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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

March 20, 2016

 

Either we are under the whole law to do it all, or we are not under the law at all.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of March 20-27, 2016

Sunday                Judges 16-18                                               Thursday       1 Samuel 3-6

      Monday                Judges 19-20                                               Friday             1 Samuel 7-9

      Tuesday              Judges 21-Ruth 3                           Saturday                    1 Samuel 10-12

      Wednesday        Ruth 4-1 Samuel 2                    Sunday                1 Samuel 13-14

 

á      We are delighted to welcome Pastor Larry Criss to our pulpit today. Bro. Criss is pastor of Fairmont Grace Church in Sylacauga, AL.

 

Happy Birthday!  Carla Henson-22nd     Bobbie Estes-24th

 

Nursery Duty this Week

Nicole Abell (AM) — Debbie Bartley (PM) — Tuesday: Celeste Peterson

 

Our Sovereign God Maintains His Universal ThroneDon Fortner

(Tune: #39 — This is My FatherÕs World — SMD)

1.     Our sovÕreign God maintains His universal throne;

In heavÕn, and earth, and hell He reigns, and makes His wonders known!

His counsels and decrees, firmer than mountains stand;

He will perform whateÕer He please; and none can stay his hand!

2.     All things His will controls; and His all-wise decree

Has fixed the destinies of all in matchless sovÕreignty. —

Jacob by grace He saved, and gives no reason why;

But EsauÕs heart He left depraved. — And who shall dare reply?

3.     What if the Potter takes part of a lump of clay,

And for Himself a vessel makes and casts the rest away?

Who shall resist His will, or say, ÒWhat doest Thou?Ó

Jehovah is the SovÕreign still; and all to Him must bow!

4.     My soul, bow and adore the Lord in all His ways;

His sovÕreignty none can explore; but I will trust His grace!

ÒFor of Him and through Him and to Him are all things:

To Whom be glory evermore! Amen! Amen! Amen!Ó

 

ÒLord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I amÓ (Psalm 39:4). — I do not need to know and do not wish to know when or by what appointed means this body of flesh shall be brought into the dust of death. What I do need, what I do want is grace to have a perpetual sense of my frailty, that I may constantly anticipate the immediate termination of this mortal existence, and be ready without notice for my SaviorÕs call, Òlooking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.Ó

 

ÒFreelyÓ

Genesis 2:16

 

That which is free is uncaused, unconditional, unqualified, unconstrained, uncoerced. In the beginning, before sin entered into the world, everything was free. Everything God did for and with Adam was free. Every gift, every blessing, every privilege was free. And everything Adam did for and with God was free. He feared no punishment. He sought no reward. He walked with God freely, naturally, spontaneously.

 

Law Entered

Then sin entered into the world and everything changed. Sin brought with it bondage, and fear, and death. There were only two ways to control sin: death and law. If God did not kill the sinner, he would control his sin by law, by threatening him with punishment. There is no deterrent to sin, in a natural sense, but law. — But law could not change the sinner or show forth the glory of God.

 

Grace Revealed

The entrance of sin also made a way for grace to be revealed. ÒThe tree of lifeÓ portrays our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Proverbs 3:18; Revelation 22:2) full of life, and grace, and truth. ÒThe tree of the knowledge of good and evilÓ appears to be representative of the law, by which comes both the knowledge of sin and the death sin brings. ÒThe law entered, that the offence might abound,Ó that sin might be seen for what it is, a horrible affront to God. — ÒBut where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.Ó (Romans 5:20-21).

The grace of our God, the superabounding grace of God in Christ, is magnificently set before us in Genesis 3. The Lord God called the fallen man. Once the Lord God had called the fallen pair to himself, he made a sacrifice for Adam and Eve and took the skins of the slain, innocent victim and made garments for the fallen pair, covering their shame (their nakedness), and promised a Redeemer.

