Assurance Of Salvation (pt-2)

Bethlehem Bible Church

1 view

January 18, 2004

00:01: Just swim around the ocean. Well, why'd you make that God? Well, I just like to see it swim.
00:07: I thought that is so good All right, just a few announcements before we start tonight and talk about assurance
00:15: I was preaching at Omaha Bible Church last Sunday morning when I first walked into the church
00:20: There were two people there some people that you all know people that used to sit right there And so when I preached at OBC, they have a little bit different seating
00:27: And so they sat front row center Wes Jamison and Luke Jamison And so Scott Farah had let
00:32: Wes know that I'd be in town and my mother was sick and so I walked in and little Luke had a postcard for my little
00:38: Luke and Wes had a big bag of Angela's special cookies And they just said we love you and we wanted to come and support you and I thought that was pretty neat He got up early in the morning early in the morning and drove about 160 miles down And just sit there and I thought that was just so sweet So then he's like, you know, what are you gonna preach to me
00:57: I said, I don't really feel like really giving it to him But I probably did I mean that was a really sweet of Wes and Luke Can I tell the story about your husband, oh,
01:15: I'll do that too. Well, let's start with Anne Garcia first Anne Garcia's sister -in -law did die This morning so we've been praying for Lynn and the family for a long time and Lynn isn't sick anymore and isn't crying anymore, but it's it's hard to lose a loved one
01:31: You might want to call Anne Garcia this week and just say we love you and praying for you And what could we do for those of you that don't have a directory?
01:39: Would you email BBC staff at Juno and just ask for a directory picture directory? We'd love to send you one
01:44: It's nice to kind of see the people and learn some of the names and you can just pray for the people I think a directory is good for phone numbers
01:51: So then you don't have to call me for the phone numbers, but it's also good to just pray through and I'm sure it's been hard for Anne and the family
02:03: But make sure you call her. I heard about Lewis and he'll be home. What which day? February 18th,
02:11: Lewis Brown will be back for those of you that don't know him. He's an elder here He's been working in Iraq to restore some of the radio systems there
02:19: Then we'll decide to see what happens when she once he gets back That is great What else?
02:28: It's gone for the whole week once I left Omaha I was at the Stephen Alford Center for expository preaching
02:34: Which I got credit for at Southern Seminary for school my last class before the year -long project And I just sat there thinking
02:41: I am so blessed as a recipient of Good teaching at Master Seminary and in Grace Church to see
02:48: MacArthur model expository preaching week in and week out And to be taught by them in at Master Seminary many pastors from all around the country
02:56: Not associated with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but just other pastors not even knowing about expository preaching not understanding
03:03: And I thought Lord I've been such a recipient of good teaching and good modeling And it's not that I know everything you all know that I don't know everything
03:11: But I've been taught and I know at least what the goal of expository preaching is and some Sundays I do it better than others, but just to sit there thinking
03:18: God you have been so good to me Lots of men not understanding any of the issues and how to preach and what to do
03:26: I probably picked up some slang with all the Southerners there. You know this is not a pulpit You know if you're a
03:32: Southern Baptist, or you live in Memphis. You know what this is called. Don't you a Pulpit when you get up into the pulpit
03:41: I Didn't eat any grits this last week or any okra or anything like that. I was kind of on the Atkins diet and so But it just was really a neat time, thank you by the way for praying and for being an encouragement
03:51: I know I said it this morning, but it really means a lot and We'll learn more this week mom goes to the consultation tomorrow for the surgeon
04:00: And then they'll decide what kind of day surgery to do to check out things and that we'll see
04:06: What happens, but we know the Lord is good and faithful and I? Just couldn't preach
04:11: Ephesians 5 this morning. It's like I just there's no way I can preach that I actually can be praying for mom as well.
04:18: I think she's going to speak to her ladies group this week If she can she's the she's the equivalent to Dallas Brown except at Omaha Bible Church, and so she's the ladies
04:28: Bible teacher She is it's the easiest way to think about it And so I said mom you were gonna have the ladies ears you just teach to teach them and tell them what
04:39: God's Word says I Think that is about all I have let me recommend a couple books some reason
04:48: I think I'm forgetting something, but I Don't know this one.
04:54: I want to commend you not just this book, but several They're called series books, and this is called for Christian views
05:00: And so what they do is there's all kinds of controversies in Christianity And so they'll take four different views that are all within the pale of orthodoxy and a different author will write his view
05:10: This is divorce and remarriage And then the other three writers will write their short rebuttal why they think that position is wrong
05:18: And so there are four main views in Christianity when it comes to divorce and remarriage one no divorce and no remarriage to divorce, but no remarriage three the
05:31: Biblical model that we would follow here at least we think is biblical divorce and remarriage for adultery or desertion
05:36: And then number four divorce and remarriage under a variety of circumstances It's just an excellent way to study you can study in time books like this
05:44: You can study war books like you know is it proper to go to war just excellent because you can see the other views
05:52: Still have to have your Bible out to see what you really believe I want you to believe things of this church not because we teach them
05:59: It's a good place to start But I want you to believe what we teach because you own it and then lastly
06:07: I just had to show you this If you get a doctorate in preaching you probably have to read liberal books about preaching
06:13: And so I have read so many liberal books in the last year of preaching. It's not even funny I've read a lot of other books, but I've read a little bit liberal books, too
06:19: And this one's called David Buttrick's homiletic. You don't have points you have moves
06:25: That's four hundred and I want to say seventy pages, and I'll just give you a little insight On page 458 the last full page in the book by the way.
