Keeping The Main Thing, The Main Thing

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Our great God and Savior father. We just praise you for this beautiful morning. I thank you for those who have made it here who fought the alarm and of Have come so early in the morning and Lord We just praise you for your word
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For the work that you've done in our lives for the work you continue to do in our lives and Lord We just pray that you would continue that work even this morning
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Father as we turn to your word, we would just pray that you would lift us
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Convict us and father just change us in Christ name. We pray. Amen. Well, good morning everyone.
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I Am NOT pastor Dave and that is not our wall over there. I don't know Well, actually
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I do know that is part of the ongoing construction here at BBC Not some kind of Martian Corinthian columns or whatever
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Are there Martian Corinthian columns anyway? Good morning Pastor Dave unexpectedly had to work this morning so I am here
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Let's see. Yeah, you know, I I I'd laid this out on the counter. I'm so carefully prepared
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I lay things out on the counter and then I leave them on the counter I guess the dogs can read them while I'm gone, but the
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Christianity today the one that Mike was reading from last week had a few interesting articles one that I want to mention
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Did you know some of you may not be aware and I certainly wasn't aware until I read it in Christianity today
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Which is why I was grateful for it. Did you know that Boston is in the midst of an evangelical revival?
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It was on Channel 5. Well, then, you know, it's true evangelical revival in fact
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Park Street Church historic church because Harold ocking gay used to be the pastor there one of the big movers and shakers in the evangelical movement and Now they have over 70 % of their attenders are single in Fact one of the local
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Boston papers. It's kind of a tabloid sort of paper, but comes out every two weeks It says Park Street Church is the number one place in Boston to meet singles
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Isn't that great? That's awesome That's awesome.
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Absolutely. Awesome. So I just I pass that away as a long as Just to give you information now
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I also read in because I read lots of good magazines I was reading the
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Christian Research Journal, which actually does have some good things in it but in there there was an article and I won't tell you who it was because Unfortunately, one of his books is on our book table right now, and I don't want to spoil the moment he said that the
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Roman Catholic Church has Enough gospel in it for someone to get saved and it's just kind of he said that they preach
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You know salvation by grace alone, and I just said I just don't see that so I found that one disappointing
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Anyway, what I am talking about this morning is keeping the main thing the main thing So I'm gonna give you a bunch of peripheral issues
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And then we're gonna zip right in on what really matters and what we need to be worried about I mentioned in my eschatology class
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That there are You know, they're primarily there are three views and this is not the main thing in case you're wondering there are three views of eschatology
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One is pre -millennial and that is the official position here at Bethlehem Bible Church One is a millennial and the other one is post millennial.
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I'm not going to explain those and go through all that But let me just say this That at the recent Shepherds Conference, which we went to The featured speakers were
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John MacArthur who is pre -millennial R .C. Sproul who is post millennial and Albert Muller who is a millennial
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How is it possible that those guys can get along and get up there at the same conference and speak?
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How can they do that? Because they agree on the main thing which is the gospel of Jesus Christ We can get all caught up in all kinds of esoteric
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Facts esoteric theories worry about things that don't matter or we can focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ You know,
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I have to tell you this as an aside What's the CBD sale? Nate did a great job spending your money yesterday
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We had a good time good job Nate But while I was there, you know,
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I'm going through all the tables and I pulled out a real nugget It's called a marvelous work in a wonder now my family not included
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Does anybody ever heard of the book a marvelous work in a wonder and nobody went to the CBD sale yesterday either?
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Anybody ever heard of a marvelous work in a wonder? It's written by LeGrand Richards.
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Anybody ever heard of him? Well, I I knew who he was
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Because for 30 years I lived under the false system of Mormonism. He's a Mormon Apostle He was that book a marvelous work in a wonder is what they call often the fifth standard work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day
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Saints or the Mormon Church and I'm just like what are you guys doing selling this? I asked him on the way out. I said, you know, you have that book and she goes well, you know
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Sometimes we get stuff like that in there and I'm going She was the theology editor for their web page.
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I just thought you need to do a little more screening I didn't say girlfriend, but I you know There was a debate this week.
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I Didn't go to the debate, but I understand that they were debating the resurrection You have a believer and an unbeliever and I asked somebody who went to the debate.
