Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

BLESSED ASSURANCE

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” | Philippians 1: 21

Assurance of salvation and a saving interest in our Lord Jesus is NOT A FEELING cultivated by thinking good thoughts and doing good deeds.

Paul calls it “full assurance of faith.” It has to do with faith, with BELIEVING GOD!

Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN THE FATHER as our covenant God; “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN THE SON as our just God and Saviour; “By His stripes we are healed.”

Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES; “Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”

So your assurance of redemption is not enhanced by the MORE YOU WORK, but by the MORE YOU TRUST AND REST IN HIM.

“Let us labor therefore to enter into THAT REST” (Hebrews 4: 11)

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Four Words that Demand Your Attention”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

“That’s Dangerous Doctrine!”

”Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” | Hebrews 10: 29

How often I have heard those words from preachers who are trying to excuse their compromise of the gospel and persuade others to be less dogmatic in their assertions of gospel truth.

When we preach the believer’s absolute security in Christ “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10: 28) the Arminian cries, “That’s dangerous doctrine!”

If we assert God’s sovereign election “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” (Ephesians 1: 4) the free-willer cries, “That’s dangerous doctrine!”

As soon as we affirm the believer’s freedom from the law “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6: 14) the legalist cries, “That’s dangerous doctrine!”

When we declare the eternal justification of God’s elect in Christ “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” (Romans 8: 30) the works monger cries, “That’s dangerous doctrine!”

Understand this: – No truth of God is dangerous!

All truth is blessed, delightful, and encouraging to the faith and holiness of God’s elect.

In over 40 years of pastoring I have heard many excuses for the ungodly acts of men. But I have never heard even one believer attempt to justify any evil thing by the doctrine of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ!

Those who suggest that free grace is dangerous or will promote licentiousness, simply know nothing of the grace of God.

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “The Most Hideous Doctrine In The World”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: 31 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Christ Prayeth for the Apostles and All Believers

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are]. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” | John 17: 1-12

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Jesus – Friend of Sinners”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: 27 September, 2020 | Previous post date: 15 February, 2021

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

He Has Made Him Sin

”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: 21

The Lord Jesus being made sin for us must extend beyond the idea of the imputation of our sin to Him.

We would never be made the righteousness of God in Christ as a result of His being merely charged with our sin. No, He must also suffer for those sins. He must not merely bear our sins, but must bear them on the tree of curse and punishment. To bear the sins of someone else and suffer in their place is the very definition of a sin offering, so we understand Paul to mean that the sinless Christ was made a sin offering for sinful us. Paul’s words are essentially the same as the prophet Isaiah in 53: 10 of his prophecy, “…you shall make his soul an offering for sin.”

In the original Hebrew the word “offering” does not appear, for, in the language of the old testament, the word for sin and the word for the offering to put it away are one and the same.

Nor is our being made the righteousness of God in Christ merely an act of imputation.

In the case of our being “made” the righteousness of God, the word signifies a change in the very essence of a thing. In being made a sin offering, Christ’s status before God was changed, as the word signifies; but His essence remained unchanged. But, in being made the righteousness of God, our very essence is changed.

Christ’s sacrificial death did not make us the righteousness of God in Him, but opened the door to the other works of God’s grace which do, indeed, make us the righteousness of God.

Christ’s work for us made possible God’s work in us.

Thus, beginning with the New Birth and finishing with our glorification to be like Christ, we are quite literally made into something different from what we were at our natural birth: our nature is changed by God.

When in glory, we shall not be righteous only by a legal act of imputation, but we shall be essentially righteous, even as the Lord Jesus Christ is righteous. And even now, the born again child of God possesses a new nature called spirit – the restored image of God – which is flawless in every respect. It is the beginning of the New Creation and bears the image of the One Who made it. It is incapable of sinning, for it is the offspring of its Perfect Creator.

The child of God – who still finds no good thing in his flesh – is yet flawless in his spirit; and in those things the spirit does, he acts without sin.

~ Pastor Joe Terrell

Click here to listen to the message “The Judgment Seat of Christ”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 3 September, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Blind Eyes Opened

”And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” | Luke 18: 9-14

One of the many promises concerning God’s servant is that He would open the eyes of the blind.

In the Lord’s parable of the Pharisee and the Publican who both went into the temple to pray we have an excellent example of what this means.

The Pharisee’s eyes had not been opened and thus he prayed: “I thank thee that I am not as other men.”

A person whose eyes have not been opened is blind to his sinfulness, that his righteousness is in God’s sight like filthy rags and as Solomon said “the plague of his own heart.”

The publican’s eyes had been opened and thus he prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

The word translated “merciful” shows that his eyes had been opened to see his sinfulness, and his need of an atonement to reconcile him to God.

The one atonement that reconciles sinners to God is the bloody sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Has He opened your eyes to see your need and to sue for mercy?

Then you are part of the family of God which shall forever praise Him for the redeeming, justifying blood of the Son of God.

