November 11, 2007

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” — This is a standard before which no hypocrite can stand, a fire that consumes the sparkling tinsel of unregenerate souls.

.

Daily Readings for the Week of November 11-18

·      I am preaching this morning for Grace Baptist Church in Taylor, AR. Tonight and tomorrow night I am scheduled to preach for the Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Wichita Falls, TX. I am delighted that you have Bro. Bruce Crabtree, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in New Castle, IN, here to preach the gospel to you today. — Tuesday night, Bro. Todd Nibert, pastor of Todds RD Grace Church in Lexington, KY will be here to preach to you.

·      Friday and Saturday night I am scheduled to preach for Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Mercer County. The services begin at 7:00 PM on Friday and at 6:00 PM on Saturday. Bro. Bill Eldridge is the host pastor. Telephone 859-366-4479.

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Jenny Bartley (AM) Emily Rice (PM) Tuesday: Ruth Wall

Tell Me I Am Born of God — Don Fortner

(Tune: #15 — Brethren, We Have Met To Worship — 87.87.D)

1.    Jesus, Advocate for sinners,

All my hope is in Your blood;

Speak the word of full forgiveness,

Tell me I am born of God.

Refrain: -        Tell me, “There’s no condemnation!”

Tell me by Your Holy Word.

Tell me, let me hear it often,

Tell me I am born of God.

2.    Send Your Spirit, blessed Jesus,

To apply Your precious blood;

Ease me of the guilt of conscience,

Tell me I am born of God.

3.    Prince of Peace, give me assurance

Of my interest in Your blood;

Drive away my fear and doubting,

Tell me I am born of God.

4

“All Things Are Yours”

“All things are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”

(1 Corinthians 3:21-23)

      We rejoice in the fact that all the blessings of the divine covenant are sealed to us by the redeeming work of Christ and the regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit. Since God reconciled us to himself, while we were yet enemies, through the blood of his Son, we are confident that he will freely give us all things with and in Christ (Romans 8:32).

      This promise gives us confidence in our pilgrimage here upon the earth. Yes, even those things that break our hearts, those afflictions that drain our bodies, and those trials that lay our spirits low are the gifts of our heavenly Father to us. Do not those things that are most bitter to the flesh tend to awaken your soul to faith and prayer? Do they not give you a sense of the emptiness of this world and the fading character of all it can yield? Does not the Spirit of God by these things call our sins to remembrance and provoke us to repentance and greater consecration to Christ? As the wicked are injured by their best things, God’s saints are made better by their worst. We are mended by our sicknesses, enriched by our poverty, strengthened by our weakness, enlivened by our sorrows, and increased by our losses. Our graces are kept alive by those very things that are the death of other men's souls. May he give us grace never to be offended by such gifts of grace, by which we reap such great benefits. “All things are yours!” Weary pilgrim, let this promise sustain your soul in peace.

      “All things are yours!” This is a promise that fills our hearts with joyful anticipation with regard to heaven. Child of God, this is our promise for all eternity — “all things are yours.” I read of no secondary joys in heaven. None of God’s elect will be placed in the back settlements of Canaan. Whoever invented the doctrine of degrees in heaven knew nothing of free-grace. There is as much foundation for such a doctrine in Scripture as there is for the Romish doctrine of purgatory, and no more, All the saints shall see their Savior’s face. What more can any child of God desire? The dying thief went with Christ to paradise, and so did Paul. Their inheritance is the same. They are “forever with the Lord.”

      Heavenly glory, in all of its fulness, is altogether the reward of grace, not of debt. All the people of God are loved with the same perfect love. There are no degrees in God’s love. We were all chosen in Christ at the same time, and elected to the same glory. All the blessings of the covenant of grace were given to us in Christ before the world began. We are all redeemed with the same price, the precious blood of Christ. And by that blood, the Lord God has blotted out all our iniquities, transgressions and sins so thoroughly that he has promised never to remember them against us anymore forever. In Christ we are all perfectly justified and made righteous. We are made the very righteousness of God in him; and we are all the sons of God by eternal adoption and faith in Christ. All the saints of God are made kings and priests unto God in Christ. We are accepted and well-pleasing to God in Christ. Soon, we shall be like him. Can there be degrees of perfect glory? Perish the thought! — “All things are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s!”

5

“Ordained of God

“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4)

            When we read such a passage as this, and when we see it fulfilled before our eyes, we often ask — “How could this have happened?” That is because we fail to give proper consideration to the most significant words in Jude 4 concerning the heretics who infiltrate gospel churches. — Jude tells us that these serpentine preachers “were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” Their infiltration is by divine design. They could not find their way into Zion if the Lord our God did not wisely ordain it for good reasons. One of those reasons is stated plainly in 1 Corinthians 11:19. When heretics come among us, the Lord makes manifest who are his. His sheep hear the Good Shepherd’s voice and follow him. They hear not the voice of strangers.

            They creep into the church and worm their way into people’s affections by pretense and insinuation (2 Timothy 3:1-7). They claim to promote righteousness and truth. Yet their doctrine is so corrupt and their motives so vile that they know their success depends entirely upon deceit. It is no marvel that Paul wrote as he did in 2 Corinthians 11, warning us to mark those who seek to destroy our souls with their beguiling doctrines.

Our most dangerous enemies are not godless politicians, but godless preachers, subtle enemies inside the church (2 Peter 2:1; 1 Timothy 4:1-3). In the night, when men sleep, Satan sows his tares among the wheat, that he might corrupt the church. His messengers creep into the church unsuspected, under falsely professed faith (Matthew 7:15; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Yet, there is no cause for alarm. They shall cause no real harm. The church and kingdom of Christ, God’s elect, are kept safe and secure. God’s purpose is not overthrown, or even hindered by our foes, but only served. Everything about them, including their work and their end is according to the determinate counsel and eternal purpose of our all-wise and sovereign God. Jude tells us that these false prophets “were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” Heresies and errors do not fall out by chance, but according to the certain and eternal purpose of our God. Nothing can come to pass without his will, and nothing can come to pass against his will.

“Zion stands with hills surrounded; Zion, kept by pow'r divine.

All her foes shall be confounded, Though the world in arms combine.

Happy Zion, Happy Zion, What a favored lot is thine!

Every human tie may perish, Friend to friend unfaithful prove,

Mothers cease their own to cherish, Heav'n and earth at last remove.

But no changes, But no changes Can attend Jehovah's love.

In the furnace God may prove thee, Thence to bring thee forth more bright,

But can never cease to love thee; Thou art precious in his sight.

God is with thee, God is with thee; Thou shalt triumph in his might.”

6

Grace Bulletin

November 11, 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.freegraceradio.com

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

Don Fortner

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com