06:36: I do not recommend this book Now David Buttrick by the way is the kind of guy that will come to a class if you invite him
06:43: And he'll just take a bottle of Jack Daniels and take a couple shots Just right in front of you as he's teaching you how to preach just to push the end
06:50: He'll curse in the pulpit. It's just it's just an abomination and you can tell by this
06:58: So let us be willing as pastors to say boldly that it is possible to preach the
07:04: Word of God without so much as mentioning Scripture Last full page of the book.
07:10: How do you preach you don't need the Bible I? Mean my gag reflex starts when
07:19: I start reading that I mean what else could we do why else would you come here? So give a little pep talk we want to hear
07:25: God's Word so Just amazing all right.
07:30: I think we're probably ready now. I guess we've been taped Quite a while let's get our
07:36: Bibles open please and we're gonna talk tonight about assurance I think what we'll turn to first is
07:44: First Samuel 16 7 as you're turning there Several Sunday nights ago. We did this small quiz on assurance how you can know that you can have salvation
07:54: And I think in the future on Sunday nights. I we may do parables We may do the book of Revelation.
08:00: I'm not sure exactly what we'll do I'm also thinking about the book of Ruth, and we'll just see when I'm back in the pulpit
08:05: I don't know when I'll go back home to Omaha again, but for tonight We'll look at assurance. We'll look at some difficult verses in the one of the next few
08:13: Sunday nights as well Steve will be preaching next Sunday night. No we should do while I'm thinking about let's have some snacks and stuff like that for next
08:20: Sunday Night, I don't know who wants to be responsible, but if somebody can coordinate. Let's get some food bring some food buy some food
08:28: Bill you were responsible for that before weren't you would you would you and your wife do that? You know the
08:34: Falcons are expecting you all know that Wednesday due date
08:41: July 1st isn't that exciting and a J. Do you have any news that we might be all privy to or no?
08:48: He's engaged Joe you sit on that front row things happen. There's an advantage of sitting close to the front
08:59: That's and and the wedding date is July 25th 23rd okay good and well there'll be
09:07: Ceremony will be in Buffalo, but then will you go back home to Hyderabad and have another ceremony kind of a post marriage ceremony?
09:16: It'll be a reception there, okay? Just exciting to be with other Christians and see what
09:22: God does for them and gives them wives and children And he's certainly very good well
09:28: We're talking about assurance and we did it in quiz form you may not have your quiz And we have only a few questions left
09:33: But let me just give you these quiz questions first as we get up to number eight number one assurance is not a very important and vital issue
09:42: True or false well, so it's a very important thing to know that you are going to go to heaven Secondly people can have assurance of salvation and still perish in other words there can be a false assurance
09:55: True, that's exactly right Three the most popular religion in New England calls assurance of sin.
10:01: It's called the sin of presumption. That's true Number four you can know for sure if you're saved
10:07: By the way, when does a when does eternal life start the moment you believe right eternal life?
10:17: Five God did not have to tell us that we could have assurance he could just say you believe on the
10:24: Lord Jesus and We'd end up in heaven one day thinking wow we made it you didn't have to tell us
10:31: But I think that's another good pleasure of God Number six assurance stems from other doctrines in other words the more you know about Sure other doctrines the more assurance you could have true or false
10:43: Absolutely true Seven you can take yourself from God's hand You can lose your salvation not because someone can take it away from you
10:50: But if you decide to jump out of God's hand you can false. Okay, and now we'll go to number eight
10:57: We'll spend most of time on number twelve, but tonight we'll begin with number eight And again, we just want to work through what the
11:03: Bible says about assurance because it's very very important It's hard to sleep if you don't have assurance It's hard to function in life and we want to give people the sweetness of knowing
11:11: I know if I die today For instance with my mom people would call the phone and they're very very concerned
11:18: And it was just so sweet to hear her say I know I'm going to heaven. This is not theory This is not a hypothesis.
11:24: This is not anything except a fact based on Calvary. I'm going And she was quite sure of it.
11:30: And if I didn't think she was going to go to heaven We will not so we would not sit down and plan Funeral services mom.
11:37: What's your favorite song? I don't did I tell you this morning? What her favorite song was his victory in Jesus said we're singing that first I mean,
11:43: I hope she lives a long time with some of the news we've been getting lately That could in fact be true but when you know
11:51: For instance with John Wesley saying Christians die well Christians with good doctrine and a good doctrine of assurance they die even better Knowing that we're safe and secure from all alarms even on the deathbeds
12:04: We can have insurance. Well number eight says it's a little
12:10: I'm just trying to Push you to think number eight suicide Killing yourself yields in a loss of salvation
12:20: If someone saved truly saved and regenerated and they commit suicide can they undo the work of God?
12:28: answer No, what would be some thoughts though about that? What were some other questions that might come into our mind?
12:36: Well, first of all, we have to think properly because if you have my background as a Lutheran I was taught that I cannot die with any unconfessed sin.
12:44: It'd be pretty hard to confess that sin After you've killed yourself, right and you have to try to calculate
12:50: Exactly when to do it and hopefully you could say something as you were doing it. And so If you think of justification in terms like that God has forgiven you every sin past present and future
13:02: Christ is paid for those sins Then God the Son has lived a perfect life and you get credit for that So if you're truly saved you can't lose your salvation
13:10: Now does this mean we should go commit suicide because we can't take the world? Obviously not in Romans 6 would teach us.
