Gospel Preaching Online
December 10, 2006
ÒWe are as certainly partakers of the divine nature by the new birth as we were partakers of the human nature by the old birth.Ó — C. H. Spurgeon
Daily Readings for the Week of December 10-17
Sunday 1 Thessalonians 1-5 Thursday Titus 1-Philemon
Monday 2 Thess. 1-1 Timothy 1 Friday Hebrews 1-5
Tuesday 1 Timothy 2-6 Saturday Hebrews 6-8
Wednesday 2 Timothy 1-4 Sunday Hebrews 9-10
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! LeAnn Duff-12th David Coleman-13th James Jordn-16th
NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK
Today: Pam Wood (AM) Shelby Fortner (PM) Tuesday:Celeste Peterson
Farther Along — Revised by Don Fortner
1. Tempted and tried weÕre oftÕ made to wonder —
Why it should be thus all the day long.
Yet, blessed Father, loving and gracious,
We know YouÕre wise and never do wrong.
Farther along weÕll know more about it. Farther along weÕll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother. God is our Father! — WeÕll understand it all by and by.
2. When death has come and taken our loved ones,
Leaving our homes so lonely and drear;
Then do we cry, ÒO help me dear Savior,
You know my sorrow, You know my fear.Ó
Farther along weÕll know more about it. Farther along weÕll understand why;
Cheer up, my sister, look yet for mercy. —WeÕll understand it all by and by.
3. Often I wonder why I must journey
Over a road so rugged and steep.
Why all the darkness? Why all the heartache?
Why must Your chosen so often weep?
Farther along weÕll know more about it. Farther along weÕll understand why;
Cheer up, believer, trust your great Savior. — WeÕll understand it all by and by.
4. ÒFaithful Ôtil death,Ó said our loving Master,
A few more days to labor and wait;
Toils of the road will then be as nothing,
As we sweep through the beautiful gates.
Farther along weÕll know more about it. Farther along weÕll understand why;
Cheer up, my brother. Cheer up, my sister. — WeÕll understand it all by and by.
5. When we see Jesus coming in glory;
To take us to His home in the sky;
In heavenÕs glory, bowing before Him,
WeÕll understand it all by and by.
Farther along weÕll know more about it. Farther along weÕll understand why;
Cheer up, GodÕs children. Glory awaits us! — WeÕll understand it all by and by.
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Open House Tonight
Shelby and I would like for all of you to join us at for our annual open house fellowship at the parsonage following this eveningÕs service. — TonightÕs service will begin at 5:30 PM, allowing us a little more time together.
ÒThe very hairs of your head are all numbered.Ó
(Matthew 10:30)
With these words our Lord Jesus Christ assures us that none of GodÕs elect shall ever be in any real danger or suffer any real harm, for we are under the special care and protection of God himself. I see six things in this sentence, which are a constant source of peace and encouragement to me.
1. The Blessed Fact of Divine Predestination
The text might be better translated, ÒThe very hairs of your head have all been numbered.Ó Before the world began, our heavenly Father counted up and ordained the number of hairs that were to be upon your head at this very moment! This is meticulous predestination. What does it tell us? GodÕs sovereign purpose of grace in predestination includes all that we do and experience.
2. A Comforting Assurance of Divine Providence
The primary intent of the text is to show us our FatherÕs constant rule of all things. The sparrow cannot fall to the ground, and a hair cannot fall from your head, without your FatherÕs eternal decree in predestination and his direction in providence.
3. Our Heavenly FatherÕs Divine Knowledge of All Things Concerning Us
Our God, who predestinated all things and rules all things, knows all things. We are so well known by God that he has even numbered the hairs of our heads. ÒYour Father knoweth.Ó We need no other comfort. The LordÕs knowledge of us is constant and entire. His knowledge of us is the knowledge of a tender, sympathetic Father.
4. Our FatherÕs Constant, Divine Care
He who takes the trouble to number the hairs of our heads must surely care for us. We are the apple of his eye. Cast all your care upon him. ÒHe careth for you!Ó
5. The Honor and Divine Esteem God has for Us
God has numbered our hairs because he values them. He holds us in honor and esteem, above all the people of the world, because of his gracious purpose toward us in Christ (Isa. 43:3-5; 1 John 4:9-11).
6. The Promise of Divine Protection
The hairs of our head are all numbered because our God intends that, ÒThere shall not an hair of your head perish.Ó Trials are certain. Temptations are sure. Tribulations are constant in this world. But there is no cause for fear - ÒThe very hairs of your head are all numbered!Ó
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ÒHe shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you.Ó — John 16:14
The Holy Spirit does not reach after something novel, new, or spectacular in order to glorify Christ or to preach Christ to men. He does not need tongues, fleshly emotion, bodily healings, and creature fame and importance in order to bring glory to Christ and call out his sheep. He finds ChristÕs glory in Christ himself! If we want to honor Christ, glorify Christ, and preach Christ, we must not look for something outside of Christ; but we must honor him by preaching that which is his already: — his deity, his person, his manhood, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his intercession, his return!
Strange as it may seem, there is today very little preaching of Christ himself. Men preach about those who knew him, who served him, and who wrote of him. They preach about his church, his doctrines, and his commandments. They preach series of messages on those who used to preach Christ, on the conduct and conversation of those who profess to know Christ, and on the duties and responsibilities of believers in Christ, but very few messages on the person and work of Christ himself. They read papers and conduct discussions on ways and means to serve Christ, to discipline and organize the kingdom of Christ, and how to honor Christ; and they seldom get around to doing that which God has ordained and commissioned us to do and that is to preach Christ!
Jesus Christ is most glorified, his sheep most edified, his will and purpose accomplished, and his church perfected in faith, hope, and love when we preach Christ himself. The work of the Spirit of God is to reveal to us the beauties of Jesus Christ, and they are all found in Christ himself.
Without Suspicion — Pastor Gary Shepard
One of the unmistakable characteristics of the love Paul speaks of in I Corinthians 13 is that it is not suspicious. He clearly states, Òlove thinketh no evil.Ó Paul demonstrates this in his letter to Philemon concerning Onesimus. ÒIf he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine accountÓ (Phile. 1:18). He was speaking of two men he considered believers and brethren. They had a past problem between them but, loving them both, Paul follows the example of the SaviorÕs love. The basis for the love and forgiveness of brethren is that we are to do so Òeven as God for ChristÕs sake hath forgiven you.Ó One of the greatest glories of GodÕs love and forgiveness is that he forgets! ÒI will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no moreÓ (Jer 31:34). Essential to true forgiveness is forgetting! But where suspicion remains there is neither love nor forgiveness. Grace holds no lingering grudge. I have not forgiven my brother if I distrust him and am suspicious of him the rest of our days. If there is forgiveness, there is fellowship and where there is no fellowship, there has been no real forgiveness. If we have been wronged by our brother, may our Lord Jesus Christ break through our distrust, our suspicion and our isolation from him, saying, ÒIf he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account.Ó
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Grace Bulletin
December 10, 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