Grace Baptist Church of Danville

March 7, 2010

 

 

A god who does not rule all things absolutely is no God at all, but only a weak, frustrated, defeated idol, carved from one of the trees in the dark forest of manÕs depraved imagination.

 

 

Daily Readings for the Week of March 7-14

Sunday                Joshua 2-5                                        Thursday                   Joshua 15-17

            Monday                     Joshua 6-8                                        Friday             Joshua 18-20

            Tuesday                    Joshua 9-10                                     Saturday                    Joshua 21-22

            Wednesday  Joshua 11-14                                               Sunday                      Joshua 23-Judges 1

 

á      I am preaching today for Kitchens Creek Baptist Church in Ball, LA, where Bro. Milton Howard is pastor. You are privileged to have Bro. Donnie Bell preaching the gospel to you today. Bro. Bell is pastor of Lantana Grace Church in Crossville, TN.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Debbie Bartley-13th

 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Jayalita McCormack (AM) Emily Rice (PM) Tuesday: Laura Peterson

 

ÒAll Things are Ready!Ó — Don Fortner

(Tune: Stand Up, and Bless the Lord!)

 

1.    What sweet melodious voice

Is this that meets my ear?

ÒAll things are ready!Ó — O Rejoice,

And to this feast draw near.

 

2.    No more your substance waste,

On vanities and toys:

ÒAll things are ready!Ó — Come and taste

Of everlasting joys.

 

3.    All God and heavÕn require,

And all that sinners need, —

All is prepared that saints desire. —

Come, hungry souls, and feed.

 

4.    All who by grace are spared,

On wine and fat things feast;

And yet there is enough prepared,

For millions more to taste!

 

5.    Taste, sinners, taste and see

That Christ, the Lord, is good!

ÒAll things are ready!Ó — All is free,

Through ChristÕs atoning blood!

The Sevenfold Purpose of God

ÒThe LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:Ó (Isaiah 14:24)

      We believe, according to the scriptures, that the Lord our God is a God of purpose, absolute and unalterable purpose. Before the world began, Almighty God sovereignly purposed all that ever comes to pass in time. Nothing in this world is left to chance. Everything is moving toward the predetermined end of GodÕs eternal purpose with absolute, precise accuracy.

      Even a casual reader of Holy Scripture has to face this fact: The God of the Bible is a God of purpose. Read Romans 8:28-30, 9:11-26, 11:33-36, Ephesians 1:3-14, 3:11 and 2 Timothy 1:9. These passages plainly state that the Triune Jehovah is a God of purpose, and clearly teach several things about the purpose of God. — The purpose of God is eternal. —The purpose of God includes all things. — The purpose of God has for its peculiar design the everlasting benefit of GodÕs elect. Everything that God has purposed is for the ultimate, spiritual, and eternal benefit of his covenant people. — The purpose of God is immutable and sure. The Lord himself says, ÒMy counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasureÓ (Isaiah 46:10). And in its ultimate end, GodÕs purpose will accomplish the eternal salvation of his chosen people and the glory of his own great name.

      Here are seven things which God has purposed. Since these are things purposed of God, they must all come to pass. They are divine imperatives.

1.    The Lord Jesus Christ must suffer and die upon the cursed tree.

      The death of our Lord was no accident. It was not something that came to pass as the result of manÕs free-will, or because the Jews would not have him as their King. Our Savior plainly told his disciples that he must die at Calvary (Luke 9:22). In order to fulfill his covenant engagements as our Surety, the Lord Jesus Chris had to die at Calvary. Our Lord voluntarily took it upon himself to become our Surety, and he freely laid down his life for us; but once he volunteered to become our Surety, he had to lay down his life for us. His honor and faithfulness demanded it (John 10:18). The Old Testament Scriptures could not be fulfilled until the Son of God hung upon the cursed tree. And the Lord God could not save his people except through the atoning death of his Son (Romans 3:24-26).

2.    But the death of Christ alone is not sufficient to save anyone. In order to save us the Lord Jesus must rise from the dead.

      It is written, ÒHe must rise again from the dead.Ó A dead Christ could never have been of any value to God or to his people; but when the Lord Jesus arose from the dead, our salvation was accomplished and the foundation of our faith was fixed.

3.    The gospel of the grace of God must be preached throughout the whole world.

      Our Lord told his disciples that prior to his second advent Òthe gospel must first be published among all nationsÕÕ (Mark 13:l0). The gospel must be preached for the salvation of GodÕs elect in every nation.

 

 

4.    When the gospel has been declared throughout the whole world and before our Lord comes again, all GodÕs elect must be saved.

      God preserves the earth and allows it to stand only because he has in it a people whom he is determined to save (2 Peter 3:9). Our Lord said, ÒOther sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherdÓ (John l0:16).

5.    The Lord Jesus Christ must reign as King.

      Our blessed God-man Mediator, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the sovereign Ruler and King of the universe. And Òhe must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feetÓ (1 Corinthians 15:25). You must bow to the Lord Christ, or you must perish (Luke 14:25-33).

6.    The Lord Jesus Christ must come again in power and great glory (1 Corinthians 15:51-55).

      Once all GodÕs elect have been saved and all the purpose of God in this world has been accomplished, Christ shall come for his people. King Jesus must come again to raise his saints, to destroy his enemies, to create all things new and to reign gloriously forever.

7.    And it is evident from the scriptures that, according to the purpose of God, every person must stand before the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

            When everything God has purposed is done, you and I will meet God in the judgment. How will you fair in that day? Will you stand alone, in the nakedness of your iniquity? Or, will you stand in Christ complete, clothed in his perfect righteousness? I do not know whether you will in simple, submissive faith bow to the purpose of God and be saved, or not; but of this one thing I am sure — the purpose of God shall stand!

 

Four Obvious Facts

            Here are four facts that are so obviously revealed in Holy Scripture that they cannot be missed, except by deliberate effort. Yet, obvious as they are, they cannot be known, except by divine revelation in the blessed experience of GodÕs saving grace in Christ. — (1.) Christ is the believerÕs only righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16). — (2.) ChristÕs obedience unto death is the righteousness of God imputed to GodÕs elect in free justification (Romans 3:24; 5:19). — (3.) Christ who is our Righteousness is formed in (Imparted to — He could not be formed in us except he be imparted to us.) redeemed sinners in the new birth, making the regenerate new creatures, partakers of the divine nature and possessors of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 1:4). — (4.) Christ is that new man created in (Imparted to — He could not be created in us except he be imparted to us.) every saved sinner in righteousness and true holiness, that is born of God and cannot sin, making every heaven born soul in this world one who possesses two distinct, warring natures: the one flesh, the other spirit (Romans 7:14-23; Galatians 5:17-23; Ephesians 4:24; 1 John 3:5-10).

 

 

 

Grace Bulletin

 

March 7, 2010

 

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