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Grace Baptist Church of Danville November 24, 2013
Only the thankful are rich; and all who are thankful are truly rich: rich with grace, rich with life, and rich forever. — “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”
Daily Readings for the Week of November 24-December 1, 2013 Sunday Romans 12-15 Thursday 1 Corinthians 11-13 Monday Romans 16-1 Cor. 3 Friday 1 Corinthians 14-15 Tuesday 1 Corinthians 4-7 Saturday 1 Cor. 16-2 Cor. 3 Wednesday 1 Corinthians 8-10 Sunday 2 Corinthians 4-7
· The Lord willing, we will have our Annual Christmas Dinner after our morning worship service next Sunday. · Shelby and I would like for all of you to join us for our annual Open House at the Parsonage on Sunday afternoon, December 15. · There will be no service here on Christmas Eve.
NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK Today: Jayalita McCormack (AM) Vicci Rolley (PM) Tuesday: Sherri Warta CHURCH CLEANING IN DECEMBER: Billy & Jayalita McCormack HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Skip & Sandy Gladfelter-1st Mark & Regina Henson-29th HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Cody Henson-25th
Thanksgiving to Our God — Don Fortner (Tune: This Is My Father’s World #39 SMD)
For all the wondrous things You’ve done, for mercy, love and grace! You, from our mothers’ womb, have carried us along, And promised through old age that You will not forsake Your own!
The Father, and the Spirit, and Christ Jesus, God the Son! The Triune God we praise for all His works of grace; Chosen, redeemed, and called, we are trophies of sov’reign grace!
As ransomed sinners saved by grace, we give our God His due! While in this world we live, let us live for our God, And may our dying breath express thanksgiving to our God!
“‘Preach the Word.’ The emphasis there is on ‘the Word.’ ‘Preach the Word.’ Over and over again we have noticed that Paul had a system of truth which he received from Christ and which he delivered to Timothy, and that this system of truth is the most precious deposit in the world. That is what he must preach. That is the supreme limitation of the theme of the preacher. I have felt shame, sorrow, and contempt, all blended, at some things I have heard from the pulpit. They are nice enough little things, but nothing from the Word of God, nothing to convict a sinner, nothing to lead a sinner to Christ, nothing to lead a babe in Christ to maturity in Christian knowledge, nothing to develop high, holy, and enduring Christian character. Preaching is a solemn work.” B. H. Carroll
“Give Thanks” “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In our society, numerous holidays and festivals are celebrated. Without question, some are of questionable origin and others have their roots in paganism and idolatry. As believers, we are forbidden to observe any “holy days”. We are not even to observe a sabbath day (Colossians 2:16). We do not worship God on special days, or one day in seven. We worship our God every day. And we certainly must not participate in the religious practices of pagans. However, so long as we place no religious or spiritual significance on these things, I see nothing more in the observance of special holidays than Paul saw in eating meats offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8). Do not allow anyone to bring you into bondage either way. You are perfectly free to observe these days, or not to observe them, as you see fit. For my part, I am in favor of observing any day that encourages families to get together and promotes good will among men.
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Day is distinct from all other holidays. This is distinctly an American holiday. The fourth Thursday of November is set aside as a national day of thanksgiving to the Lord our God for all the blessings of his providence and grace toward us through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Divine Providence On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge God’s sovereign dominion over all the affairs of providence (Romans 8:28; 11:36). We acknowledge that “all things are of God.” We give thanks to him for bountiful harvests, because he sends the sunshine and the rain. We thank him for peace and prosperity, because he makes peace and creates evil. We thank him for life and health, because they are his gifts. We also thank him when the barns are empty, the nation is at war, the economy is ruined, and death is at hand, because he who is our God is too wise to err, too strong to fail, and too good to do wrong. His will is best. So we give thanks to him “in everything.”
Saving Grace On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge and give thanks to our God for his bountiful, free, saving grace in Christ. When you gather with your families Thursday, do not fail to give thanks to God for “his unspeakable gift,” the Lord Jesus Christ and his great salvation. Make mention of his electing love, redeeming blood, regenerating power, justifying grace, forgiving mercy, and covenant faithfulness. Let us acknowledge to him and to all who will hear us that we are what we are by the grace of God. If we are saved, he saved us. If we are righteous, he made us righteous. If we are sanctified, he sanctified us. If we persevere in faith, we are kept by his power. I plan to spend Thanksgiving Day with my family: my wife, my daughter, my son-in-law, my grandchildren, and, perhaps, some family friends. If you get a chance to stop by, do so. But wherever you spend Thanksgiving Day, give thanks to God! And I trust you will have a happy thanksgiving.
“There is a sin unto death.” 1 John 5:16
What is John talking about when he says, “There is a sin unto death”? Notice that he says “a sin,” singular, not “sins,” plural. John is here talking about one specific sin. But the language is even more specific in the Greek text. There is no indefinite article in the Greek. So John’s words are literally, “There is sin unto death.” The sin he is talking about is the sin and fall of our father Adam in the garden, and the sin of all our race in him (Romans 5:12).
Adam’s Sin In Adam we all died spiritually; and because of Adam’s transgression, all shall die physically, both the reprobate and the elect. For the reprobate, death in Adam is unto everlasting death in hell, death from which there is no escape. Esau shall never become Jacob. The seed of the serpent shall never become the seed of the woman. Goats shall never become sheep. The reprobate shall never become elect. Vessels of wrath will never become vessels of mercy. None of us know who the reprobate are, or who the elect are, until God makes his election known in the mighty operations of his saving grace. But, that said, I do know this: — Cain, and Ham, and Esau, and all other sons of Adam outside the election of grace, whose names were not written in the book of life of the Lamb from the foundation of the world, exist only because they carry and preserve and serve God’s elect seed, Christ’s seed in this world, generation after generation. For them, the Adam fall is sin unto death, everlasting death in hell. — They never shall believe, because, as the Savior puts it, “ye are not of my sheep.”
Sinning a Sin The reprobate, sinning a sin unto death, continue in wilful unbelief, blaspheming God the Holy Ghost, stopping their ears to the voice of God; and by their wilful sinning a sin unto death, they heap upon themselves wrath against the day of wrath. They will not hear God’s voice in creation, in conscience, in providence, in his acts of judgment, or in the gospel. God calls; but you will not answer. God speaks; but you will not hear. Therefore, you shall eat of the fruit of your own ways, and shall be filled with your own devices(Proverbs 1:23-33).
Don’t Pray Concerning this sin unto death, God the Holy Spirit says, “Don’t pray for it.” — “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” — How often have you tried to pray for someone, only to find that you cannot? You put them on your prayer list, and try to pray. You try to pray for God to save them. But you simply can’t do it. God just won’t let you pray for them. Maybe, I do not say it with certainty because I cannot, but maybe the reason is stated here. — “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” This I know, there are some in this world for whose salvation God will not let his people pray. We may recite their names every day; but God will not hear us; he will not let us pray (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11; 18:18-21; John 17:9).
The Grace Bulletin
November 24, 2013
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
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Pastor Fortner’s
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