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I said, let me guess I'm just gonna take a wild shot at it the believer brought forth all of his evidence
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Why the resurrection took place and the unbeliever said I'm not accepting that evidence
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I'm rejecting that evidence that evidence isn't true. And even if it is true, I'm not believing it Well, yeah
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It's predictable But we continue trying to do that.
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We're gonna debate unbelievers instead of declaring them to them And now we zero in on the issue that I'm going to spend my time on this morning this week
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And I'm gonna go about it a little roundabout way this week I got a phone call and you know, we get all kinds of salespeople
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I know it's funny, but people call the church trying to sell us stuff Usually it's something with the word purpose -driven attached.
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In fact, I've got Tracy. She's got a little sign Have you seen this on her computer? It says if it says purpose -driven
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Bill highballs Rick Warren Willow Creek and now emerging church throw it away
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Say no, thank you, whatever because the pastoral staff doesn't want to be bothered It's just a little time -saving device that I've given to Tracy but this guy calls and Tracy wasn't here sadly and so I started
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I started talking to him and He wanted to sell us television advertising and we got into a conversation and he asked me what seminary
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I went to and I said the master seminary He says is that Los Angeles? I said, yeah, and he said well
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Does Jack Hayford have a seminary and I said, yeah, he does as a matter of fact in Los Angeles And I said, I really don't
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I'm not exactly sure why and he says what do you mean? I said well because I said you you know
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The guy was obviously charismatic and I said I said to me if I was a charismatic I Would then you know just attach myself to a godly leader that I looked up to and I just kind of learned everything
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I could and then I'd move on and plant a church I know what's the point and really having a seminary when you believe that the
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Holy Spirit is still talking and you don't really need to study the Bible, you know any more than at any deeper level than that and so then we veered off in a oneness
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Pentecostal ism and TD Jake's and A variety of different issues. He wanted to debate charismatic gifts.
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I didn't want to debate that He wanted to debate whether TD Jake's was now a Trinitarian or whether he wasn't to which
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I could only say I said listen Let's say that he is now a Trinitarian. Let's say on Tuesday. He is now a Trinitarian Well if on Monday, he wasn't a
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Trinitarian was he a Christian He says well, no, and I said, okay
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So on Tuesday, he is a Christian should he still be in ministry? Is he now a new believer? Well, that's a good point.
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I said that's why they pay me the big bucks But we finally got to an issue that disturbed me
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He said well He said you can lose your salvation in essence is what he said
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He goes, what do you what happens when somebody so backslides as to fall out of the grace of Christ?
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How was this I was Perplexed I said, I I don't know how that can happen.
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I said do you have a verse or anything in mind? He said yeah, Revelation 3 verse 5. So let's look at that Revelation 3 verse 5
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Now as you're turning there I'm just gonna say that the reason and I I spent quite a bit of time the following day sending him an email and the
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Reason I did is because I don't really care about changing his mind about charismatic gifts I don't care if he thinks the
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TD Jake's is not a one this Pentecostal. I don't care about those things What I do care about is this man is thinking about full -time ministry and he thinks you can lose your salvation
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That's a that's a problem for me. I don't want anybody out there thinking, you know preaching what it is in essence
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Going to be work salvation because if you can somehow keep it or you can lose it on your own
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Then maybe you didn't get it by the grace of God in the first place Revelation 3 verse 5
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He who overcomes Shall thus be clothed in white garments and I will not erase his name from the book of life
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And I will confess his name before my father and before his angels Now, what do you suppose?
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What do you suppose his interpretation of that was? Does it sound like that?
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Like maybe it's written in there and then if you really blow it God just goes dude.
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I'm so sorry eraser Done you're out
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Is that what it means Boy, I hope not But look at that.
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Hey, if you're an overcomer, that's somebody who has overcome the world Then you don't have to worry about being erased from the book of life, but what if you like overcame it for a while and then
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The world got the best of you And you know what he does and and what
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I think many people do is then he started hop -sketching through the Bible Trying to defend that now, what's the problem with that?
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context I said brother Unless you stay in a context you can wind up with anything.
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That's how he was attempting to prove by the way that the the charismatic gift still Exists today.