13:16: We are not the sin that grace might abound But if someone commits suicide, what are some other questions you might ask or how would you figure this out?
13:26: Well, let me even push it further since there's nobody responding right away Is there an example in the Bible where someone killed himself or herself and we know for sure they're in heaven
13:38: I'd probably be a good place to start someone who killed themselves and we know for sure in heaven now you might say
13:43: Saul Saul kind of tried to run himself through and then had another guy involved and everything, but we're not really sure about Saul I hope
13:51: Saul's in heaven, but I would guess that he probably isn't but I'm not the judge. I Was a judge.
13:57: I probably wouldn't let me in I wouldn't want to judge my son on behalf of someone else
14:03: Is there someone in the Bible who's in heaven who committed suicide mark? All right, where is that found
14:09: Samson? Let's go to Hebrews chapter 11. Now you might say that's not really fair He was trying to kill everybody else.
14:15: So he knew he was going to die. It's at least it's a closest we can get and the good news when you look at Hebrews chapter 11
14:24: You think of a sandwich and the sandwich is this Hebrews 11 is the middle.
14:30: It's the meat the first part of the Bread the first layer of bread is
14:35: Hebrews 10 at the very end of 10 I want you to read the Bible with context in chapters
14:42: And if you look at 1039 we are not those Who shrink back to destruction but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul
14:51: We're not going to shrink back. We're going to make it to the end Well, then if you look at the beginning of chapter 12
14:58: Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses This is the bottom part of the bun a bottom part of the sandwich surrounding us
15:05: Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance
15:10: The race that is set before us So you've got carry on to the very end
15:16: We're gonna keep running and keeping our eyes on Jesus and in the middle There are real -life examples of people who've done it and one of them if you look in verse 32 is
15:25: Samson. I Mean, how did Jeff them make it into heaven? Well, he did but what about Samson?
15:33: What shall I say for time will fail me if I tell of Gideon Barak Samson Jephthah of David and Samuel and the prophets?
15:41: Who by faith conquered kingdoms perform acts of righteousness obtained promises and shut the mouths of lions?
15:48: Quench the power of the fire of fire escape the edge of the sword from weakness They were made strong became mighty in war put foreign armies to flight women received back
15:57: They're dead by resurrection and the others were tortured not Accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection
16:03: And it's even more think about the sustaining grace of God to the end on a side note
16:09: You want to know if God can give you grace to the very end and give you assurance of eternal life?
16:15: Look at how they finished and others experienced mockings and scourging. Yes also chains and imprisonment
16:22: They were stoned. They were sawn in two by the way I think that was Isaiah the tradition said they were tempted they were put to death with the sword
16:31: They went in about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted ill -treated.
16:38: I Mean the list goes on one thing. I know is Samson's in heaven. You agree with that You say well, he died righteously
16:48: The one good news is he lived for so long so long his life unrighteously I can't believe when
16:54: I read Samson that he's in heaven. Can you we read that story to the kids?
16:59: and people a Samson is just a scoundrel a
17:05: Scallywag as we call him in our house you read and you just say what is this man doing? Well, we only get a little snippet of his life
17:12: And so his whole lifestyle I think had been changed and I think he got saved later in his life before earlier
17:18: But Samson is in heaven and this is the closest illustration you can get to somebody killing themselves and still going to heaven
17:25: There are people that do insane things and God forgives them of those things doesn't he
17:32: For us when we do insane things like sin any sin any sin is insanity
17:38: We have an opportunity afterwards to say God that was stupid. I didn't you know, I please forgive me.
17:45: I'm sorry I don't want to do that again that the fames Christ's name and God gives us parental forgiveness again.
17:52: He's already forgiven us Positionally, but Samson never had that chance. I believe that if a
17:58: Christian a true Christian commits suicide He doesn't undo his salvation. Does he glorify
18:03: God in the way he dies? No Can people around just grieve and say that was the most selfish thing that someone could do?
18:10: Yes On the flip side if someone commits suicide and they've lived a whole life of just a lot of lip service for God and saying
18:18: They're a Christian then you have to ask yourself the question. Are they saved or not? Questions my real point is this if God forgives you past present and future
18:26: Won't he forgive that sin of suicide the day? He saved you and knew ahead of time all the sins you'd commit true
18:35: The answer is true. I mean who would want to commit suicide? That is just not the way to go out
18:42: Questions about this one. Yes, Jonah Assisted death
18:53: Well the jack -of -orchean kind Jack got his justice and his justice was jailed because I don't think it's man's
19:00: Responsibility to say well, this is by life is viable and this one isn't Well, that's a very good question.
19:07: We as a family two weeks ago talked and said Do we want to do not resuscitate order and do not resuscitate is when people are so sick and they go into cardiac arrest
19:18: If there's a DNR there, we won't resuscitate and they'll just die and so we talked about that a little talked a little bit as a family and Isn't that super hard and that hard thing to talk about What do
19:38: I think? Well, I'll just play with you. What do I feel about it? I feel very emotional because I'm living it at the moment
19:44: What do you do when your mom goes into cardiac arrest and you know if she comes out of it? She's just going to be given a bunch of more chemo and die soon.
19:52: Anyway selfishly. I want her to be alive Unselfishly You might as well meet your master face to face.
19:59: What a day that'll be I'll fly away. Oh glory. I'll fly away I mean I think about heaven now.
20:04: I think about my mother. I think you're going to have to ask
20:09: God for wisdom I think for those that want to just get rid of their family members and have do not resuscitate right away because They want the money or something like that.
20:19: I'd say no I'd say if someone was a Christian I as a pastor would tell the family members But I want you to resuscitate them as many times as possible
20:28: So while they're alive, they have the opportunity for God to save them So who would want to do not resuscitate on your death on your bed if you're not a
20:36: Christian And those are probably the ones that do So you were gonna you were gonna have a follow -up question to that.
20:48: Oh the lady down in Florida I think that was a scam. I think the guy wanted the money The millions and he already had another girl or some more kids or something
20:57: He was just selfishly wanting his life to die so he could get out of the marriage agreement and marry the other and so Unless the
21:04: Lord Jesus will pay for that sin or has paid for that sin All right, let's keep going
21:15: I Mainly threw that one in there because I want you to know there's not a sin that a Christian can commit
21:21: To lose what God has done You didn't save yourself and you can't unsave yourself. And I know if God calls you in Romans 8
21:28: What's the final link of that chain in Romans 8? He'll glorify you All right.
21:35: Let's go to this next one. Number nine all people true or false struggle with assurance of salvation
21:41: Let me say it this way. Is there anyone here who's never struggled with assurance so far? I've met two people in my life that have never had a doubt that they're a
21:49: Christian If you don't want to raise your hand, but it's few and far between That you'll meet somebody like that.
21:54: I think all people struggle with assurance of salvation. Do you know why? Because we all sin and when you sin, sometimes you don't feel safe.
22:05: I'll talk more about this later Let's keep going number ten. You were to give assurance to other Christians very very tricky
22:15: Very tricky either way you answer this you're wrong
22:23: Now here's what I was after when you meet someone and they say I'm a Christian and I want to pray and I want to Receive Christ and I want to believe and and I want to make a decision for Christ whatever terminology they use
22:37: That's when I think you have to be the most careful because as you have your Bibles open to 1st Samuel chapter 16 verse 7
22:42: It says what bill what's it say? Ajay, ajay, what does it say the
23:01: Lord looks at the heart? This is not a context of assurance this has nothing to do with assurance, but when someone says
23:06: I'm a Christian and they're brand new and and For whatever whatever way they've they've heard the gospel.
23:13: We don't know if someone's saved or not When they're a brand new Christian, there's some people in this room that we do know they're saved
23:20: Why I said, you know, it's Fred. How many people we can just do this Fred Thiebaud How many people think
23:25: Fred Thiebaud is a Christian? I Can't believe you didn't raise your hand bill Fred you talk to bill afterwards
23:34: How do we know Fred's a Christian I can't see his heart Because we know the fruit that the
23:41: Spirit of God gives a man or a woman but Fred's a brand new Christian Hey, I'm a
23:46: Christian and we go telling him you're a Christian. You're a Christian for sure. You're saved
23:51: That's what I want you to be very careful of you can say if you have truly repented and believed on the
23:57: Lord Jesus Christ is death burial and resurrection. You shall be saved. Can we say that? If you truly believe
24:03: God has forgiven you all your sins past present future. Could you say that? Absolutely. And so if we say well as Mark Schaefer a
24:10: Christian is is a Dallas Brown a Christian We can see a lifestyle of not perfection, but of what?
24:17: Direction we see the direction of their life. I always love to say it's like, California real estate It's always going as it speaks in valleys.
24:26: We say that's a changed life But I just want you to be very careful, especially those of you that have kids they love you
24:36: They'll mimic you they'll do things to please you and when your kids say daddy, I'm a
24:41: Christian I believe in Jesus and they may break down but you want to be very careful not to give them the rubber stamp of Approval and say you're in the kingdom and now when you fall away in your teen years
24:54: You're saved and don't let you in let anybody tell you any differently what you say is that was that's so great
25:00: I'm so glad you love Jesus. Oh, it's incredible and you can throw a party and you can celebrate and then as time goes on You just keep affirming their decisions their ongoing trust in Christ You have to be very careful
25:13: So that's what I was after here because there is a kind of soil that has a seed setting on it
25:19: And when there's trouble what happens like we learned this morning you receive the word with joy and still aren't
25:25: Christians So that's to me one of the downfalls of saying Everyone who's a
25:31: Christian come up to the front and then I'll tell you now You're a Christian and don't let anybody ever tell you any differently
25:38: Mainly assurance is the work of the Spirit of God not of people now if I meet one of you and Let's just keep using
25:45: Fred as an example and Fred's walks in and I use Fred because he would not be an example of this
25:50: But Fred comes in my my study and says Mike. I'm really struggling. I don't know if I'm saved or not I can say to Fred Fred tell me what's going on in your life and stuff like that because in fact, maybe you aren't a
26:02: Christian But you sure acted like a good Christian for many years and let's talk about not your salvation
26:08: But let's talk about how you can have assurance and what's going on in your life and things like that because we see track record over time, right
26:14: I Just want people to be careful here that when you meet someone and they say yes I'm a Christian especially in this culture come to Christ.
26:21: Your marriage will be fixed. You'll make more money You'll have the full abundant life. And then when things cave in what happens?
26:27: Where's the gospel that says deny self pick up the cross follow Christ repent of your sins
26:33: It's not being preached very often So I just want to make sure we're very careful
26:38: The general pattern of people would be first John 5 3 4. This is the love of God that we keep his what?
26:46: Commandments Christians are people that keep commandments All right. Let's go to the next one number 11
26:51: It is rare to meet someone who has never struggled with assurance that almost sounds like the other one. It's it is rare listen what
27:01: Thomas Brooks says our Knowledge of God of Christ of ourselves and of the Blessed Scripture is imperfect in this life.
27:08: How many people know? doctrines of God perfectly You may get a test you may get a hundred on your test perfectly, but it's not perfect By the way, one of you men taught me something of the day.
27:19: I think it might have been Bob done that Or no, it was Dan Rathbun, I think no memory loss in heaven
27:25: Now you study these great doctrines of God. Oh, it's precious Lord. You're precious and You've had experiences where God has been so faithful and then you kind of forget them
27:36: It's like emphasis you lose your first love in heaven all the special things You'll never forget just keep added upon addition upon addition upon addition
27:47: Everything I've learned and you'll keep learning in heaven You'll have the mind of Christ.
27:53: You'll know as much as a glorified person can know but you can still know more I love school and obviously
27:59: I'm still going to school But I get to go to class in heaven. God teach me more
28:06: I thought I knew about holiness, but I don't have a clue Really? Come on just all day long and I don't even have to take notes and I won't lose anything in my mind
28:18: But Brooke says our knowledge is imperfect in this life, so how can our assurance be perfect?
28:25: people struggle with assurance Don Whitney said if Spurgeon experienced occasional doubts about his salvation the less gifted
28:33: I would say all of us The less gifted should not consider themselves strange for struggling with doubts
28:41: You are not abnormal if you have occasional doubts about whether you are a Christian. I Remember, here's my life.
28:52: I get saved not a doubt in the world. I was a Flamethrower Rambo for the
28:58: Lord Come what may you said something never change And Then maybe after about five years
29:10: I Started to have a few doubts, and I never blew out of the faith or anything like that But I had some doubts and in the last
29:19: Five years, I don't want to say I've never ever had a doubt but pretty much doubt free of Christian living
29:27: When I had doubts, let's turn to Galatians chapter 2. I would go to the strange passages
29:32: We can go to first John in a little bit We'll go to 2nd Peter, but I want to take you to Galatians and this may help you.
29:38: I hope one day When you are experiencing doubts, I'm not hoping that you have doubts But I know you will when you're having doubts.
29:45: I want you to remember Calvary plus and minus nothing I think it's going to be very helpful At least it has been in my life and you wouldn't think of Galatians as a kind of help me with assurance chapter, but look at chapter 2 verse 16 and The point here is your obedience does not add to the cross for your salvation.
30:07: Therefore It is strictly Christ and his death his burial his resurrection and belief in that and so at the end of the day you say
30:15: I don't feel Like a Christian, but I believe my eternal life stake upon the fact that Jesus died for my sins
30:21: There's no other way to heaven and I'm basing my my children's lives, too I'm gonna teach them nothing other look at verse 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law
30:32: But through faith in Christ Jesus even we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not
30:38: By works of the law since by works of the law. No flesh will be justified. I Can't come up with my faith.
30:45: I can't keep my faith. That's all of God If you look at verse 1 of chapter 3 you foolish
30:50: Galatians Who's bewitched you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
30:57: This is the only thing I want to find out from you Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing with faith?
31:04: There's the obvious answer. Are you so foolish having begun by the Spirit? Are you now being perfected by the flesh?
31:12: Verse 6 even so Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness and I just say
31:19: Lord I'm struggling with assurance, but I believe that the only way of salvation is through your son.
31:25: I can't go any other option This is it for me I didn't come up with my own faith and I can't even keep my faith by being good and so God if there's sin
31:32: In my life show it to me. There must be sin because if I didn't have any sin I'm going to be having a high level assurance
31:39: So when you doubt your faith you get back into the Bible you say Lord you have to show me All right.
31:46: Now, here's what I mainly wanted to do tonight and let's hope we have time before we get there
31:52: I met a man this week is named Stephen Olford and he's 86 and he's He's almost like an
31:58: English Billy Graham. How many people have heard of Stephen Olford very popular in the Keswick movement and higher life movement faithful man
32:07: One of the neatest things I learned this week is just watching his wife interact She just loves him and he loves her and it's just neat to see 86 year old godly couple
32:18: Who just love each other and they're just going on each other and I just was watching him going and this is just really neat And he was telling me stories
32:29: We had a lunch one day and he was kept telling me the stories about how he was the one who introduced
32:35: Tozer to Lloyd Jones he was a pastor of a church in in Manhattan and then some other places we set up I can't do his accent but he's kind of gruff and you know
32:46: Stephen Alford does nothing in second gear, it's all first gear and So you'll be sitting there and someone will come and see
32:57: Dr. Alford, would you like some more tea? I'll have some more tea And I was worried because I was the first one to graduate from the seminar and so a
33:07: Abendroff and I had to go up there and he's waiting Shake his hand son get my diploma and I have to walk over to dr.
33:13: Alford and I shake his hand knees it Congratulations. God bless you and Everybody's just cracking up and when he preaches
33:22: God And I thought people in New England think I'm wacky. Let him let
33:27: Alfred come in here And so you're just talking the day I introduced
33:32: Tozer to the Lord I mean, he's fired up.
33:38: He's 86. Matter of fact, he got diagnosed just a couple years ago with cancer and he's fighting it and And to the
33:48: Southern Baptist This is nothing because that's how their pastors always are New England got a windchill up here
34:01: So I'm not as bad as you think I am Where was I? Oh, he's introduced Tozer to Martin Lloyd -Jones
34:08: He would tell me the story when CS Lewis would come and hear him preach and come in the back room and his personal
34:14: Like limousine guy would come and just sit there for hours while Stephen Alford would talk to CS Lewis I talked to him about Francis Schaefer.
34:22: And so he would talk for our Hours with Francis Schaefer. I talked to him about Billy Graham and their friendship.
34:29: It's just neat talking to this guy Who the God has seen fit to be faithful for all these years
34:35: Now I have no idea why I brought that story because I don't I'm trying to figure out Why did I bring this up to segue into this?
34:42: What am I talking about? Anyone remember? Assurance Sweet Lord my tea.
34:55: I Am talking about assurance, but something more specific Same no, he was very short.
35:16: Matter of fact if he was standing here, he'd probably be about this tall And they're very short, but he was powerful
35:26: Yeah, I almost as old as Abraham, you know, just need to hear him talk and some of the other professors and stuff
35:31: Just very encouraging. I wanted I thought to myself. I want to be faithful to the very end like this man
35:36: I have no idea why I brought the story. It's good for a laugh. Let's keep going. Let's turn to Let's turn a second
35:43: Peter Number number 12 there are both objective and subjective aspects to assurance
35:51: Subjective and objective and so let's look at Subjective we talk a lot about objective.
35:57: Here's what I mean by objective Looking at Jesus Christ and his work at Calvary where he said it is finished.
36:02: That's objective Seeing and looking at words that we know well here reconciliation redemption propitiation
36:09: Justification those are all objective if Jesus died for you in your place in your stead on your behalf, then you're going to heaven but subjectively what about How to increase assurance and let's look at 2nd
36:22: Peter chapter 1 and this is a Marvelous passage and remember the context though before we start and I'll probably ask you this till the day
36:30: I die or get kicked out of here What is the context of 2nd
36:36: Peter It's written for one reason to rebuke
36:41: False teachers to rebuke false teachers. So that's the context of this now imagine you're back in those days
36:47: False teachers swirling around Persecution if you're
37:01: I hope Christianity is real because I'm eating all these wolves and sheep clothing and they're telling me it's not just How can
37:08: I know I'm saved I need to know I may have to march out with all my children one day and just watch
37:14: Them get murdered because of what I believe in my mind So 2nd
37:20: Peter chapter 1 verse 1 Simon Peter a bondservant an apostle of Jesus Christ To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours
37:27: By the righteousness of God and Savior by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ Grace and peace be multiplied to you and the knowledge of God and of our
37:37: Lord Jesus Our Jesus our Lord Seen that his divine power notice
37:43: Here's the word grant granted to you everything pertaining to life and godliness Through the true knowledge of him was called us by his own glory and excellence
37:51: He granted another thing verse 4 for by these he has granted to us his precious He's given us these precious and magnificent promises in order that by them
38:01: You might become partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust
38:07: He said we've been koinonia. We've been partakers of this great Divine nature we're not gods or little gods, but we're new creations
38:18: Hardly anything about us in there. Do you notice not actively? We're all recipients Verse 5 for now this very reason also applying all diligence in your faith supply and then he gives a bunch of these assurance builders
38:34: Peter is going to say you want to increase your assurance You can't improve on the work of Christ.
38:41: That's objective, but subjectively it's time to obey All of us who want more assurance.
38:47: It's time for obedience That's what he's going to say and it's not a do list. It's become list become this kind of person and if you think
38:56: Assurance comes from the David Henry David Thoreau School of theological sauntering you're not going to get it
39:04: You think I'm just gonna lay back and let God That's not how we get assurance.
39:10: How do you get assurance? How do you get
39:16: God the Son to dwell in your hearts through faith as Ephesians 3 says? Well, look at what it says apply all diligence
39:27: This is talking about love and duty Dedication making all effort applying all diligence.
39:34: That means to work hard just even talking about Hurry up.
39:41: Mas rapido. It's rush rush rush. There's only one time to rush and that's rushing for the sake of being holy
39:49: If you want to have assurance then don't loaf in other words Thomas Brooks says a lazy
39:56: Christian shall always want four things comfort contentment confidence and assurance
40:02: God hath made a separation between joy and idleness Between assurance and laziness and Peter is saying if you want assurance
40:09: Christian Then you work hard to be the right kind of person and he says in your faith supply before we go any farther to see some of these in your faith supply that word supplies like a
40:22: Choreographer same word the one who leads a chorus a beautiful word
40:28: To choreograph something to provide it all and now he gives these assurance builders and he gives seven
40:34: So if you're taking notes Seven assurance builders that this week you say God help me to be this kind of person and your assurance will zoom up Peters about to die he says in chapter 2 chapter 1 verse 14 knowing that the lane aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent as Also, our
40:52: Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me and he says I've got something I want to talk to you about I want to talk about false teachers, but within false teachers within my death soon
41:00: You can know you're going to heaven and you can know even more than what you know now Matter of fact look down to the end of the verses here verse 8 if these qualities are yours and increasing
41:10: They rend you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord or the Lord Jesus Christ For he who lacks these qualities is blind are myopic having forgotten his purification from his former sins
41:22: Verse 10 will then be about more be more diligent to make certain your kiss calling and choosing you true or false
41:29: You can make it more certain that Jesus died for your sins No, he either did or he didn't but you can have these qualities in your life more so you can be sure that Jesus did
41:41: Die for you. Let's go through these seven. I'm gonna have to fire this up from this pulpit number one moral excellence
41:49: See that they're back up a little bit verse 5 for this very reason. Also applying all diligence.
