SCHEDULE OF REGULAR SERVICES

Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes

10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service

6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service

Tuesday 7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

Television Broadcasts

Danville Channel 6-Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

Harrodsburg Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm

http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp

January 16, 2005

Slanderers are the billows Satan uses to stir up fires of contention.

Daily Readings for the Week of January 16-23

Sunday Genesis 45-47 Thursday Exodus 7-9

Monday Genesis 48-50 Friday Exodus 10-12

Tuesday Exodus 1-3 Saturday Exodus 13-14

Wednesday Exodus 4-6 Sunday Exodus 15-17

· Missionary Offering Today

· We plan to have our Quarterly Fellowship on Sunday, February 6.

· The Lord willing, I will preach to you from Jude 5 Tuesday night on “Signs of Apostasy.”

· I am scheduled to preach Wednesday and Thursday nights for Katy Baptist Church in Fairmont, WV, where Bro. Marvin Stalnaker is pastor.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Lance Hellar-17^th

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Shante’ Birchum (AM) Diane Campbell (PM) Tuesday: Celeste Peterson

One With My Savior Christ I Am — Don Fortner

(Tune: #497 — When I Can Read My Title Clear — CM)

1. One with my Savior Christ I am,

Forever with Him one,

Chosen, accepted, blessed in Him,

Before God made the sun.

2. Yes, justified and sanctified,

By God’s all-wise decree,

And in my Savior glorified

From all eternity!

3. Hush, then, my soul, make no complaints,

Since Christ and I are one,

For God is faithful to His saints

And faithful to His Son!

4. Beneath my Father’s smile I live

In Christ forever bless’d.

I’ll praise Him for the grace received,

And trust Him for the rest.

Counting All Things Loss For Christ

Philippians 3:4-10

The Apostle Paul was a man separated to Christ, so thoroughly consecrated to his Savior and Lord that he could say with honesty, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung.”

Self-denial

Most religious people, following the influence of Romanism, make self-denial denying ourselves of certain meats and drinks, lawful pleasures, and even the privilege of marriage, as though we can attain spirituality and godliness by obeying the legalists’ and will-worshippers’ creed, “touch not, taste not, handle not” (Col. 2:21). In verses 4-8 Paul sets before us an example of true self-denial. It is the denial of all personal righteousness before God. This self-denial is an essential aspect of saving faith. Though it increasingly comprehends all aspects of life as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, self-denial begins with a denial of all personal worth and merit as a grounds of hope before God.

Here is a legalist of highest order laying aside the filthy rags of his self-righteousness for the blessed, pure, perfect righteousness of Christ. Paul counted all his fleshly, carnal, natural privileges, religious distinctiveness, and educational advantages as nothing but dung before God. He placed no confidence in his flesh. He found that one Pearl of Great Price, and sold everything he had to get it (Matt. 13:45-46). This was done on the Damascus Road when the Lord saved him (v. 7). And this was a decision he made everyday, with increasing, growing commitment and consecration to Christ. He counted all things but dung for Christ.

Faith’s Ambitions

Why? What was the cause of this man’s self-denial, consecration, and commitment? What made this man willing to forsake everything and follow Christ? Paul was inspired, motivated, and driven to the point of utter obsession by four great ambitions of faith (vv. 8-10). May God the Holy Spirit make these ambitions the ambitions of your heart and mine.

1. “That I may win Christ and be found in him.”

2. “And be found in him.”

3. “That I may know him.”

4. “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

“That I May Win Christ”

Philippians 4:8

What a great ambition this is! It is the one great ambition of every believer’s heart — “That I may win Christ.”

The life of faith is the lifelong pursuit of Christ. Faith looks upon Christ as the most precious, most desirable, most lovely, most valuable Person and Object in the world. The more he is known, the more he is wanted. Therefore true faith willingly forsakes all to follow him.

Christ is the Treasure hidden in the field, for which we would gladly spend all. He is the Pearl of Great Price, for which we must sell all. Jesus Christ is the “one thing needful” who must be chosen. Christ is the one thing we must have.

I am thankful for the many comforts of life with which I am blessed; but I must have Christ. I am thankful for my friends; but I must have Christ. I am thankful for health; but I must have Christ. I am thankful for my family; but I must have Christ. “I count all things loss that I may win Christ.”

Both the Scriptures and daily experience teach the believing sinner that “This is not your rest” (Mic. 2:10). Though the Lord Jesus has taken possession of our souls and cast out the strong man armed, we must never think of finding rest in this world. Yes, having ceased from our own works for acceptance with God, we enjoy the blessed rest of faith in Christ, trusting him alone as our Savior. Yet, we are in a state of ceaseless warfare in this world, a warfare in our souls.

The world, the flesh and the devil incessantly assault us on every side. And of all the assaults made against us by the prince of darkness, none is more dangerous than the allurement to self-confidence. The fiend of hell that is the great promoter of self-righteousness is Satan himself. It is always his deceptive voice that says to us — “You are a good Christian. You have a good testimony. You do not live carelessly as the rest of the world. You have made some progress in holiness. Look upon these things and they will give you assurance and confidence before God.”

Let us ever seek grace from our God to save us from such assaults from hell. Cast away all confidence in the flesh and glory in none but Christ. He is all our hope, all our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We are nothing but sin. All our righteousnesses are but filthy rags. Only as we renounce them as such and cling to him alone as Jehovah-tsidkenu — “The Lord our Righteousness,” do we enjoy all in him.

Yes, there is indescribably more to be known and experienced of our all-glorious Christ than we have yet known. Hearts enamored with Christ never have enough of him in this world. They renounce all for him who is their Portion, their Treasure, their Desire, and their All, crying, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”