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Let me read a different translation. It's called the net translation. It's out of the
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Dallas Seminary and some of the Greek scholars down there says the one who conquers
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Will be dressed like them in white clothing and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will declare his name before my father and before his angels and And one of the
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Greek commentators goes on to say this this is the use of the subjunctive in a prohibition Subjunctive being the the tense the mood there
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Or the tense and of the verb and what he says is it is used to strictly forbid an action in other words
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There's never this isn't a possibility of something happening. This is saying it cannot happen
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It's the exact opposite of what this guy was taking it to be now.
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Let's as I Get these things in order here So I said to Brian was the guy's name
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I said the biggest issue by far that we've discussed is whether somebody can lose his or her salvation and may
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I suggest That that depends on your view of God It depends on your view of man if you believe like Jonah 2 9 says that salvation is of the
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Lord Then you won't struggle with these issues Now how important is it to understand the sovereignty of God and salvation let's look at a few
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Passages here with the idea of keeping the main thing the main thing I mean we could debate all kinds of finer points of theology with people and sometimes it's fun
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But sometimes we don't need to do that and it's a waste of time
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Please turn to John 6 And we'll get back to Revelation 3 here in a few minutes, but I want to kind of make the point and then go back to Revelation John 6 37 to 44
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All that the Father gives me shall come to me and the one who comes to me. I will certainly not cast out
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For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will
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Of him who sent me that of all he has given me. I lose nothing stop right there
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There's a little bit of an issue there If God gives them to Christ Jesus says I will lose nothing
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But raise it up on the last day for this is the will of my father That everyone who beholds the
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Son and believes in him may have eternal life and I myself will raise him up on the last day
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The Jews therefore were grumbling about him because he said I am the bread that came down out of heaven and they were saying
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It's not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know
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How does he now say I have come down out of heaven? Jesus answered and said to them do not grumble among yourselves
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No one can come to me Unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day
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So who is it that comes back in verse 37 is the one that the father gives to Jesus How can this one be lost
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Jesus again? He says I will not lose a single one, but instead I'll raise it up on the last day
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Well, if the last day isn't the day of judgment, then what is it if God gives if the father gives?
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Someone to the son. He will raise him up on the last day or her I don't want to Slight that at all, but I said to Brian I said, you know what?
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You could probably point to verse 40 and say look It's the one who beholds the Son and believes that is saved and I agree however
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Whether free will is taught here or not because again I don't even want to debate free will free will isn't even on the radar for me because I just want him to understand one
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Thing and that is the security of salvation We don't have to go through The five points one by one by one by one, you know and can hammer somebody down with them
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What we can do though is One by one we could make the point and I think there's there's no key.
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There's no Point that is more important than what's commonly called the perseverance of the
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Saints or the preservation of the Saints Why because if once saved always saved is true, then we can backtrack and figure out why that is
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Because if you didn't gain your salvation you cannot lose it Now, how can
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Jesus lose someone when he says that he will not lose him? Well, you have to insert something in there and that's what
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I said to him I go you have to insert something into the text To make it say what you wanted to say because it doesn't say what you wanted to say
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Says exactly the opposite Then I talked about ability and free will and all that in verse 44
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And I'll go and I'll say this also I said note that there is no universal drawing in other words
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There's this idea often given that God is drawing everyone and that is only the ones who are willing who come well, that's not the idea because Jesus says that the father draws them and he will raise them up on the last day.
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So if God is drawing everyone Then everyone will be raised up on the last day.
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No one will go to hell and that's not what the Bible teaches Let's look at Romans 8
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Verses 29 and 30. I Mean it was about at this point during our conversation that Brian said well,
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I suppose you believe in predestination I said well, yes, I do and I hope you do too Because the
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Bible teaches it You may not agree with my interpretation of it But let's just kind of we'll walk through it and you explain it to me.
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You tell me what it means Romans 8 verses 29 and 30
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For whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren and whom he predestined these he also called and whom he called these he also justified and Whom he justified these he also glorified
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Now again, how does one who is foreknown? predestined called and Justified lose his or her salvation
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Paul tells us that these people these things that have happened to them that God knew them before the foundation of the world that he
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Predestined them. He chose them That while they were in this world, he called them while they were in this world after they were called
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They were justified declared righteous in his sight not because of what they'd done But because of what
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Christ had done on their behalf How could those people lose their salvation
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Well, Paul tells us how he says it's impossible because those same people who were
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Chosen those same people who were for foreknown predestined called and justified will also be glorified
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In fact, even now Paul would apply this to you. How is it possible that you're glorified and you say
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I don't know I don't have a glorified body. I mean I get up in the morning and I ache I go to bed at night and I ache
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I don't have a glorified body, but There is a sense in which I do have a glorified body and that is that Paul sees it as so sure
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That he uses the past tense to describe it Glorification is a done deal for those who are redeemed.
