Eternal Security

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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July 6, 2022

00:01: All right tonight if you would and if you have your Bibles, we will be in Proverbs again tonight We'll be in Proverbs chapter 12.
00:10: So you want to open your Bibles To Proverbs chapter 12, we will get to that shortly Before we go to the word.
00:23: We again want to just spend a moment or two in prayer.
00:28: And as we have Stated and we'll continue to state if anyone has Specific prayer requests, please.
00:36: Let us know we will have them added in the bulletin and again if you Not familiar.
00:42: We do not keep it in the bulletin unless you ask us to keep it in the bulletin rather than have a list That's 17 pages long and some of it is not even relevant anymore So if you have any prayer requests any special needs That you want us to pray for as a body Please see brother Keith and myself or someone and we'll make sure that it gets put in this Sunday Okay There is a number of things to pray for certainly and just to remind us of one or two of them So I'm going to pray for brother Keith as he continues to wait so he can have his Health issues cleared up and so we pray for him that God will take him through that and bring him back to us strong and in his true character which is full so Also want to pray for for Callie Nicolini and the baby and so I had asked Rachel just before she said the baby's doing good What two pounds three ounces when she was when he was born two pounds three ounces Ounces, I don't I don't know that looks like a small loaf of bread I guess but uh, he's doing good She's doing good.
01:59: She has some problems with blood pressure still so apparently the baby will have to stay there till full term which might Have him there till September.
02:10: So certainly let's just pray for them and again and for Christian as he tries to Continue to work and take care of his wife and be concerned and all those things that that any of us who have parents Know full well, so I remember them also and again I know probably miss many of them that we should pray for but those two came to my mind Alright, let's just take a moment before we go to God's Word and come before this great God that we we love and serve Let's pray our Father in God again.
02:49: We we come to you in Jesus name And Lord, maybe we never forget that that is the name the only name given among men whereby we Can and must be saved So Lord, we do approach you through the righteousness of your son His work on our behalf The reality that he lives forevermore to make intercession for us Thank you, Lord.
03:18: What a blessed privilege it is to be a child of God what a What a responsibility it is to bear witness to the truth of the eternal God who created all Who sustains all who ultimately will bring everything? to the foot of Christ and That the judge of all the earth will do right in that day Well, thank you Lord that we can gather tonight as your people We confess our sins Lord for they are many That there is not a man on earth that does not sin There is not one on earth who does not have within him or her thoughts that they should not have and Desires that they should not have and even Lord many times Actions in our life, which we should never have And so Lord we ask you not only to forgive us but to cleanse us To create in us even as the psalmist said creating us a clean heart That we might become more like Christ and less like the things of this world God, that is the great prayer of all our hearts that we would bear witness to the truth as we see him who What I just can't even get my mind around it who did always the things that pleased the father Lord how a Marvelous it is how wonderful it is to have a Savior who is pure holy harmless undefiled King of Kings and the Lord of Lords Thank you Lord for for who you are Thank you for who we are in Christ.
05:04: Thank you.
05:04: Holy Spirit that you Abide with us that you're patient with us that you comfort us that you teach us You guide and direct us Mm-hmm.
05:14: Help us a Lord as we come to your word to be better prepared to live in a world That does not know you in so many ways.
05:23: It's displayed Lord, whether it be through governments or Organizations or even our next-door neighbors.
05:30: Oh God, we pray you would be merciful even as It is said even in your wrath Lord that you would remember mercy Thank you for your word Lord, thank you.
05:42: We have a sure word a word that's settled in heaven a word that cannot be moved Word that cannot be challenged Because you cannot be challenged Lord because you are the sovereign God But as we open your word tonight Lord, would you give us grace? Allow us to speak the truth allow us to think of things That please you and that will edify us that we might become more living epistles Known and read of all men So Lord, we ask you to do what only you can do and that is to take your word And to make it real to us Holy Spirit and that it would Transform us into the image of your son who so loved us That he gave himself for us and we ask it all in his name and for our own eternal good.
06:28: Amen Okay.
