August 28, 2016
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
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.
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All articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted. As you read the bulletin at home with your children be sure to look up the scripture references.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Wednesday, August 31, I am scheduled to preach at Hurricane Road Grace Church, Ashland, KY where Frank Tate is pastor.
· Thursday, September1, Brother Eric Lutter is scheduled to preach here.
· Sunday, September 4, we will have one service at 11am with Brother Eric Lutter preaching. I am scheduled to preach next Sunday in the conference at Grace Baptist Church in Danville, Kentucky where Don Fortner is pastor.
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OUR REWARD
Matthew 19: 28: And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29: And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
All who Christ calls are saved entirely by Christ by God’s grace, apart from our works. Therefore, following Christ through God’s gift of regeneration and faith is not something for which we expect to earn a reward. Serving Christ right now in this life is itself the reward. It is a privilege of God’s grace for every true believer. In this present time, we are given the privilege to be given grace by Christ to spread his gospel by which this world is judged. Knowing that we were totally dead sinners given everything freely by grace through Christ’s precious blood, we consider the privilege of serving Christ to be the very best reward Christ could give us right now in this present time. (Mk 10: 29; Lu 18: 30) We receive far greater right now in Christ, and by him giving us brethren, than we ever left behind. Neither do we expect to earn a reward in glory except Christ himself. What could be better than inheriting everlasting life freely in Christ! There will be no greater and lesser objects of grace in glory, even as there are none in this present time. Each one that God chose and Christ calls are partakers together of this same reward of free grace in Christ our great Reward!
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FIRST LAST, LAST FIRST
Matthew 19: 30: But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
The Lord illustrates his doctrine with a parable in Matthew 20: 1-10. The church is represented as a vineyard. The laborers represent two kinds of professors laboring in the cause of Christ.
Those “called but not chosen” are represented by the laborers which the householder called first. These bargained with the householder for their pay. These represent those who do all for filthy lucre, selfish gain, seeking rewards other than Christ.
The last who shall be first represent God’s elect chosen and called by grace. These were idle in the marketplace. We are found dead in our trespasses and sins. Therefore, these were thankful to be sent into the householder’s vineyard. They trusted the word of the householder saying “whatsoever is right I will give you.” Sinners saved by grace know God will provide what is just. We behold the righteousness of God in Christ on the cross. By the constraint of his love, we live not unto ourselves but unto Christ who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor 5: 14-15; Rom 12: 1; Lu 17: 10)
At the end of the day, the householder gave all one penny. The penny represents God’s justice. In the end, everyone shall receive from God that which is just. He shall reward his saints according to the merits of Christ Jesus freely given unto us by his grace. God shall reward the mercenary with hell because it is the just wage earned by his vain works.
In the parable, those called first charged the householder as unjust while those called last said not a word. The mercenary who serves his whole life to indebt God for a vain reward will call God unjust to refuse him when he served so long while others receive eternal life. But Christ’s child saved by God’s free grace in Christ, whether called early or in the last hour, will glorify God that we were given the reward to be called and to serve such a gracious householder at all!
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Isaiah 65: 9: And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there…11: But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. 12: Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
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JUDICIAL REPROBATION
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God in judgment, in judicial reprobation. It was not simply a thing that happened. Because Pharaoh refused to bow to Christ and his Word, as sent to him by his servant Moses, his heart grew hard (Exodus 7:3, 13-14).
“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt…And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.”
Throughout the Scriptures God’s judgment is presented to us as that which comes upon the ungodly because of what they do. His judgment is always a matter of justice. It is never arbitrary, capricious, or without cause. Just as Adam’s heart was hardened in spiritual death because of his sin, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because of his unbelief.
Why is this point so important? It is important for two reasons:
1. First, let it be clearly understood that God is not the author of sin (James 1:13-14).
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
The Lord God did not cause Pharaoh to disobey his Word. The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart required no positive action on God’s part. All the Lord has to do to harden the hearts of men in reprobation is leave them to the corruption of their nature. If God leaves a sinner alone, he is forever damned! As surely as the removal of the sun would result in the seas being hardened into ice, so the removal of God’s grace in Christ results in the hardening of that man’s heart.
In hardening Pharaoh’s heart our Lord did not harden a heart that otherwise might have become soft toward him. Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness is emphasized from his first appearance in Scriptures (Exodus 1:8-22). And we are told that he continued to harden his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 32), before the Lord hardened it (Exodus 9:12). When the Lord God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he simply gave him what he wanted. He left him to himself. He did not violate Pharaoh’s will. Rather, he granted Pharaoh’s desire.
2. Second, this is a matter of tremendous importance, because God still hardens the hearts of those who refuse to bow before his sovereign throne and trust his Son.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened as the just penalty of his willful, obstinate rebellion against the Son of God. God almighty, ever just and true, hardens even to everlasting damnation those who despise him, and his Word, his law, his gospel, and his Son. Just as Moses’ word wrought faith in Israel while hardening Pharaoh’s heart, the gospel of God’s free grace in Christ melts the hearts of his elect, and hardens the hearts of those who despise it (Proverbs 29:1; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
In other words, — If anyone goes to hell it will be his own fault, and his own fault alone. — “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23; Proverbs 1:23-33). Don Fortner