Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 8-13-2017
Bible TextMatthew 9:27-28
Date12-Aug-2017
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Believe Ye That I Am Able To Do This? (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Believe Ye That I Am Able To Do This? (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

August 13, 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

 

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: watch videos of our full services—click here.

 

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Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave. Martin Luther

 

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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS

 

Proverbs 9: 10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 11: For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. 12: If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

 

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God always hears the prayers of his saints through Christ our Intercessor and for his sake.  Many of us have prayed that God would be pleased to send the saints at Bethel Baptist Church in Springlake, North Carolina a new pastor.  God has done just that in sending Pastor John Chapman from Ashland, Kentucky.  Now, we thank God and ask his blessing upon their union for years to come, that Christ might continue to be exalted in that place as he has been for so many years.

 

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The most important aspect of a believer’s life is public worship —  the worship of God in the assembly of his saints, collectively singing his praise, calling upon him in prayer, and hearing the exposition of his Word by the preaching of the gospel.  Pastor Don Fortner

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A true indicator of what I am really like is seen by how I view others. Do I esteem them highly? Do I esteem my brethren in Christ as better than me? Or am I critical towards them, quick to judge them. How we view our brethren is a good indicator of the state of our hearts. Pastor Todd Nibert

 

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I have watched my son spend every day this week in conditioning training, diligently preparing for next week’s soccer tryouts. God make us that diligent, and more so, to be found in Christ on the day of judgment with no righteousness but Christ’s, given us freely through faith in him. Do not make the team, all will be fine; miss Christ, not so!


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THE BELIEVER’S RIGHTS
By Pastor Gene Harmon

 

   In their unregenerate state, hell-deserving sinners have no rights within themselves to any of the eternal blessings of God.  Those spiritual blessings are found in Jesus Christ, AND ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST!

   When people die physically, they relinquish all rights to anything this world has to offer.  They have no right to citizenship in any of the countries of this world; they have no right to any position in this world; they have no right to cast any vote that would influence the outcome of anything political.  They can’t make any decisions.  They can’t exercise their free will.  WHY?  BECAUSE THEY’RE DEAD!  Their voices can no longer be heard!

   So it is with unregenerate men and women.  ALL ARE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS - just as dead, spiritually, as any physically dead person (Eph. 2:1 - 5).  It is just as impossible for those who are spiritually dead to exercise any rights in God’s eternal kingdom, as it is for those who are physically dead to exercise any rights in the kingdoms of this world.  They don’t have the right to determine their eternal destiny.  Unregenerate sinners don’t have the right to make a decision for Jesus.  They don’t have the right to exercise their free will to give God permission to save them (what blasphemy).  THEY’RE DEAD, AND DEAD PEOPLE HAVE NO RIGHTS!

  
     HOWEVER, all of God’s enlightened children have rights.  But our rights are not based upon the works of the flesh.  RATHER, THE BELIEVER’S RIGHTS are based upon the perfect redeeming work of Jesus Christ our Saviour!  Because we were in Christ when He perfectly obeyed the will of God our Father while He was here on this earth, in Christ Jesus we have these rights:

 

  • The right to the perfect, eternal, immutable love of God which is in God’s Darling Son, Jesus Christ our perfect representative.
  • The right to be dressed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, Who is every believer‘s only righteousness before a thrice-holy God..
  • The right to a living, eternal union with God in Christ, as His chosen, blood-bought children who have experienced the miracle of the new birth.
  • The right to all the spiritual blessings that are in Christ in heavenly places.
  • The right to all the promises of God that are in Christ, His Darling Son.
  • The right to a full inheritance in Christ, reserved in heaven for every believer.

 

     And when our very short, temporal, journey through this life is over, EVERY BELIEVER has the right to enter into glory with Jesus Christ, as citizens of His eternal kingdom.  ALL OF HIS ELECT will spend all eternity with the glorified, exalted, God-man, Jesus Christ our Lord, basking in the warmth of His eternal love, BECAUSE HE OBTAINED THAT RIGHT FOR US!                                                              

 

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BELIEVE YE THAT I AM ABLE TO DO THIS?

 

Matthew 9: 27: And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28: And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

 

These men came needing Christ to give them sight. God our Savior asked them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” Sinner, is this not what it all comes down to, “Believe ye that Christ is able to do this?” When a sinner believes Christ alone is able to save him then there is a certain way he will approach Christ.

 

     First, they followed Christ himself.  The actions of these men is worthy of imitation by all who would be saved from our sins. Christ had come near. He had caused them to hear what Christ had done in healing others. By God’s grace, they believed he was able to heal them. The effect was that they followed Christ himself. This is what sinners find themselves doing when God gives them a new heart.

 

     Secondly, they came crying. It means they came humbly, with sincere desire for Christ to do for them what they could not do for themselves.  Sinners will come crying and humbled at Christ’s feet when they know they have a desperate need that only Christ can heal.

 

    Next, they came perseveringly. Put yourself in their shoes. These men were physically blind. They were in total darkness.  In order to follow Christ they had to diligently stay close and listen to his footsteps to know which way he went. Even when he entered the house, still, they came in where he was.  When sinners believe only Christ can meet their need then they will draw close with an open ear and let nothing stop them from following Christ.

 

    Fourthly, they honored Christ calling him the Son of David.  By this they were confessing Jesus to be God’s promised Messiah. When sinners believe God’s word they honor him by believing Christ to be who God says he is “Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.”

 

    Fifthly, they came asking “have mercy on us. Where God has created a new heart there will be no more vain ideas that we deserve anything from God—we don’t!  We come as condemned criminals appealing to our sovereign Judge for pardon which only he can give because he satisfied his own justice for his people.

 

So we see how these men sought Christ: they followed Christ himself, they came earnestly, perseveringly, honoring Christ, asking mercy at his hand. This is not a prescription for how you, sinner, ought to come to Christ. But rather this is how you shall come to Christ if Christ works grace in your heart.  That which they did outwardly was due to the faith they had in Christ in their heart.  Christ would have us know that. Therefore, he asked these men what he already knew, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?   They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” (Mt 9: 27-29)  The question for you sinner is “Believe ye that Christ is able to do this?”  If you do then this is how you shall come to Christ!