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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

June 7, 2015

 

“But send a heavy heart up to Christ, it shall be welcome.”

Samuel Rutherford

 

Daily Readings for the Week of June 7-14, 2015

Sunday                Job 16-21                                          Thursday       Job 37-40

      Monday                Job 22-27                                          Friday             Job 41-Psalm 5

      Tuesday              Job 28-31                                          Saturday                    Psalm 6-16

      Wednesday        Job 32-36                                          Sunday                      Psalm 17-21

 

·      We will have our Quarterly Fellowship Dinner following the worship service this morning. We hope you will all stay and enjoy a time of fellowship together. There will be no service here this evening.

·      Congratulations to Randall Hopkins and Billie Randolph who will be married following the worship service this morning.

 

Happy Birthday!  Roger Criss-11th   David Peterson-12th

Happy Anniversary: Bill & Vicci Rolley-13th   David & Celeste Peterson-16th

Nursery Duty Today: Jayalita McCormack

 

This is a Weary Barren Land Don Fortner

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

1.    This is a weary barren land,

A rugged path o’er scorching sand;

And here with heaviness we race,

Before the joys of heav’n we taste.

2.    With sin and guilt my trembling soul,

Is terrified before God’s law!

The frowns of justice cloud my sky,

And raise the furious tempest high!

3.    But lo! On Calv’ry’s Mount One stands —

The God-Man, with extended hands,

Invites me to His bleeding side,

And says, “Come, sinner, safely hide.”

4.    Weary and faint, `neath Sinai’s heat,

My soul shall fly to this Retreat.

This Rock defends from scorching beams,

And from it flows salvations streams!

5.    Within this Hiding-Place so good,

I fear no storms, I dread no flood;

But smiling at the winds and waves,

I bless my Savior for His grace!

 

“Justified we were when first elected, though not in our own persons, yet in our Head, as he had our persons then given him, and we came to have a being and an interest in him.”                                                                                                                   — Thomas Goodwin

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Believer’s Baptism ― This gospel ordinance was established by our Lord as a clear line of separation between his church and the world. By our immersion in the watery grave, believers confess their faith in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice (his death, burial, and resurrection in our place) as our only basis of hope before God. Rising out of the watery tomb, we confess our hope of the resurrection and our consecration to Christ, our resolve to walk with him in the newness of life. Thus confessing Christ as our Lord, we declare that all our former religion and religious works were but the uncleanness of idolatry, identifying ourselves with Christ, his people, and his gospel.

 

 

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." — Christ is the wisdom of God, and the power of God.  In the wisdom of God there can be no mistake, and in the power of God not one word can fail. If God himself has appointed the priest to bless, and has given the very words which he is to speak, the Lord would compromise his own honor and glory if He were to turn back from them.

                                                                                                                         — Pastor Milton Howard

 

 

God’s Determination

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” (Ephesians 1:10)

I do not think there is a single statement or verse in the Book of God that declares a more vast, all-encompassing subject than Ephesians 1:10. It opens to us the very heart of God and declares that the whole of his intention, design, purpose, and determination in eternal predestination is to glorify his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ in all things. Here God the Holy Ghost shows us how, from all eternity, the mind of Jehovah has been occupied with this solitary grand concern — The glorification of his Son in all things. All things were decreed for him. All things center in him. The dispensation of all events and the fulness of times are pursuing this one point of termination — The glory of Christ. Like the countless rays of light converging to one center, all things shall, at last, meet in him.

      Notice the emphasis given by the Spirit of God, “even in him.” With that added emphasis, the Lord God, our heavenly Father seems to be saying, “Now listen children. This is very important. You need to know this and remember it. “In the dispensation of the fulness of times I will gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”

      The whole object and purpose of God in all his works of creation, providence, judgment, and grace is stated fully and clearly in this one statement of divine Revelation. — God will “in the dispensation of the fulness of times, gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Everything that God has done, is doing, and shall hereafter do is moving toward the accomplishment of this one great end. “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”

 

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“The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times”

Ephesians 1:10

 

Paul speaks of a period of time that he describes as “the dispensation of the fulness of times.” What period of time is this talking about? And what is meant by “the dispensation of the fulness of times”? As in all things, we must seek the answers to those questions in the Book of God alone.

 

Dispensation

The word “dispensation” simply means, “stewardship.” It refers to the management of a household, or the management, oversight, and administration of another person’s property or business. In Ephesians 3:2, the Apostle Paul speaks of the ministry God gave him as a “dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). To be called of God into the work of the gospel ministry is to be given a “dispensation of the grace of God.” It is to be given a stewardship of grace in the house of God.

In Ephesians 1:10 the word “dispensation” specifically refers to the universal dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which he executes the will of God in time (John 17:2; Romans 14:9). As Paul states it in verses 20-22, the Lord God gave his Son, our divine Mediator, the reins of universal monarchy “when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” All power in heaven and in earth has been given to the God-man, our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he might execute his eternal purpose in the salvation of his people, to the everlasting “praise of the glory of his grace.” That is the meaning of the word “dispensation” in this passage.

 

Fulness of Times

But what is meant by “the dispensation of the fulness of times”? Again, let’s look into the Word of God for the answer. Here the Spirit of God tells us that God’s eternal purpose of grace is to be accomplished in the fulness of times by the gathering together of all things in heaven and on earth in Christ. The only other place in which we find a similar statement is in Galatians 4:4-6.

      The “fulness of times” obviously began with the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Yet, Ephesians 1:10 tells us that it is something not yet fulfilled. So the fulness of times refers to the whole gospel age. It began with our Savior’s first advent and will continue until his glorious second advent, culminating in the fulfillment of God’s everlasting covenant and the full salvation of all his elect in Christ. This is what Paul speaks of in Romans 11:25-29.

      The contemplation of Christ’s dominion, executing all the will and purpose of God in providence, and that culminating in the complete salvation of all God’s elect, and the final gathering together of all things in Christ was glorious in Paul’s eyes (Romans 11:33-36), and ought to be glorious in ours.

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The Grace Bulletin

 

June 7, 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

 

 

 

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