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That's known as the golden chain of salvation There is no there's no way out of it sad to say that once you were
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Foreknown and called you cannot lose your salvation all these things happen to you and you can't jump out of the hand of God Isn't that sad?
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I don't think so I don't know why anybody would want to live under the tyranny of thinking that they have
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Their salvation on their back in their hands, whatever that they're in control of whether they go into heaven or hell
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Why would you want that? How can you glorify God if you said thank you Lord for saving me now.
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I just hope I don't blow it That's not salvation. That's not the gospel
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How do we glorify God and thank him and praise him forever if he's given us a shot if he's given us a partial
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Salvation if he's giving us something if he's given us something that we can drop Because I don't know about you, but I guarantee you that I would drop it
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Brian No peace whatsoever peace that surpasses understanding.
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How about no peace? How about laying awake at night wondering if you're gonna make it or not? that is a salvation by works
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That's the treadmill that every other religion would put you on That's no different than being a
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Mormon. Let's look at Romans 9
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Starting in verse 10 and not only this but there was
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Rebecca also When she had conceived twins by one man our father Isaac for though the twins were not yet born and had not
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Done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose according to his choice might stand his choice might stand
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Not because of works, but because of him who calls it was said to her the older will serve the younger
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Totally backwards. That's not how it's supposed to happen Just as it is written
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Jacob, I loved but Esau I hated What shall we say then?
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There is no injustice with God is there? Paul knows Paul knows what the objection is and see what we often forget is and we shouldn't but we often forget that Romans 8 flows into Romans 9.
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He's making this whole argument of Salvation that's where he is in the sovereignty of God and salvation
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And he knows that some people are gonna read that and go that's not fair How is it possible that God doesn't give everyone an equal shot
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How is it possible that God's not just drawing everyone And we know the answer to that Because if God was absolutely fair the first time you sinned you'd get exactly what you deserve
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Hell eternity in hell, of course, the human race wouldn't last very long under those circumstances
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But Paul writes what shall we say then? There is no injustice with God There is there says
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Megan oita and the Greek which is may it never be the strongest possible Negation for he says to Moses.
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I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion
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So then it does not depend on the man who wills Doesn't depend on his choice or the man who runs doesn't depend on his effort but on God who has
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Mercy for the scripture says to Pharaoh for this very purpose
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I raised you up to demonstrate my power in you and That my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth
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So then he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires
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Again Paul anticipating the objection says you will say to me then Why does he still find fault for who resists his will
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Hey, if we're robots if we have no free will then how can God hold anyone accountable? Now Paul could go into a great dissertation here about.
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Oh, we need to balance this against that and you guys don't understand and He could explain some nuances he doesn't do that.
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He just says this On the contrary who are you old man who answers back to God The thing molded will not say to the molder.
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Why did you make me like this? Will it? What does he say in two words you could put it this way?
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verse 20 says shut up Don't even ask that question. Who are you?
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to question the creator of the universe He goes on or does not the
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Potter have a right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable
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Use and another for common use What if God although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known
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Endured with much patience vessels of a wrath prepared for destruction God could at any point
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Send forth his judgment on everyone, but God is patient God endures insult and injury every day at the hand of every sinner on the face of the planet and Why does he do that?
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Why does he do that? Because he wants to why because ultimately he has some elect he has some people that he's going to save and because He's going to be glorified in the end.
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I Don't think there's a passage in all the Bible that teaches the sovereignty of God and salvation more clearly than Romans 9 and Paul says
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In essence if you don't think that God is fair if you don't think that God does what is right?
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If you don't think this doctrine of sovereignty is fair Then let me ask you this.
