July 27, 2008
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Isaiah 2: 6: Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. 7: Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: 8: Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

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.)

WEB ADDRESSES AND MAILING ADDRESS
www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
www.sermonaudio.com/
www.freegraceradio.com

114 Laning Avenue
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Clay Curtis, pastor
Phone: 609-818-1887
Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us

Romans 2: 22:...thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Just as men carve a piece of wood into an image, bow down, and worship it, so men will take God's word concerning Christ Jesus the Lord, in their imagination carve it into that which pleases them, and with no outwardly visible images, still worship the idol they have created.

The Example of Cornelius
By John Calvin
Acts 10: 1: There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2: A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Wherefore, in ordering the life well, let faith and religion be the foundation, which being taken away, all other virtues are nothing else but smokes. Luke reckoneth up the fear of God and prayer as fruits and testimonies of godliness and of the worship of God, and that for good causes. For religion cannot be separated from the fear of God and the reverence of him, neither can any man be counted godly, save he who acknowledging God to be his Father and Lord, doth addict himself wholly to him.

Moreover, because a great part of the world doth, with reigned trifles, corrupt and deprave the worship of God, Luke added, for good causes, that Cornelius prayed continually; whereby he doth signify, that he proved not his godliness only with external ceremonies, but that he worshipped God spiritually, when as he exercised himself in prayer. We must also note the continuance of his prayer; whence we gather, that he did not pray only coldly, after the common custom, but that he was earnestly bent to prayer, as the continual benefits of God do exhort us and prick us forward thereunto, and the force of faith ought there to show itself. Wherefore let every one of us exhort himself to persevere in prayer by the example of Cornelius.

Quote by Robert Hawker
The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life--these sweep away the time, the heart, and affections, and leave men satisfied with the form, while destitute of the power of godliness.

Harlots Old and New
Isaiah 1: 21: How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

When reading the prophets, we make a fatal mistake if we entertain the folly that religious folks are somehow better in our day because the name Jesus is upon our lips or because we have more scripture with the advantage of living in a day after Christ went to the cross. Unless the Lord God teach us from his throne in heaven's glory then all the advantages we have in our day will profit us nothing. If we see that anywhere, we see it in the people to whom the prophet Isaiah ministered.

National Israel was given every advantage over every other nation. God not only told them what would come to pass but they beheld it come to pass exactly as he said it would then the Lord reminded them that he had told them this before hand. He physically delivered them out of Egyptian bondage declaring all the while that he alone saves sinners. He gave them the tabernacle which witnessed of Christ the Lamb and High Priest of God. The Lord gave them judges which gave witness that the triune God of glory is Judge of heaven and earth. He sent them prophet-after-prophet witnessing to the fact that wisdom comes from God alone for there is no truth in us. Yet, after all this they went further and further away from God into their own religious immorality.

The Lord God has given us these advantages in our day and more. Yet, sinners before Christ came and sinners after Christ's incarnation are the same. In the Adam-nature we are harlots old and new. We will not cease from the work of our own hand and trust Christ alone unless Christ intervenes in power and recreates us after the image of God.

Today's Top Story
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.

If there had been a 6 o'clock news broadcast in Isaiah's day this would have been the top story. Sadly, it sounds like every news report in our day. The land was full of rebels against God, morally and spiritually corrupt. Yet, no place on earth would you have found men and women so pious in religion. In fact, the more pious they became in the religion of their depraved wills, the more immoral they became. The leaders, along with the people are addressed as Sodom and Gomorrah. Their civil leaders supported the people's desires to live in the vice of those two wicked cities in the streets while the religious leaders supported the people's desires to play the harlot in the Lord's house. And the whole nation loved it to be so.