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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

January 1, 2017

Nothing is more dangerous to our souls than a barren familiarity with sacred things.

·      There will be no service here tonight. The Lord willing, I will preach to you Tuesday night from Ephesians 5.

Happy Birthday!

Sam Wall-1^st   Laura Peterson-4^th    Donna Daniel 5th    Emily Rice-8^th

Happy Anniversary!   Merle & Charlotte Hart-10^th

Nursery Duty This Week

Stephanie Wilkerson (Today) — Tuesday: Ruth Wall

With this New Year’s Day’s beginning — Don Fortner

(Tune: #291 — Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah — 87.87.87)

1.    With this New Year’s Day’s beginning,

Rise, my soul, to new delights;

From the world of sin, this morning,

Look above to Christ on high!

Nothing temporal, nothing carnal,

Can compare with heaven’s delights!

2.    Winter’s here and all is frozen,

Like my wretched, sinful heart!

But my Savior, to His chosen,

Will celestial fire impart.

Oh, to feel it! Oh, to feel it!

Burning as my years depart!

3.    As the year which now commences

Brings its happiness, its woes,

Christ sufficient grace dispenses,

And His promised aid bestows.

Ever with me, ever present,

He’ll protect me from all foes!

4.    Oh, for grace, each day increasing,

To pursue my high career,

Trusting, praising, without ceasing,

Through each swift revolving year,

Till in glory, till in glory,

With my Savior I appear!

Happy New Year! — Oh, may God give us grace to devote ourselves more fully than ever to his glory, his gospel, and his people in the remaining days he has appointed for us in our pilgrimage through this world. — “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

A New Year’s Prayer

“Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”                                                                                             — Psalms 86:11

There is no better way for us to begin the New Year than by earnestly seeking the will of God in it. It is certain that God sovereignly accomplishes his will, his eternal purpose, in all things (Isaiah 46:9-11). Nothing comes to pass in time except that which God purposed in eternity. Yet nothing is more important, and nothing more difficult to a believer than seeking the will of God in making responsible choices and decisions about his actions in life.

We know by painful experience that it is possible to make the wrong choices. We rejoice to know that God graciously overrules our errors in judgment for our spiritual, eternal good and for the glory of his own great name (Romans 8:28). And we praise him for that. But when a believer walks contrary to the will of his Lord, he brings grief and trouble to himself. Be wise, therefore, and seek grace both to know and do the will of God in all things.

“Teach me thy way, O Lord.” — Do you desire to know the will of God in all things? Then ask God himself to reveal his will to you, by his Spirit and by his Word. He alone can teach you his way, and he will if you are willing to walk in it.

“I will walk in thy truth.” — In essence, David is saying, “Lord, if you teach me your way, by your grace, I will gladly walk in it. If you will mark out my path in providence, I will stick to it.” This is the attitude of submission and faith before the Lord our God. And where there is true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and submission to his will, there will always be an acknowledgement of weakness and sin and the need for divine grace.

“Unite my heart to fear thy name.” — We can walk in God’s will only as he gives us grace to do so. When we do make errors concerning the will of God, it is either because we have not earnestly sought his will, or because we are rebellious to it. Of this one thing we can be sure: God always reveals his will to the person who is willing to do his will. — “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Oh, lift our hearts to Christ exalted high;

As the new year begins, Savior, supply

Father, Your grace, Your mercies rich and rare,

Should flood our souls and conquer every fear.

Oh, give us grace, each day by faith to see,

Your mercies new, Your love and grace so free!

“Jacob have I loved.”

Romans 9:13

Any honest interpretation of Romans 9:13 recognizes that in this text Paul is using Jacob as a representative of all God’s elect, and Esau as the representative of all who are not among the elect, the reprobate of the world.

Two Groups

There are but two groups of people in this world. The whole human race is divided into just these two groups. In the Book of God these two groups are called…

·      God’s Elect and the Reprobate

·      Vessels of Wrath and Vessels of Mercy

·      Those Appointed to Salvation and Those Appointed to Condemnation

·      The Woman’s Seed and the Serpent’s Seed

·      Shem and Japheth — and Ham

·      Sheep and Goats

·      Wheat and Tares

·      Israel and Edom

·      Jerusalem and Babylon

·      Jacob and Esau.

      Between these two groups “there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from” one to the other cannot do so (Luke 16:26).

Grace Alone

The Lord God declares, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Let unbelieving rebels, in the pulpit, in the pew, and in the street, carp and cavil as they may, that is what God says. — “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

      The 9^th chapter of Romans was written to show us that the purpose of God, according to election, stands upon the footing of grace alone, and that it is not in any way determined by, or dependent upon, our works. And, the grace by which we have been chosen, redeemed, and called springs from the love of God for Jacob; that is to say, his elect.

God’s Love

The love of God is his eternal benevolence, his everlasting will, purpose, and determination to deliver, bless, and save his people. Love is both an attribute of God’s Being and an act of his goodness. As we read this declaration from the mouth of God himself, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,” five things are obvious.

1.    “God is love.”

2.    But God does not love all men.

3.    God’s love for his own elect is a special, distinguishing, sovereign, saving love.

4.    All the works, benefits, and blessings of grace which we receive and experience in Christ are deeds of his great love for us.

5.    How we ought to love God our Savior!

The Grace Bulletin

January 1, 2017

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

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

Don Fortner

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