Grace Baptist Church of Danville

December 27, 2009

The holy Son of God came into this world as the Son of Man that he might be made sin and die under the wrath of God, and that he might by his obedience unto death give chosen sinners eternal life and make his redeemed the very righteousness of God in him.

·      Shelby and I wish to thank each of you for your generous gift to us. We appreciate it and we appreciate you and your care for us throughout the year more than words can express. We count it a great privilege to serve our Savior with you.

·      I am scheduled to preach for Grace Baptist Church in Taylor, AR January 8-10, where Bro. Darvin Pruitt is pastor. Telephone: 870-626-0740 Email: darvinpruitt@gmail.com . —— On Sunday and Monday nights (January 10-11) I plan to preach for our friends in Wichita Falls, TX. Contact Bro. Jim Wilson — Telephone: 940-855-6505 Email: JLW41297@aol.com .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Marilyn Sadler-31^st Sam Wall-1^st

CHURCH CLEANING IN JANUARY: Jim and Susan Grant

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Vicci Rolley (AM) Pam Wood (PM) Tuesday: Laura Peterson

“Show Me Thy Glory” — Don Fortner

(Tune: #414 — Am I A Soldier? CM)

1.    “Show me Thy glory,” dearest Lord,

Shining in Jesus’ face;

Your cov’nant love, O Lord, unfold,

Your mercy and Your grace.

2.    “Show me Thy glory” in the plan

That makes salvation free;

“Show me Thy glory” in the Man

Who lived and died for me.

3.    Within that Rock where You are seen,

Your glory, Lord, unfold,

Until without a cloud between,

Your glory I behold.

“If you believe on Christ, you may be confident that your sins are forgiven by his blood and that God looks upon you as being perfectly righteous. He has promised to save all who trust his dear Son. Indeed, if you now trust the Son of God, it is because you are already born of God and have everlasting life (John 3:36).”                                                                                                                                                 — Pastor Donnie Bell

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Have You Beheld His Glory?

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”                                                                                                                              (John 1:14)

“We beheld.” — John does not say, we heard about his glory, or we read about his glory, but “we beheld his glory.” What a privilege that is!

This is much more than a physical, carnal vision of the Lord Jesus. Many saw him with the eyes of their heads, who never saw him with the eye of faith, who never beheld his glory. And many today behold him with the eye of carnal reason, who never behold his glory; because they do not know him and do not behold him by faith, having him revealed in them by the Spirit of God.

When John says, “We beheld his glory,” he is saying the very same thing Peter said when he wrote, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). He is talking about that which he, with Peter and James, beheld on the Mount of Transfiguration. Christ was transfigured before them. They saw him as he now appears in heaven, glorified with the glory he had with the Father before the world was. They saw the Lord Jesus Christ as the sinner’s Substitute, who accomplished redemption by his death upon the cursed tree (Luke 9:28-31).

The word “decease” in Luke 9:31 is literally the word “exodus.” These disciples beheld his glory upon the mount, the very same glory that is revealed to us by the saving operations of his Spirit. By the death he accomplished, our Lord Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, pleased the Father (Matthew 17:5), obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12), earned the right to be Lord as our Mediator and revealed the glory of God as “a just God and a Savior” (Isaiah 45:20-22). — In Christ crucified God sent forth “his mercy and his truth” from heaven and saved us (Psalm 57:3; 85:10; Proverbs 16:6; Micah 7:20).

Have you beheld the glory of Christ by the Spirit’s gift of faith? If you would behold his glory, he says, “Look unto me!” Look and you will see. He does not say “Work for me,” but “look unto me.” He does not say, “Figure me out,” but “look unto me.” He does not say, “Serve me,” but “look unto me.” He does not say, “Feel after me,” but “look unto me.” He does not even say, “Pray to me,” but “look unto me.” Look away to Christ and, looking, you will behold his glory.

Trusting Christ, we see his glory, just as Isaiah did, “the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Isaiah 6:1-7). It is by faith, only by faith that we behold his glory (John 11:40). Trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold his glory in redemption, in the saving operations of his grace and in his blessed providence!

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Proclaim the Glory!

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”                                                                                                                              (John 1:14)

      The blessed vision before us, as we behold the glory of our Savior, is — “The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” What glory we have before us, as we behold the glory of Christ by faith! It is…

·      The Glory of His Wonderful Person — The God-Man (1 Timothy 2:5).

·      The Glory of His Perfect Righteousness (Romans 5:19.

·      The Glory of His Sin-atoning Sacrifice (2 Corinthians 5:21).

·      The Glory of His Sovereign Dominion (Romans 14:9).

·      The Glory of Tender, Sympathizing Humanity (Hebrews 2:16-18).

·      The Glory of His Heavenly Intercession (1 John 2:1-2).

·      The Glory of His Persevering Love (John 13:1).

·      The Glory of His Final Triumph (Revelation 19:1-6).

      One reason why the Lord God has so graciously given us grace to behold his glory is that we might bear testimony to others of his glory as “eye witnesses of his majesty” (1 John 1:1-3). As soon as Isaiah beheld his glory, the Lord God said to that sinner whose lips still burned with the purging fire of his altar, “Go tell this people!” That is what we must do. — Proclaim the Glory!

      Let us seize every opportunity and use every means at our disposal to tell eternity bound sinners that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior of poor, lost sinners. He is the only begotten of the Father. And he is full of grace!

“Plenteous grace with him is found, —

Grace to cover all our sin:

Let the healing streams abound,

Make and keep me pure within.”

      The Lord Jesus Christ is full of truth, too! — He is Truth! — He is the Truth of all the Prophets, all the Law and all the Promises of God!

“All hail Immanuel, all divine

In Thee Thy Father’s glories shine;

Thou brightest, sweetest, Fairest One,

That eyes have seen or angels known.

O may I live to reach the place

Where He unveils His lovely face.

Where all His beauties saints behold,

And sing His name to harps of gold!”

      Have you beheld his glory? Oh, may God give you grace to behold his glory from this day forth and forever more, and grace to proclaim the glory to all men everywhere!

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December 27, 2009

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 236-8235 - 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

Television Broadcasts in Danville

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.freegraceradio.com

http://www.sovereign-grace.com/gracechurch.htm

Don Fortner

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com