March 5, 2006
Gospel preaching is not delivering facts, debating issues, and settling points of doctrine. Gospel preaching is presenting the glorious Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and delivering his message.
Daily Readings for the Week of March 5-12
Sunday Deuteronomy 30-32 Thursday Joshua 9-10
Monday Deuteronomy 33-Joshua 1 Friday Joshua 11-14
Tuesday Joshua 2-5 Saturday Joshua 15-17
Wednesday Joshua 6-8 Sunday Joshua 18-20
· I am preaching today for Sovereign Grace Church in Jackson, MO, where Bro. Drew Deitz is pastor. Bros. Ron Wood and Larry Criss will preach the gospel to you today.
Almighty God, for Grace We Pray — Don Fortner
(Tune: — The Doxology — CM )
1. Almighty God, for grace we pray,
Attend our gath’ring here today;
We’ve come to worship at Your throne
Through Christ, Your well beloved Son.
2. Your Holy Spirit send this hour
And fill Your servant with His pow’r;
Leave not Your messenger alone,
But give him grace to preach Your Son.
3. Our hearts remove from earthly care
And fill with grace, and praise, and prayer;
Reveal Your Son, expose our sin,
And turn our hearts in faith to Him.
My friend, Bro. Harry Graham, once said to me, “When men attack truth with error, it’s like throwing a rubber ball against a brick wall. You can wear your ball out throwing it against the wall. But the wall will never be effected by it.” That is exactly what the Holy Spirit tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:8. — “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Our God is sovereign. — “None can stay his hand, or say unto him what doest Thou?” Christ is the Truth. His gospel is truth. And his cause is true. All the vile designs, wicked words, and evil deeds of men, or of hell itself will never affect “the truth,” not even slightly. God’s will will not be defeated. His purpose will not be altered. His work will not be hindered. His truth will not be affected by anyone, or anything. Either by man’s obedience or disobedience, sincerity or hypocrisy, his will shall be done! Truth shall stand unaffected!
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“The things concerning me have an end.” — Luke 22:37
“I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.” — After telling us how that the Scriptures must be fulfilled by his sin-atoning sacrifice as our Substitute, our Savior says, “the things concerning me,” all of them, all the things written of him in the Old Testament Scripture, all things decreed concerning him from eternity, he said, “have an end.” That is to say, everything decreed, purposed, and written concerning him have a specific design, goal, and intent, a conclusion, a termination, a predestined result, and a finality.
When he who knew no sin was made sin for us, when he bearing our sins in his own body on the tree was made a curse for us, when he had suffered all the fulness of God’s wrath and justice as our Substitute, our blessed Savior cried, “It is finished!...Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Then, he reverently bowed his head, as an obedient servant, whose work was finished, presenting himself to the Father, and gave up the ghost. At that moment, all things decreed and written of him had achieved their goal and predestined result with finality, and came to their end, their conclusion, and their termination (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 22; 40; 69; Isa. 53; Dan 9:26; Zech. 12:10; 13:6-7).
· All the requirements of his engagements as our covenant Surety, all his obligation as our Surety, ended (Heb. 10:5-14).
· All the shadows, types, promises, and prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures ended (Acts 13:29).
· The law of God had its end in his death (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:13-14).
· The fury, wrath, and vengeance of divine justice were ended for him and for all his people. — “Fury is not in me” (Isa. 27:4; 1 John 2:1-2).
· Judgment ended for his redeemed (Rom 8:1).
· Our sin and guilt before God ended (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 2:13-17; 1 Pet. 4:1-2; Rom. 8:1).
· The designed purpose of our Savior in coming into this world had its end (Matt. 1:21; Heb. 10:10-14). — “Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31).
With these words, “the things concerning me have an end,” the Son of God announced the end of his public, earthly ministry. Then, he took Peter, James, and John into the Garden of Gethsemane, where he would deliver himself into the hands of divine justice in our place, begin to engage the prince of darkness, and be betrayed into the hands of wicked men. When he had at last suffered all the horror of God’s holy wrath and justice as our Substitute, he would ascend to the Father, pour out his blessed Spirit upon his chosen, and teach us all things by him, through the Word. With these words, “the things concerning me have an end,” our great Redeemer assures us of everlasting peace. — “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
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“The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7
One of the most difficult things for medical doctors to do must be to rightly diagnosis a patient’s problem. There are so many diseases that have very similar symptoms, that they may be often deceived in their diagnosis. How many times have we heard of someone being treated for a while for the wrong disease? In the spiritual realm the diagnosis is simple. We are all sinners by birth, choice, and practice. Not everyone agrees with the diagnosis, but it becomes apparent to all when God gives His grace and opens our eyes to see. Then the treatment is also plainly revealed in God’s book, the Bible. “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” A doctor once said the following about me and a sickness: “I have a whole drugstore of medicine to try.” Men may have many medicines to try in the spiritual realm as well, but all to no avail. There is one healing fountain for sin-sick souls, and it is filled with the blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. Before the Lord Jesus Christ’s coming into this world, God spoke of a day in which He would open up a fountain for sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). That day came when He went to the cross and died in the place of His people. We will never cease to praise Him, “who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” (Revelation 1:5). —David F. Pledger
“Who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20
See, my soul, how Paul is forever using Jesus, and feasting forever upon him. Oh, seek grace to do the same! He saith, Jesus loved him. Jesus, the Son of God, loved Paul. Now love from any object is valuable, but from the first, and best, and greatest of all beings, what invaluable love is this? And who did Christ love? “Why me,” saith Paul, “who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious.” And how do you know, Paul, that Jesus loved you? “He gave himself for me,” saith Paul. “Gave himself?” Yes, himself. Not his gifts only, not his grace, not his mercies, though all creation is his. And whatever I have must have been an undeserved mercy; for I merited hell, when he bestowed upon me heaven. But even heaven, with all its glories, is nothing, saith Paul, to what Jesus gave me; for he “gave himself for me.” Oh, my soul, wilt thou not look up, wilt thou not be encouraged to hope, to believe, to hang upon Jesus, for the same? Oh, for faith to believe! Precious Jesus, thou Author and Finisher of faith, grant me this mercy! And while I read these sweet words concerning thee, who loved and who gave thyself for poor, lost sinners — Oh, like Paul, and with the same assurance of faith, cause me to add — me, me! Jesus “loved me, and gave himself for me!”
— Robert Hawker
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Grace Bulletin
March 5, 2006
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE
2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
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
Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.
Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.
Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.
http://www.donfortner.com
http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm
http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp