Calvinism!
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Join the Laborers as they discuss Calvinism. #calvinism #doctrinesofgrace #tulip
- 00:01
- Welcome to the laborers podcast. We are thankful that you're watching and looking forward to tonight's conversation.
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- Oh there I am we are gonna be talking about Calvinism I did that That is scary topic.
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- It can be a fun topic It depends on who you are and what you understand about Calvinism, even if you don't know much about cows of Calvinism We hope you'll stick with us.
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- I think it's gonna be a good conversation Big John is gonna be our host tonight. So we'll see you on the other side of the intro
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- Welcome to the laborers podcast, which is a part of the truth in love
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- Network Join us as together we strive to grow up together in all things into Christ subscribe and follow the truth and love network on Facebook YouTube rumble
- 00:49
- Spotify and iTunes now, let's join our laborers for tonight's broadcast
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- The comment line nations. Oh, sorry, John. I was just gonna say the comment line is open So everyone watch and ask your questions, and we'll try to answer them.
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- Absolutely So take it over. Here's what we want to do if you're watching go ahead and get your ink pen out
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- I want you to do some hard thinking the questions that are going to be asked here tonight are not going to be as It's hard -hitting.
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- I'm sure as some would like to ask so that was your chance to ask them make them sweat put them on now
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- We're gonna be asking a bunch of Calvinist what is Calvinism why they're
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- Calvinist and and we've prepared a litany of questions and then
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- I also would like to give them an opportunity to take you know, take liberty with with the with their answers and and and to To be as long -winded as you want to and if there's any kind of kickback or challenge
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- We'll we'll ask it and I'm gonna try my best to To monitor the comment line over here on the right -hand side of the screen.
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- So how's everybody doing man doing good? Doing good. I'd have everybody with us.
- 02:07
- We've got Tyler the bread of the word We've got the Reformed Rican with Providence perspective
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- Rob the reshaped Baptist Did you reshape the beard Rob? Is that what this is?
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- Is that what's going on there? It's simple reformata That's what my beard is
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- And I've got as always the happy Calvinist all the way from an undisclosed location in,
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- Tennessee somewhere They say with a lot of Alabama going on right now
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- You know Claude are you from Alabama no What I referred to as a paternal fandom
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- So my son's 29 from the time. He was four years old old enough to really start getting into sports
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- He just latched on Alabama. So I latched on with him and here we are Okay, I'm sorry,
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- I'm not laughing at your answer I'm laughing at yes Matt breeding Man and it starts
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- Yes, that's a good question Matt, I think Listen I am a
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- Gators fan myself. So I'm not gonna I'm not gonna make any comments and start a controversy up in here
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- Yeah, well, let's try to keep it just on purely Religious topics that way we don't get in anybody's crawl, right?
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- We'll just go ahead Keep the conversation light and airy Religion is inoffensive to anybody
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- Especially this topic So, let's let's start with just a blunt question
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- I'm sure somebody out there that watch I pray God that somebody who watches don't know this question
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- That's watching it and y 'all can answer it Not all once What is
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- Calvinism and why is it so? So what's the word?
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- This what's Calvinism we'll go to the next we'll go to the next question after that I struggled English language Do you want the eye?
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- I have been James only answer Straight going first I will say that Calvinism is the belief in predestination election that's really as simple as I can make it and Well, the thing is, you know, you can't really
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- You can't really say that you believe the Bible if you don't adhere to a predestination election
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- But I would say that Calvinism is the consistent understanding of predestination election
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- I Guess that that would be in a nutshell. I Could talk a lot more about it
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- But I want to give a chance because you guys know I'm long -winded and so I want to give a chance for everybody to Jump in so we're gonna start with that predestination election
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- Okay, I Would say that Calvinism is probably has defined parameters
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- Which would I could not define all those parameters? but I also believe that currently in this day and age that that Calvinism seems to be a little fluid because you have
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- You have some Calvinist who would agree with Look, but then you have come to only agree with And I agree with Jay that the aspect of Calvin's teachings that that deal with soteriology
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- Those are the ones that I would lean towards and then there's there's other aspects of Calvin's teaching that that I do not adhere to so I Kind of waffle in that arena myself on whether Do we at what point do we not call ourselves
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- Calvinist or call ourselves Calvinist? How much of his doctrines do you have to believe to be considered a
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- Calvinist? So when you just Make the conversation round here
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- So what what would be like one of the specific doctrines that Calvin held that?
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- That you think that you're that you mentioned there that you have trouble adhering to or considering Rob So I guess if a baptism would be one
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- Yeah, that's because that's press but yeah So hang on for You said something that nobody has so far
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- Claude You referred to Calvin as a person. Yes now keep in mind
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- There are people who don't know That this is a reference to a man's teaching Correct, right?
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- So do you want to start there? Yeah, so Calvinism called
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- Calvinism Really it's just for newcomers
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- Calvinism is not the religion of John Calvin himself Okay, the church doesn't worship
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- Calvin. The church doesn't hold Calvin up as a saint Calvin basically like Jay said just system systematized what we call the doctrines of grace
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- Which can be summarized in the acronym Tulip, right teeth total depravity you unconditional election
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- L limited atonement irresistible calling and P perseverance of the
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- Saints and you know, you know, it's funny about that because There's some debate as to whether John Calvin even believed in limited atonement
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- He wasn't real clear on that. In fact he did I would say that he's
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- Probably be theologian the most expounded on those things with maybe the exception of a limited atonement
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- I think the cannons of Dort right the the the center of Dort With its cannons really systematized what we call the tulip
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- But John Calvin himself a lot of what he taught was first of all from Scripture The understanding that he had came from I would say
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- Augustine of Hippo not exclusively but he definitely
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- Spoke a lot about in terms of who was the most Influential church father for him.
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- It was definitely Augustine or Augustine, right? Some people get mad about how I'm pronouncing it
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- So when when we say we are Calvinist though Because Calvin wrote about a lot of things he was he was a brilliant man
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- I mean everybody agrees even if they strongly dislike or hate John Calvin they agree.
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- He was highly intelligent I mean, nobody can deny that And so he wrote a lot about a lot of different things
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- Broadly speaking that has been what Calvinism has meant to to follow the teachings of John Calvin But when we talk about Calvinism in today's context we're talking about what
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- Rob said soteriology Specifically, right? So he sees he says for example, I disagree with infant baptism
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- Well, that's because when you describe yourself as a Calvinist, you're not talking about baptism.
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- You're talking about Hey soteriology, which I think all of us here would for the most part agree with right with maybe it's a minor points
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- But again, even Calvin himself was not 100 % clear on Certain aspects of his soteriology.