06:32: So as I said, I will I will read chapter 12 in Proverbs in just a few minutes But I want to open it up by saying this.
06:42: I don't know that much about Social Security But I know this it's a provision made for us to provide us with a Security once we see some working basically And I know this because I'm on Social Security now And I've also come to enjoy the provision that's there in Social Security And and I thought about that because as I thought about chapter 12 in the book of Proverbs I want to speak tonight on spiritual Social Security now again, I am not trying to make Social Security from the United States government and Eternal security from the Living God identical But I want to try to to show us from Proverbs chapter 12 that there is a theme to be found in this chapter if you remember brother Keith when he brought Proverbs 11 last week, he pointed out to us the theme of of living righteous and and I want to look at it tonight and so that's why I thought to start off with saying something again as pertaining to Social Security, but rather spiritual Social Security and I do think that it Is oh it is good for us to look at themes through the book of Proverbs because we don't have the time At this point to go verse by verse again as the Proverbs move on in the chapters after chapter 9 they become you can make a Message out of out of many individual ones And so we we I'm going to continue to try to find themes although from time to time We'll look at a specific proverb or a specific group of Proverbs and I wanted to look tonight and I thought about that because I do believe that if you look at it as we Consider it tonight You will agree with me that there is at least in part the theme of in Proverbs chapter 12 of the security the eternal security of the believer and If you prefer to use the term perseverance of the Saints Then that's great If you Are more comfortable with saying once saved always saved I Don't use that term.
09:10: I think that term is it is misleading in some ways I think you can fall into a ditch unless you carefully define what you mean when you say once saved always saved So I would prefer to talk about eternal security or the perseverance of the Saints Although I am not saying that I don't believe in the truth that once you say you you are saved However, that term once saved always saved has some weakness because many people use it and in their definition of it it comes out in a way that I don't believe is really the best way to describe it so Again tonight, we'll look at that and what I find encouraging in the chapter and we'll read the chapter shortly what I find encouraging in in chapter 12 is that it's amazing to me how Solomon as he Authors and writes under inspiration these specific Proverbs sayings that he into Twines or weaves within the chapter all these different proverbs of manifestations of the life and yet He continually ties it back into as I hope to show you he ties it back into the reality of eternal security or perseverance of the Saints, and I think that is a Fantastic way for us to think about it because if you think about it when we say eternal security We're talking might put you this way Theological studies Systematic studies are great tremendous tools to be used and to be Learned however, I do think there is a great profit if we can find in the practical Living of our lives and in the practical teaching in the scriptures if we can find those great doctrinal truths Kind of interwoven did to me It's like it's a pearl a great price And and I hope to show you that as you look at what Solomon pens here in Proverbs chapter 12 He he does not do it merely in a systematic way or or in an organized outline form but rather he talks about the life of the believer and as he talks about the life of the believer, he he Interweaves this whole thought of the security of the believer and He speaks of it in a way that the life that we live and and I don't want to be misunderstood So I'll probably say it a couple times that the life that we live is evidence that we will persevere in the faith and that again that it's not just as some would rather use one saved always saved and Basically, I accepted Christ or I did this or I did that and then I go live the way I want to live do whatever I want to do and Again, I got my ticket.
12:18: So what's the difference? Because that is not biblical friends so I want to set that out at first that as we look at this chapter to see how he speaks of the Glorious truth and I hope we believe that I hope we believe Not only that we believe in eternal security that we believe in the in the greatness of it Because if it were not for the reality of as we will consider shortly that it is God who is really the one who secures our salvation and Keeps us that you and I would would flounder from moment to moment Not by second by second, so I want to set this out also that the security of the believer is all of God That that you and I can never be misled that Were it not for the power and the grace and the mercy and the purpose and the plan and a decree of God There is not a one of us That could find any sort of security Based on the lights that we live Right.
13:37: It has to be because we believe in a sovereign God and again, and I don't want to go too far from my notes So I'm going to try to get a lot in tonight But at the same time, you know when we talk about the doctrines of grace and we talk about People say to talk about Calvinism.
13:52: We talk about these different things.
