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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

February 4, 2018

All Services Live Streamed At www.youtube.com/channel/UCH7gGTVCyD0R6vtEsw9sTCQ

Carping preacher critics are a dime a dozen. They never contribute anything to the cause of Christ, never assist in the building of Christ’s kingdom, but only criticize, gossip, and tear down. Once they’ve done all the damage they can in one place, they move to another. And they are never missed by anyone.

Daily Readings for the Week of February 4-11, 2018

Sunday Leviticus 12-13 Thursday Leviticus 22-23

Monday Leviticus 14-15 Friday Leviticus 24-25

Tuesday Leviticus 16-18 Saturday Leviticus 26-27

Wednesday Leviticus 19-21 Sunday Numbers 1-2

Happy Birthday! Faith Hacker-7^th Raelyn Abell-7^th Rachel Coleman-9^th

Nursery Duty This Week

Debbie Bartley (AM) — Diane Campbell (PM) Tuesday: Shelby Fortner

Touch the Preacher’s Tongue — Don Fortner

(Tune: #164 — Breathe on Me Breath of God —SM)

1. We thank You, blessed Lord,

For every means of grace,

And for the preaching of the Word

Within this sacred place.

2. But gospel means alone,

Can never satisfy;

Oh, send the Holy Spirit down,

With blessings from on high!

3. The Comforter we need,

His grace our souls require,

To feast on Christ our living Bread

And fainting hearts inspire.

4. Oh, touch the preacher’s tongue,

As with a living coal;

Speak pardon to Your ransomed ones,

And bless each heav’n-born soul.

Handling Your Trouble

John Newton

“We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.”

How do you hear?

Many hear the gospel carelessly, caring nothing for their souls, the glory of God, or the will of God. Others hear the preached Word critically, only listening for the preacher to say something they can differ with and criticize. Multitudes hear the preaching of the gospel selectively, hearing only what they want to hear. Saved sinners hear the Word profitably, saying as they hear, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth thee.”

Modern Translations of No Benefit

I have found no translation of Holy Scripture equal to the Authorized King James Version. I see no need of any other English translation. In fact, every other English translation I have read is faulty in many areas. No benefit is gained by them; and much evil has come from them. I cannot imagine any literature professor suggesting that Shakespeare’s works be translated into modern English. Any such translation would mar Shakespeare’s material. And, in my opinion, every attempt at producing a modern English translation of the Bible only mars the material.

Media Mania is Not Witnessing

We have greater means of preaching the gospel in our day than was even imaginable just a few years ago. The Internet, with all the forms of social media and countless web pages, is accessible to people all over the world. Let us seize the opportunity before us, finding ways to use these things for the furtherance of the gospel, the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls.

But do not confuse bombarding people with material with being faithful witnesses. Do not confuse texting a response to every question, or posting an opinion on Facebook with bearing witness for Christ.

If we would serve the souls of men, we should thoughtfully and prayerfully, look for God the Holy Ghost to open a door, that we may speak a word in season. Rather than bombarding people with literature they will never use, a disk full of mp3 sermons they will never hear, and books they will never read, it might be wise to listen to people, listen as they express the needs of their hearts and the weight of their souls.

Be ready, always to help. Read good material, listen to your pastor’s messages. When you hear something that speaks to your own soul’s needs, get a copy or two of the message to have on hand. When someone expresses an interest in that or a similar matter, you might say, “My pastor preached a sermon on that recently that really helped me. If you would like to hear it, I’ll be glad to get you a copy.”

Regularly read good, gospel books, bulletin articles, and tracts. Keep brief articles, books, etc. on hand for the same purpose. Do not overload people with material. Give them one, two, maybe three things at a time, but only after getting some sense from the one you want to help that he/she will actually use the material,

Finally, never give something to someone else to hear or read that you have not personally heard and read with profit to your own soul.

The Message of Revelation

Revelation 1:9-11

I once read a story about a group of men who met at a local high school every Saturday night to play basketball. While they played, the school janitor usually sat off in a corner reading his Bible, trying to prepare for the worship of God the next day. Normally, he read until they were done. Then he would lock up and go home. One night, one of the men asked him, “What are you reading?” The old man replied, “The Book of Revelation.” The younger man asked, with a bit of a snicker, “Do you understand it?” The old man replied, “I sure do. — It says, ‘Jesus is gonna win.’”

That is just about as good an explanation of the Book of Revelation as I ever read, or heard. When you read this Book, try to remember that the message of this Book is just that. — The Lord Jesus Christ is going to win!

That message is delightful and comforting to us today; but it was particularly so in that horrible day of persecution in which the apostle John was inspired of God the Holy Ghost to write these twenty-two chapters, describing the sure triumph of Christ over all things.

By the time John was inspired of God to write this book the church of God was intensely persecuted throughout the Roman world. The fact is, the seed of the serpent has always hated the seed of the woman and sought to destroy it. As Cain slew Abel, as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so the world has always set itself in opposition to Christ, his gospel, and his church. That is the way it was in our Lord's day. That is the way it was in John's day; and that is the way it is today.

The world is not opposed to religion. The world loves religion. But the world is opposed to Christ and to the gospel of his grace. The offense of the cross has not diminished. For the most part, at least in the Western world, God providentially restrains the world from exercising the violent persecutions of days gone by; but we must never imagine that the persecutor's heart has changed. It has not.

By the time the first century was drawing to its close, persecution against the church and kingdom of God was rampant and severe. Believers were looked upon with utter contempt and accused of the most vile things imaginable.

Persecution was the everyday experience of God's saints in this hostile world at the end of the first century. It is against this backdrop that John wrote the Book of Revelation, asserting, without the least hesitancy, the sure triumph of Christ and his church.

The apostle John told us in verse 7 that the Lord Jesus is coming back to this earth. He is about to give us a marvelously detailed description of what the Lord Jesus Christ is now like in his exaltation and glory as the risen and ascended Lord and King. But, first, he introduces himself in verse 9, tells us what (in verse 10) frame he was in when he received "the Revelation of Jesus Christ," and then declares the message the Lord gave him in verse 11.

Here we are assured that he who is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending of all things shall be triumphant over all things and in all things.