 

Way Kept

Then the Lord God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in great grace, Òto keep the way of the tree of lifeÓ (Genesis 3:24). The Lord God drove Adam and Eve from the garden Òto keep the way of the tree of life,Ó that is, to preserve and protect Òthe way of the tree of life.Ó

GodÕs grace, not his wrath, is revealed in driving Adam and Eve from the Garden Òto keep the way of the tree of life.Ó He drove them out of the Garden and Òplaced Cherubims and a flaming swordÓ east of Eden, which turned every way to keep, guard, preserve, and protect Òthe way of the tree of life.Ó That flaming sword by which the Triune God has protected the way of life for his elect ever since the Fall is his own holy justice, the sword which he buried in his darling Son at Calvary (Zechariah 13:7) when he was made sin for us! — All this was done Òfreely!Ó

 

ÒThings Which Must BeÓ

Revelation 4:1

Pastor Larry Criss

 

The voice John heard was the voice of that One who sat upon the throne. It was the voice of Jesus Christ, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. The things John saw must be hereafter for the very same reason the former things of old came to pass, because he that sat upon the throne says: ÒMy counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.Ó

 

Concerning Christ – Preeminent among those things that must be is everything concerning GodÕs Son. The door John saw opened in heaven is none other than Christ. He is the way, only through Christ do needy sinners have access to God the Father, and find acceptance in him. Christ said that all things written concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished, Òfor the things concerning me have an end.Ó He must be made flesh, he must trod the winepress alone, he must be made sin, and blessed be his name, he shall see his seed, and the travail of his soul, and be satisfied! He must increase and he must reign.

 

Concerning His People – Children of God, how thankful we should be that not one of those Òmust besÓ concerning you and I are dependent on us. We must be redeemed. We must be preserved. We must be born again. We must be faithful to the end. We must be brought to glory. And the only way any of those wondrous things will ever be realized is because ÒHe, (Christ), shall not fail.Ó It is no wonder all the redeemed will cast their crowns before his throne, saying, ÒThou art worthy.Ó The eternal redemption Christ obtained is the reason all the redeemed ascribe all glory and honor back to him. Jesus deserves it all because Jesus paid it all.

 

Concerning You – There are Òmust besÓ that are just as true for those who have never come to Christ. They must hear these awful words of Christ, ÒI never knew you, depart from me.Ó They must be cast into outer darkness. They must suffer GodÕs just wrath forever. Is that true of any who read these words? Is it true of you? Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him as the poor, blind beggar did, ÒJesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.Ó Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to accomplish that for which he came into this world, to save his people from their sins. But he hears this beggarÕs cry, ÒAnd Jesus stood still.Ó WonÕt you call upon him to do the same for you?

 

ÒI Will Love Them FreelyÓ

Hosea 14:4

Pastor David Eddmenson

 

The conviction and guilt of sin may cause the one who bears it to shed some tears, but it is not the sinnerÕs sorrow that will induce GodÕs love to and for him. God says, ÒI will love them freely.Ó When Jehovah does a work of grace in the repentant sinnerÕs heart, no doubt that sinner will seek the Lord for mercy, but it is not the sinnerÕs seeking that is the cause of GodÕs love toward him, that love was determined before the worlds were ever framed when the Creator said, ÒI will love them freely.Ó It is not the seeking sinnerÕs tearful and sorrowful prayer that inclines God to proclaim his love for the ungodly. The Almighty was moved by nothing outside himself. That is why he could justly proclaim, ÒI will love them freely.Ó There is not one thing found in natural men and women that would commend GodÕs love to them, for if there were, his love would not be free. Yet, this sinner finds the greatest token of GodÕs love in Christ to be in knowing by Divine revelation that there is nothing in me that would hinder GodÕs love, grace and mercy to me. Why? Because God promises, ÒI will love them freely.Ó

 

 

 

 

The Grace Bulletin

 

March 20, 2016

 

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

 

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