Grace Baptist Church of Danville

September 23, 2012

 

It is not the work of Christ outside our experience that gives us hope, but the work of Christ in us. Christ crucified as our sin-atoning Substitute is the basis of “a good hope through grace.” — But Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

 

Daily Readings for the Week of September 23-30, 2012

            Sunday                      Zechariah 10-14                                          Thursday            Matthew 8-10

            Monday                      Malachi 1-4                                                   Friday             Matthew 11-12

            Tuesday                    Matthew 1-4                                                  Saturday                    Matthew 13-14

            Wednesday  Matthew 5-7                                                  Sunday                      Matthew 15-18

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Larry Brown-24th      Carissa Warta-26th      Noah Duff-26th      Sherri Warta-27th

 

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Alexis Mason (AM) Debbie Bartley (PM)          Tuesday: Dee Dee Raneri

 

Fear Not, Poor, Trembling Souls Don Fortner

(Tune: #497 — When I Can Read My Title Clear — CM)

1.    Fear not, poor, trembling souls, who seek

Christ Jesus crucified;

He knows your need, the grace you seek, —

He, who for sinners died.

 

2.    Fear not, for you are in the hand

Of Jesus crucified;

When sin, and hell, and earth, withstand,

You may in Him confide.

 

3.    Fear not, for you are known and loved

By Jesus crucified;

By faith His pow’r and grace are proved

By all who in Him hide.

 

4.    Fear not, your ransomed souls are one

With Jesus crucified;

In every state He knows His own,

And well protects His bride.

 

5.    Fear not, for all who seek have found,

In Jesus crucified,

Salvation free, a Savior crowned,

And grace to justify!

 

If God has given you faith in Christ, you should confess him as your Lord and Savior in believer’s baptism, publicly identifying yourself with and committing yourself to Christ, his gospel, and his church.

 

10

The Name Whereby HE shall be Called

Jeremiah 23:6

 

Here is a glorious, distinct character by which our all glorious Christ is revealed in the gospel. His gospel name is “The Lord Our Righteousness.” May God the Holy Spirit give us wisdom and grace always to call our most glorious Savior by this name and find constant, unceasing satisfaction in the fact that he, who alone is righteousness, is made of God unto us righteousness. This One, who is “The Lord Our Righteousness,” is himself the Lord Jehovah and the Lord our Mediator. Yet, his righteousness could never be ours were he not also the infinite God. It is as our God-man Mediator that he is called, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”

 

            The righteousness we possess in him, have a right and title to in him is called, “the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21), because it is a righteousness required by God, wrought by God, accepted by God, given by God, and rewarded by God. Therefore, it is a righteousness that can never be lost or taken away.

 

The prophet says, “This is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” By whom? He shall be, and is called, “The Lord Our Righteousness,” by every sinner who is made to know, by Holy Spirit conviction, that he is a sinner without one shred of righteousness of his own, a wretch, who is nothing but sin and can do nothing but sin.

 

We rejoice to call our Lord Jesus Christ “The Lord Our Righteousness” when we speak to God. God is holy, righteous, perfect, and pure. It is impossible for sinners to approach him, except through the infinite merits of Christ’s blood and righteousness. However, as we enter into the holy place, waving this censer, “The Lord Our Righteousness,” we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).

 

We delight to call the Son of God “The Lord Our Righteousness” when we speak to our own hearts. When Satan assails us and harasses us with our many sins, our lack of faith, our lack of love to Christ, and unfaithfulness (Which is easy enough for him to observe!), we speak peace to our souls with these sweet words, “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24). Only a hypocrite finds peace in his own righteousness, for his righteousness is only the imaginary righteousness of a deluded Pharisee. Believers speak peace to their souls by calling Christ, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”

 

Saved sinners love to call the Son of God by this name when we speak to one another as well. In baptism, we confess him to be, “The Lord Our Righteousness.” At the Lord’s Table, we remember him as “The Lord Our Righteousness.” In all our songs of praise, in all our public prayers, in all our preaching, all who truly know and worship God call his Son, “The Lord Our Righteousness.” We call our blessed Savior by this name with confidence, because God the Father himself calls his Son, “The Lord Our Righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

 

11

“The Name Wherewith She shall be Called”

Jeremiah 33:16

 

            This is a fact so indescribably glorious that it could not be believed by anyone were it not written upon the pages of Holy Scripture —- The Son of God is  “The Lord Our Righteousness” and we are “the righteousness of God in him!” We know, by constant, bitter experience, that all our righteousnesses are dross, and dung, and filthy rags. Our most righteous deeds are no more acceptable to the holy Lord God than utter blasphemy. Nothing can be found more precious to sinners, who know themselves sinners, than the fact that Christ is made of God unto us righteousness. He is so thoroughly made the righteousness of God unto us that we are “the righteousness of God in him.”

 

            How far can that thought be carried biblically? Is there danger of excess here? Must we be careful, lest someone carry this too far? Oh, no! That is impossible! Believing sinners are so thoroughly made the righteousness of God in Christ that God himself declares of his Church, “This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” Roll that over in your heart until it overwhelms you.

 

            If Christ is “The Lord Our Righteousness,” as the Word of God declares he is, it is only reasonable and right that his Bride be called by his name. A loving, faithful wife always takes her husband’s name. She is not fit to be called a wife who refuses to do so. So, too, a good husband delights to give his wife his name, and he is honored for her to wear it and use it, because all that he is and has is hers. Yet, no earthly marriage comes close to fully portraying the union between Christ and his Church. Married to Christ, we have all that he has as our Mediator. Indeed, as his body and bride, we are “the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). It is written in the Book of God, “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). Ours is a marriage union that transcends all marriage unions. Others shall be dissolved at death. Ours is forever (Hosea 2:19).

 

            “Christ loved the church and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). He not only died for his Bride, he gave himself for his Bride and to his Bride. He came into this world for us, lived in obedience to God for us, was made to be sin for us, died for us, arose for us, was exalted for us, intercedes for us, and reigns upon his throne for us. Everything he is as the God-man Mediator, he is for us. Everything he does, he does for us. Everything he possesses, he possesses for us and gives to us (John 17:22; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:3). Among all the things our all glorious Christ has wrought for us and given to us, none is more glorious, delightful, and satisfying than this: — “He is made of God unto us Righteousness” and we are made “the righteousness of God in him.” His righteousness is our righteousness, presently and permanently. Therefore, we are, as the Word of God declares, “meet (worthy) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12). As in a true marriage a husband is everything to his wife and a wife everything to her husband, so in this — Christ is everything to his Bride and she is everything to him; and the name of this holy couple is The Lord Our Righteousness!”

 

12

The Grace Bulletin

 

September 23, 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 7:45 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