Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church
1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
April 28, 2013          
 Newsletter Number 413

Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor                    Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director
Pastor E-Mail: pastor@sgmbaptist.com          Web Site: www.sgmbaptist.com

"Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty Years”

You Were Asked To Pray For:

All of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry, Junior Baldridge, Frankie Baldridge and daughter, Buckie Thompson, Frank & Sonya Trusty, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Velma Hammond, Charles, Don Hammond and Families, Archie & Barbara Griffin, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, James and Luann Reynolds, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Teresa Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, Lee Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Pat Abercrombie, Barbara Brewer, Donna Jones, Dale and Linda Trahan, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, Gina, Ryan, and Mallary Peel, Tommy Walker and family, Dina Thomas, Brother Steve McCool and the work in Canada, Brother Curtis Pugh, Brother Dan Sullivan and the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought From Our Pastor:

The Most Powerful Message! 
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Hebrews 4:2

The most powerful sermon in the word is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the one single sermon Christ demanded to be preached not just in the church, not just in the churches, not just in a certain part of the world, but to every single human being to have ever been born.  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."  Mark 16:15 Not to just one race of people, not to just those we think might be receptive of it, but to everyone. Paul says in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." It is the one single message that God uses to save the lost sinner. There are no second salvation messages because there is not any message that has the power that the gospel does to save the lost. There are no other words man can speak to save the lost sinner, there are no tricks man can do to affect the lost, there are no good ways to plead and beg the lost to come to Christ that is equivalent to the gospel. God said the gospel and it alone has the power to bring the proud sinner to his knees and ask God for salvation. It is the power of God to save the sinned and nothing else has this power. Paul says that nothing else works, not signs or wonders, not youth groups, not movies about hell, not good jokes from the pastor, not entertainment of any sort, but the simple message of the gospel. "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, (19.) Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." Romans 15:18 – 19 Why the gospel message? Why is it that this little message is more powerful than anything else we can do to bring a sinner to Christ? Paul said back in Romans 15:19 “…by the power of the Spirit of God…” it is the single message that the Holy Spirit uses to save the lost sinner. The saved heard the gospel for the first time after the Holy Spirit had convicted their unrepentant heart. Paul said in Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Not led by your pastor, church worker, persuasive words, or any other trick, but them that are led to the gospel by the Holy Spirit. Let’s read what God said in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." Salvation is of the Lord and man has no power to save one single sinner. Those that think they can add to the gospel and make it more powerful, or add something special to it that it might reach more lost sinners, they hindering the gospel more than helping it. Folks! The gospel is the power of God, it doesn’t need tweaking! 1 Corinthians 9:11 - 12 "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? (12.) If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ." God said in our text scripture “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them…” Why does the gospel profit some and not others? Why is it one may sit and hear the gospel millions of time over their life time and die and go to hell unsaved? It is because God never saved them! The gospel will not always profit a person and deliver them from their sin. There will be those who will hear it and never repent. The reason is God did not save them. Nothing, not even the gospel has salvation power if not delivered to the sinful heart by the Holy Spirit. This is a fact so many have lost over time, some believe they don’t need God and His power so they have created other tactics to save the lost and what they have are churches full of dead people. We close with this powerful scripture "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;" 2 Timothy 1:8

For Our Weekly  Meditation:

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain!
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, who takes His name in vain." Exodus 20:7

This commandment bids us to speak of God with that frame of spirit which is agreeable to His dignity and solemnity and the majesty: that is, with the utmost sincerity, humility and reverence. O what high thoughts ought we to entertain of such a Being! In what holy awe should we stand of Him! Anything pertaining to God should be spoken of with the greatest sobriety.

God’s Name is taken in vain—when we use it without due consideration and reverence. Whenever we make mention of Him before whom the seraphim veil their faces—we ought seriously and solemnly to ponder His infinite majesty and glory—and bow our hearts in deepest prostration before that Name.

God's Name is not to be sported with and tossed to and fro upon every light tongue. O my reader, form the habit of solemnly considering whose Name it is you are about to utter. It is the Name of Him who is present with you, who is hearing you pronounce it. He is jealous of His honor, and He will dreadfully avenge Himself upon those who have slighted Him!

It has become almost impossible to walk the streets or to enter mixed company without hearing the sacred Name of God treated with blasphemous contempt. The novels of the day, the stage, and even radio (and more lately television, the cinema, and the press) are terrible offenders, and without doubt this is one of the fearful sins against Himself, for which God is now pouring out His judgments upon us.

God is dreadfully incensed by this sin, and in the common commission of this Heaven-insulting crime, our country has incurred terrible guilt! "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain." Sore punishment shall be his portion, if not in this life, then most assuredly so, eternally so, in the life to come!

By Arthur Pink, "The Ten Commandments"

Notice:

The churches Bible Conference will be September 20 – 21. Friday night services will be from 6:00 – 8:00 with three speakers and Saturday from 9:00 – 3:30 with 6 or 7 sermons. It is possible that 1 or 2 speakers will be asked to speak twice on Saturday since we have no Sunday services. We would love to hear all speakers twice but that is not always possible.