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- And so I think when we say we are Calvinist, it's an oversimplification
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- But there's a need to call it something, right? So it's it's a lot shorter to say
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- I'm a Calvinist than to say well I believe in predestination election that in itself would cause confusion because like I was saying all
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- Christians should believe in predestination election. It's in the Bible. But how does that play out?
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- That's where we get into that Calvinist system Okay, so Good answers one thing
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- I have to say I'm not a Calvinist That's why
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- I'm asking the questions though, so I Guess that was technically question number one though.
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- This is listed as question number one on your on your handout Let's look at Matthew chapter 23, and I've got 37 to 39
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- Here set out but obviously we we can look at the whole chapter or the whole book as far as that concerns I really like the book of Matthew Jesus is speaking.
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- He says Jerusalem Jerusalem Who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her?
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- How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings
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- And you were unwilling Behold your house is being left to you desolate
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- For I say to you from now on You will not see me until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the
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- Lord? so From a Non -Calvinist perspective some would say this is an example of man being able to reject the
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- Lord Or something to that of that effect from a Calvinistic point of view that has
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- The the declaration that this is primarily a soteriology of election and predestination
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- Explain it would explain Matthew in that in that section there Well, I think for one thing we can't negate or belittle the fact that this is a lament from Jesus Christ the
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- Son of God and this I think gives us a a Peek Into his heart in a very very honest way
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- Just as we see in the Psalms that he takes no delight in the death of the wicked And that we have
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- Jesus Christ the God -man lamenting the fact that Jerusalem does not believe
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- I Don't think we can get away from that as we try to explain this either as a Calvinist or as an
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- Armenian or whatever We want to whatever is and we want to tag on that that at the end of the day There is a brokenness that Christ expresses here.
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- Yeah about the unbelief in Jerusalem. Yeah Tyler you hit something that I was gonna say, you know
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- God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked and I can say that as a Calvinist, right? Because the the assumption if somebody is listening to this and kind of has been exposed to Calvinism They might have the idea that well
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- Calvin is just think that God just loves to send people to hell Because he predestined him to hell and so they have no no way to get out of it
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- I do believe and that this is one of the things where Calvinist might disagree. I believe in something called double predestination where God does
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- Predestine people to heaven and people to hell but the way that I believe it it would be if you know anything about R.
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- C. Sproul is that he explained things really really well and so When people think of double predestination as they understand most of time
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- This is how I understood it when I first heard of it is God is actively doing whatever he can to to make certain people end up in hell, right and so I Would disagree with that assertion
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- What I would say is that my understanding is double of double predestination is that God?
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- Actively saves some people changes their heart to to be saved right and we can get into that a little bit
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- More detail later Whereas he passes over man men who he did not predestined to to save and so in that sense they are predestined to To eternal damnation not because God is doing anything to make them go to hell but rather because Man is inherently sinful.
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- And so man is Sending himself to hell right? We know as a
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- Calvinist I would say everybody knows right from wrong right? The law of God is in the heart of all men, right?
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- You don't have to teach a kid to lie. For example, they just lie on their own because it is inherent They know that they need to hide something because they know that it's wrong.
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- And so they inherently lie So even though they know that what they're doing is wrong. They do it anyway, so there's no excuse for man, right?
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- And so I was I would say God doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked
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- In the sense that it's a sad thing, right? All men are image bearers of God, right?
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- All men have value and worth and it's a sad thing That many will be lost
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- But at the same time God does care about justice
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- Right and think about Jesus right Jesus We're talking about Jesus here lamenting over the fact that Jerusalem wasn't willing to to believe which by the way
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- I don't know if these other gentlemen want to clear up anything on this, but I would say Man does have a will right?
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- We don't deny Free will if you define it correctly, right? I'm saying Man, I can decide to you know
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- What I'm gonna eat for for lunch or dinner or I can decide to go Play basketball and break my finger like we were talking about before the show, right?
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- I can decide things in my life And that's that's okay.
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- I have a free will I'm not I'm not a robot right, but at the same time I don't have an unlimited to will so I can't go outside right now and start flying
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- Spontaneously, right? My will is limited to what I am able to do and so when
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- Jesus laments over Jerusalem That doesn't speak on their Inability to to believe but it is a sad thing that they do not believe that they are unwilling to believe because they can't from a
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- Calvinist perspective Jesus also lamented in a sense the fact that he had to go to lacrosse
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- Right. He said let this cup pass for me yet. Not my will but your will be done
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- So there can be a sadness there and at the same time guess what he was willing to go across for us
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- So it's not like he was unwilling but there was this duality right and this this
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- I Guess you could call it a bitter sweetness about it, right? Like it's a bitter cup
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- But many will be saved by his sacrifice and he knew that right so So God doesn't necessarily
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- Just laugh while he's sending people to hell, but at the same time he does stand for justice So if I can
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- I'd like to take a stab at it And I think I think the question comes from the
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- The one word in the middle there of those passages unwilling. So how can a
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- Calvinist or how does a Calvinist? Explain this passage because it seems like there's a there's the ability here
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- For the person to be unwilling and you were unwilling it says so I think that that Single word there is is the focus of where the question comes from However, I think ultimately
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- And I'm gonna try to make my way there I don't think it's about the willingness or unwillingness or the ability that ability to be willing or unwilling is
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- The main point and so let me try to get there and you guys can correct me if you think
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- I'm off target here. So you have to look at the context all times when you're looking at scripture So if you're in chapter if you're in chapter 23
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- There's a bunch of woes to scribes and Pharisees. Whoa, do you scribes and Pharisees? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
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- Whoa, and what that whoa is is judgment. Jesus is proclaiming judgment on The scribes and Pharisees who represent
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- Jerusalem who represent Israel and and so Jesus is declaring this judgment That's that's being going to be poured out on them
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- And then you just move up three verses from the passage where John started He started us in 37 if you start with three passages up.
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- It says therefore Behold I am sending and who was
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- I Jesus? This is Jesus speaking I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes and some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city verse 35 so that Upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth from blood of righteous able to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barakaya Whom you murder between the temple and the altar verse 36 truly
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- I say to you all these things will come upon this generation eschatology we
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- Sorry I Don't want to take that rabbit trail just yes
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- But to answer Matt's question in the comments here About who
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- Jesus is talking to that's a really good point Because as Rob is laid out, we've got all of these woes upon the
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- Pharisees From the blood of righteous able unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barakaya whom ye slew between the temple and the altar next verse
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- He says all these things shall come upon this generation and then laments Jerusalem Now that kill us the prophets and stone is them which are sent into thee
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- But he says how often I wish I could have gathered thy children
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- And so I don't think that we're talking about the Pharisees into thy children I think the people that do not believe are the people
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- Who have been I guess entrusted to the Pharisees and that just as Jesus called them blind guides.
