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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

September 3, 2017

 

We believe in Limited Atonement. We believe that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world with the intention of saving Òa multitude which no man can number,Ó called Òhis electÓ in the Book of God. We believe that, as the result of our blessed SaviorÕs finished work upon CalvaryÕs cursed tree, every person for whom he died must and shall be saved by his grace and stand, washed in his precious blood, holy and without blame, before the throne of God in heavenÕs glory.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of September 3-10, 2017

Sunday                Ezekiel 42-44                             Thursday Daniel 4-5

      Monday                Ezekiel 45-47                             Friday                   Daniel 6-8

      Tuesday              Ezekiel 48-Daniel 1       Saturday              Daniel 9-10

      Wednesday        Daniel 2-3                                   Sunday                Daniel 11-Hosea 1

 

á      We are delighted to welcome our guests to our conference. — The dates for next yearÕs conference are August 31-September 2, 2018.

á      There will be no service here tonight or Tuesday night.

 

Happy Birthday!  Klaus Peterson, Sr.-8th  Samuel Torson-8th  Evelyn Clark-10th

 

Nursery Duty 10:00 Shirley Bain & Brittany Torson

                                                                              11:00 Jayalita McCormack & Molly McCormack

 

Our Sovereign God Maintains His Universal ThroneDon Fortner

(Tune: #39 — This is My FatherÕs World — SMD)

1.     Our sovÕreign God maintains His universal throne;

In heavÕn, and earth, and hell He reigns, and makes His wonders known!

His counsels and decrees, firmer than mountains stand;

He will perform whateÕer He please; and none can stay his hand!

2.     All things His will controls; and His all-wise decree

Has fixed the destinies of all in matchless sovÕreignty. —

Jacob by grace He saved, and gives no reason why;

But EsauÕs heart He left depraved. — And who shall dare reply?

3.     What if the Potter takes part of a lump of clay,

And for Himself a vessel makes and casts the rest away?

Who shall resist His will, or say, ÒWhat doest Thou?Ó

Jehovah is the SovÕreign still; and all to Him must bow!

4.     My soul, bow and adore the Lord in all His ways;

His sovÕreignty none can explore; but I will trust His grace!

ÒFor of Him and through Him and to Him are all things:

To Whom be glory evermore! Amen! Amen! Amen!Ó

 

The Lord Jesus Christ died with a specific people in view, a people who had been set apart by the Triune God for salvation before the foundation of the world. Christ did not merely render them savable, but actually obtained eternal salvation for them.

 

ÒWhosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.Ó

1 John 5:1

 

The Lord our God was pleased to reveal his Son in me just before I turned 17. I knew little then. Soon, I began to think I knew much. Today, after preaching the gospel for fifty years, I am fully convinced that I know very little. Yet, I have never imagined that anyone is born of God who depends in any way or to any degree upon something he does or has done or might yet do for acceptance with God. While I hope I have grace and wisdom sufficient to know that Don Fortner, above all mortals, has neither the right nor the ability to know tares from wheat, goats from sheep, or reprobate from elect, and neither the right nor the ability to discern anotherÕs spiritual condition, I am certain that no one is saved believing a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). I do not suggest that oneÕs salvation depends upon how much he knows or how clearly he understands the gospel. I know that it does not. Salvation depends entirely upon the One we know — who we trust.

      I know of no one who would say that a person is saved who denies the virgin birth, though the denier says he believes in Jesus. The denial of the virgin birth is an obvious denial of ChristÕs eternal godhead. I know few believers who would say that papists are saved. Though the papist professes that he believes in Jesus, he trusts his works. ÒMotherÓ Theresa was (I presume) a woman of exemplary godliness in the eyes of those who knew her. But the Christ she trusted, clearly, is not the Christ. I know of no one who believes the gospel of God who would embrace a Mormon as a believer, though I know Mormons who are both devoted in their religious zeal and live what men might call Ògodly lives,Ó praying regularly and outperforming most in doing Ògood works.Ó And they say they believe in Jesus. Yet, all I know who believe the gospel will, without hesitation, say, ÒThe Mormon is lost. The Christ he trusts is a false Christ,Ó and rightly so.

