April 8, 2007

 

“The royal bath of mercy, wherein black souls are washed white as the snow, was filled from the veins of our Lord Jesus Christ. Atonement is the unaided work of the Lord of glory.”                                            C. H. Spurgeon

 

Daily Readings for the Week of April 8-15

            Sunday                      2 Samuel 18-19                                                       Thursday                   1 Kings 2-3

            Monday                     2 Samuel 20-21                                                       Friday             1 Kings 4-6

            Tuesday                    2 Samuel 22-23                                                       Saturday                    1 Kings 7-8

            Wednesday  2 Samuel 24-1 Kings 1                                           Sunday                      1 Kings 9-10

 

·      Missions Offering Next Sunday

·      Bro. Ron Wood is preaching today for Laird Street Baptist Church in New Caney, Texas.

·      Pastor Henry Mahan and I are preaching this morning for Katy Baptist Church in Fairmont, WV, where Bro. Marvin Stalnaker is pastor. Pastor Daniel Parks (Redeemer Baptist Church, Louisville, KY) will preach the gospel to you this morning. I plan to return this afternoon and will preach to you tonight.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Mycah Schwartz-9th Jayalita McCormack-14th

 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Pam Wood (AM) Celeste Peterson (PM) Tuesday: Ruth Wall

 

Sinner, If You Would Pardon Have — Don Fortner

(Tune: From Every Stormy Wind That Blows #355 — LM)

 

1.    Sinner, if you, would pardon have,

Seek pard'ning mercy from the Lord.

"Ask and receive," the Savior said,

And He is faithful to His Word.

 

2.    There is no work for you to do -

Christ did it all, Himself alone.

He lived, and died, and rose again.

Salvation's by free grace alone!

 

3.    A feast for sinners is prepared,

A feast of mercy and of grace:

Come, every hungry, thirsty soul,

And feast upon Christ's boundless grace.

 

4.    Though millions have already come

And found in Jesus all we need,

For sinners there is yet more room

And grace to meet your every need.

 

16

A Double Portion

 

“But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” (Deuteronomy 21:17

 

The Spirit of God describes God’s elect as “the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Hebrews 12:23), and calls his chosen “my firstborn” (Exodus 4:2; Jeremiah 31:9), identifying his own as a people who are one with Christ, his Firstborn. And by the precept of God’s law the firstborn must be given “a double portion.”

 

            Twice in Holy Scripture the Lord God woos and entices poor, needy, empty, bankrupt sinners to Christ by proclaiming that all who trust his darling Son shall receive in him the heritage of the Firstborn. This is the message he sends his servants to proclaim. — “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2). — “Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee” (Zechariah 9:12).

 

      He who has put an end to our warfare, finished our transgressions, and put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself has given us a double portion of grace. He has both pardoned our iniquity and made us the very righteousness of God. And he says to all who turn to the Stronghold, to Christ our Refuge and High Tower, “even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee.”

 

      He will give us double for all our troubles, just as he gave Job twice as much as he had lost. He will give us double for all our shame. — “For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them” (Isaiah 61:7). He will give us double, “grace for grace,” for all our need (John 1:16). And he will give us double for all our expectation. — “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

 

      All who turn to the Stronghold, Christ Jesus, may do so confidently expecting to enjoy all fulness of grace, all the blessings of his salvation, all the promises of God for this life and that which is to come, and all the glory of heaven, as “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

 

      The word “double” is to be connected with the word “declare,” and should be read, “This day, at this present time, no matter how distressing the day may be, or how uncomfortable and distressed you may be in it, I declare double to you. Double grace! Double blessedness! Double joy! Double satisfaction!” He is saying, where sin abounds and sorrow abounds, grace does much more abound!

 

17

“Salvation is of the Lord” — (Jonah 2:9)

 

“Salvation is of the Lord!” — What wonderful, lovely, simple and amazing truth!

  • Singular Truth: He has it and no one else.
  • Sovereign Truth: He dispenses it as He pleases.
  • Urgent Truth: Don’t delay come to Him this hour for it.
  • Original Truth: Salvation starts with no other than Christ our Lord.
  • Lasting Truth: Salvation has always been and shall ever be found in this one person, by His one work, for His own people.
  • Concluding Truth: He’s the alpha and Omega of salvation.
  • Gracious Truth: for it proceeds from the most gracious Redeemer.
  • Absolute Truth: no wavering about it, no arguing with it, no changing of guard here, it stops with Him in whom we have to do.
  • Humbling Truth: We cannot produce it or get it on our own, by our will, worth or merit.
  • Satisfying truth: the sheep would have it no other way!

Oh the splendor, grandeur, and brilliance of our great God and His blessed gospel: “Salvation is of the Lord!” Blessed indeed are His people who have been taught such heart-warming truth. I think I’ll tell somebody about it.

Pastor Drew Dietz

 

 

Most people do not forsake Christ, his gospel and his church all at once, but by degrees. Little by little they excuse themselves from the worship of God until they have ceased to worship him altogether. Still they justify themselves, while leading all who are under their influence to eternal ruin!

 

 

Preaching

 

“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.”

(1 Corinthians 2:3).

 

C. H. Spurgeon is called by many “The Prince of Preachers”. He wrote, “For many years my own preaching was exceedingly painful to me, because of the fear and trembling which beset me before entering the pulpit. Often, the dread of facing my hearers has been overwhelming.

 

            I wrote to my dear grandfather, who was a minister of God for many years, and told him of the overwhelming mental emotions, sickness of body, and trembling fears which gripped my heart when I preached the Word of God.”

 

            The old gentleman wrote back, “My son, I have been preaching the gospel of Christ sixty years, and I still feel the same trembling fears that you feel. Be content to have it so. When these emotions go away, your strength will also be gone. When you are able to preach the gospel and think nothing of it, the people will think nothing of it, and God will do nothing with it.”

Pastor Henry Mahan

 

18

 

Grace Bulletin

 

April 8, 2007

 

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

 

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 in 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.

 

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

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

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

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com