Grace Baptist Church of Danville

March 11, 2012

Nothing is more important to the children of God in this world than the public assembly of the saints for worship; and that public assembly of the saints for worship is the local church, the congregation of the Lord, the house of God.

·      I am scheduled to preach Tuesday-Thursday for the Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Wasilla, Alaska. Bro. Todd Nibert, pastor of Todds Road Grace Church in Lexington, KY, will preach to you Tuesday night.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Debbie Bartley-13^th  Shante’ Birchum-17^th   Eric Wall-17^th 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Jenny Bartley (AM)  Celeste Peterson (PM)          Tuesday: Dee Dee Raneri

The Remnant Shall to God Return — Don Fortner

(Tune: #355 — From Every Stormy Wind that Blows — LM)

1.    When fearful clouds around us rise,

And mortals dare our Christ despise;

God’s remnant is His special care,

Though chased and scattered here and there.

2.    They are th’ election of His grace,

Though but a remnant of our race,

Forever dear to Jesus’ heart,

And with them He will never part.

3.    Redeemed by blood and called by grace,

At God’s appointed time of peace,

The remnant shall return to God,

All robed in white and washed in blood!

4.    The choice of His eternal love,

Shall reign with Jesus Christ above;

He calls, and conquers them by grace,

And they shall see His lovely face.

Joel 2:32 tells us that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered,” saved by the grace of God. That means that anyone who trusts Christ has been chosen, redeemed and called by the God of all grace. Joel 2:32 goes on to say, “for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” That means that only a remnant of Adam’s fallen race shall call upon Christ and worship him as their Savior; and they call upon him only because they have been called by him; and all the called remnant shall call upon the name of the Lord. The remnant shall come to Christ because Christ comes to the remnant in effectual, saving mercy.

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“The Remnant of Jacob”

Micah 5:7

“The remnant of Jacob” is Christ’s seed in the earth that shall serve him, the generation accounted to the Lord to serve him (Psalm 22:30), Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. — “The remnant of Jacob” is God’s elect, all those who must and shall be saved by his grace. — “The remnant of Jacob” is the whole Church of God, the whole Israel of God, all who have been, all who are, and all who shall be saved in Christ. Blessed are they who are included in the number of “the remnant of Jacob”!

What is a remnant? A remnant is what is left over. A remnant is that which is useless, despised, and thrown away. A remnant is the last piece of cloth on a bolt, or roll. If it is not thrown away, it is sold at a discount because it not worth much. That is a pretty good description of you and me. God’s elect are looked upon as below the mark, not fit for society, as narrow, crude, crotchety, peculiar. Because of this they are a nuisance and aggravation to all.

It was true in Micah’s time, and it is true today, that the Church and people of the living God are a poor, needy remnant, a remnant scattered among the nations. An elect remnant, a redeemed remnant, a protected remnant, Micah tells us that we are God’s remnant. Particularly and distinctly he tells us that we are God’s remnant in Christ’s hands, under Christ’s care, given to Christ, our Prince, Priest, Provider, and Protector (Micah 5:4).

            In the third verse of this chapter we read of this remnant, ­ ­“Therefore will he give them up, until the time [that] she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” There is, without question, a prophecy here of the marvellous incarnation of the Son of God (v. 2). Yet, this is also a reference to the spiritual birth all God’s elect experience in time, when Divine life is implanted in us and imparted to us by the Spirit of God and the resurrection-power of our Lord Jesus Christ is experienced in the soul. — “Then shall the remnant of his brethren return unto the children of Israel.” Blessed be God, ­“to him shall the gathering of the people be.” To him all the scattered remnant shall be gathered at God’s appointed time of love. All the elect shall be born again. All the redeemed shall be made “partakers of the divine nature.” All the chosen shall be brought to Christ and brought to life in and with him in the blessed new creation of grace!

            Because Christ our Surety stands “in the majesty of his God they” (all his people, the remnant that comes to him) “they shall abide!” The scattered ones who are gathered “shall,” not may, “shall abide.” Then comes the glorious climax of this precious prophecy concerning Zion’s King and Lord, “for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” In these words we have a glorious description of him whose goings forth have been from everlasting and shall be to everlasting in the salvation, glorification, and blessedness of his people.

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            What is the sure and certain result of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Prince, Priest, Provider, and Protector? — “And they shall abide.” O glorious security! Not one shall perish. None can pluck the weakest from his loving embrace. Not all the hosts of hell and earth combined shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            Yes! It is gloriously true: “He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall abide” on his loving heart, in his affectionate embrace, on his glorious throne, amidst the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds. — “They shall abide,” members of his body, never to be severed from him whom they love because he first loved them. — “They shall abide” as the bride of his heart never to be divorced by him, never allowed to leave him, and ever indulged with the sweet kisses of his mouth.

Useful Directions for Reading and Searching the Scriptures

Thomas Boston

(Abridged)

1. Follow a regular plan in reading of them, that you may be acquainted with the whole. Not that you should confine yourselves only to a set plan, so as never to read by choice, but ordinarily this tends most to edification.

2. Set a special mark, however you find convenient, on those passages you read, which you find most suitable to your case, condition, or temptations; or such as you have found to move your hearts more than other passages. Often review these.

3. Compare one Scripture with another, the more obscure with that which is more plain (2 Peter 1:20). And keep Christ in your eye, for to him the scriptures of the Old Testament look (in its genealogies, types, and sacrifices), as well as those of the New.

4. Read with a holy attention, arising from the consideration of the majesty of God, and the reverence due to him. This must be done with attention, first, to the words; second, to the sense; and, third, to the divine authority of the Scripture, and the obligation it lays on the conscience for obedience (1 Thess. 2:13).

5. Let your main purpose in reading the Scriptures be practice, and not bare knowledge (James 1:22). Read that you may learn and do, and that without any limitation or distinction, but that whatever you see God requires, you may study to practice.

6. Beg of God and look to him for his Spirit for it is the Spirit that inspired it, that it must be savingly understood by (1 Corinthians 2:11). And therefore before you read, it is highly reasonable you beg a blessing on what you are to read.

7. Beware of a worldly, fleshly mind: for fleshly sins blind the mind from the things of God; and the worldly heart cannot favor them.  But labor to be disciplined toward godliness and to observe your spiritual circumstances because a disciplined attitude helps mightily to understand the scriptures.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin

 Princeton, NJ

Clay Curtis, Pastor

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The Grace Bulletin

March 11, 2012

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.

Television Broadcasts in Harrodsburg

Channel 6 - Sunday Afternoon 3:00 P.M.

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

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

Don Fortner

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com