these sinners before the foundation
of the world. The difference is that Christ was dying for him. The difference
was the invincible, irresistible grace of the Holy Spirit working within him.
(Jn 6: 44) The difference was the distinguishing grace of God.
Is there someone reading this who finds themselves believing on Christ
like this thief on the cross? If so, it
is God who made the difference. It is God to whom you must give all the glory,
“For who maketh thee to differ from another?
and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Cor 4: 7)
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FAITH AND REPENTANCE
(Luke 23: 39-43)
We learn from the repentant thief on
the cross a few things that accompany true, God-given faith and repentance:
·
A fear of God: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If
thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” This one had no fear of God only a
fear of death. “But the other answering
rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God.”
·
A confession of sin: “Seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we
receive the due reward of our deeds.”
·
A glorying in Christ: “but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
·
A submission of heart: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord…”
·
A plea for mercy: “Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
·
A sure answer: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise.”