July 12, 2009
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Matthew 5: 10: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

MEETING LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service

WEB ADDRESSES AND MAILING ADDRESS
www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
www.freegraceradio.com
7 Birch Street
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Phone: 615-513-4464
Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us

HAPPY ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
Matthew 5: 9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
A sinner who does not have the Spirit of Christ knows nothing of peace. All men have sinned against God. The peace Adam had between he and God was broken. Instead of peace in Adam's heart, enmity entered. Until Christ is formed in a sinner, there is no peace. But those who have the Spirit of the Peacemaker dwelling within them are at peace with God and their brethren. It is by the Spirit of Christ that we are filled with the fruit of peace. Thereby, a believer is a peacemaker.

Christ Jesus the Lord is the great Peacemaker (Is 9:6, 7; Heb 7:2.) Christ Jesus made peace through his death on the cross (Col 1: 19-22.) God's people were alienated--cut off--by wicked works. It was not a reconciliation of God to men that Christ accomplished. God did not offend us, we transgressed against God by our transgression of his righteous law. Satisfaction for the sins of God's elect had to be made to God in accordance with God's holiness.

God is the God of peace. Before the world began the triune God held a council of peace. The triune God entered into a covenant of peace; the work of being a Peacemaker was given to the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased the Father that in Christ, the Son of God should all fullness dwell (Col 1: 19; Zec 6:13.) Therefore, even when we fell in Adam and were conceived in sin, God's thoughts were thoughts of peace toward those he everlastingly loved to given them an expected end (Jer 29:11.)

God the Father gave his Son to accomplish peace through the blood of the cross. The eternal, holy chastisement of our peace was upon our Substitute and in him his people are effectually healed (Isaiah 53:5; Col 1: 20.) No man could or can ever make the peace that Christ has made. He is Man with the same nature of his children who had sinned. He is God so he can draw nigh to his Father. Christ Jesus effectually reconciled God's elect to himself by his death on the cursed tree. The words of salvation by Christ are in the past tense because it is done. (Galatians 3:13.)

He is the Peacemaker in the believer's conscience. If we have peace in our heart it is by his blood; if you are a peacemaker it is by Christ the Peacemaker working in you (Col 1: 21, 22; Jn 14:27.) A peacemaker is one who has been made to rejoice that God was in Christ reconciling us to himself, he has made us willing to "be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5: 19, 20.) When God called us, we found that we were called, already the children of God in Christ our Peacemaker (Gal 4: 6.) Our happiness is not that any peacemaking was done by us but that Christ Jesus has finished the work.

THE FULLNESS OF PEACEMAKING
It pleased the Father that in Christ, the Son of God, should all fullness dwell. Christ made peace through laying down his life on the cross (Col 1: 19, 20.) All fullness of all God's perfections is manifest in Christ and in the way he made peace: the fullness of God's grace and mercy, the fullness of God's wisdom, power, and faithfulness, the fullness of God's righteousness and holiness is manifest. In God the Son, Christ Jesus, in his sacrifice, his sufferings, and his death, all the fullness of peacemaking is manifest.

If you, believer, have a question about the best way to make peace all you have to do is look the Prince of peace. Paul said,

Philippians 2: 5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It may be you find yourself in a position of great dignity in life, but if you think you deserve to be held in repute you will never know peace. If you think you deserve to be served rather than taking the form of a servant then you will never be a peacemaker. As long as you lift yourself in pride rather than humble yourself, peace will not come. Disobedience to God never brings about peace. But notice that the obedience of our great Peacemaker was even unto "the death of the cross." Does that mean you must endure being stripped naked, spat upon, nailed to a tree, made to be what those who hate you are and endure the wrath of holy God in sinless perfection on their behalf? No, it means that knowing that Christ Jesus is for you even unto the death of the cross, you can take the form of a servant, leave off defending yourself, and rest assured that your Sovereign Savior will continue to keep you in peace with God and your brethren. If this mind is in you Christ the Lord says that you are happy because you shall be called a child of God.

THE LAMB KING
Isaiah 16: 1: Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Isaiah says, "My heart shall cry out for Moab" (Is 15: 5.) God's messengers cry out from the heart for those facing God's holy wrath (Ro 10: 1; Gal 4: 19.) This cry is not one of compromise. It is the cry of the gospel of Christ in truth. Isaiah's gospel is of the Ruler in Mt. Zion who delivers because he is satisfied with the Lamb (16v1)

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God; the Lord Jesus Christ is God the Ruler of the land; Christ Jesus, God our Savior is the Lamb King (Rev 17: 14.) Put all your trust in Christ the Lamb who alone is satisfaction to the King of heaven and earth. This has been Isaiah's message throughout the book and so it is here. Consider a little history and we will see how sending the lamb to the king sets forth faith in Christ our Lamb and our King.

Long before this, David was God's anointed king given who delivered the children of Israel into peace by smiting the Moabites (Nu 24:17.) The remnant which David spared among the Moabites became willing servants, continually bringing gifts to the king in Jerusalem where the king sat upon his throne (2 Sa 8: 2.) In Isaiah's day those in Moab had turned from bringing the lamb to the king (2 Kings 3: 5.) Isaiah comes forth with the word of the LORD declaring that God's judgment is coming. Repent and send ye the lamb to Hezekiah, the son of God, the son of David, the ruler of the land in Mt. Zion.

This is our gospel today. Our Star out of Jacob is King Jesus. Our Sceptre that has risen out of Israel is Christ our King. He is the Son of God, the Son of David who smote our enemies and has given his people rest. He is the Lamb of God through whose blood peace has been made (Col 1: 19-23.) He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19: 16.) Christ's throne is in heavenly Jerusalem in heavens Zion. Heart worship, the full assurance of faith, is sending the Lamb to the Ruler of the land, persuaded that Christ the Lamb of God is propitiation--satisfaction--to God the King (Psalm 2: 6-12; Ps 51: 6, 16, 17; 95:6; Pr 23:26.) We trust that the King will save us because he is satisfied toward us in the Lamb. We have his word that he is. And we have his word that he shall bear our burden (Is 53:11.)

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey
WELCOMES YOU TO OUR SUMMER MEETING
July 24-27, 2009.
The guest speakers will be Pastor Don Fortner from Grace Baptist Church in Danville, KY and Pastor Marvin Stalnaker from Katy Baptist Church in Fairmont, WV. The host pastor is Clay Curtis.

Location
Pennington Fire Co Banquet Hall, 2 Broemel Place, Pennington, NJ, 08534 (Across from the post office. Please park in the lot behind the Firehouse.)

Times for Services
Friday, 7:00pm Clay Curtis; 8:00 pm Don Fortner
Saturday, 10:00am Don Fortner; 11: 00 am Marvin Stalnaker
Sunday, 10:00 am Clay Curtis (Bible Class); 11 am Marvin Stalnaker
Refreshments and light snacks will be served after the service on Friday night. Lunch will be served after the services on Saturday and Sunday.

Nearby Hotels
Courtyard by Marriott, (609) 771-8100, 360 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ, 08628
Comfort Inn, Tel, (609)-866-3700, 3270 US Route 1 North, Lawrenceville, NJ, US, 08648

For more information contact
Clay Curtis
clay@sovereign-grace.us
(615) 513-4464

SERMONS
Send Ye the Lamb
The Peacemakers

ARTICLES FROM OTHERS
What Free Will Denies
New Creature in Christ
Justification and Sanctification Always Come Together
Don't Mess With God's People
Fret Not
Arise and Go Unto Nineveh

SPECIAL MEETINGS
For info on special meetings around the country click here