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- Yeah That this is the state of Jerusalem that they do not believe because they have been led by blind people so then
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- I'm sorry. Well, I was just wondering if I could yeah go for it finish my trail there.
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- I'm sorry. I cut you off It's fine. It's okay. Um, I Pause there hoping somebody would catch my eschatology's yoke, but I chose not to endure shit
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- So the key bringing out that earlier was unwilling there's another keyword in verse 35, so What's going on?
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- Jesus says I'm sending you scribes wise men and you're gonna kill them
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- You're gonna scourge them. You're gonna persecute them from city to city So that there's intentionality here in order to that upon you may fall
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- There's the sovereignty of God and sovereignty of Jesus Christ Written all over this that he is he has a purpose in this and he is he is writing this out
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- His plan is being His plan is being fulfilled and it will be fulfilled He's sending them they're going to persecute
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- So that The guilt can fall upon them and so it ends up not being about their their willingness or unwillingness of the individuals because we all know that Just like Jay was was getting at we have a will but it is is
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- Limited within that the boundaries of our sin nature and so they couldn't do anything but reject
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- Christ And because they were still in their sin nature. They were going to reject him. They were going to reject
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- Jesus as a messenger So that's clear. They were going to wait a minute. Wait a minute.
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- So so my conclusion go ahead I I'm right at the tail end.
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- I'm sorry John. So, um, so the real to me the real question is
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- Why would Jesus save anybody that's the real question not not were they willing or did they have the ability to be willing but the real question is why would
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- Jesus save anybody and the answer that is Because of his amazing grace his loving kindness
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- So I said now that part, you know, I'm totally with you Why would God save anybody whenever he was told
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- Adam the day you do this? You'll die and everybody born of Adam is
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- Inherited that sin so he's obligated to save no one, right? but I think that if if we try to just paint that to casually and say well, how can anybody
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- Accepting because they're all unregenerate And I believe like that's almost a straw man's point of view of looking at it to begin with because you do remember he has
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- He has disciples walking with him, right? Okay, yes, he has some people that believe that are even among the
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- Sanhedrin, right that Joseph of Arimathea was he not a member of the Sanhedrin? So he did have some believers in the midst of these unbelievers, so Matt may have may be hitting on part of the question
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- I tried to get these up my apologies if I didn't get him up in the right order man This is a pretty good point,
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- I think that that brother Rob was hitting on on some of this. Is that fair Rob? Sure Mm -hmm as well as this
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- And and and I know that wasn't exactly the reversed order but but in any case
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- Whenever I hear guys like Spurgeon say so go ahead you go ahead When I hear guys like Spurgeon talk about God's sovereignty and man's and man's
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- Obligation is being like railroad tracks that run parallel with one another over the over the horizon where you don't necessarily know it horizon where one ends and one begins
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- I can kind of see that point of view and something like this because I Believe it's
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- God's will that none should perish. I don't I'm like Brother Jay, I believe that that God doesn't doesn't take the light and and the death of the wicked or the judgment of the wicked
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- Right and ever and every available method of salvation has been made Available to us in the personal work of Jesus Christ.
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- In fact, there is no salvation in any other Amen same time Everyone in Jerusalem had access to the same knowledge the same teaching and you see some surrender and you see some rebel and It would appear from this scripture when
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- I'm when I see Jesus lamenting over an unbelieving people That it would be his desire
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- Even says as much so that they would come to him Which tells me that his will is not being adhered to in this text
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- Mm -hmm, and I know that that goes Somewhat at odds with what
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- I understand about God's sovereignty from the Calvinistic point of view and And I know this is not you know, this isn't a hill to down by any means this is just one scripture reference
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- And there's myriads of others And before brother Claude takes it. I want to make sure that those who are like me
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- There aren't Calvinist. I'm not insinuating that Man decides in and of himself to ever seek the
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- Lord I want to read a scripture so that I stay fair and balanced and John 644
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- No man come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him and I raise him up at the last day
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- It is written in the prophets and they shall be taught of God every man Therefore I have heard hath learned of the father come unto me.
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- We don't get to make a decision to come to the Lord This is by invitation only you understand.
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- It's the it's the it's the drawing of the Lord that Makes man in right standing with God.
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- The whole process begins with God calling out for us, right? Can you put
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- Matt's last question back up there question or statement anything is this the one um
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- Mmm, or is it this? Oh, no. Is it this one?
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- Oh, no go back. You had it right the first one No, yeah Election Yeah speaking on election
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- Is this more of a passage on judgment on the religious leaders for hindering those under their spiritual care?
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- So so this passage again as it has has already been mentioned by everybody on here
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- Context is very important. So when we read it, we don't read it into the future
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- We read it as it's written. So in the text as it's written The Jesus is speaking about the past and about the
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- I mean literally right then present and he was speaking here particularly in this text about an immediate future meaning within that generation and Yes, he is.
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- The Lord is expressing His concern and his compassion and his care in verse 37, that's what he's saying there
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- Oh Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem, that was a that was a means of repetition was a means of Importance and bemoaning right?
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- He said you killed the prophets and you stone those who were sent to you. I mean, it's like If those those of you who are fathers that are watching and listening or mothers watching and listening
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- Consider how maybe you've warned a child over and over and over I mean, they've been given repeated warnings and repeated at one right after the other and yet they
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- Continued to do stupid stuff, right? So I'm just playing talk, right?
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- Yeah Yeah, but but he's bemoaning this fact and he said you killed the prophets
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- You've killed those that we've that I've sent to you Often and how often he said if you would have only basically how often
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- I would have gathered your children Together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing
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- This goes back to again He who is like Rob said who is he speaking to directly?
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- He's speaking directly here in this passage to the Pharisees To who were supposed to the people who were supposed to be the religious leaders of their day
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- Men who were supposed to know God and who were supposed to be able to rightly interpret
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- God's Word So he's speaking directly to them. And so in verse 38
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- He says see your house now is left to you desolate understand that it's all gonna come crumbling down He warned them he actually gave them another he gave them another sign or a time indicator right there
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- He said I tell you you will not see me again Until you say or until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the
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- Lord now He's not talking about them He's not saying you as Pharisees will say blessed is he who comes in the name of the
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- Lord Of course because what they did when he came into Jerusalem the crowd shot it shouted out
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- Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and what did the Pharisees do? They said tell your disciples to quieten down Right as the old
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- Saturday Night Live skit where I can't remember the lady's name the Sima down lady Sima down Sima down now
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- Sima down They were told to quiet and down and the
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- Lord said I tell you That if these shut their mouths that the Lord is able to raise up stones that would cry out and praise him.