41:56: You're working hard. You're sweating Really trying in your faith supply like a choreographer number one moral excellence
42:04: We're gonna call these assurance builders. You want to have more assurance you struggle with assurance in a few months
42:09: You come back to this passage moral excellence or sometimes it's translated virtue and this word has energy to it
42:16: Remember I was just describing David Alford Stephen Alford. This is not just well, he's a good person
42:21: This is he's a vigorous person. He's energetic. He's got moral action. That's what he's talking about In classical
42:29: Greek it was used of words where you could do superhuman feats of strength
42:34: You ever read about someone who walks to a car wreck scene and there's a grandma
42:39: Stuck in the car and somehow the guy just lifts up the car and he's not strong enough to do it
42:46: But he wants that grandma out of the car It's that kind of thing Peter says
42:53: I want your faith to be an active faith a vigorous faith It's not full of passivity and lethargy
43:00: Lloyd -jones says No, no says Peter. Let your faith be energetic. Let it be vigorous.
43:06: Let it be alive. Stir yourself up See that you have an atria that you're active and alert That is something that you and I are called upon to do in other words
43:14: We must not recline on our beds of ease and wait for something to move and disturb us
43:19: Our faith is to be a living energetic active faith and we are seated that on our part
43:25: We give all diligence to making it so Say what do I do?
43:31: I'm paralyzed. Well, how about this? Just do the next thing? Well, you've got a list of things to do and you've got all kinds of trials in your life and your mother's sick and your
43:39: Kids are this and my spouse is that you go? Well just do the next thing for the glory of God Puritans used to say if you're sick and you've got a spiritual malady.
43:48: I've give you one bit of advice. Here was there a bit of advice? Up and about you know, one of the first things you do when you have someone who's depressed
43:59: Is you give them a little checklist a to -do list do these things and get them busy
44:04: Even secular psychologists do but we do it in the Christian realm as well be up and about Thomas Brooks, I've quoted him much on assurance tonight said if that would recover assurance then sit not down discouraged be up and doing
44:17: See he knew to be up and doing get moving find a service around the church go What do you think the false teachers would say?
44:26: You're fine Everything's cool. I could ask you this.
44:32: What are your plans this week to be up and doing things for the Lord? Or is the next thing on your schedule
44:38: Sunday? Okay, the next one knowledge
44:45: Yes, it has intelligence yes, it has intellect yes, it has book work, but it's more than that this is practical knowledge
44:52: This is knowing something your brain and then making it real in your life. This isn't all just book work practical wisdom
45:01: Yes, it starts with growing in Christ, but then it means doing something afterwards first Peter 114 says you used to be an unbeliever and You were in your ignorance
45:11: You're just stupid about it. And so you say well, the first one was moral excellence.
45:17: I just have to get busy I'm just gonna be busy. No, don't get just busy for anything be busy for the
45:23: Lord's work This is not just being busy for for a random sake. No So for the
45:29: Lord ignorance is not bliss in other words It's not just hidden knowledge.
45:35: It's applied knowledge. Do you think about Judas and the false teachers? They just know you just knew all the facts about Jesus.
45:45: My kids are having fun I'll just keep going out because I'm number three self -control
45:57: Number three self -control literally hold yourself in Hold yourself in now people think this just means
46:03: I'm not to drink alcohol. It may include that that's not what this is talking about This means your passions are under control
46:12: You've got a grip on yourself as Barclay says it's like a Athlete saying
46:19: I can't do this and I have to deny myself that because I'm in a war It's like somebody on the
46:25: Atkins diet saying I have to say no to those carbos and no to that bagel and no to that Tamale All that corn wrapped around it
46:36: Hold yourself in self -restraint self -discipline You control your desires with discipline.
46:43: Think about Peter and the false teachers no self -control No discipline look at chapter 2 of 2nd
46:49: Peter verse 2 Many will follow their sensuality the exact opposite and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned and in their greed
46:57: They will exploit you with false words their judgment from long ago is not idle and their destruction is not asleep
47:04: Chapter 3 verse 3 know this first of all in the last days mockers will come with the mock with their mocking
47:09: Following after their what own lust not saying no to sell well
47:19: There's another one. What's the next one on the list anyone? Perseverance this mean we talked about this this morning didn't we it means to stay under it means to remain calm under Not giving in to temptation not giving in to sin
47:39: Cochran said the Greek word always has the background of courage a Voluntary and daily enduring of difficult and hard things for the sake of honor and uselessness
47:50: Listen to this It is the quality which enables the Christian to convert his blisters in the count
47:57: I had an arm Judson in Burma no converts Much struggle much hardship
48:02: He said permit us to labor on in obscurity and in 20 years you may hear from us again It's been a rough 20.
48:09: It may be another rough 20 the willingness to put up with tough times
48:18: Self -control has to do with physical pleasures you say no to those lusts Perseverance has to do with I'm ready to take on pain and trouble
48:31: Look at the next one godliness, this is love towards God This is a
48:37: God word focus. This is something that we don't talk about these days because it's politically incorrect piety piousness
48:43: This is devotion to God Best definition I read Michael Green a very practical awareness of God in every aspect of life
48:50: Seeing God and everything see it in my marriage to see it my family seeing at work seeing it here See it with my neighbors seeing everywhere.