13:53: They're not just dry doctrines.
13:55: Are they? They are and certainly as we consider the tulip, what is the last What does the peace stand for in the acronym, but it's the perseverance of the Saints And it's a glorious truth.
14:07: And I hope you and I not only again believe in that truth But rely on that truth and certainly it is all of God remember there are so many scriptures we could look at and that's not my purpose tonight because then I'd be doing more of a Systematic study or theological and I want to do that.
14:22: I want to look at it in the chapter, but Just you remember what Jesus said that that what no man and And I know that no angel no principality.
14:34: No power.
14:34: Nothing.
14:35: There is nothing.
14:36: No one can pluck us out of what the father's hands Because the father had before the foundation of the world decreed To give us his people a particular people a special people a treasure of people to his son as an inheritance That because of that you and I can know that even as Isaiah said that he has written our names engraving our names where on the palms of his hands, so Don't don't be misled and if you believe I'm saying something different than we can discuss it later But eternal security rests on the eternal God Having said that I also want to point out and I hope to show you That as we look at these verses, there is also the reality of our responsibility and that our lives Give evidence of the fact that God is working in us both to will and to do his good pleasure And that we can't just divorce the way we live when we look at others when we look at ourselves when we look at our lives When we examine ourselves, there are things that are indicators of the reality that we are eternally secure in Christ And if we don't consider that then again It's a matter of well, I got my ticket and that's all that matters when in truth.
16:02: You'll have a ticket to hell rather than to heaven Now I just want to read one quote This is I use some commentaries as I'm sure many others do this is a commentary by Charles Bridges on Proverbs and this is what he said in in Summarizing the chapter and I I was glad that Charles Bridges agreed with me.
16:22: Can you imagine that? I couldn't sit at the same table with Charles Bridges, but nevertheless he wrote this he said this he said firm and unshaken is the condition of the righteous Their leaves may wither in the blast Their branches may tremble in the fury of tempest But their root the true principle of life shall not be moved They are scarcely saved not without many tossings But they are surely saved beyond all the powers of hell to destroy Does not thy faith Christian sometimes fate faint in the wearisome assaults of the implacable enemy? Rejoicing the insurance that it cannot fail Now what rooted and grounded in a sure foundation let the Lord who is thy strength be thy song He only is my rock in my salvation.
17:15: I shall not be greatly moved I shall not be moved at all and how bright is the prospect for the church It shall not be moved Triumphant is her confidence in the day of conflict and the gates of hell shall not prevail and no weapon that is found against her Shall prosper.
17:35: Well, that's that's a mouthful of good stuff right there, right? Okay Now having said that I know it's a little bit of an introduction But now let's read the chapter and then I'm going to ask us to focus in on a number of verses Which I believe will support what I have said to this point parish chapter 12 and again reading for the new King James whoever loves instruction loves knowledge he who hates reproof is stupid a Good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked devices.
18:07: He will condemn a Man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved an Excellent wife is the crown of a husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones The thoughts of the righteous are right But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful the words of the wicked Oh lie in wait for blood But the mouth of the upright will deliver them The wicked are overthrown and are no more but the house of the righteous will stand Man will be commended according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart heart will be despised Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant and he who honors himself, but lacks bread Righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel He who tills the land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding The wicked covet the catch of evil men But the root of the righteous heals fruit the wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips but the righteous will come through trouble a man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth and The recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him The way of the way of the fool the way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he who eats counsel is wise a Fool's wrath is known at once but a prudent man covers shame and he who speaks truth declares righteousness but a false witness deceived There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health The truthful lips shall be established forever But a lying tongue is but for a moment the seed is in the heart of those who devise evil But counselors of peace have joy and no grave trouble will overtake the righteous But the wicked shall be filled with evil Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who dare truthfully deal truthfully are his delight The prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of the fools proclaim foolishness In the hand of the diligent will rule but a slope the slothful will be put to false labor Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression but a good word makes it glad The righteous should choose his friends carefully for the way of the wicked leads them astray the slothful man dies The slothful man does not roast what he took in hunting but diligence is a man's precious possession In the way of righteousness is life and in the pathway.
