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Christ Our Ark

”I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” | Philemon 4-6

The ark that Noah was commanded to build is a very strong type of Christ.

The ark took the wrath of God while Noah and his family, along with the animals, were safe inside the ark. There was peace in the ark while outside was unrest.

In Christ, we have peace with God. (Ephesians 2: 14)

Inside the ark there was fellowship; (fellows in the same ship) outside the ark there was nothing but violence.

In Christ, we have true fellowship with one another. (1 John 1: 3)

Inside the ark, God was believed and worshipped, but outside the ark was unbelief and hatred of God. The ark was pitched within and without; this word ‘Pitch’ has the same meaning as atonement. In Christ we have the atonement, inside and out. There is nothing left to atone for.

There was only one door in the ark by which to enter in and be saved. Christ said, ‘I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.’ (John 10: 9)

There was only one window by which light could enter; Christ is the only Light and only window by which we can see and know God.

Inside the ark were all sorts of animals from all over the earth that were saved; In Christ, sinners from all over the world are saved.

The ark was only a type.

Christ is the real Ark, and He is the real savior of sinners from the wrath to come.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “The Gospel That Changes Lives”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 14 October, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Dealing With Sin

“And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” | Matthew 26: 75

How different from us does Christ deal with sin!

I would venture to say that Peter would never have been allowed to preach had we been in the Lord’s place. Or if he had, our confrontation with Peter would likely have made Peter unwilling to preach.

There is no question that this confrontation with Peter was because of Peter’s denial. But it is interesting to note that the Lord never once mentioned Peter’s denial. He did not ask Peter to rehearse his crime. Neither did the Lord require Peter to resolve to do better. Peter’s resolve had not helped him before and it would not likely help him later. Nor do we find our Lord laying out a plan of action for Peter so that he will not fail in the future.

Our Lord went straight to the heart of it with a simple question, “Peter, do you love me?”

With that question asked three times, our Lord forgave Peter’s sin, cleared his conscience, fit him for service and revealed to us the strongest resistance to sin.

I would be willing to bet that every time after that when Peter was tempted to deny the Lord for fear, he remembered the Master’s question, “Peter do you love me.”

No whip of law or fear of punishment, just simple love.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “Peter Denies Knowing Christ”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 4 September, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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After His Kind

”And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good” | Genesis 1: 24-25

I have observed that animals are most comfortable when they are with their kind. Over the years, I have noticed the same in people.

When people are in their comfort zone, it is when they are with people like themselves. The World enjoys the company of the world, because they are with their kind – sons of darkness.

Believers are in their comfort zone when they are with other Believers, the reason being, they are with their kind – sons of God.

When the World and Believers are together, both are out of their comfort zone, why? Because they are not with their kind. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3: 6)

When people see me, which kind do they see me the most comfortable with? – That’s who I am. –

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “How Can These Things Be?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 17 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?

”Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” | John 6: 67-68

When the Lord spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, many found it to be a hard saying, unbelievable saying, and many of His disciples went back and walked no more with him.

  1. To whom shall we go for Truth? Christ said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…” apart from Christ we cannot know the Truth. Truth is a person.
  2. To whom shall we go for forgiveness? Jesus Christ only has the authority to forgive us of our sins. “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” (Matthew 9: 6)
  3. To whom shall we go for Redemption? If we are to be saved we must be redeemed from the curse of the law. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3: 13) “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1: 14)
  4. To whom shall we go for wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption? Jesus Christ is all these to every believer. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
  5. God the Father has made His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our all in all. “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3: 11)

Thank God if you know that there is no one else to go to for all you need to stand before God accepted.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “What the Redeemed Know”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 24 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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Not Far From the Kingdom of God

“And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.” | Mark 12: 34

Not far from the kingdom of God is still not in it.

This is a miserable place to be.

It is to have the knowledge of God, Christ, and sin, yet not able to lay hold of Christ by faith as my all in all.

O what misery, to know and not have.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “The Certainty of the Words of Truth”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 10 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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The Man Must Be Altered

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new… For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” | 2 Corinthians 5: 17, 21

Over the years I have bought a few suits, and had to have them altered to fit me.

Not so in salvation.

In salvation the man is altered to fit the suit – the righteousness of Christ.

God must make me a new creature in Christ.

I must be made the righteousness of God in Christ.

Christ’s righteousness is never altered to fit me, I am the one that must be altered, created a new man in Christ.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “All Things Are Of God”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 10 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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The Believer’s Appetite

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” | Romans 8: 35

The Believer is alive unto God and proves it by his appetite.

He hungers after righteousness, he thirsts after the water of Life.

He cries for mercy.

He seeks the Lord.

These are evidences of the Life of God in the soul.

Dead men have none of these appetites.

Thank God for this spiritual appetite, for He will fill it.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “Just Enough Luggage For Travel”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 4 October, 2020 | Previous post date: 3 February, 2021

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AN INGLORIOUS RUIN

“Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.” | Psalm 16: 1-3

“Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.” (Psalm 39: 5)

The human race does not realize nor recognize its ruin.

Unregenerate people naturally cannot see their lost condition for they are spiritually dead to God. For the most part, people see themselves in a rather glorious light.

However, this is not how God sees the human race.

God sees the human race as it is, lost, dead in trespasses and sins and in constant rebellion, and the way God sees it is the way it is.

Take any man at his best state, when he is praying, giving, reading God’s word, it is altogether vanity apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is my worth and my completeness before God. “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 10)

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “Not Everyone is Saved”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: July 22, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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“That Is The Problem”

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.” | Romans 16: 25-27

A believer related a story to me about a discussion he had with another man (a very religious man) concerning the doctrine of election.

When the man disagreed with the doctrine of election, the believer told him to search the scriptures of which the man replied, “I don’t need to search the scriptures.” I replied, “That is his problem.”

People believe what they want to believe regardless of what the word of God teaches.

Most try to make the word of God fit what they believe instead of believing what it says.

The only warrant and foundation for all that we believe is the word of God.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “What Have We Learned”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 16 May, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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HE NEVER CHANGES

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” | Hebrews 13: 8

I am so thankful that as I grow older and things change, inside and out, that there is One who never changes.

  1. His love never changes with time, for He loved me with an everlasting love that knows no change.
  2. His power never changes. He is just as able to keep me from falling today as when I first began.
  3. His Word never changes: “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23: 19) Has He not magnified His Word above His Name?
  4. His election of me shall never change. He will never cast off those whom He has chosen, for they will never do anything that He did not know about and has not already taken care of.
  5. The power of His blood shall never change. It still cleanses from all sin. No matter how deep the stain has gone, His blood washes it away.
  6. His Sacrifice will never change, it will never lose its effectiveness because it is always fresh in the midst of the Throne of God: “And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain…” (Revelation 5: 6)

We have a living sacrifice standing in the midst of the Throne of God. When we rise out of our beds in the morning and go through our changes, just remember that there is One who remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Rock Christ Jesus.

~ Pastor John Chapman

Click here to listen to the message “Particular Redemption”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 18 December, 2020 | Previous post date: 1 January, 2021