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Who are you to question God? So I told
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Brian I said, you know what? I think the issue that you're struggling with is one of hermeneutics I think you need to think
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Things through in context. I think you need to understand Romans 3 verse 5 in context and I said if you simply skip from one book to another
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How can you know that that is what the original intent of the author was I Said how do you know that that's what
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John meant in Revelation 3 5? Again, let's go back to Revelation 3 5 for a minute some of the things to consider when you're looking at this passage
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What is the destination of? Of this this message here in Revelation 3 5 it's the city of Sardis Which is located about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira and it's an important trade route
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Had all kinds of industries including jewelry dye textiles and it was a very wealthy city
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From a religious standpoint. It was the center of pagan worship and site of a temple of the
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God of the Greek God Artemis and There's still ruins there to this day now
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Jesus had a commendation For that church and he says the only the only word of approval is actually
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That they had a reputation for being alive and were apparently regarded by their contemporaries as an effective church
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But he has some rebuke for them and he says In essence that they were dead like the
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Pharisees their outer appearance was a facade hiding their lack of life They were exhorted to in verses 2 & 3.
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They were exhorted to wake up from their spiritual slumber And he exhorted them to remember obey and repent and he warned them that if they did not heed this
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Warning he would come like a thief Suddenly and unexpectedly and then verses 4 to 6
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He gives them this promise that while this church as a whole was dead or dying
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Christ had a godly remnant in the Sardis Church who had not Soiled their clothes with sin and he promised those true believers that they would be dressed in white
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Which was symbolic of righteousness? Now the statement that their names will not be erased from the book of life presents a problem to some as it did to our
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Friend Brian here, but a person who is truly born again does not lose their salvation
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They are regenerate as John has said in several places John 5 24
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John 6 as I mentioned before John 10 28 and 29 now this passage
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Could be understood that it's possible to have your name erased from the book of life And it actually though only gives a positive affirmation that it is impossible for their names to be
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Erased from the book of life As I was talking to Brian, I suggested a couple places.
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I said listen again. I told him I said the issue is not Charismatic gifts to me. I said check out sovereign grace a minute sovereign grace ministries, you know go
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Recent books by CJ Mahaney read John Piper said they both have very high views of the sovereignty of God Said what you don't want to do is
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Go out into the ministry and be somebody who says you know what if you do enough right you can get to heaven
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Because that's not the message of the gospel if God gives you salvation, and you don't lose it. You'll be okay
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That's not it So I started again preaching the sovereignty of God Ephesians 1 11 and you don't have to turn there.
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I'm just gonna kind of blitz through these So we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to his purpose
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Who works all things after the counsel of his will? Now when you hear he works all things according to the counsel of his own will
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Brian. What do you think about? Psalm 135 6 whatever the
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Lord pleases he does in heaven and an earth in the seas and all the deeps Psalm 33 verses 10 and 11 the
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Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations He frustrates the plans of the people the counsel of the
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Lord stands forever the plans of his heart from generation to generation but As Rick Warren said a few weeks ago
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God is too much of a gentleman To take away anyone's free will what's he doing then?
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He nullifies the counsel of the nations. He frustrates the plans of the people the plans of his heart of God's heart
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Go from generation to generation What about their free will?
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Everyone who's born again of God Should thank him that he altered their will
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Should thank him that he removed the scales from their eyes unplugged their ears Caused them to see to hear to love
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Christ So inclined their wills that they fled to the cross, you know, there's this picture that God is somehow doing a cosmic kidnapping if he drags you away from what you love and forces you to be saved and the truth is
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You're bound and you're in the corner of a closet He turns on the light unties you lets you see your true state and says there's
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Jesus Christ You don't go home turn off the light time you back up and leave me in this closet That's not what you do for the first time you have a sense of your lostness of your helplessness of your hopelessness
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And you flee to the cross of Jesus Christ in 2nd
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Timothy 2 verses 24 and 20 through 26 we read this and Again, this is you know,
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I I just can't get caught up about arguing about every little wind of doctrine It's not that important.
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Is it interesting sometime? Sure And the
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Lord's bond servant must not be quarrelsome But be kind to all able to teach patient when wronged with gentleness correcting those who are an opposition if perhaps
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God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth and that they may come to their senses and Escape from the snare of the devil having been held captive by him to do his will and that's the picture
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We have of the unsaved person They are tied up unable to do anything for themselves held captive by the devil and We have to pray that God will enable them to see things rightly
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And I went in and I talked to Brian I said, you know
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I just can't imagine a passage in all the Bible that states more clearly what
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God has done on our behalf than Ephesians 2 And I'll just move through that quickly
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Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 10 and you were dead in your trespasses sins. We all know that we're familiar with that But for the
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Arminian for Brian it just means you're in really bad shape verse 4 but God being rich in mercy
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Because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions
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Made us alive together with Christ by grace. You have been saved notice
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We don't have the verse 5. It doesn't say he gave us the capacity He gave us a little multiple -choice quiz said what would you really like?
