Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 11-10-2019
Bible TextIsaiah 61:1-3
Date09-Nov-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

November 10, 2019

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

 

MEETING LOCATION

251 Green Lane

Ewing, NJ, 08368

Clay Curtis, pastor

Telephone: 615-513-4464

Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com

 

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

 

Services Broadcast Live @ www.FreeGraceMedia.com/live

 

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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 servicesclick here.

 

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Proverbs 14: 5: A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

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WHO IS PREACHING TODAY?

 

Isaiah 61: 1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. 2: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

 

This is the prophecy Christ read in the synagogue.  He concluded by saying, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Lu 4:17-18, 21) Christ declared that he is that Prophet sent of God.  The Lord God anointed Christ Jesus, not only to accomplish the work of the Gospel, not only to be the Gospel, but also to preach the Gospel. The Father anointed Christ to comfort ALL that mourn.  After arising to the right hand of the Father, Christ sent forth another Comforter.  But it is Christ, through the Holy Spirit, that comforts ALL that mourn because the Holy Spirit speaks of and by Christ our Prophet (Jn 16:13).  The same is true of each of these other blessings.  Through the preaching of the gospel, Christ preaches good tidings to ALL his redeemed, to ALL the meek, binds up ALL the brokenhearted, proclaims liberty to ALL the captives and so on.  Let us be sure to get what this means.  Our glorified Prophet sends his preachers who stand in a pulpit and preach the word that Christ lays on our hearts.  But it is Christ who preaches through his servants, making the word effectual in the hearts of his redeemed through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). 

     Brethren, if we knew Christ would be in the worship service preaching the gospel to us, would we ever miss an opportunity to hear him?  He is!

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UNTO THE MEEK

 

Isaiah 61: 1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.

These poor and meek sinners are described in the rest of this passage.  They are the brokenhearted, captives, those who mourn with the spirit of heaviness, all due to our sin.  The meek are brought low by God in their thoughts of themselves.  God has made them bow before the Lord Jesus in humility knowing their own insignificance, worthlessness, and sin.

 

     True preaching is not persuading proud, self-righteous men to do something for God.  It is proclaiming what God has done for poor sinners in his Son.  God needs nothing from sinners and we can give God nothing (Ps 50:12-15).  Telling sinners what they must do for God to be saved is not glad tidings!  Glad tidings declare that Christ crucified is Life for the lifeless, forgiveness for the transgressor, grace for the guilty, mercy for the miserable, and salvation for sinners. Are there any true sinners reading this? Any who are nothing, deserve nothing and can do nothing to save yourselves? If so, Christ has glad tidings for you!

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BIND UP THE BROKENHEARTED

 

Isaiah 61: 1:…He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…

 

Our Lord’s physical miracles were indeed amazing.  But they are not nearly as amazing as this spiritual miracle.  He gives a new heart (Eze 11:19-20)!  The first thing Christ does in that new heart is break it by revealing to us that we are sin and can do nothing but sin.  And Christ continues this work in the believer.  Christ sent Nathan to David who was guilty of adultery and murder, declaring, “Thou art the man!”  He broke David’s heart all over again.  The result was David begged God for mercy, for God to purge him of his sin and create in him a clean heart (Ps 51: 15-17). David said, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  Repentance and faith are a heart work. 

     Has Christ broken your heart convincing you of sin?  The glad tidings are that Christ came to heal the brokenhearted. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Ps 34: 18) As Spurgeon said, “Heart disease is Christ’s specialty!”

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PROCLAIM LIBERTY

 

Isaiah 61: 1:…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

 

Captivity under the curse of God’s broken law and captivity to our sin-nature is far worse than any physical prison.  But here is the good news for real captives, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal 3:13).  Christ satisfied the justice of God. He paid the wages of sin that his people owed by dying in our place.  Therefore, there has been a change of ownership. His people are now Christ’s purchased possession. Therefore, Christ comes to proclaim liberty.  A “proclamation” is not a suggestion. When Christ proclaims “liberty to the captives” then immediately “sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”  He opens the prison and sets us free to serve him in newness of spirit. Then we rejoice singing,

Free from the law Oh happy condition

Jesus has died and there is remission,

Cursed by the law, slain by the fall

Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

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PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF JUBILEE

 

Isaiah 61: 2: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, the day of vengeance of our God.

 

“The acceptable year of the LORD” was the year of jubilee.  Every 50th year on the day of atonement a trumpet was to be blown proclaiming liberty to all slaves in Israel, all debts were to be cleared, all property and possessions were to be restored and the land was to rest.  Christ blows the gospel trumpet declaring that God took vengeance on his elect in Christ so that full atonement has been made for our sins.  Therefore, Christ proclaims to us jubilee!  He frees us from slavery to sin, clears all our debts, gives us full restoration and rest through faith in him.  Our gracious Redeemer gives us even more than we lost in Adam: eternal righteousness, eternal holiness, eternal redemption, eternal life and eternal rest in him.   This is how he comforts us.  Having HIM he gives us “beauty (life) for ashes (death), the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  This all the work of Christ Jesus our God and our Savior “that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”