20:42: There is no death So there we have before us again this portion of Solomon's writing and and so I want to focus again on this whole thought of eternal security perseverance of the Saints and how it has Implications not only from The the truth of the doctrine of the Word of God that God again is the one who has created us for himself But there's a reality and we'll look at some verses in this chapter that Solomon weaves this truth into The demonstration of life that is brought forth.
21:23: And so I want to focus in and I'll tell you there's a number of verse We're gonna look at verse 3 verse 6 verse 7 verse 13 verse 19 verse 21 and verse 28 We'll read through the chapter again.
21:34: I'm going to use the verses that are before that those verses I mentioned and after to show you how they support this whole reality of Eternal security and I hope you'll see it as we go through And move forward.
21:50: So let's look first at verse 3, but I'm gonna read the first three verses look what it says Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid a good man obtains favor from the Lord but a wicked man a wicked but a man of wicked devices he will condemn a man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous Cannot be moved So even in this in this opening Couple of verses we begin to see this theme I believe we see this theme because there we have it in verse 3 that a man is not established by wickedness But the root of the righteous cannot be moved Cannot be moved We see that a man a devoid of of of a true root Is a man is devoid of understanding he has no root and I'm going to suggest to you that One way to define this root is to have the love of God within our hearts to have the reality of the grace and mercy of God Embedded in our hearts because we have been given new hearts by the Spirit of God And so as you begin to think about that and you think about this this truth of the root of the righteous Cannot be moved that you and I would begin to understand that this root And ultimately who is the great? Who's that root that sprung up out of the dry ground? Was it not the Lord Jesus Christ? He is the vine and we are what the branches and so there's this whole reality of the imagery of of how The reason for its soundness above ground as you think about it The reason for the soundness of a tree above ground is what? Because of what's going on below the ground and if I'm not mistaken They say that as wide as a tree is is as wide as its root structure is So if you have a real tall thin tree, it has a real Narrow root system if you have a big sprawling tree, it has a big wide Root system, but but really what what is manifested above ground is really because of what's taking place Underground right? And so when you think about that and you think about what he says and to me this Is a comfort to me that when you look at someone And again, I don't want to be I don't want to mislead and think that We can always tell or we can always discern what's going on because people will always say that you can't tell what's going on in A man's heart and absolutely true.
24:26: I can't tell what's going on in my own heart But I will tell you this you can begin to understand in some part What a man is and when I say man man woman whatever way you want to term it you could begin to see it because Again, if they're truly rooted then then they should be able to produce fruit, right? And so if if you plant a orange tree, then the expectation is what? Okay We got our botany lesson down So we're good to move on with that But but the reality is and as you see it as he begins to lay this out to us Whom the good man obtains favor from the Lord the man of wicked devices He will condemn and and he's a man cannot be established by wickedness.
25:13: Listen, there is no security for the wicked Not only is there no peace for the wicked.
25:18: There's no security for the wicked regardless of what they may think regardless of All that they can gain even in this life.
25:26: It yields and what nothing It yields nothing because in that day it will be Burned up remember as Jesus said he said every tree that my father has what not planted will be rooted up so you see friends this reality is there for us to think about and again, not merely from a just a Doctrinal or a factual standpoint, but but as we see the lives and as we examine our own lives And as we hope to see manifested in each other's lives That we would begin to see the fruit of this root that's buried within us by the Spirit of God Kept by the Spirit of God watered by the Spirit of God grounded and founded Nourished by the Spirit of God and that that in in many ways is an indicator of our eternal state And so again not disowning the fact that it's all of God salvation is of the Lord And if you don't believe me ask Jonah because he found out In a different way than most others, right? But the reality is still there So so just follow along with that and memo read verses 4 through 6 and I think it will Come out again to us.