~ Pastor David Pledger

Click here to listen to the message “A Weighty Question”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: 31 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Look and Live

“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 “Look and Live”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

Some Basic Facts

“The Bible is the word of God” | 1 Timothy 3: 16

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.

It contains no error whatsoever.

We do not derive our doctrine from men nor denominations.

The Bible is our rule of faith and practice.

“To the Law and the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8: 20)

Christ Is The Gospel.

He is both the subject and the object of the gospel. It is about Him (Romans 1: 1-3) and for His glory. (Colossians 1: 18) “Christ is ALL” are the words of scripture. (Colossians 3: 11)

He is ALL in the scriptures, ALL to God, ALL in salvation, and ALL to every believer. The SURE and ONLY HOPE of every child of God is wrapped up in the PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST. Salvation is caused by the work of Christ, His effectual atonement for His people, (Matthew 1: 21) and experienced by knowing and bowing to the Lordship of Christ. (John 17: 2-3)

Every aspect of salvation from the beginning (election) to the end (glorification) is all of God’s grace!

Salvation is not what you do for God but what He does for you.

No part of salvation can be ascribed to man.

To credit any part of salvation to the religious efforts, good works, or free will of man is to DENY salvation by grace. “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2: 9) “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that no of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

Christ and his salvation is not received by doing but by believing.

“This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE ON HIM Whom He hath sent.”

Anyone who trusts Christ for salvation will be saved.

“The just shall live by faith.”

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “Him With Whom We Have to Do”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 2 September, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

The Foundation Of God Stands Sure

”Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.” | Psalm 97: 7-9

“He that is of God heareth God’s word”(John 8: 47)

Sometimes we get so frustrated and depressed because men and women deny the truth which is so evident and reject the counsel of God so plainly declared in His Word. Well, I can tell you this; if a person belongs to God by eternal election, has been born of God by divine regeneration, and is truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit of truth, he will hear God’s Word and receive it with affection, reverence, and obedience!

“His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5: 3)

It is more profitable and enjoyable to love than to hate, to forgive than to hold a grudge, to smile than to quarrel, to behave kindly than to act ugly.

The way of the transgressor is hard, not the way of the believer.

The life of faith and love is the good life.

~ Pastor Henry T. Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “The Foundation Of God Stands Sure”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: 31 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

THE ROCK

”He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.” | Psalm 62: 6

Have you any other rock but Christ?

I do not ask you whether you have a feeling of enjoyment of it. I know you will rejoice in Jesus when the Holy Spirit enables you. But have you any other refuge?

Can you go out into eternity resting upon any other rock but the Lord Jesus Christ?

Have you any other righteousness but His?

Can you lean upon, desire, or want any other than Christ’s righteousness?

“No,” says the soul, “None but Christ! None but Christ!”

Bless your poor heart, then, you shall have it as sure as God has wrought the desire in your conscience and brought you to trust alone in Jesus for refuge, for righteousness, for salvation, by stripping you of all false props and dependencies.

Such a soul as this will trust in the Lord, overcome all opposition, and be more than a conqueror through Him that hath loved him.

~ John Warburton

Click here to listen to the message “Romans Fifteen”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: n/a

Posted on by Sovereign Grace Bulletin Articles

WONDERFUL! WONDERFUL!

“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. | 2 Samuel 12: 1

Under a dark, ominous cloud of impending judgment, the prophet Isaiah sees the “Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.”

And oh what a sight it was!

Says he, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given… and His name shall be called wonderful.” (Isaiah 9: 6) His name shall be called “Wonderful” because He IS “wonderful!” He is wonderful to the holy angels, and He is wonderful to the saints of God, those who know Him.

“Wonderful” is a powerful adjective.

A wonderful person is One who excites wonder; One who is extraordinary, One who is astonishing, One who is amazing, One who is separate and distinguished from others. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” — the gloriously unique, incomparable God-man! He is indeed “wonderful!”

“Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3: 16)

The saints of God stand in wonder, adoration, and awe before this One.

He is wonderful in all that He is, all that He says, all that He has done, and all that He is doing.

He is wonderful as the Representative, Substitute, and Surety of His people – a sovereign, sufficient, successful, satisfied Savior!

In all of His glorious work of saving His people, from the very beginning to the end – He is wonderful!

He came from the highest heaven to the lowest hell to bring those who deserved the lowest hell to the highest heaven – He is wonderful! “He shall not fail nor be discouraged” (Isaiah 42: 4; Isaiah 53: 11)

In His faithfulness to save, He is wonderful! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou SHALT be saved” – He is wonderful!

The saints of God never cease to wonder at their Lord and Savior. They wonder at Him as they see Him in His Word, as they
see Him in His Providence, and as they see Him in their salvation, now and throughout eternity.

“His name shall be called WONDERFUL” – and it WAS, and IS!

~ Pastor Maurice Montgomery

Click here to listen to the message “The Lord Hath Put Away My Sin”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: 28 January, 2018 | Previous post date: 22 February, 2021