Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com

March 3, 2019

The only evidence of grace is faith in Christ. The only basis of assurance is faith in Christ.

·      Todds Road Grace Church in Lexington, KY will host its Sovereign Grace Bible Conference next weekend, Friday through Sunday. Scheduled speakers are pastors Donnie Bell, David Eddmenson, Chris Cunningham, John Chapman, Don Fortner, Clay Curtis, and Joe Terrell.

·      No Service here Tuesday Night — I encourage you to attend the conference in Lexington Friday and Saturday. So I have decided to cancel our mid-week worship service on Tuesday night for this week.

·      Spring Forward — Daylight saving time begins next Sunday. Set your clocks forward one hour.

Happy Birthday! Amy Richards-3^rd  Stephanie Wilkerson-4^th  Charlotte Hart-7^th

Nursery Duty Today: Brittany Torson (AM) — Diane Campbell (PM)

My Savior is the Mighty God! — Don Fortner

(Tune: #118 — When I Survey —LM)

1.    Lord, when my flesh and foes assail,

When sorrows rise and fears prevail,

By grace, my Rock, on You I’m stayed,

My Refuge in the evil day.

2.    Your cov’nant love, Your precious blood,

And all the promises of God,

Your grace is my security,

My mighty God, my Surety!

3.    By sorrow, trials, sin and care,

You force me to my knees in prayer;

My weakness forces me to seek

Your grace and mercy for my need.

4.    My God, this soul-reviving claim

Puts all my slavish fears to shame. —

I’m not my own, I’m bought by blood, —

My Savior is the mighty God!

“The preaching of the Gospel is not a public service announcement to which no one pays attention. The Gospel is a personal word to you from God.”

— Pastor Milton Howard

1

“Trust Ye in the Lord Forever”

Isaiah 26:1-21

Isaiah was a faithful prophet. He played a one-string banjo. He constantly harped on one thing: — The Lord Jesus Christ and God’s salvation in, by, and with him. Here the prophet once more points us to “that day,” that glorious day, this blessed Gospel Day in which we now live. Isaiah used that little phrase, “in that day,” 53 times. In doing so, he particularly calls our attention to the mercies of God that are ours in Christ by redemption and grace and calls for us to relentlessly sing his praise because of those mercies. And he promises peace to all who are stayed upon him in faith.

      Isaiah’s message to us in this chapter is found in verse 4. ― “Trust ye in the Lord forever.” Some who read these lines carry heavy burdens. Some are going through great trials. Some, no doubt, will be called to pass through deep waters of trouble, the fiery furnace of affliction, and the dark valley of bereavement before long. This is God’s word to you. ― “Trust ye in the Lord forever.”

Our Strength

The prophet of God tells us why we can and should trust in the Lord our God forever. ― “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.” Trust him at all times, in every state and condition, in times of affliction, temptation, and darkness, as well as in times of happiness, peace, and light. He will support you in every circumstance and will, in his own time, deliver you out of every trouble. He will cause all things to work together for your good. Trust in him always for everything, for all temporal blessings, for all spiritual ones, and for eternal life and happiness. These are his gifts of grace. He has them in his hand for you. He has promised them. And he will give them at the appointed time.

      “For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength!” ― Christ is the Lord Jehovah, which is, and was, and is to come, self-existent, eternal, and immutable. In him is strength, as well as wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. In him is strength for you, his elect, strength for everything you need, strength to bear you up under the weight of temptation, trouble, and affliction, strength to withstand and conquer every enemy, strength to work his grace in you, and strength to discharge every duty. His strength is everlasting strength. It is always in him and always to be had from him. He is the eternal God, who is our refuge. His arms of power and might are underneath you. They are everlasting arms.

Our Rock

These words could just as well be, “In the Lord Jehovah is the Rock of Ages.” Christ is the Rock on which the church and every believer in it is built, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. He has been the Rock of his people in ages past and will be in ages to come. He that trusts in the Lord has a mighty Rock of refuge in this world and in the world to come. And he who is our Rock is Jehovah our God, God the Son, one with God the Father and God the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7).

2

Isaiah’s Gospel Song

Isaiah 26:1-21

Isaiah 26 is a song of praise to God for all that he has done for his elect, his church, his Israel. It looks beyond the physical nation of Israel, her physical troubles, and her physical deliverances. This is a song that Isaiah said would be sung in this Gospel Day. ― “In that day shall this song be sung” (v. 1). Everything in this chapter, while historically applicable to the Old Testament nation of Israel, finds its fullest meaning in the experience of God’s church today. This, too, was “written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

      The first part of this song is a declaration of security and peace (vv. 1-4). The second part of the song is an encouragement to faith and confidence (vv. 5-11). The last part of this song is a celebration of God’s wonderful works (vv. 12-21). As we read the last verses in this chapter, let us remind ourselves once more of God’s great goodness to us. In verses 12-18 Isaiah speaks for us about us, and we have verified his words in our experience. In verses 19-20 the church encourages herself with the promise of Christ. And in verse 21 the church again speaks to the praise of God and for the encouragement of faith.

Peace

“Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” ― Whatever trouble we may experience on this earth, believers may comfort themselves with this fact. — God will ordain peace for us in the end. Every creature and every event, every experience and everything that comes to pass in the lives of God’s elect he will make to work for our peace. Even those things that seem to be altogether against us, he will cause to work for us, for our everlasting peace.

Debtors

“Thou hast wrought all our works in us.” ― We are all debtors to the grace of God. We are not what we should be. We are not what we want to be. We are not what we shall be. But, blessed be God, we are not what we once were. And we are what we are by the grace of God. Whatever good work may be wrought by us, it is the result of God’s good work of grace wrought in us.

      We are head over heels in debt to Christ; and our debt increases every second of every hour of every day. Only being acted upon do we act. ― “For it is God which worketh in (us) both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Every grace that we exercise is the fruit of his Spirit and the gift of his grace (Galatians 5:22-24).

      In our warfare within, that relentless warfare between flesh and spirit, in our constant warfare without, contending with the powers of darkness assailing our souls, and in every effort by which we seek to serve our God and his people, we prove with every breath that we live, and move, and have our being in and with Christ only by the grace of God. Without his grace working in us and for us, our best efforts are only breaking wind (v. 18).

3

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s

Audio Sermons

Video Sermons

Books

Itinerary