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This isn't a survey made us alive together with Christ Just as he raised
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Christ from the dead he raised us from spiritual death. That's what this passage is about How great
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God's mercy is that he raises us from spiritual death and he doesn't raise us from spiritual death and say
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It doesn't say to us. You know what if you'd like to die again go right ahead. I Brought you to spiritual life.
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I've declared my son to be the Christ by his resurrection But if you want to throw that all away you go right ahead
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It's not here It's nowhere Why did he do that verse 7 in order that in the ages to come?
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forever He might show the surpassing riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus Pastor Mike said it
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I think he stole it from his brother, but it's so true We're not gonna get to heaven and give God a high -five.
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That is not gonna happen. We did it. We did nothing We did nothing and we're not gonna give him a high -five and say hey,
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I didn't lose a good job on my part, huh? It's not happening. It's mentioned again
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Even stronger and stronger terms. I think in the first chapter of Ephesians and if you want to turn there
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I just over and over again. I'm just so thrilled by this passage
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And Paul was so thrilled when he wrote it That he actually interrupted his whole train of thought
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Just to go on this little Kind of prayer right in the middle of the first chapter
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He says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every
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Spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ just as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in Love he predestined us
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To adoption as sons It's been said many times.
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You don't choose if you're in the orphanage. You don't choose who your parents are He predestined us. He set the path for us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ to himself
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According to the kind intention of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace
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Which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved in him We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace
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Which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight he made known to us
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The mystery of his will according to his kind intention, which he purposed in him
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With a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of times that is the summing up of all things in Christ Things in the heavens and things upon the earth in him also we have obtained an inheritance
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No one ever chose their inheritance Having been predestined according to his purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of his glory in Him you also after listening to the message of truth the gospel of your salvation
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Isn't that a great thought there the message of truth is what the gospel of your salvation?
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The good news of your salvation. That's the message of truth having also believed you were sealed with him
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With the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance
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With a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory.
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It's about his glory He tells us in Ephesians 2 why it had to be this way why it had to be about God Why it had to be his plan why we don't see because you chose wisely.
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Yes, we believe but God is sovereign and we believe Why? Like that song
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Charlie sang a few weeks ago Because he made us believe If God does not so incline our will so that we will believe we'll never believe
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Here's the testimony that light came into the darkness and men
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Loved the light and darkness equally they hated the light
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Why? Because their deeds were evil if God doesn't so remove the scales from your eyes and unstop your ears
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You will love sin forever You will never choose God why?
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Because we're creatures born Because of Adam with a sin nature with a desire
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To do evil with a desire to be rebellious against God first Peter 3
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Or I'm sorry first Peter 1 verses 3 to 5 blessed And again
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Peter writes of this blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his great mercy has
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Given us the option to be born again Has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance
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Which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away
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Reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith For a salvation ready to be revealed in the in the last time.
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That's what God has done for us He has caused us to be born again, even when we think about Jesus and Lazarus and John 3
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Jesus said you must choose to be born again That's not the typical translation is it because that's not what it says.
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He says you must be born again Interesting phraseology, why do you say you must be born again?
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Because you must be born again You didn't choose to be born the first time he wants
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Lazarus to get this you didn't choose to be born the first time and he Says the Holy Spirit is like a wind it blows like it wants to he does what he wants the
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Holy Spirit does he brings salvation to whom he wants to and You must be born again.
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You must be born of the Spirit The Spirit must bring you to spiritual life And just as you did not choose physical life, so you will not choose
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Spiritual life I asked Brian. I said have you ever known anyone who chose their inheritance if we choose
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If we get to keep our salvation if we keep it by our own choices Then how does get the
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God get the glory don't we get a share of that if he gets the gold medal? Don't we get the silver?
