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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

May 10, 2015

 

Young man, if you run to preach like Ahimaaz, without being sent of God to do so, you may outrun and outshine many a Cushi, but you will never be used of God for the benefit of immortal souls and the glory of Christ, because, like Ahimaaz, you run without a message from God.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of May 10-17, 2015

Sunday                1 Chron. 28-2 Chron. 1            Thursday       2 Chronicles 12-15

            Monday                      2 Chronicles 2-5                              Friday             2 Chronicles 16-19

            Tuesday                    2 Chronicles 6-7                              Saturday                    2 Chronicles 20-22

            Wednesday 2 Chronicles 8-11                           Sunday                      2 Chronicles 23-24

 

·      Quarterly Fellowship Dinner — June 7th

 

Happy Birthday!  Fred Tuttle-11th

Happy Anniversary:  Billy & Jayalita McCormack-14th 

Nursery Duty this Week

Today: Shante’ Birchum (AM)  — Celeste Peterson (PM)  — Tuesday: Mindy Peterson

 

The Ark Jehovah Gave Don Fortner

(Tune: #497 — When I can Read My Title Clear  — CM)

 

 

1.    When God the world destroyed by flood,

He saved His chosen race,

Within the ark of gopher wood: —

An act of sov’reign grace.

 

2.    That ark, Christ Jesus typified, —

The Ark Jehovah gave,

In whom believing sinners hide,

Secure from ev’ry wave.

 

3.    Nothing and no one can destroy

Those souls in Jesus found:

God’s Angel, with eternal joy,

Compasses them around!

 

4.    Brought in by sweet constraining grace,

Shut in by cov’nant love,

Saved from the wreck of Adam’s race,

We feast on things above!

 

5.    Then, when the waters are assuaged,

God’s favored ones shall sing,

Through all eternity engaged

With Christ our God and King!

 

“The more we know Christ, the more we will consider it the greatest privilege of grace to lay down our lives for one another, for Christ’s glory, constrained by the great love wherewith God our Father and his Son loved us.”

— Pastor Clay Curtis

“The Full Assurance of Hope”

Hebrews 6:11-12

 

All who are born of God, all who trust Christ alone as Savior and Lord, all who look to Christ’s blood alone as the atonement for their sins, all who look to Christ’s obedience alone for their righteousness before God shall continue to trust him unto the end, and shall be with him in glory.

      Every believer, every sinner who looks to Christ alone for salvation and eternal life, can and should sing with Toplady…

“My name from the palms of His hands,

Eternity will not erase:

Impressed on His heart it remains

In marks of indelible grace.

Yes, I to the end shall endure,

As sure as the Earnest is given:

More happy, but not more secure,

The glorified spirits in heaven!”

      How can this be? How can any of us be sure of grace? How can anyone be assured of his salvation? Our adversary, the devil, seeks to devour us. Our temptations are many and great. Our trials are many and heavy. Our hearts are sinful and our flesh weak. Yet, in these verses the Spirit of God speaks to us of the ”full assurance of faith.” What is the basis of this assurance?

 

Full Assurance

Here the Spirit of God urges us to diligence by “the full assurance of hope” (v. 11). To many that seems very strange, but not to a believer. Nothing so inspires diligence in the life of a believer as the assurance of his hope in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 19-20). As John Trapp put it, “A man may as truly say the sea burns, or fire cools, as that certainty of salvation breeds looseness.”

What can be more blessed and more inspiring to our souls than a well-grounded full assurance? That man or woman who is assured of an interest in the love and grace of God, — the covenant of grace, its blessings and promises, — in the election of grace, — a saving interest in Christ as our Substitute and Redeemer, — the Holy Spirit’s work of grace in us, — of our fitness by grace for the possession of eternal glory and happiness in heaven, and — of possessing this blessed assurance “unto the end,” confidently walks in faith, and is inspired to honor God in all things by the assurance of his goodness, grace, and faithfulness.

 

“Be Not Slothful”

Let us not be slothful concerning our souls and the things of God (v. 12), but diligent, following the examples of those who have gone before us into glory, who through faith and patience have inherited the promises of God in Christ.

            Grace, salvation, and eternal life in and by Christ are things bestowed upon sinners by the promise of God. This is stated here to show us that salvation is not by our works, or human merit, but is entirely the work and gift of God’s free grace in Christ. It is a gift that shall assuredly be obtained by God’s elect. It shall be obtained by that faith and patience which God gives to his people by the power and grace of his Spirit.

This gift of grace is expressed in the plural number, “promises,” because it is the great, all-inclusive promise of God. It is described as an inheritance, because the whole thing is ours in Christ, as the sons of God, as “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” If I trust Christ as my Savior, I am assured of this blessed hope. Faith in him gives me “the full assurance of hope.

 

Naval Watchers

Sometime ago I read about a very select group of monks, who lived in the dark ages, who were known as “navel watchers.” Day after day they would go through a very “pious” exercise. All alone in their little rooms they would sit and stare into their navels.

      We all laugh and say, “Such an exercise is beyond ridiculous.” And it is, like many of those things performed by those who follow the pope’s doctrine. But I know many believers who imitate their madness. Whenever they are looking for assurance, they look within themselves for evidences. Seldom do these people find any comfort by their practice. And if they do, it is a false, self-righteous assurance.

      I find no assurance in what I am, or in what I have experienced. All my assurance is in the crucified Christ. All the evidence of salvation that I have is that Christ died for sinners. And that is all I want or need. I do not very often feel much like a saint. If assurance depended on how holy I feel, I would lose all hope of ever having it. But, if assurance depends on God accepting sinners through the merits of Christ, then I can have assurance. I know that I am a sinner. I come to God trusting the righteousness and shed blood of Christ. The more sinful I feel, the more reason I have to cling to Christ alone. This gives me assurance. — As a sinful man, I trust Christ.

      Assurance, like every other aspect of salvation, is a matter of faith, not of works. It does not come by keeping your eyes on yourself, like those silly navel watchers. It comes by keeping your eyes on Christ.

 

Trusting God

Pastor Scott Richardson

 

Most of us don’t know God well enough to trust him. Are you persuaded that God has complete control in reference to the things which excite our anxiety? Are you persuaded that he will use this control in the best way as far as we are concerned? If I am to cast my cares on him, I must know him to be my Father; I must know him to be my Friend; I must know him to be my Protector, my Shepherd, my Guide, my Righteousness, and my Salvation.

      I must believe his testimony that he loves me for Christ's sake. — “He careth for you.” It's a small thing for God to care for us. He provides for the cattle on a thousand hills, all the wild beasts, an army of birds, fish, and insects. Your needs and mine are scarcely a crumb from God's table. If he says, "I will care for you," then he will.

 

The Grace Bulletin

 

May 10, 2015

 

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 576-3400 — 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 7:45 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

 

Television Broadcasts in Harrodsburg

Channel 6 - Sunday Afternoon 3:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 6:00 P.M.

 

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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