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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

July 15, 2018

All Services Live Streamed At

www.youtube.com/c/gracebaptistchurchofdanvilleky

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” — John Bunyan

Daily Readings for the Week of July 15-22, 2018

Sunday Isaiah 6-9 Thursday Isaiah 24-27

Monday Isaiah 10-13 Friday Isaiah 28-30

Tuesday Isaiah 14-18 Saturday Isaiah 31-34

Wednesday Isaiah 19-23 Sunday Isaiah 35-38

· Conference Offering — August 5^th

· I am scheduled to preach Friday and Saturday for Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Ewing, NJ, where Bro. Clay Curtis is pastor.

Happy Birthday! Diane Campbell-16^th Cliff Hellar-18^th Betty Burge-19^th

Happy Anniversary: Roger & Bettina Criss-21^st

Nursery Duty Today: Mindy Peterson (AM) — Celeste Peterson (PM)

When I was Depraved and Helpless — Don Fortner

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

1. I was lost, a ruined debtor,

Sunk in guilt and misery,

Bound in darkness, chained and fettered,

When Christ saw and pitied me. —

My Redeemer, my Redeemer

Paid my debt and set me free.

2. When I was to God a stranger,

Prodigal, inclined to rove,

Jesus rescued me from danger,

And revealed the Father’s love. —

My dear Savior, my dear Savior

Waits to dwell with me above!

3. When I was depraved and helpless,

Dead in trespasses and sin,

Jesus, by His Spirit gracious,

Gave me life and faith in Him!

God the Father, Son, and Spirit

Will complete what He began!

Overly Disturbed

Many preachers, I fear, are overly disturbed about matters of no great consequence, causing needless strife and division in the kingdom of God. If a brother’s differences with me in doctrine or practice will not divide us in heaven, they should not divide us on earth. If we worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, if we both believe and preach the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace, we are laborers together in the Lord’s vineyard.

“What I do thou knowest not now.”

John 13:7

“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary;… thy way is in the seas, thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known” (Psalm 77:13, 19). Sometimes God’s providence appears to contradict his promises, as it did when he sent Moses to deliver Israel (Exodus 5:21-23). Sometimes God’s acts of mercy and grace in providence look and feel like acts of wrath and judgment, as was the case in the life experience of his servant Job. But that is never the case (Isaiah 54:7-10). Sometimes God appears to be favorable to the wicked and indifferent, at best, to the righteous (Psalm 73).

Confusing Things

Many things in this world are confusing to the Lord’s people. Though the Lord God miraculously gave Abraham a son in his old age, he required his faithful friend and servant to sacrifice his son. Though the Lord brought Israel up to Canaan by the hand of Moses, using him to direct his people for forty years, refused to let Moses take Israel in to possess the land. When time came to build the temple, David died. Sometimes duty is set against duty. Sometimes prophets are set against prophets (1 Kings 13).

God often lifts up with one hand and casts down with the other; heals with one and wounds with the other. The demon possessed Son got worse when he first came to Christ (Mark 9:19, 26). The ruler of the Synagogue’s daughter died while Christ was walking with her father to heal her. Lazarus died while the Savior waited!

Sure Promise

When we think the Lord is doing nothing, he is working for us (Romans 8:28). When we think he has forsaken us, he is with us still (Song of Solomon 5). When we think everything is against us, everything is loaded down with mercy for us.

Our God will not let us walk by sight here. He demands and deserves that we walk by faith.

His promise is sure. — “What I do now thou knowest not; but thou shalt know hereafter.” In due time, he will inform us. Sometimes he does so during the trouble he sends. Sometimes shortly afterward. Sometimes long afterward. When it is best for us to know, our good, wise, ever gracious God and Savior will cause us to know, understand, and rejoice in all he has done, is doing now, and shall do tomorrow. In that great day when all things are made known, we will thank and praise him for all that he has done (Romans 11:33-36).

Often I wonder why I must journey

Over a road so rugged and steep.

Why all the darkness? Why all the heartache?

Why must Your chosen so often weep?

Farther along we’ll know more about it.

Farther along we’ll understand why;

Cheer up, believer, trust your great Savior. —

We’ll understand it all by and by!

“Having loved his own which were in the world,

He loved them unto the end.”

John 13:1

The love of Christ for his elect is immutable and incessant. It is love surpassing thought. There is nothing like it in this world below. The narrow, self-centered thoughts, and words, and deeds of humanity cannot comprehend it. Our Savior knew that his disciples would all soon forsake him. Yet, he loved them to the end. His love for us is from everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). His love for us is unto everlasting (Romans 8:39). Our Lord Jesus Christ delights to receive sinners and save them by his grace (Luke 15:2). And once he has received a sinner, he will never reject him or cast him away for any reason (John 6:37).

“Sir, we would see Jesus.”

John 12:21

Pastor Greg Elmquist

May the Lord make this our constant prayer. If he does, it will be because he is pleased to answer it. If that happens, it will be to our everlasting joy. Oh, to see Jesus. To see him in his Word. To see Him bearing our sins. To see him rising from the dead. To see him on his throne interceding for his church. To see him coming again to establish his everlasting kingdom. O Lord, rend the heavens and open the eyes of our understanding that we might set our affection on things above where Christ is seated at thy right hand.

Absolute Dominion

John 13:2

God’s dominion over all things is absolute. Even the most base, vile, and despicable acts of reprobate men and women are under the absolute rule of our God and heavenly Father. Nothing more clearly displays this fact than Judas’s betrayal of our blessed Savior. That son of perdition did what he did because of the greed and malice of his own evil heart, according to the purpose of God to save his elect by the redemptive accomplishments of his dear Son. Even the work of Satan himself is under the rule and control of our God and Savior (Psalm 76:10; Proverbs 16:4).

The 18^th century Scottish Presbyterian preacher, Ralph Erskine, wrote: “He employs the wicked themselves to carry on his work, and make their wicked designs to contribute to advancement of his holy and glorious design; as he did make the treason of Judas, the sentence of Pilate, the malice of the Jews, to contribute for the work of redemption.” That is precisely what God the Holy Ghost tells us in Psalm 76:10. — “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.”

Our great God, our heavenly Father, wisely and sovereignly uses his enemies and ours, contrary to their will, to do that and only that which will advance his cause and serve his purpose of grace for his elect (Psalm 57:2).

The Grace Bulletin

July 15, 2018

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