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I'm sorry. Nobody watched the Olympics But isn't there some kind of joint cooperation then if God provides the possibility of salvation does he get all the glory is?
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That what these verses teach is that what those contexts teach? Sealed with the
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Holy Spirit will not fade away reserved in heaven protected by the power of God is that what those?
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Phrases mean I said brother.
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I would urge you to study these things The gospel now get this is all that matters and a gospel that is dependent upon the will of fallen
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Depraved dead and sins man is not good news the good news is that God draws
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God brings dead men to life and Upon being raised from spiritual death men are born again and receive an inheritance which cannot be taken from them not even by themselves
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Romans 8 back there verses 35 to 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
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shall tribulation or distress or persecution Speaking of persecution, you know you hear about somebody who's come to Christ in In an
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Islamic land like Afghanistan here a few weeks ago, and he's threatened with death, and they say hey if you just renounce it
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You can go on your way You know and I guess they try to declare him crazy, and he think it you know from a worldly perspective
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You've got to be crazy. I will not renounce it. I'd rather die and Just as another aside that Armenian Holocaust that allegedly didn't happen
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Around the turn of the century that's what it was all about Convert to Islam or die, and they said we're
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Christians will die. That's persecution shall tribulation or distress or Persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword just that it is written for thy sake we are putting
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Where we are being put to death all day long. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered
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But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us not we overwhelmingly conquer
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By our own efforts by our own choices Verse 38 for I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers
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Nor height nor depth nor any other created things shall be able to separate us from the love of God Which is in Christ Jesus our
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Lord? And I said Brian As you and I are men may
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I suggest That you and I fall into one of those categories that we are Any other created thing?
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Can we separate ourselves if we know Christ can we separate ourselves from his love?
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And I close with this I said here's a not -so -tricky trick question if God cannot save men
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In other words if God doesn't have the power in and of himself without the
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You know the cooperation without the high -fiving of mankind Without the help of unsaved man, then why do we pray to him?
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Why do you pray to him Brian? If he will not so incline their wills that they
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Love Christ if he will not remove the scales from their eyes So they can see
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Christ for who he is if he will not as you say Violate their wills if he's too much of a gentleman to do that Then what is the purpose of praying to him?
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Why would we pray to a God who isn't going to change anybody's heart who isn't going to give anybody spiritual life?
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Who isn't gonna? Make anybody alive in Christ Why would we pray to that God a wrong view of the sovereignty of God and salvation is deadly?
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Can I lose my salvation? Why isn't so -and -so saved why when
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I go out and preach the gospel do people not come to Christ? What is wrong with what
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I'm telling people? What do
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I need to do to see more people come to salvation? another problem with the view of wrong view of sovereignty and salvation is
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I Could just think well hey if I did it myself Or if I'm keeping it myself well
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Then you know I can disobey for a time, and then I could just kind of bring it back I could put God on the shelf for a while, and I'll come back
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And as I said earlier final problem with it is how can you have peace? How can you have peace
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I? Mentioned this before but the missionary friend that we had back at Grace Community Church spent most of his life in Africa came home, and he said
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He must be close to Must be going on 80 now. I think he's 70 plus and his name's
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Del And Del said that he would stay awake at night unable to sleep in the mission's fields because He just kept thinking.
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I don't know if if these people that have made these professions are gonna stay saved Am I doing something wrong?
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Why are more people not coming to Christ? He said I had no peace at all He goes this was years ago, but he said in the two years that I've been here
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I've learned more than I knew my entire life. He goes. I have peace now. I can sleep
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Because I know that I've taught the word and the word does its work. I Trust in the
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God who is able to save who is able to keep Who says he will?
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If we can't trust God with our salvation who can we trust? Let's pray father we thank you that you are a great
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Savior Father because we need a great Savior. We are great sinners We did not choose you, but you chose us
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You brought us to spiritual life You maintain that spiritual life and you've promised to do that Until you raise us up at the end and present us before your father.
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You say that you will present a spotless Unwrinkled without any blemish
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Lord as your church Father we praise you for that even as individuals we will stand before You on Judgment Day wrapped in the robes of Christ's righteousness, and we just praise you for that Lord you have given us a salvation that we would never choose could never earn and could never keep on our own and Therefore all the glory comes to you
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All the glory redounds to your name Lord may it ever be so in Christ's name.