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- Well Yeah, so so I mean really so we see this and so yes,
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- Matt. This is Can you throw that question back up? No, that's okay
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- So yes That's okay It is a passage on judgment on the religious leaders for hindering those under their spiritual care of that time literally and It's a message to all on the faithfulness and the sovereignty and the faithfulness of God God has never said he was going to do a thing and Did not do that thing.
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- Well, he's not a human. He's not a man. Yeah, he's not a man like we are right he don't
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- We he communicates in anthropomorphic terms to us through the scriptures, but it's so that we can understand because we can't
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- We can't we can't speak God's language if if he would speak to us
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- In his language in a language. That's not our own right whether it was
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- Greek Hebrew English Whatever the case may be if he did not speak in these anthropomorphic terms, we would not be able to grasp
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- It's it's hard enough to grasp the bigness of who God is and God's sovereignty God's will
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- God's Predestinating purpose God's electing purpose It's hard enough enough for us to grasp those things as we are now no matter how wise and intelligent a man is but yes,
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- Matt, he was speaking directly as a Testimony of judgment against them for how they refused
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- He was bemoaning the fact that they refused because as has been quoted by these other men already as well
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- That God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked on the other hand God is so holy and so righteous if there was not a punishment
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- God would be unholy and God would be unrighteous But he is not he sticks to what he says that he's gonna do at all times
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- And so the again in this in this it's not a matter of the will of men it's a it's an it's an example an example of The sovereignty of God how
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- God patiently and Compassionately we leave this out so many reform folks.
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- So many quote -unquote Calvinist I mean certainly we don't focus on just love but so many
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- Calvinist forget about love They leave the love of God out of the message of the gospel
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- And that is the message of the gospel that God so loved the world And he gave his only begotten
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- Son that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life
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- God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world Right.
- 34:54
- That's what the scripture says and that's what we got to go to we got to go continue on right? He didn't send us but those he said those who did not believe were condemned already and Back to Jay at the beginning that's the thing is for sinners
- 35:11
- Which by the way, if you are alive and breathing or ever have been alive and breathing you have been a sinner
- 35:20
- Yeah, not one moment. You have not and we stand in need of grace.
- 35:25
- We don't we don't need help being lost Yeah, we need grace to be found.
- 35:31
- That's right Being lost is all it's all on us if we want to take any credit there it is right there
- 35:37
- I am I am I am lost and I'm nondone. That's all I've done is contributed sin
- 35:46
- That's why I love that song his mercy is more You know our sins they are many his mercy is more.
- 35:53
- Hey, man Hey, man, I could listen to that song over and over and over again
- 35:59
- And actually I incorporate that into my prayers I'm like Lord like, you know, you know what I've done today
- 36:04
- You know, but I thought about today, you know the things that I I've I've said today or done today
- 36:10
- And all I can say is praise you that your mercy is more. That's it So but you're right, you're right his love, you know, the greatest of these is love
- 36:21
- Why because God is love And and it's absolutely true that sometimes as reformed folk
- 36:28
- We can definitely, you know as Calvinistic reform guys we can definitely
- 36:36
- Under Underappreciate or under emphasize the love of God, you know
- 36:41
- But I think that has to do with the fact that like we see the world around us sometimes
- 36:47
- Emphasizing it a little too much to the point where they they will say okay wrath and and and and sin
- 36:54
- That doesn't matter at all. It's all about God's God's love. No, we have to uphold both
- 37:00
- Amen, but ultimately understand that his love is more than everything.
- 37:05
- That's right. I think sometimes whenever I listen to To a frozen chosen
- 37:13
- Calvinist type fella, you know give a very Yeah, a very well articulated
- 37:20
- Defense of his doctrinal principle in this theological practices. I think a lot about the way people drive on the highway
- 37:26
- Yes. Yes Perfect example. Yes, so I'm I'm I'm on a motorcycle about half to three quarters of the time and I'm driving down the same highway as somebody in a four -winded plus windshield and rear glass sedan and They don't want to wreck any more than I want to wreck the difference is if they come into my lane and hit me
- 37:52
- The chances of my survival is negligible compared to theirs, right?
- 37:58
- I mean, I'm I'm more or less considered anything other than dead is a bonus and This has been an inconvenience to them.
- 38:07
- And I think sometimes that because the doctrine Leans one to I suppose overemphasize his security in God That he sometimes forgets that there's a people around him that he can damage by his his freedom that's been given to him and That's a dangerous thing.
- 38:35
- I've heard it called the cage stage where you're supposed to just put them in cages and never let them out or whatever The fact of the matter is is that from a from a ministry standpoint
- 38:47
- From a from being a brother in Christ from being a labor on a podcast my objective is
- 38:54
- Not to be right first My objective is not always to have the most
- 39:00
- Proper understanding of who God is as Claude said my objective. I can't understand
- 39:05
- God in his capacity So if God's counting on my if my salvation and God's relationship
- 39:11
- I have what he has with me. Is this any way indicative upon my understanding of God? I'm hosed before this thing ever gets off the ground what what
- 39:18
- I'm relying on is God's grace and God's mercy and and what my neighbor and my brother is relying on is my
- 39:24
- Mercy and my compassion for him and and if I don't have that because I'm so locked into my my doctrine that I can't understand entirely
- 39:37
- Then I'm I'm not doing what God has asked me to do I'm being disobedient and sinful in my freedom
- 39:47
- So I got heavy in a hurry There's a really good book that I read when
- 39:52
- I was new to this thing called predestination by Greg Dutcher Called killing
- 39:59
- Calvinism and the subtitle of that was how to ruin a perfectly good theology from the inside And essentially the thesis of the book was that oftentimes the enemy of Calvinism is
- 40:14
- Calvinists that we are we are our own worst enemy sometimes that we have if we believe that what we have is is true and We have a gospel we believe our understanding our articulation the gospel is something that creates humility
- 40:33
- Why doesn't it? If we take the stance that God has chosen people not because of their own merits not because of their own
- 40:41
- Inherent value, but actually quite in spite of what they bring to the table. Why are
- 40:46
- Calvinists so arrogant? Hey, man, I don't know question because let me tell you something when
- 40:53
- I first heard of Calvinism I mean, I I didn't like it, but I ended up hating it because of the way that Calvinists treated me for not believing in Calvinism like I I'm not even kidding
- 41:08
- I set out on a journey to disprove Calvinism for a year and a half
- 41:15
- Simply because I mean probably not the only reason but the primary reason was it wasn't because I hated the doctrine itself
- 41:21
- But I hated the way that they were being to me And so I wanted to prove them wrong now, that was a problem with me as well, right because I was being self -righteous and you know instead of Having pity with these people.
