July 19, 2020
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Meeting Location and Mailing Address
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com
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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Proverbs 15: 3: The eyes of the LORD
are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
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WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE
IN ELECTION?
We find God’s purpose in choosing some to salvation
and passing by others in Romans 9: 11: (For the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;). God
chooses whom he will, not based on any good or evil in us. He did so to
declare that salvation is not of our works but of God that calleth, “For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom 9:
15-16). By sovereign grace, God chose a multitude in Christ, blessed
us with all blessings, thus preparing us for glory before the foundation of the
world. He calls us to life and faith in Christ "that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore
prepared unto glory.” (Ro 9:23). It makes believers give him all
praise and honor for saving us according to his sovereign grace! That is
God’s purpose. It is that God might receive all the glory!
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PRAY FOR SUBMISSION
I need constantly to remind myself that "all things are of God." Let me not
preach SOVEREIGNTY and then complain of my lot in life. Let me not talk of
DIVINE PURPOSE and then spend my days murmuring about my trials and troubles.
It is totally inconsistent with faith in the sovereign Christ for me to
question HIS GOOD PROVIDENCE. Paul called covetousness "idolatry" and
said, "I have learned, in whatsoever
state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11). Let us pray for
submission to His will, for with it comes peace. Pastor Henry Mahan
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NOT
YET BUT SOON
1 Corinthians 4: 8: Now ye are full, now ye
are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign,
that we also might reign with you.
After hearing
Paul preach the gospel that the eternal redemption of all God’s elect has been
accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, some at Corinth thought they had already
attained to the blessings which shall be ours when Christ returns to redeem us
into final glory. Some even imagined
they did not need the apostle Paul preaching the gospel because they had grown
beyond. Paul said, “I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with
you.”
Brethren, by Christ’s finished work every believer
is complete in him. Our life is in
Christ at God’s right hand. But our old nature is still sin. The flesh is not
growing better but must be put off. Like every other aspect of our salvation,
this too, is the work of our Redeemer (Php 3:21). But we will not be perfect until Christ
returns and conforms us to his image.
Now, we see and know in part. Then we shall know as we are known (1 Cor
13: 9-12; 1 Jn 3:2). We have not yet attained.
By God’s grace, for now, let us look to Christ through the preaching of the
gospel and let us spread the gospel far and wide for the glory of Christ, as we
look for that day when the last redeemed child of God shall be called and
Christ shall return. Then every believer
will be full, rich and reign together as we bow at Christ’s feet, giving all
glory and praise to our King.
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William Law, in his “Serious Call To a Devout and Holy Life”
writes, “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not
he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is most
eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice, but he who is always thankful to
God, who wills everything that God willeth, who receives everything as an
instance of God’s goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.”
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THE
WORLD’S REGARD TOWARD THE FAITHFUL
1 Corinthians 4: 9: For I think that God hath
set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made
a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10: We are fools for
Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye
are honourable, but we are despised.
God
made the apostles suffer before the world, angels and men. But what a blessing
of God’s grace to be regarded by this ungodly world as “fools for Christ’s sake.”
Persecution and affliction in our day is
light compared to the apostles (vv11-13).
But Paul reminds us that God appoints our suffering (1 Thess 3: 3). “For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the
same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me” (Php 1: 29-30). Christ
said, “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me they
shall persecute you” (Jn 15:20). If we declare
God’s sovereign, free grace in divine election in Christ then we shall be rejected
by the ungodly. If we declare Christ’s
particular redemption of his sheep then most will despise us. If we preach the necessity of the irresistible,
regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit then we will suffer for Christ’s sake. But what a blessing to know God sovereignly appointed
it and it is only by God’s all-sufficient grace that we stand. It is to the praise of Christ’s power when
the Spirit of God gives us grace to believe and preach the truth of our
Redeemer come what may!
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GRACE
EXPERIENCED – Henry Mahan
Salvation by grace is a doctrine that is true, a doctrine that must be preached,
and a doctrine that should be believed. However, like the doctrine of God's
existence, just believing that salvation is of the Lord and by his grace does
not save! God’s grace must be experienced and received by faith!
I'll never get across a river by simply
believing that a certain bridge can take me across or that others have been
successful in using the bridge. I must experience the bridge's deliverance and
power for myself. Depravity is not merely a doctrine to the redeemed – it is something
they actually experience! Likewise, Christ the Savior is not just a doctrine to
the redeemed; Christ the Savior is a person whom the redeemed encounter, so
that the redeemed can all say, “He is the one who has delivered us!”