Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

None Good But One

“Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, set by the highway side begging.” | Mark 10: 46

All who the Lord shall save are like blind Bartimaeus.

What he was outwardly by nature is what he was inwardly by nature… blind, poor, and unable to work to provide life.

All he could do was sit and beg mercy from another.

We are so blind by nature that we cannot even see we need salvation.

When God gives us sight the first thing we behold is that our flesh profits nothing.

Only then will a sinner come to Christ empty and begging mercy.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “The Confession of Dogs” (37:09 minutes)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 11 February, 2018 | Previous post date: 17 May, 2022

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

His Glory

”Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” | Ephesians 1: 1-3

The Glory of the Triune God is paramount in all things.

”According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1: 4-6)

This Glory is magnified in the electing of a people by the Father in Christ.

”In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” (Ephesians 1: 7-9)

It is magnified in the saving of that people through the blood of Christ.

”That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Ephesians 1: 10-12)

And it is magnified in the revelation of our Savior, in our new hearts, through the Holy Spirit.

”In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1: 13-14)

When the child of God is finally brought home, we will forever sing praise to His Glory in perfection and for eternity.

~ Pastor Kevin Thacker

Click here to listen to the message “Beggars With Glorious News” (34:23 minutes)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 29 May, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Partakers

”I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” | Psalm 145: 1-4

Being a “partaker” can be a wonderful thing depending on who you are taking part with.

To “partake” simply means to “take part.”

It means to “share” with, to “partner” with, and to be a “companion” with someone.

It means to “belong” to someone.

“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;” (Hebrews 3: 14)

How glorious then is the thought of being a “partaker of Christ Jesus?”

In Jesus Christ, God’s elect people are:

Partakers of the Heavenly Calling. “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;” (Hebrews 3: 1)

Partakers of the Holy Ghost. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” (Hebrews 6: 4)

Partakers of God’s Amazing Grace. “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.” (Philippians 1: 7)

Partakers of spiritual things. “It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” (Romans 15: 27)

Partakers of the benefit. “And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.” (1 Timothy 6: 2)

Partakers of Christ’s Divine Nature. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1: 4)

Partakers of Christ’s Holiness. “For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” (Hebrews 12: 10)

Partakers of His Inheritance. “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:” (Colossians 1: 12)

In Jesus Christ, God’s elect people are made partakers of Christ.

~ Pastor David Eddmenson

Click here to listen to the message “A Way That Seems Right But Not” (42:31 minutes)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 25 February, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Herein Is Love

”Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” | 1 John 4: 10

We rejoice to know that “God is love”.

Love is an attribute of God.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love; And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4: 8, 16)

But that does not mean that God loves all men.

Any reasonable person, whose mind is not perverted by the influence of Arminian, free-will religion, must recognize that fact.

Did God love those multitudes whom he swept off the earth in the flood?

Did God love the degenerate Sodomites, upon whom he rained fire from heaven?

Did God love Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their followers whom he swallowed up into hell?

Anyone who imagines that God loved those multitudes might well pray to be forever hidden and excluded from the love of God!

But the Scriptures nowhere assert, or even imply, that God’s love is universal, that it extends to all men.

The Scriptures say, ”He loved us!”

And the “us” whom he loves are all believers, past, present, and future.

“He loved us,” who are chosen, redeemed, and called by his almighty grace.

John tells us four things about the love of God in this text.

  1. God loves sovereignly — “Herein is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us.”

“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.” (Jeremiah 31: 3)

There is nothing that compels God to love any of his creatures. But in his infinite goodness, God says, “Jacob have I loved.”

Our God is infinite, immutable, and sovereign, and so is his love.

He loves whom he will, because he will, and he loves them eternally, “with an everlasting love”.

  1. God loves sinners — “He loved us.”

I preach fully, without reservation, unlimited love, unbounded mercy to the vilest of men. We have nothing in us worthy of consideration.

We deserve the utmost extremity of God’s wrath.

But “he loved us!” Who can express the infinite magnitude and fulness of those words?

  1. God loves sacrificially — He “sent his Son.”

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4: 9)

God gave his darling Son to suffer and die upon the cursed tree to save the multitudes of his elect whom he loved with an everlasting love.

  1. God loves savingly — God loved his elect before the world began.

But in order for us to be reconciled to God, justice had to be satisfied.

Therefore, our loving heavenly Father made his Son to be the sin-atoning, justice-satisfying “propitiation for our sins.”

Through the substitutionary death of Christ, all the sins of God’s elect were washed away. — “Herein is love!”

The love of God is more than a helpless passion.

It is his saving commitment and determination toward his elect.

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “Who Is Elected” (56:24 minutes)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 4 February, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

The Desert Years

”And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.” | Exodus 2: 23

It is striking how the holy truth of election was woven into the common speech of the early church.

When Paul greets the Thessalonians, he writes,” Knowing brethren beloved your ELECTION of God”. (1 Thessalonians 1: 4)

Peter begins his epistle with, “ELECT according to the foreknowledge of God;” and when he closes the same letter he says,” The church that is at Babylon, ELECTED together with you, saluteth you.”

John writes, “The elder unto the ELECT lady,” and closes the letter with, “The children of my ELECT sister greet thee.”

It was not at all awkward for election to come out even in these greetings and good-byes.

Why?

Because election was not merely a doctrine which they believed the Bible taught, but they worshipped the God of election.

Election tells us God is God!

and election tells us that salvation is all of grace.

This was doctrine that not only a few of the more mature believers believed, but it was woven into the ways and woof of the thinking of the early church.

It was the first thing Annanias told Paul about: “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee”. (Acts 22: 14)

Remember this; you cannot separate election and God Himself.

He is the God of election.

The early church knew this, and the church of the 20th century knows it also!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “The Desert Years” (40:54 minutes)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 25 February, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Salvation Is Of The Lord

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD” | Psalm 37: 39

We have all heard of putting the cart before the horse.

That summarizes man’s religion.

It inverts the divine order.

It makes forgiveness the end rather than the beginning of salvation.

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 2-3)

Man’s religion says you must believe before you can have life, rather than you believe because you live.

It says God will if you will, rather than God will and you shall.

It makes man the deciding factor rather than God.

Anything that has man as the deciding factor is doomed for failure.

Thank God, salvation is of the Lord!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “Christ The Only Foundation”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 6 June, 2021 | Previous post date: 7 June, 2021

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Nothing But Christ

”And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” | Acts 5: 42

Oh! that those glorious days would return, when Christ and Christ alone, Jehovah’s Christ, and Jehovah’s chosen, may fill every pulpit, occupy every house, warm every heart, and flow from every tongue, in his Churches, and among his people!

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4: 2)

The Lord Jesus was with them, both text and sermon; they found enough in him for endless discourse.

Lord the Spirit, in mercy to thy Church, hasten the hour, when, the Redeemer shall arise out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob!

Come my beloved, (saith the Church,) and be thou like to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

~ Robert Hawker

Click here to listen to the message “Election”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 1 August, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Straw Man

”Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” | 2 Thessalonians 2: 14

Election is not the cause of anybody going to hell, for election is unto salvation.

Neither is non-election responsible for the damnation of sinners.

Sin is the thing that sends men to hell, and all men are sinners by nature and practice; sinners altogether apart from election or non-election.

It does not follow that because election is unto salvation that non-election is unto damnation.

Sin is the damning element in human life; election harms nobody.

~ C.D. Cole

Click here to listen to the message “Christ our Righteousness”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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: 22 April, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a