26:51: So The the righteous cannot be moved and then it's it says an excellent wife is a crown of a husband But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful The words of the wicked are lie in wait for blood But now I want you to look at the last half of verse 6 the mouth of the upright will what deliver them? see if Again you you begin to look you just take it from the standpoint and probably speaks a lot about a lot of things but also one of the themes that continually comes up in the book of Proverbs is the virtuous woman or the woman who lacks virtue and There are proverbs that talk about a woman who? Is not virtuous.
27:39: She basically destroys her own house And she takes it down piece by piece and so again the life manifests the Reality and and the the state of that person before God and then it says as I said in verse 6 It says the mouth of the righteous will deliver them and you know what? I thought about when I read that I thought about what Paul said in second Corinthians I'll just read it to you second Corinthians one.
28:07: He said that God who delivered us from so great a death and Does deliver us? In whom we trust that he will still deliver us But I don't know about you brothers and sisters, but that's security That's better than the United States government That's better than any security that anyone could ever want that you and I are Kept by the power of God and it's evidenced in our life that he has He does and he will and if that does not encourage you then I'm not sure of how to encourage Again, as I look at my own life, and I see the things in my own life where many times I am not pursuing the things I ought to pursue but even as the saying goes I Am NOT what I ought to be I'm not what I want to be.
29:21: But what? Thank God.
29:23: I'm not what I used to be Right.
29:25: And so so I can look at my life and see the marks of the grace of God at least I should be able to see in my life the marks of the grace of God and of the converting power of the Spirit of God and of of the the reality of newness of life and that and then I can in that sense find great comfort that God will He has he will and he will continue to deliver me.
29:53: So again, I submit to you that as Solomon Pens these words.
29:58: There's this thought of security the perseverance of the Saints wrapped within kind of Coding around the lives that people live because you and I know many people All of us we will ask someone if they're Christians Oh, yeah, I'm a Christian and they live like the devil to prove that they're not right and yet That there'll be some of them are the first ones to say.
30:26: Well, you know once saved always saved Listen, remember what Jesus said he who preserves to the end Will be saved preserves in what in? believing or In believing and living according to what you believe by the Word of God.
30:42: It's a big difference, isn't it? I could believe I'm seven foot tall, but I'm not So when you think about it and you think about these things as he talks about it It's amazing to me how he brings these things out.
30:59: Look at verse 7 just for a moment We'll get through this rather quickly, but the wicked are overthrown and on no more But the house of the righteous will stand and that great And I thought about that word stand Now it doesn't mean we won't be moved And it doesn't mean that we will not at times find ourselves Wavering we will not does not mean that we will not find ourselves at times Tilted in the wrong direction We might even find ourselves at times bent so close to the ground that we feel like we're about to break But here's the reality.
31:44: The reality is in that security that is given to us by God We will stand Right in that what Paul talks about in Ephesians 6, by the way What what is Paul talking about Ephesians 6 when he talks about the armor and all those things to what end that we might be? able to what stand Not only stand now but stand in that day and not only to stand in that day, but to stand now Mm-hmm Again, I will just say this we ought not give anyone assurance or or speak to him about eternal security Until there's evidence of a newness of life again, as long as we don't get so far out to think that Everyone needs to be absolutely perfect because if you think that and you want to go down that road of perfectionism Then and you have some big issues to deal with So again, the The thought is so wonderful to me that the wicked are overthrown and no more but the house of the righteous will stand And it's such a comfort to to consider it.
32:56: So let me just read a little further I want to try to get through the the whole chapter and we'll come down and then we'll stop again in verse 13 But I want you to think about how he has mentioned these things and now he's going to speak about a couple of different areas In life where things are seen and manifested and then he's going to come back to it again in verse 13 So look at verse 8 a man will be commended according to his wisdom But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised Better is one who is slighted but has a servant and he who honors himself, but lacks bread Righteous man regards the life of his animal but the tender mercies of the wicked accrual He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding and the wicked cover the the weak The wicked covet the catch of evil men But the root of the righteous yields fruit now look at verse 13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgressions of his lips, but the righteous will come through Trouble there it is again He's not trying to paint the P in the tulip He's merely stating what's what's absolutely obvious Because if you look at it, I mean you could break it down and we could spend time breaking this down even in the in what he says about The reality of the In verse 10 a righteous man regards the life of his animal The tender mercies of the wicked accrual.