- 41:37
- I wanted to just prove them wrong, right? It was an arrogance thing But that didn't help
- 41:43
- What I'm saying? And so they're they're they're they're way that they treated me and the way that they kind of mocked me for not believing
- 41:51
- Calvinism Was was probably not the the most Christian way and and it it happens a lot
- 41:59
- Happens a lot with Calvinist. That was fast.
- 42:05
- There's all kinds of things I'm tapping in the wrong. I'm typing in the wrong chat, too
- 42:17
- From churches is saying same here So I want to I know we would took way too long on that question and that is totally my fault
- 42:27
- I want to Then go to the next question and then we can look at Ephesians 2 Paul Claude To first and then well as his
- 42:35
- Rob Rob got anything to add right there. Oh, oh, yeah Well, if you don't mind
- 42:41
- I'll try to do it quickly. I was just I was just pleased with seeing what Matt was saying in the first part
- 42:47
- I think you guys touched on the second part of what he was saying, but especially the first part he said instead of speaking on election and Matt is actually
- 42:56
- Pulling out or doing something that I think we also be doing is just just seeing what's going on within our conversation and so we
- 43:05
- Beginning we talked about in the beginning. We talked about Calvinism what it is and for us. It's referencing soteriology the doctrine of salvation and for us is
- 43:17
- Predata predestination and election those those are the big terms that come out when we talk about Calvinism And so the the opposing side that Wants to bring out the free will don't have free will the ability to choose and so here we have a passage not necessarily on Soteriology, but you have this idea of being
- 43:39
- Having the ability or not having the ability to choose or being willing or unwilling
- 43:44
- So this passage as Matt rightly points out is is not about election but what we can't see is how
- 43:53
- These ideas bleed over into other areas and so here it's not necessarily about soteriology
- 43:59
- But we're bleeding in and learning about the sovereignty of God as Claude was pointing out so So that's good
- 44:08
- So and then to to Rob to piggyback on what Rob said there
- 44:14
- To channel brother Jonathan. That's what he says, right? Let me piggyback on that Oh Let's talk about Jonathan Foster, I saw someone
- 44:27
- I don't he say dove tail. Oh, yeah, probably he says a lot. He's a smart dude, but So but the questions that we ask when we come to texts of Scripture are
- 44:40
- Just as poor or just as important as the answers Because if we ask the wrong questions going into a passage we're going to Inevitably come out with the wrong answer.
- 44:52
- So we as as Christian people need to be wise even in our questioning
- 44:59
- Like when we we come to questions like this Rob did a beautiful job there of explaining that right?
- 45:07
- No, this isn't about soteriology Right, correct, right. So when we come to text we shouldn't read in to say and why or As the questions was right this appears to be
- 45:20
- Jesus will to save Yet their unwillingness appears to be an issue, right? So that is that is that that question doesn't aid us in foot drawing out the full understanding of the text a good question would be
- 45:36
- Simply this starts it start with the basic What does the text say right rather than reading into it?
- 45:44
- Whether it be an Armenian or Calvinist viewpoint, it doesn't matter when we go to the text we can't go into the text with a a
- 45:57
- I Don't want to say we shouldn't have presuppositions because presuppositional apologetics is what we stand on I would say all of us
- 46:05
- But when we go into the text, we can't go in with a presupposition that we're going to be unwilling to be moved on You can talk me you can talk me out of things and I can talk you out of things
- 46:17
- But guess what? We won't talk God out of what his word is said Oh, no, no,
- 46:25
- I know that I was just I was just elaborating on that to demonstrate the importance of our
- 46:31
- Questions because we see in the conversation thus far how that The this question really has has gotten answered, but we've had to dig deep right and ask other questions
- 46:44
- I was just gonna ask what were you talking about or referring to?
- 46:50
- Being mindful of the lenses that we wear as we read scripture what we what we bring to the passage
- 46:56
- Yeah, yeah We we have to go in with the understanding that God is right and we're wrong somewhere
- 47:06
- Yeah, God is right everywhere and we're wrong somewhere. That was that that would be a presuppositional approach
- 47:12
- Yes Okay, so I'm not gonna waste any more time on the question or on the on the on that text
- 47:24
- Before we go to the next one I want to make us I want to make a statement before anybody turns the thing off because we're already into that almost the hour mark, right
- 47:34
- So Rob you're all the marbles
- 47:42
- Okay, I'm not leaving one on the table Tell me openly are all
- 47:50
- Calvinist cessationist No, but they should be
- 47:59
- Jonathan Foster's pulling up in your driveway His will will be evident here in a little bit
- 48:11
- Coming on a serious note, this is becoming one of those conversations where I found Those those hardliners on on certain sides that that say
- 48:24
- There's no wiggle room. If you are this you've got to be that and I'm like Leave room for grace if that's how you believe fine.
- 48:33
- That's you know, but leave room for grace and be kind But people really want to be hard -lined about it so you can't be this without that and Do I do
- 48:46
- I stand there maybe maybe not I'm not sure but the thing about it is I want to show grace to those who are on either side
- 48:55
- To those who don't know the reason I say that is because there's been a conversation that's been ongoing on Facebook and Yeah, I'm not gonna give any kind of gravity as to where it comes from but I've heard this said so many times
- 49:11
- That that I'm tired of hearing that you know you
- 49:16
- Calvinist or you cessationist in this term used in a Yeah, synonymous form
- 49:23
- Just like there are Pentecostals who are reformed There are
- 49:30
- Calvinist who at least have a correct view of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Yes There you go
- 49:37
- Rob I feel you Because I've got a little poking around with some quotes from Calvin and in his
- 49:55
- Introduction to the Institutes of the Christian religion.
