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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

November 13, 2016

 

We are in Christ by the rich, free grace and goodness of God the Father, who put us in him in sovereign election before the world began. In him we were and are preserved and blessed from everlasting. That secret, everlasting union with Christ was made manifest in time, when God the Holy Ghost gave us life and faith in Christ, by the operation of his mighty grace; but the union is from everlasting.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of November 13-20, 2016

Sunday                Acts 13-14                                                     Thursday       Acts 22-24

      Monday                Acts 15-16                                                     Friday             Acts 25-26

      Tuesday              Acts 17-19                                                     Saturday                    Acts 27-28

      Wednesday        Acts 20-21                                                     Sunday                      Romans 1-2

 

Happy Birthday!  Tina Nichols-20th

Nursery Duty this Week

Nicole Abell (AM) — Ruth Wall (PM) — Tuesday: Diane Campbell

 

When God Begins His Work of Grace Don Fortner

(Tune: #118 — When I Survey —LM)

 

1.    When God begins His work of grace

In chosen sinners, called by grace,

Like leaven, He will make it rise,

While broken, that poor sinner cries.

 

2.    At first the work seems small and weak.

(The broken soul can hardly speak!)

But broken hearts, with heavy sighs,

Jehovah says, HeÕll not despise.

 

3.    The broken sinnerÕs sighing prayer.

Ascends to heavÕn, and enters there.

The soul from which such groanings rise,

Shall be with Christ in Paradise.

 

4.    Let none despise the work of God —

The called, His chosen, bought by blood!

Who shall condemn when God approves,

Or hurt the soul Christ Jesus loves?

 

5.    When we have entered HeavenÕs gates,

The work, once small, will then be great!

And, while the wondÕring angels gaze,

WeÕll sing JehovahÕs endless praise!

 

God the Holy Ghost does not regenerate the old man in the new birth; he creates a new man in the dead sinner Òin righteousness and true holiness;Ó and that new man is ÒChrist in you, the hope of glory.Ó Thus, all who are born of God are made Òpartakers of the divine nature.Ó

 

ÒWhen He Ascended Up on HighÓ

Ephesians 4:7-8

 

Here the Apostle Paul expounds to us the meaning of DavidÕs words in Psalm 68:18-20. There David made this prophetic declaration of ChristÕs resurrection, ascension, and glory as our Substitute.

 

Christ Ascension

ÒThou hast ascended on high.Ó — Having accomplished all that he came here to accomplish, having redeemed his elect from all sin, having brought in everlasting righteousness for us, when he had made an end of sin, having obtained eternal redemption for us, the Lord Jesus took his seat in glory by the merit of His own blood as our Mediator.

 

Captivity Captive

ÒThou hast led captivity captive.Ó — We do not have to guess what this means. The Apostle Paul tells us that our all-glorious Christ, Òblotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,Étook it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in itÓ (Colossians 2:14-15). The Son of God took every enemy of our souls into captivity. That includes Satan (Revelation 20:1-3).

 

Gifts for Men

ÒThou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.Ó — The ascended Christ, who entered into heaven as the Forerunner of his redeemed, received gifts for us? What gifts? — All the gifts of grace, righteousness, and salvation for men, even for us rebels Òwho were by nature children of wrath even as others,Ó that God the Holy Spirit might come down here and dwell in our hearts in grace (John 16:7-11) and that the Holy Lord God might dwell among us forever in the world to come.

 

Daily Loading

As the result of this, he daily loads us with the benefits of grace. — ÒBlessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. — Selah.Ó — Just think about that! — He daily loads us with mercy and grace, forgiveness and righteousness, access to God and all divine promises, with refuge for our souls and peace, all the blessings and blessedness of GodÕs wonderful providence, day by day, throughout every day. — Rejoice, O my soul, rejoice!

 

Our God

ÒHe that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.Ó — He who is our God, he alone and none but he, this holy Lord God, Jesus Christ our almighty, effectual Savior, he is the God of salvation. To Him and to him alone belong the issues from his death. — That is to say, all the fruits, benefits, and blessings issuing from his death as our Substitute are his to give; and he gives them freely to whom he will.

 

ÒHe Led Captivity CaptiveÓ

Ephesians 4:8

 

As he ascended up to heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, our omnipotent Savior, our mighty God, led captivity captive. The allusion here is to the public triumphal parade of a Roman commander, who led his captives, bound in chains, through the streets to make an open show of them. Our Lord triumphed at the cross; and his triumph was manifest to the angels of heaven and all the inhabitants of hell when he both arose from the dead and ascended on high, having the keys of death and hell at his side. The Lord Jesus Christ led into captivity all those who once held us captive.

      The world, wherein we were once bound, is under the domain of Christ. The ascended Savior has power over all flesh, ruling all things absolutely, that he might give eternal life to every sinner chosen in everlasting love and redeemed by his precious, sin-atoning blood.

      The curse of the law, by which we were condemned, has been forever consumed in Christ. He swallowed the sword of Divine justice in his own holy soul. All the fury of hell fell upon our Substitute. Now, the Lord God says to Jacob, to every chosen sinner, to every blood-bought soul, to everyone who trusts the Lord Jesus, ÒFury is not in me!Ó He who was Òmade sinÓ for us was Òmade a curse for us.Ó And, being made a curse for us, ÒChrist hath redeemed us from the curse of the law!Ó

      The sin which once enslaved us is forever drowned in the sea of CalvaryÕs blood! He who was Òmade sin for usÓ put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. The Lord God did not merely treat our Savior as if he had been made sin. To put it in the very language of Holy Scripture, he Òmade him sin for us!Ó And the holy, just, and true Lord God does not merely treat us as though Christ had put away our sins. — The Son of God has put away our sins!

      Satan, who once took us captive at his will, is in the captivity of our Christ, bound in the chain of our great KingÕs omnipotence! — ÒGod is gone up with the shout; the Lord with the sound of the trumpetÓ (Psalm 47:5). — ÒHaving spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in itÓ (Colossians 2:15).

      And death, which once had the power over all flesh, is now defeated by Christ. He arose crying, ÒO death! Where is thy sting; O grave, where is thy victory!Ó

 

œ—————————————————

 

ÒChrist has conquered death and now reigns over it. He has taken away the sins of his people. Sin is deathÕs sting. He removed that sting. The law is sinÕs strength. He took away sinÕs strength by fulfilling GodÕs law for us (Colossians 2:14; Galatians 4:4-5; Romans 10:4). He endured the punishment justice demanded in satisfaction to God (Isaiah 53:10-12; Romans 3:24-25; 5:9; Ephesians 5:2). Christ rules over death. The death of GodÕs saints is precious in his eyes (Psalm 116:15). He has commanded death to be our passage to glory. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ reigns unto eternal life because by His obedience unto death, He glorified God the Father (John 12:23-33; 17:1-4).Ó — Pastor Rick Warta

 

 

 

The Grace Bulletin

 

November 13, 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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