34:42: No, I'm not trying to say if somebody mistreats their dog.
34:44: They're not a Christian But I will say this that that the righteous the one who's right with God will consider all of God's creation and it's interesting to me and I'm just absolute side note that many people who wind up becoming murderers and and mass murderers as a they find out that somewhere along the line they mistreated animals So so and again, I'm not trying to say these things are absolute don't misunderstand me but what I am saying is there is evidence in the life of what is going on below ground or in the inside the heart and that thought of The righteous will come through trouble never says the righteous won't have trouble Lord knows we have trouble Lord knows we cause trouble.
35:37: I've always said the biggest problem in the world is me But we will come through it now, is that not security? I don't know about you I want my check from socials by the gut from the government every month.
35:50: I want it to come through But here's the reality that we will come through that trouble brothers and sisters And and you know what we ought we ought never be afraid of this world We ought to be afraid of sin but The Savior has overcome if God before us who could be against us He that's bad not his own son, how shall he not deliver us We will come through trouble some by the fire some by the flood some through great trial, but what all through the blood Whole lot of security in that and I don't know about you.
36:38: I need to hear it over and over again Because I'm just like a tree shaking in the wind.
36:44: I Begin and I don't know how it is with you, but Getting a little older.
36:50: I guess I'm middle-aged compared to Brother Paul.
36:53: I'm probably he could be my daddy Yeah, thank you, brother.
36:58: But but but as they get over I begin to see how How truly frail I really am In and how dependent I am for everything upon God Nobody says curse is the man who thinks his arm is his strength Because what do you do when your arm fails What do you do men when you can't do what you used to do Well ladies.
37:26: So anyway, my whole point is that we will come through trouble We will be carried across We will be held In his hands and and that is a glorious truth to to follow.
37:43: Let me just continue to read And then we'll stop again at Verse 19 so the righteous will come through trouble and then verse 14 a man will be satisfied with the good of by the fruit of his mouth and the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him in the way of the the way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise and Fools wrath is known at once But a prudent man covers shame see see how it's talking about life and the manifestations of the life And then he says he who speaks truth declares righteousness But a false witness to see there is one who speaks like the piercings of the sword But the tongue of the wise promotes health then it says this in verse 19 the truthful lip lip shall be Established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
38:38: There it is again at least to me it is Established forever Stand come through trouble be able to overcome.
38:49: These are these are glorious truths friends These are things that that we ought to hold on to and it's manifested in our life You shall know them by their fruits you shall be able to see that there is a possession of a new heart or That that person is possessed by the Spirit of God And that that is in many ways where our security Comes to us because he does even in this chapter I'm not specifically going to talk about it, but he talks about it in verse 25 where he says anxiety in the heart of man Causes depression but a good word makes it glad that that again There's that reality even as we know from so many scriptures where there is what no peace Say it's my God unto the wicked We have the peace to know if God before us who could be against us We have the peace to know that a mother might forget her own child But what God will never forget us? We will be established Forever, but a lying tongue is for a moment And I think about all those people especially today in this in the environment we live in and everybody's Everybody's got an opinion.
40:11: Everybody's got an editorial flavors on Twitter and spitter and every other gizmo and thing that's out there and many of them in in Some of them in a year from now, you won't even know who they were.
40:22: You won't remember them.
40:23: It's for a moment Big shots now, I know you I use the term they think they're the tip of the spear And they're not You know, who's the tip of the spear? Christ You know, who else is the tip of the spear us in Christ and that spear will never become dull And you and I can rest assured be rest rest at night knowing That we shall endure forever Let me just get you down through the rest of it in verse 20 deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil But counselors of peace have joy and look at this one.
41:01: No grave trouble Will overtake the righteous but the wicked shall be filled with evil.