- 50:00
- He has an entire segment on Miracles mm -hmm as an
- 50:09
- Attestment to the truth of the messengers He doesn't say that miracles have ceased or that these things have ceased
- 50:19
- In other places he affirms that there may be times where God raises up Apostles for seasons that there is this this way if he comments on this in 1st
- 50:29
- Corinthians and my understanding of Pentecostal history as Limited as that is is that some of the early
- 50:39
- Pentecostals like Smith Wigglesworth believed that the gifts had
- 50:44
- Stopped for a while and that there was a revival of these gifts. Am I am
- 50:50
- I speaking out of turn there big John? well, I wouldn't consider myself a Historian when it comes to all things church related
- 50:59
- I Can't I can't tell you what Smith Wigglesworth's teaching was on that. Okay That's actually correct
- 51:06
- Okay, I can so I don't know everything about Pentecost, but I do know for a fact that that's was that was his argument
- 51:13
- Okay, there you go. So that seems to be as I understand how some of the Pentecostal teachings originated was that they had stopped maybe they didn't say ceased but that they had
- 51:25
- I Guess gone away for a time and that there was a new season where they were becoming more prevalent and I think
- 51:32
- Calvin would have Conceded on some level to that being a reality But this idea of cessation ism actually predates
- 51:42
- Calvin by centuries We lost the happy Calvinist that's that's a shame you didn't
- 51:51
- I'm still here. Oh, okay the disembodied voice of club because I came across this sermon from 386
- 52:00
- AD and he's and he Says that the disappearance of prophecy and the silencing of tongues
- 52:07
- Raises no difficult problem. These charismatic gifts served as preachers for a time and now have ceased
- 52:14
- Who was that? That was John Chrysostom 386 AD That centuries before there was
- 52:22
- Calvin there were by definition cessationists There were there were
- 52:27
- I mean, there's so let's I mean, let's be real There's been And this is not in any way a dig at a cessation is so long as there's been truth.
- 52:38
- There's been a lie So long as there's been an opinion. There's been an alternate opinion.
- 52:44
- So if if we leave No room for grace on the table
- 52:50
- Then we're saying we have full knowledge of a situation and we become part of the problem When it comes to why there can't be any growth
- 52:57
- You get to a hard line and you refuse to grow and and to even in to listen to a conversation from across the aisle then usually it's because You have such a delicate hold of what you believe that you're afraid.
- 53:13
- It'll crumble and fall out of your hands. Yeah, right, so See, I am
- 53:18
- NOT a cessationist. So We've got some diversity amongst these
- 53:25
- These gentlemen here, so when I read John Chris awesome there about the gift ceasing
- 53:30
- I don't necessarily agree but I'm willing to be Generous and courteous of the fact that there were
- 53:38
- Christians that Likely were martyred Believe all those things About this for a second how many people in this on this podcast right now?
- 53:47
- We don't have to go to listen, you know to how many people are listening buried a loved one. That was you know
- 53:54
- I suppose able to for you know Obviously God can do whatever he wants to But how many of you've buried a loved one that you know that Christ could have healed?
- 54:06
- Because it was they were so young when they passed away. I know of several Right. Does that mean it was it was impossible for God to heal them or that it was outside of God's will to heal them
- 54:21
- If we're going to come at it from the lens that we're wrong and that God's right And I think we have to look at it from the point of view that it was undoubtedly
- 54:29
- God's will not to right and no amount of saying that it is
- 54:37
- Impossible for there to be healings anymore because I haven't seen them would make any sense whatsoever any more than saying
- 54:45
- Say you lived in a town where nobody was giving their life to the Lord and you were the sole Christian in that town
- 54:52
- Couldn't say any more than it was impossible for God to save anyone right? It would be the same exact thing my argument has been that though that the lax of Of seeing miracles happen does not mean they don't happen
- 55:08
- It just might mean they don't happen in to you or around you doesn't mean they're not happening anywhere Just like my lack of understanding of all things
- 55:17
- Theological doesn't mean that there's truth in what you're saying and my under my lack of understanding of it
- 55:25
- Wouldn't make it any less truthful. Just know that I don't understand it. I can't I can't speak to it
- 55:30
- Right, I can't I have no convictions to live that out so I don't have a problem with the man being a cessationist or Calvinist if his con if his if his
- 55:42
- Convictions bear that out so long as he still has a gospel that is that is
- 55:50
- Biblically centered on the personal work of Jesus Christ and and It still has one this based on the same love that Christ had for me when he saved me.
- 56:00
- Yep. I think I think we can have Strong convictions on secondary matters because just because they're secondary doesn't mean that they don't matter right there in Scripture for a reason
- 56:11
- Scripture speaks on these things for a reason So they do matter whether it's you know, eschatology or you know, cessationism or whatever
- 56:20
- I think the mistake that most people make is well, if I'm gonna be firm in my conviction, then
- 56:29
- I must be Completely closed off to any other possibility number one and Completely ungracious to anyone that says otherwise, you know what
- 56:41
- I mean? Like that that's the line that you don't cross Because when you do that what you're essentially saying is
- 56:49
- I've got it all figured out That's right. You you can still say listen I have a strong conviction that this is right and that you're wrong over there
- 56:58
- But you're still my brother in Christ right, right and and I'm not going to Which it's sad because you know, we're talking about Calvinism tonight and I run into people all the time who say
- 57:10
- I have another gospel You know, I've been deceived by the devil, you know,
- 57:16
- I've heard all kinds of things and I'm I'm willing to say maybe
- 57:22
- Calvinism isn't right. I'm willing to say that now I Don't believe it
- 57:29
- It would take a lot It would take a lot But But could it could
- 57:39
- I'd be wrong. Could it be possible that I could be wrong on that? Maybe sure it could be
- 57:46
- Probably not though, but it could be I Think RC sprobe.
- 57:54
- I'm sorry. I'm not saying Rob had his hand raised. I was gonna put it We don't have time to flesh this out
- 57:59
- But just listening to what you had to say It sounded like you were you were encouraging us to to walk a somewhat of a cautious line
- 58:08
- Sure. So at what point as To use the words that Jay was using stand stand strong or stand firm in what we do believe at what point?
- 58:18
- Where is that line? What does that look like where we walk that cautious line? admitting that we are have the ability to air as Jay was saying we have the ability to be corrected
- 58:31
- Walk that cautious line, but also at the same time Where those convictions are are strong in our hearts and and we're confident.
- 58:41
- How how do we? Present that with with with passion and and zeal
- 58:46
- So so where's that line was that look like to to be cautious to be humble, but also be be powerful and bold So how afraid of a toddler?
- 58:56
- Are you? I'm not a toddler at all. I said how afraid of a toddler.
- 59:02
- Are you? Oh You foster you foster children all the time How many of you brought your house that you had to you know
- 59:09
- Put a put a bulletproof vest on and arm yourself with the kitchen knife before you got out of the you know None, right, right, right.
