December
24, 2017
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: 19: In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that
refraineth his lips is wise.
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FROM A SERMON TITLED
“MARY’S SONG”
Luke 1: 46-56
By Pastor Don Fortner
As we read Mary's hymn, though she was but a young woman, we cannot avoid
noticing that she had a ready grasp of the Old Testament Scriptures. She quotes
the Psalms, refers to God's works of old, refers to his goodness to Leah, and
repeats many of the words of Hannah's prayer (II Sam. 2).
Let
us strive each year we live to become more fully and experimentally acquainted
with Holy Scripture. "Let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord." (Col 3:16.) Such knowledge of the Bible
can never be attained without regular and daily study. The benefits of such
study will prove priceless. When she needed them most, Mary had a firm grasp of
the promises of God in the Bible; and these strengthened her faith.
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CHRIST ALONE - THE
SINNER'S ONLY HOPE
"And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21
Our only hope of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is in Christ
alone, in Christ completely, and in Christ only. In fact, he is God's
salvation. You cannot be saved without him; and you cannot be saved if you try
to mix your own works, feelings, emotions, or experiences with faith in him.
The Lord Jesus Christ is able to save you from the guilt of sin, the power of
sin, and all the consequences of sin. He is all sufficient. His name is called
"Jesus" because "he shall save his people from their sins".
He is the only one who has power in himself to forgive sin. He is exalted
"to give repentance and remission of sins" to the Israel of God.
The Lord God found a ransom for sinners in
his own dear Son, and purposed to save his people by the sacrificial death of
his Son as their Substitute from eternity. In the fullness of time, the Son of
God became a man to accomplish the salvation of chosen sinners. "Being
found in fashion as a man, he became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross". Thus, by the sacrifice of himself according to the will of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ put away all the sins of his people, obtained eternal
redemption for them, and established the only grounds upon which God can be
both just and the Justifier of all who believe (Rom. 3:24-26).
There is no other possible way of
salvation. God's own beloved Son would never have been crucified to redeem and
save us if salvation could have been obtained in any other way. Indeed, the
apostle Paul reasons that if we could have been saved in some other way “then
Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21). Infinite wisdom found a way to save us.
Infinite grace provided the great sacrifice. Infinite love brought the Son of
God to lay down his life for his people. Why? Because there was no other way
for God to both satisfy his justice in the punishment of sin and forgive his
people of all their sins. Christ alone is and must be our Savior. "Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). If you believe on
Christ, you may be confident that your sins are forgiven by his blood and that
God looks upon you as being perfectly righteous. He has promised to save all
who trust his dear Son . Indeed, if you now trust the Son of God, it is because
you are already born of God and have everlasting life (John 3:36). – Pastor
Don Bell
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NEITHER NOR
Ephesians 5: 4: Neither filthiness, nor
foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of
thanks.
“Filthiness” involves all obscene and
indecent language. Someone said we verbally do the things we speak. “Foolish talking” is language that is
useless and unprofitable. “Jesting”
is being humorous or sarcastic at the expense of others. “Which are not convenient” means it is unbecoming the character of
saints and it is disagreeable to the will of God.
Believers are happy. We have great reason
to be full of joy. Scripture does not teach us to be sullen and silent all the
time. The Lord teaches us to be
courteous, to be pleasant and express our thanks to others. There is nothing
wrong with humor. It is the obscene, useless, hurtful speech we are to avoid.
Yet,
consider, the word of the gospel has nothing foolish or idle in it. Every word
is profitable, not one word is useless filler.
Christ is the Word made flesh. The whole time he walked this earth, do
we find any word in scripture which he spoke which was vain chit-chat? Not a
word. When you hear someone constantly
chattering meaningless words then you ignore them. Can we even imagine our Savior speaking like
that? But the person whose words are few, who speaks only when they have
something wise, true and valuable to say, you hang on every word. “The
tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out
foolishness.” (Pro 15: 2) That which is predominate in our speech reveals
our hearts. Christ said, “out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” When the kids were just beginning to talk,
Melinda used to tell them, “Use your
words.” Our Savior is teaching his children here to use our words.
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GIVING OF THANKS
Here is a far
better use of the tongue, “But rather
giving of thanks.” (Eph 5: 4) Here
are some things scripture says his people are thankful for.
·
We thank God
our Father for saving us in Christ, “Giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1: 12-14)
·
We thank God for his faithfulness toward his
elect. “For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give
you an expected end.” (Jer 29: 11)
·
We thank God
for preserving us. “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his
saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the
righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye
righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” (Ps 97:
10-12)
·
We thank God
that he is good and merciful to us, “O
give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”
(1 Chr 16: 34) God has never done anything toward his elect except that which
is good and merciful.
·
We thank God
for brethren. Paul said, I “cease not to
give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” (Eph 1: 16) “But we
are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thess 2: 13)
·
We thank God
for the preaching of the gospel. “Now
thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh
manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (2 Cor 2: 14)
·
We give
thanks for all men whom God has placed in authority to rule over us. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all
men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in
the sight of God our Saviour.” (1 Tim 2: 1-3)
·
We thank God
that our Savior reigns over all, “And the
four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their
faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great
power, and hast reigned.” (Rev 11: 16-17)
·
We thank God
for giving us the victory over death, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory? 56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the
law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.” (1 Cor 15: 55-57)
·
We thank God
for all things. “Giving thanks always for
all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Eph 5: 20) We have not begun to exhaust the list. We thank God in every
circumstance of life whether it be adversity or whether be comfortable
There is so
much better use of our tongue than obscene, useless, and hurtful talk. Our Master says, “Speak the truth of Christ in love.”
And when we are not doing that “thank
God always.”