Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 7-7-2019
Bible TextMatthew 3:15
Date06-Jul-2019
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
 

July 7, 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 13: 14: The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

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As all original sin is from Adam; so all original holiness is from Christ.                                                        Robert Hawker (1753-1827)


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FAITH—ESSENTIAL BUT NOT MERITORIOUS

Faith in Christ is essential to salvation. No man will ever be saved, accepted with God, apart from true faith in Christ. You must believe on Christ; or you will perish. But do not ever think that your faith is meritorious with God. Faith is the instrument by which we receive God's blessings; but it is not the meritorious cause of those blessings. The obedience of Christ alone is meritorious with God.                                                            

                                                                                Pastor Don Fortner

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Today, we have three brethren confessing faith in Christ in believer’s baptism.  Scripture teaches that God will bring each of his chosen, redeemed children to repentance and faith in Christ then the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (2 Pet 3: 9, 15).  One day the last one shall be called then Christ shall return.  Knowing this, each time a new believer confesses faith in Christ I think to myself, what if this is that last one? 

 

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“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Ac 8:36-38)

 

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And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized!

There are people in our assemblies who have heard the Gospel of Christ with the heart. They believe Him, they love Him, and they truly rest in Him as Lord and Redeemer; but they have not confessed Christ in believer's baptism. The question is asked, "Why tarriest thou?" I believe I can answer for them.

l. They are troubled by the presence and strength of indwelling sin--"In my flesh dwelleth no good thing."

 

2. They are shocked by the weakness of their faith.

 

3. They fear that they will fail and dishonor the Lord and embarrass the church.

 

4. They are waiting for greater assurance and more grace.

 

5. They are by nature very timid and shun public demonstrations.

But no such reasons are valid; for in baptism we are not confessing our holiness, but His; not our strength, but His; not our life, but His! "We are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).    

                                                                              Pastor Henry Mahan

 

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THE BASICS ABOUT BAPTISM

 

1. WHAT IS BAPTISM? It is an ordinance of God (one of only two, the Lord’s supper being the other) given for a confession of faith and a symbol of salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Mark 16:16; Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3). 

 

2. WHO IS TO BE BAPTIZED? Not infants and not unbelievers. Believers only should be baptized; all those who believe with all their heart that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” should not be hindered (Acts 8:26-38).

 

3. WHY SHOULD ALL BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? Primarily because Christ commands it! It is not optional but simply a matter of obedience to our Lord. Consequently, it is also encouraging to the new believer who is being baptized and edifying to the rest of the church (Matt. 7:21-23; Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10). 

 

4. WHEN SHOULD BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? A very singular answer here – immediately! Upon bowing in faith to the Lordship of Christ (Acts 2:38-41; Acts 9:18; Acts 16:31).

 

5. HOW SHOULD BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? The word “baptize” is not a complicated word; it means “to dip or plunge into”, thus, immersion is the ONLY mode of baptism. Also, this was the method used by our Lord Himself and the Apostles.       

                                                                            Pastor Bruce Crabtree                                                      

                                                                                         

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“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” 1Peter 3:21

 

     The Word of God says that baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Since baptism is also the believer's confession of his identification with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5), then it must be upon this basis that answers that he has a good conscience toward God. The only good conscience toward God is a clear conscience toward God.  The only clear conscience toward God is one upon which there is no ground to accuse. It stands to reason then, that when Christ arose from the dead, the grounds upon which the conscience accuses ceased to exist. On what basis does the conscience lay charges against someone?  Is it not in the realm of the law that this screaming banshee within indicts us?  Does not scripture declare that, in Christ and by His substitutionary satisfaction of the law, our "conscience is purged from dead works…" (Hebrews 9:14), and that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sins…(Hebrews 10:2)? When our Lord put away sins by the sacrifice of Himself, was buried and rose again for our justification, what possible ground did conscience have upon which to accuse? Has not our sin been put away…does God remember it no more…is it not separated from us as far as the east is from the west?  The conscience comes to the believer with the Law of God, turns on the searchlight of God's Holiness, scans the believer from top to bottom, even to the depths of heart thoughts and can find nothing but the pure, pristine, undiluted, unmitigated, unadulterated imputed righteousness of Christ.  Conscience then must say, " Nothing here…no spot…no blemish…no wrinkle…nor any such thing…all is clear"!  When a believer is baptized, he is confessing the unqualified success of the finished work of Christ…the answer of a good conscience toward God.                                     Pastor David Pledger

 

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“Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Mt 3:15).  Christ said this to John the Baptist when John objected to baptizing him.  But why did Christ say thus it becometh “us” to fulfill all righteousness?  When Christ fulfilled all righteousness, God’s elect fulfilled all righteousness in him.  Even when Christ was baptized, his people were baptized in perfect righteousness.  When I baptize these three believers today sin will be in them and me. But that day Christ submitted to this ordinance, in Christ, we fulfilled this ordinance in righteousness. The same is true of our observance of the Lord’s Table.  Christ is our Righteousness, not only before the law, but in every aspect of our worship, including our faith and love.  It is because in everything Christ did when he walked this earth he fulfilled all righteousness and we in him.