- 59:17
- So if you're if you're Centric if you're if you're gospel message and you're and your doctrine is centered on the
- 59:24
- Word of God And you have nothing to be afraid of you can walk as hard a line as you want to walk so long as it's
- 59:31
- Bible centered The where you make the mistake is if it's your interpretation of that scripture is the only interpretation of that scripture
- 59:39
- That's right. You can walk solo script or all you want to and I encourage you to do that so long as you don't say the words that Johnny Mac's bad about saying
- 59:48
- What God was thinking when he wrote this is and see you've messed up right there. I Can't tell you what my wife's thinking and I know her better than I know any other person
- 59:57
- That's right, right and you're gonna tell me what God's thinking or what a prophet was thinking that's been dead for 2 ,000
- 01:00:04
- You don't tell me what he's thinking You can tell me what he said and you can tell me what you think he means by what he says
- 01:00:10
- You can't stop right there the moment The moment that you step over into telling me what somebody is thinking or what they meant to say when they wrote this not what?
- 01:00:19
- Actually wrote but what they really meant now what you've done is you stepped out of what is solo script
- 01:00:25
- Torah and you stepped into Whatever big Rob's beard thinks it is And at that point now
- 01:00:32
- Now you've laid out there with not a toddler, but with anybody who's swinging, you know what
- 01:00:37
- I mean? And you smell what the beard is I Want to say one thing though, you are wrong dead wrong about one thing.
- 01:00:47
- Okay, and I was saying this respectfully But I think we do need to address it.
- 01:00:53
- I'm terrified of my toddler. Okay, is that right? She is so scary.
- 01:00:58
- She is so angry and so bossy Okay But yes, don't turn around she's standing behind Yeah I'm the oldest of six and few things are as scary is when there's a toddler in the house and it gets quiet So I would
- 01:01:30
- I would circle us back now to what Rob said in how we in how we can live that out showing that and again
- 01:01:39
- The only place that we can go is to the scriptures This you've heard the term shameful plugs.
- 01:01:45
- Well, this is a proud plug because what's on the wall behind Rob? Teaches how that we should be communicating our convictions and our thoughts
- 01:01:56
- And that is found in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 through 16, and it says this he gave some apostles prophets evangelists
- 01:02:07
- Shepherds and teachers to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry for building up the body of Christ Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
- 01:02:18
- Son of God to mature manhood To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ So that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro
- 01:02:28
- By the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness in deceitful schemes
- 01:02:35
- Rather Speaking the truth in love We are to grow up in every way in in him into him who is the head into Christ From whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint
- 01:02:49
- With which it is equipped when each part is working properly It makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love
- 01:03:01
- Amen Does anybody have anything we're not gonna cover the rest of it But before we wrap this up does anybody got anything they want to add
- 01:03:09
- Anything burning on your heart that you could say if I had one thing I could say and big
- 01:03:15
- John didn't cut me off How would I defend to my doctrinal principles and disciplines? Not all at once now.
- 01:03:24
- I Would defend them scripturally Slowly and carefully
- 01:03:32
- And if you do so what will be demonstrated by the hearer is
- 01:03:41
- If they are genuinely interested in understanding God's Word they will listen.
- 01:03:48
- They will hear you out and by God's Word What it was spoken will either be affirmed or denied
- 01:03:56
- I think Jonathan Foster also gives him has given some wisdom in the past when he says
- 01:04:04
- If it's me coming To you or you coming to me Jonathan says to ask the question
- 01:04:11
- Well, what do you mean by that and I'll tell you if I believe that or just just ask that question plainly
- 01:04:18
- What do you mean by that word? What do you mean by sovereignty? What do you mean by Calvinism? Let's look at scripture
- 01:04:25
- Yes, I think that's words of wisdom Amen, I think what
- 01:04:30
- I would say is You know don't assume because I see this a lot don't assume
- 01:04:40
- That everybody that's telling you that Calvinism is evil is telling you the truth
- 01:04:47
- Ask them. Okay How is it evil? Do they deny the essentials of the faith?
- 01:04:52
- Do they deny? You know salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone And then in terms of the
- 01:05:00
- Calvinist right if this is still new to you Look at the scripture. I've had friends who are not
- 01:05:05
- Calvinist who say, you know You've got something there now
- 01:05:10
- I don't agree with it, but I can see how you end up there and I think that's that's the way that I approach
- 01:05:18
- Brothers who I disagree with and I think that's how we have to approach each other. You know, is it scriptural and Sometimes you got to say well, maybe it's the wrong conclusions that you're making
- 01:05:30
- But I see how you kind of got that out of scripture, right? Because I unfortunately
- 01:05:35
- I see and this is not exclusive to Calvinism, but since we're talking about Calvinism I see a lot of people making emotional arguments against Calvinism rather than scriptural arguments against Calvinism Now they'll they'll sprinkle some some scripture in there
- 01:05:48
- You know because they almost to legitimize their claim right but but if you really dissect what they're saying
- 01:05:56
- It's not really a scriptural argument. It's an emotional argument. Well, you're making God a monster or he's evil or whatever they're basically saying
- 01:06:04
- God has to be the way that I want him to be and So if he's not this way, then he must be evil
- 01:06:13
- Right. That's what I hear a lot and the worst arguments, of course the emotional arguments now There are good arguments against Calvinism Listen to those at the very least, you know and listen to both sides
- 01:06:24
- So that that's what I would say and and remember that we can still disagree and be brothers and sisters in Christ Amen, I think
- 01:06:34
- I would go to Ecclesiastes that probably isn't gonna surprise anybody in this network here
- 01:06:43
- My favorite verse of the Bible is Ecclesiastes 713 Consider the work of God for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked
- 01:06:54
- And at the end of the day, whatever systems we wanna We want to ascribe to whatever isms we want to declare
- 01:07:04
- God has to be free to be God there are gonna be times where God makes things crooked and Regardless of how
- 01:07:10
- I feel about it That has to be true when I have to be okay with the fact that God Does that?
- 01:07:16
- Amen that there are things about God that I can't know that I can't wrap my head around that God is an inexhaustible fountain
- 01:07:26
- Amen That's good. And so with one of the the dangers that often gets presented with Calvinism is the over system
- 01:07:36
- Over a systematizing of it that we almost have an answer for everything And I I understand that concern and I think that's something that we can be better at That we don't know everything and there's a place for Puzzling over the scriptures together.
- 01:07:53
- Yeah, I think Solomon does a good job of teaching us to do that in Ecclesiastes To consider the work of God that the phrase he uses often consider the work of God Consider this consider that Man, if I was in South Carolina, I'd give you a hug right now
- 01:08:13
- So and that is why I am non -denominational Non -denominational, so you're just a Baptist with a really nice band.