      Yet, men who assert, and assert with boldness and fury, that Christ was a failure, that he died to redeem sinners who at last perish under the wrath of God, we are expected to embrace as believers. We are scorned if we refuse to do so as hard, divisive, and mean-spirited. Is not the denial of ChristÕs effectual atonement as much a denial that he is God (Isaiah 42:4) as the denial of the virgin birth? Is this not a denial that he is the Christ, a denial that he accomplished all that the prophets said the Christ would accomplish (Daniel 9:24)? Is this not antichrist (1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-3)?

            I am not saying that a person must be a Calvinist to be saved. I am saying that a person must trust the right God, the right Christ, the God and Christ revealed in Holy Scripture to be saved. He who is Òthe Christ of GodÓ is not a failure (Isaiah 42:4). He who is Òthe ChristÓ fully accomplished, by his obedience unto death, everything the Scriptures of the Old Testament said he would accomplish (Daniel 9:24). Every denial of the effectual accomplished redemption of GodÕs elect by the death of Christ is antichrist. Universal atonement is useless atonement, trampling underfoot the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29).

 

Supporting Those Who Preach the Gospel

Pastor Henry Mahan

 

ÒEven so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.Ó (1 Corinthians 9:14)

 

The Apostle Paul has much to say about giving.  He calls it a grace (2 Corinthians 8:7). He has much to say about liberality and generosity, saying that it proves the sincerity of your love for Christ and others (2 Corinthians 8:8). And he has a lot to say about the churchesÕ care of, and support of, those who preach the gospel.

            I have had very little to say on this subject because this congregation is so generous and gracious to all, especially to GodÕs preachers, pastors, and missionaries. But the attitude and actions of some (who call themselves men and women of grace) toward young pastors and preachers has come to my attention; and to say the least, I am shocked!

            Do you not know that they who preach the gospel are to live off the gospel? Do you not know that when a man studies, prepares messages, preaches the gospel to you, and ministers to you in spiritual matters, he is to share in your material gain (1 Corinthians 9:11)? Have you no gratitude for that young man who prays for you, teaches your children, and preaches GodÕs gospel?

            I have been a preacher for over 35 years. I know all of the expenses of such a work — cars, tires, gasoline, repairs, books, shirts, shoes, suits, meals, family needs, and such. Even our pagan government does not require a man to go to war at his own expense. I am jealous for the welfare and comfort of my preacher brethren, especially the young ones.

            Give them a generous gift, buy them a suit, a shirt, some tires for their cars. Share your garden, your freezer, speak an encouraging word to them. Treat them like servants of the Most High God ought to be treated!

            ÒInasmuch,Ó Christ said, ÒAs ye have done it to the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it to me!Ó

 

Everyone Limits the Atonement

 

We believe, according to Holy Scripture, that the Lord Jesus Christ died for and redeemed GodÕs elect, all the elect, and only the elect. He shed his blood for those who are actually saved by his blood.

Without question, everyone believes in limited atonement, in one sense or another. The will-worship Arminian believes that the atonement is limited in power and efficacy, that its power and efficacy is limited by the will, choice, and decision of man, that man by his act of faith makes the blood of Christ effectual to himself. That is damning heresy.

We believe that our LordÕs atonement is limited not in merit, power, and efficacy (There is no limit to that!), but in its purpose, intention, design, and scope. — Christ died for GodÕs elect, made atonement for GodÕs elect, redeemed GodÕs elect, obtained eternal salvation for GodÕs elect, all GodÕs elect, and only GodÕs elect. That is the doctrine of the Bible (Isaiah 53:8; Hebrews 9:12).

 

 

 

The Grace Bulletin

 

September 3, 2017

 

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

7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

 

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