41:09: No grave trouble will overtake the righteous So I looked at it a couple of different Versions, I think the esv says no ill and I think the the king james says No evil, no evil will overtake us and and then I even looked in the nas the new american standard says no harm But in the new king james, it says it that way it says that You and I will find no great grave harm And isn't that again brothers is enough a great hope That nothing will overcome us We listen think about it in the realm of this life, especially in the day that we live in when there's so much evil and and and Murders and hatreds and and all the different things that go on you and I And I say this and if i'm wrong, you can correct me you and I are as secure tonight sitting in ocean way florida We are as secure tonight As we were since the foundation of the world And we are as secure tonight as we are 10 000 years from now Because it's the same god Who holds us? And and the lives that others have lived that have brought them to the golden shore Have been the same lives that men and women today are living before god just to me.
42:47: It's just good stuff All right.
42:49: Let me just finish and i'm going to read the rest of the the chapter and then um Ask us to think about one more thing so No Great trouble will overtake the righteous but the wicked will be filled with evil then it goes on and again more of of how it manifests itself in the contrast of Lying lips are an abomination of the lord and an abomination to the lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight verse 23 prudy man Conceals knowledge, but the heart of the fools proclaim foolishness and the hand of the diligent will rule But the slothful will be put to false Uh false labor and again, there's that word that we keep seeing in the book of proverbs But right because it's the book of proverbs in many ways is contrast It's a contrast between those that are righteous and those that are pressing on and those that can find security And and those that that rebel and resist and reject and they can find no rest and they can find no security So that that that but will continue to come up over and over and over again the hand of the diligent Verse 24 will rule but the slothful will be put to false labor anxiety in the heart of man causes depression But a good word makes it glad the righteous Should choose his friends carefully But the way of the wicked leads them astray the slothful man does not roast what he took in hunting but diligence Is man's precious possession? I could spend some time if we had the time on the reality of one of the indicators that we are truly gods Is that we are not lazy? That we are diligent That that we are the salt of it.
44:32: We are hard work.
44:32: We ought to be hard workers physically spiritually in every other way We ought to be the light on the hill.
44:38: And so again I can I can find ways from the scriptures to support that so that the life is an evidence of what god is doing and Has done and will continue to do and then it comes down to that last verse So verse 27 the slothful man does not roast what he took in hunting the diligent but diligence is a man's precious possession Look at verse 28 In the way of righteousness is life And in its pathway there is no death Isn't that great? Isn't that wonderful that you and I? Shall not see death.
45:22: Oh, we'll see we'll go through and experience the physical death, but jesus said we've what? We've already passed into life It's ours It's a possession And and again as I as I close I want us to think about it as you go back and read this Read this chapter again, and I think you'll see it in these verses It's almost as if he talks about a couple of things and then he stops and he says man This is what comes out of that and then he takes a couple more steps and he thinks man Secure and safe and able to stand and no great trouble will overtake him Again, not no great trouble will happen to them just won't overtake them You and I are in such a blessed condition brothers and sisters.
46:11: I I truly pray that if we learn nothing else we learn more and more of the greatness of our god the goodness of our god And the patience of our god And the power of our god and the sureness Of his promises and even his brother keith's been going through genesis, right? And that promise that god made all the way back in the garden of eden That that's the seed that god would bring forth would crushed the seed of the serpent And it's a secure listen The church is as secure today as it's ever been Now i'm not talking about the visible church i'm not talking about uh that what i'm saying is the true church the body of believers Spread out through space and time are secure And god will bring in the last of the sheep God will not be upset by democrats republicans independents russians anything else in this world God will have a people for himself so Let's just thank him as we close.
47:27: Let's pray our father in god.
47:31: Thank you so much for tonight lord.
47:33: Thank you for your word Lord I pray you would help us to understand that you are the one who holds us in the palms of your hand And lord that we would realize that our lives are to be those Lives that demonstrate that we are being held in the palms of your hands Lord may we Seek to examine ourselves May we even in love seek to to provoke one another To see the evidence of the grace of god And that we would grow in the grace and in the knowledge of that one Who so loved us? Who so cares for us? That he gave himself for us bless us as we go away.
48:17: Keep us safe Until we meet again in jesus name.