- 01:08:21
- We don't determine that you've got drums So one of the things that if you're watching that you're not a
- 01:08:28
- Calvinist I want you to hear I want you to hear something that I appreciate and and I appreciate this all the time and I think that Calvinists do this in a way maybe better than anybody else when it comes to doing it without any shame or without any apology
- 01:08:47
- Whatsoever in their voice and I share this conviction God is in charge Amen, and nobody tells
- 01:08:53
- God what to do God doesn't take counsel from anybody and he owes no explanation to anybody the things that God does are always right
- 01:09:00
- His promises are assured and his counsel is always just and righteous He is just and holy and love and he can be all these things because he's
- 01:09:10
- God and there is no other so if if you're watching and you're in your impression of Calvinism has always been that these men are
- 01:09:20
- Satanic or these men are hate field and they absolutely have no idea who the
- 01:09:25
- Lord of the Bible is I would ask that you listen to the to the way that they explained their convictions and how at the center of their doctrine even though they name it after a man named
- 01:09:35
- John Calvin that seems to me that it is focused on the personal work of Christ alone and for that while I disagree on some of the tenants
- 01:09:43
- I'm at least thankful to call them brothers and I pray that you would put aside any kind of misgivings you have
- 01:09:50
- Towards a doctrine and at least listen to the way that they talk about the Lord who says That by this you'll know who my are my children, but they have loved one toward another
- 01:10:00
- That they love the Lord And last of all before you close, let me make it another plug so in in February of 2024 22nd
- 01:10:11
- February 22nd through the 24th in Tullahoma, Tennessee. There will be a conference It's the it's about Calvinism and why
- 01:10:20
- Calvinism so If you want to go to open -air theology check that out.
- 01:10:26
- It's gonna be a fantastic conference. It's gonna James why it's gonna be there Sam Waldron is going to be there the pre -conference
- 01:10:35
- Jeremiah Nortier and Sam Frost are going to be doing
- 01:10:42
- Having the conversation about the dangers of full preterism
- 01:10:47
- But again go to open air theology calm Event brought 2024 conference.
- 01:10:54
- You can get your tickets there. Come hang out. It's gonna be fantastic Are you gonna be live -streaming that on YouTube or anything?
- 01:11:02
- Um, I hadn't talked to Jeff about that. I Know that we'll be posting the sermons up after the conference, but I don't
- 01:11:11
- I don't know about this This is gonna be a cruciform, isn't it? No, that's not cruciform.
- 01:11:17
- But no, this is uh, this is a covenant reform Baptist covenant. That's the C word
- 01:11:22
- Yeah We'll be there from From originally from cruciform as well.
- 01:11:29
- So Brandon Scalf will be there, but there's a ton I mean, perhaps Addison Braden Patterson Jeffrey Rice.
- 01:11:36
- Oh Golly, I couldn't even tell you for it there. Huh? Yes, Andrew rap reports gonna be there
- 01:11:43
- I'm gonna I'm gonna try to go to a restaurant and Pay prepay for his meal.
- 01:11:49
- He don't let anybody prepay for him and buy his food We about had an arm -wrestling contest in the restaurant.
- 01:11:55
- We went to last year But uh, he's a super nice man as well. Yeah, it's gonna be fantastic So, let's try to it
- 01:12:06
- Jim I have anything else any any all hearts and all minds clear Okay, so I'm gonna try to do to see if we can't set this up to be seamlessly done decently and in order brother
- 01:12:18
- Rob whenever would you share the gospel and after Brother Claude praise.
- 01:12:26
- Well, you roll the end credits because I can't find them on this list of outro videos
- 01:12:33
- Yeah So anytime you're ready, please share the gospel of our Lord and when he's finished brother
- 01:12:39
- Claude, will you close us in prayer? Yes, sir. Thank you so much Well before I get to the gospel the good news we have to know what the bad news is
- 01:12:49
- So we'll will desire or know that we need good news And the fact of the matter is no matter how we got there how we get there
- 01:12:57
- The fact of the matter is we're there. We are sinful people. We're lost and undone.
- 01:13:02
- We we missed the mark We we've fallen short of God's glory. We've broken every single commandment a billion zillion times and we
- 01:13:13
- Because God is an eternally holy God because of our sin against him we deserve an eternal hell eternal punishment from him and That's the bad news.
- 01:13:25
- That's where we are. No matter how we got there. No matter how we parse scripture and Look at Calvinism or Arminianism fact the matter is
- 01:13:37
- We're lost we're sinners and we need a Savior and Scripture says at the right time
- 01:13:44
- God sent his son into the world to redeem the world
- 01:13:52
- And we want to thank him and praise him that he would send us a Redeemer save His enemies make his enemies his friend through his son
- 01:14:02
- Jesus Christ And we want to praise him and thank him for that and we want to urge you and call out to you and plead with You that you would call out to him your only means of salvation
- 01:14:14
- From the wrath of God that's poured out going to be poured out against you
- 01:14:21
- Do not harden your heart while there's still time Call out to him
- 01:14:29
- After we pass after we're gone it's too late and we stand before the Lord it's appointed on a man wants to die and then the judgment we all will stand before the
- 01:14:39
- Lord and We do not want you to be standing before him
- 01:14:45
- Unprepared Go before him Being seen in Christ and the only way to do that is to repent of your sins
- 01:14:55
- And put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ because he did it all he accomplished it all and he deserves all the honor glory and praise
- 01:15:05
- And so we want to give him that tonight and that's what we're all about is pointing to Jesus That's what the conference that we're going to be doing in next
- 01:15:14
- April is going to be all about looking at the work of the Spirit and How it points to Christ what he does in us to point to Christ It's going to be amazing because God is amazing
- 01:15:25
- The Holy Spirit is amazing and Jesus Christ his son is amazing Then we want you to know him and the joy of knowing him in your life, so if you haven't
- 01:15:36
- Repent of your sins put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And if you have Join us in sharing that good news
- 01:15:44
- Amen When I'll close in prayer by reading the Psalm Psalm 34,
- 01:15:51
- I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall continually be in my mouth
- 01:15:57
- My soul makes its boast in the Lord Let the humble hear and be glad Oh Magnify with me and let us exalt his name together.
- 01:16:10
- I Sought the Lord and he answered me and he delivered me from all my fears
- 01:16:16
- Those who look to him are radiant and their faces shall never be ashamed
- 01:16:22
- This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles
- 01:16:29
- Amen Amen, take five seconds to look at this picture to see the contributors of the truth and love network
- 01:16:37
- And then we'll close out with the outro video Thank you for joining the laborers podcast