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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

October 30, 2016

It is God who gives us grace to know Christ, to walk with Christ, and to serve the glory of Christ. He gives grace and gifts as he will and to whom he will (Ephesians 4:7). There is no room for pride, envy, or contempt among his saints (Proverbs 6:16-19; 1 Corinthians 4:7).

Daily Readings for the Week of October 30-November 6, 2016

Sunday John 3-4 Thursday John 11-12

Monday John 5-6 Friday John 13-14

Tuesday John 7-8 Saturday John 15-17

Wednesday John 9-10 Sunday John 18-19

Happy Birthday! Sandy Gladfelter-6^th

Nursery Duty this Week

Diane Campbell (AM) — Celeste Peterson (PM) — Tuesday: Shelby Fortner

Jehovah’s Love the Bond of Peace — Don Fortner

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

1. What is the joy that fills our souls,

Descending from above,

The law that now compels and rules? —

It is Jehovah’s love.

2. What holy bond of peace unites

The Church of God in one,

And fills believers with delight! —

Jehovah’s love alone.

3. What gracious force constrains the soul

In all the ways we move?

What can our raging lusts control? —

It is Jehovah’s love.

4. What fire is that that warms the heart

And every life improve?

What else such sweetness can impart,

Except Jehovah’s love?

5. Oh, that Jehovah’s love may fill

My soul, while here below,

And guide me safe to Zion’s hill,

Where its fulness I’ll know!

“God brought Jonah down. ‘Yet’, in doing so Jonah said, ‘thou hast brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.’ By bringing him down, God made Jonah’s soul faint within him and made his prayer come in unto God. Jonah was made to look away from himself unto Christ, whose suffering made him complete. When God brings his children down, he is bringing us up by making us see we can trust in none to save but our triune God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Pastor Clay Curtis

Walking with God and Christ’s Gifts

Ephesians 4:8-10

In this portion of Holy Scripture, God the Holy Ghost inspired the Apostle Paul to tell us the reason the Lord Jesus gave his Church the established ministry of God called, God ordained, God gifted, God sent Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastors.

His Reason

He gave pastors to his Church specifically to promote the blessed unity of souls in the bond of peace with Christ and one another (Ephesians 4:1-7). — We see this by the opening word of verse 8 — “Wherefore!” — For the sake of this unity, our ascended Savior “gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

Type Fulfilled

Paul’s words are taken directly from Psalm 68:18, describing our Lord’s ascension to heaven from the Mount of Olives in the sight of the Apostles (Acts 1:9-11). In his ascension, the Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, fulfilled the type of Israel’s high priest, entering into heaven to make intercession for his elect, to prepare a place for them, and to send down the Holy Spirit with his grace and gifts to them.

“He led captivity captive.” — Our almighty Redeemer led a train of vanquished foes. He conquered those who had conquered us: sin, Satan, and death. Christ conquered and triumphed over Satan and every spiritual enemy of our souls.

“And gave gifts to men” — the gift of the Spirit to his Church, and men gifted for the work of the ministry. And it is God (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) who (by the grace and power of his Spirit) makes those men useful for God’s glory and the good of the Church (Romans 12:5-8

Mission Accomplished

Ephesians 4:9-10 tell us that our Savior, Jehovah’s Righteous Servant, the Christ of God, our Covenant Surety, accomplished his mission. He could not have ascended up to heaven if he did not first descend from heaven (John 3:13). He came down from heaven to do his Father’s will (Daniel 9:24; Matthew 1:21). And he went back to heaven because he had done it (John 16:7-11). Fulling all righteousness by his obedience unto death, the Lord Jesus Christ saved his people from their sins.

The phrase, “the lower parts of the earth,” refers to the whole of our Lord’s humiliation. When a human body was formed for him in Mary’s womb, it was a work curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. When our dear Redeemer was made sin and a curse for us, and bore all the punishment due to our transgressions, his body was laid in the grave, in the heart of the earth.

All this was done “that he might fulfill all things” that were written, prophesied, and typified of him in the Old Testament Scriptures. All that he did, is doing, and will do is according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Walking with God and the Work of the Ministry

Ephesians 4:11-16

The Lord’s Gifts

“He gave some, Apostles.” — The Lord Jesus Christ himself appointed chosen men and gave them gifts that qualified them to be his Apostles. This was the first and chief office in the Church. They were called by Christ, had their doctrine directly from him, and had power to work miracles to confirm their doctrine (Hebrews 2:3-4). — This office is now ceased.

“And some, Prophets” — extraordinary preachers, exceptionally gifted men of God in the early Church, who had a particular gift to interpret Scripture (especially the prophecies of the Old Testament) and of foretelling things to come, such as Agabus (Acts 11:27-30; 21:10-13).

“And some, Evangelists” — preachers of the Gospel who were traveling missionaries, going from place to place to establish local churches and to assist struggling churches and pastors.

“And some, Pastors and Teachers” — Pastors/Teachers are men appointed of God to preach the Gospel, teaching the Scriptures, shepherds who guide the flock of God in the Scriptures, rulers who rule the house of God by the Word of God, leading God’s people in the way of the faith. Each pastor is God’s appointed teacher, the angel of God, in the local church over which the Holy Ghost has made him the overseer.

Their Work

The reason Christ gave his Church these men, the reason he gives pastors to his Church is for “the perfecting of the saints,” for the spiritual growth and maturity of God’s children.

“For the work of the ministry,” — to preach the Gospel to the lost (2 Timothy 2:10), to oversee the Church (1 Peter 5:1-4), to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5), and to teach the things of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).

“For the edifying of the body of Christ.” — to strengthen, build up, and give comfort and assurance to the people of God.

The Lord Jesus gave his Church these men to pray, preach, and teach, until all the elect come to saving faith and are perfectly united in him. Blessed be his name, our God will continue to supply his Church with faithful, gifted pastors throughout the ages of time, until all Christ’s redeemed ones are united to him in the perfection of life eternal in the heavenly glory, teaching believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 13-16). God’s servants will be found in this world faithfully preaching the Gospel, until all of the elect are made to behold his glory, and trust in him.

Pastors and Peace

Remember, Paul is urging us to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And he tells us plainly that our unity in the Spirit and our peace as a Church family is directly and inseparably connected with this blessed gift of Christ to his Church (1 Thessalonians 5:11-13).

The Grace Bulletin

October 30, 2016

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