48:57: You look you see God Psalm 16 8. I have set the Lord continually before me
49:03: Let me ask you a question if devotion is godliness What's the flip side of this?
49:09: What's the flip side of being a being godly? Well, it's ungodly How would that manifest itself if godliness is all my devotions to you
49:16: God? I'm I'm hope fully devoted to you What's the opposite of devotion to God?
49:22: Self and there's a word we have for that Idolatry right the focus of what does
49:28: God deserves and it's put on someone or on something else Pleasing God in all things
49:36: Well, we've only got to mourn and we're done six brotherly kindness What kind of love is this do you think store gay eros,
49:44: Philadelphia or a copy? Philadelphia, that's right a love of being having common
49:54: Affections and being loved by the same God Keithley said a love based in part on what we share in common with the one we love
50:03: Have that brotherly love service for others I could talk for a long time about Spiritual gifts in the church.
50:09: You say I have no assurance, but I don't serve anybody. I don't do anything Well, you might be saying what's the connection?
50:19: What does it have to do with love and assurance? It has everything to do with it. One man said all true believers have been given a gift that is for the benefit of others
50:28: And then lastly, what kind of love do you think this is sacrificial love Agape that's exactly right
50:36: Saying I'm going to do something for the sake of others I'm going to do something with God as the object versus the loveliness of the object first John 3 16
50:47: We know love by this that he laid down his life for us We ought to lay down our lives for the Judas acted this way
50:56: Judas had any assurance of salvation If I sum this up,
51:07: I'd say two things Jonathan Edwards said assurance is not to be obtained so much by self -examination as by action
51:16: When you start struggling with your assurance of salvation, here's what you may be I've done it before it's start starting to look in Am I saying is that real?
51:28: Are other people really say? What about this was my profession real as my life in real and it's all an introspection
51:35: You're thinking too much about yourself when you need to get busy serving the Lord I'll never ever forget as long as I live
51:43: Spurgeon said when you're struggling with assurance Forget assurance.
51:49: I didn't know I could spit that far gee Forget assurance because when you're trying to catch the dove of assurance, you just can't catch that dove woke up your son
52:03: You can't catch that dove So what do you do? You focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and what he's done and serve him anyway
52:10: And the gentle dove of assurance just comes floating and coming right back down on your shoulder sitting there
52:17: So when you struggle with assurance You look in your life and say I know I'm a Christian and my life is completely different I have new appetites and new affections
52:26: So forget studying assurance start focusing on the cross work of Christ and serving others and that sweet dove of assurance will come back
52:33: I know it's true because of the Bible says it and I've experienced it in that order not because I've experienced it therefore it's true and And secondly and lastly
52:45: Sinclair Ferguson said High degrees of true assurance cannot be enjoyed by those who persist in low levels of obedience
52:54: High degrees of assurance are not enjoyed by those who live at lowly levels of obedience If you live in sin and disobedience, you will not enjoy assurance sin will cancel it out
53:03: There's a gulf between sin and peace sin and joy sin and assurance To live in sin is to live in doubt
53:09: When you sin coming alongside of it is doubt about your spiritual condition and the Spirit of God withholds the good gift.
53:17: I Actually think it's a blessing to sit there and say I wonder if I'm saved why? Because if you really say but you ask that question, you've got a good conscience
53:27: You've got a conscience that's tender and when you sin It's like poking somebody in the eye with the dirty stick and you go
53:33: Wow And you say God, thank you forgive me of those sins and That's just total insanity and God.
53:41: I just need to have something. I can't do myself like David prayed in Psalm 51 Create in me a clean heart.
53:48: Oh God Remember that word create only used of God creating something. You can't do it yourself
53:54: God creates the heavens and the earth. I love it What it says in Genesis chapter 1 a little side note and God made the stars also
54:05: Makes the stars and you say God make in my heart. I can't make it on my own Make me just have a clean heart to worship you again.
54:13: And guess what happens the assurance comes back two kinds of assurance one
54:22: Subjective Jesus died on the cross redemption propitiation reconciliation justification to Subjective when you're obeying you feel more saved
54:33: You'd call that assurance when you're struggling not serving disobeying you feel less
54:38: And you'll see if you're a new Christian now You probably won't struggle with assurance as much because it's obvious what your old life was and what your new life is but as time goes on and trials go on and Life goes on you will most likely struggle with assurance and I'll remind you one last time when you would struggle with assurance
54:56: Don't think about assurance introspectively think about the Lord and as Stephen Alford would say like any good church would say
55:08: Let's pray father. Thank you for this night and It's been a sweet gift
55:13: To have received from you the gift of salvation and the gift of assurance and I'm sure even with the smaller
55:21: Congregation tonight that there might be one or two or maybe three or four who are struggling to know if they're really Christian or not
55:27: I pray that you would grant them repentance and that you would grant them a sweet fellowship with you
55:33: And I pray there might be a nice time of confession tonight in the time of just getting close That you would give them ministries and you'd give them obedience father, there's nothing like knowing that If a gun is put to our head if we die tonight in the car on the way home our father if we die in the future that we know we get to see you face to face and When we fly away, we'll see you.
55:55: We're thankful. We could know that Father help us in the future when we struggle that you have us quickly come back and that you'd increase and give us diligence to have moral knowledge and excellence