June 22, 2008 SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey
Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27: And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
LOCATION Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor 150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday 10 AM Bible Class 11 AM Morning Worship Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service (The first Sunday of each month we meet at 10 AM for morning worship then observe the Lord's Table. After services we have lunch together.)
114 Laning Avenue Pennington, New Jersey, 08534 Clay Curtis, pastor Phone: 609-818-1887 Email: http://clay@sovereign-grace.us
Recommended Sermon Title: A Study In James (online users click on the title) Scripture: James 5: 13-20 Speaker: Henry Mahan
Who Gets The Glory? I am quite fatigued at hearing religious folks boast of everything from why God chose them, to their decision for Christ, to their faith, to how they sanctified themselves by their obedience, to their great worship services, to their multitude of prayers and service to the community. It will not surprise me if such boasters come before God on the Day of Judgment attempting to take the credit for resurrecting themselves.
Read the following scriptures. The underlined words are to emphasize that it is God that gets all the glory in a sinner's salvation, beginning to end.
I Corinthian 1:30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Romans 8:29: For whom hedid foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30: Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercyhe saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6: Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Jeremiah 31: 3: The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
2 Thessalonians 13: 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: 14: Whereunto he calledyou by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it isthe gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Philippians 1:11: Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
I Corinthians 1:4: I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5: That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6: Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Believer, all you and I can take credit for is sinning against God. Everything God does in saving sinners he does on purpose, by his divine right to choose whom he will; freely justifying them in his Son; by his almighty power to call them, by his power to recreate in them a new nature after his own image; by his power to keep them stayed on him by the power of the Holy Spirit; by his power to present them to himself; all that his Son might be the firstborn among many brethren.
To God be the glory both now and forever!
Redeemed With Judgment and Converted With Righteousness Isaiah 1: 21: How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. 22: Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water: 23: Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. 24: Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: 25: And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: 26: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27: Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. When the Lord called Adam after the fall where was he? When the Lord called Abraham where was he? What about the Ethiopian eunuch or Saul of Tarsus? What about the very small remnant he addresses in this passage? They were all in religion. Each one had turned from the sin of immorality to the sin of religion in their various places and forms of worship. Though they had attempted to find acceptance with God, they were unconverted.
His people are described here as, not those in the high places and groves of idolatry, but those who came to his courts, with the exact sacrifice and offering, who after every calamity spread forth their hands before him and multiplied their prayers. Yet they came to be seen of God and men, rather than to see the Lord of salvation. This is a description of the natural desire of all God's elect.
God did not use one of their own false teachers to save them, instead he sent his messenger. What was the good news declared to them? It is the promise of righteousness and faithfulness, of redemption accomplished in holiness by the Lord on their behalf. What does God say shall be the result? They shall be converted out of darkness into God's marvelous light and preserved in Christ Jesus. When the Lord God says, "I will and thou shalt" that is the only way it is.
Elect children of God are ransomed from sin, clutched out of spiritual death and from the dominion of ravening wolves, not with counterfeit, water-downed, man-glorifying thievery but Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
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LOCATION & TELEPHONE Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor 150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553 Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday 10 AM Bible Class 11 AM Morning Worship Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service (The first Sunday of each month, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)
NOTE: We especially welcome our friends who are so consistently listening, reading and commenting from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For those who might like to visit us without missing their regular services, our mid-week worship service is on Thursday night at 7:00 pm. We welcome you to join us in worship of the Lord our Righteousness.
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