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Daddy, does our church, Bethlehem Bible Church, love Jesus? That was the question my eldest daughter asked me recently as I picked her up from school.
And I taught her that certain churches have built steeples over the years because it's a visible symbol and way of, as people are driving by, to point heavenward to help us to think of God.
So she continued, she says, because all the churches around us, and Framingham at least, she says, they all have steeples.
But our church building doesn't have a steeple. I said, that's a very good question,
Isabella. I said, what does Jesus say in the Bible? I said, there are many churches that have steeples, but that's not the evidence or proof that they love
Jesus. John 14, 15, I said to her, Jesus' words, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.
The proof of love for Jesus is obedience. Then she looks at me and she asks me,
Daddy, do you love Jesus? For a second there I thought the roles were reversed.
But I welcomed it. I said, yes, I do, sweetie. Do you obey
Jesus? Not all the time, sweetie. What does that mean,
Daddy? Does that mean that you're going to hell? I said, as you know, sweetie, from your
Iwana verse, James 2, 10, that if you break the law even once, you disobey once, you're guilty of breaking all of it.
So yes, your Father is worthy and deserving of eternal hell. But it is not based on what
I do or don't do or on my obedience. It's based upon the perfect obedience of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And it's based upon His work, finished work on the cross and His resurrection.
So it's only through Him that I or anyone who is a sinner like yourself can enter into heaven.
That is why we must believe in Jesus Christ. So whether it's your own children, whether it's a co -worker, whether it's a classmate, a neighbor, somebody you meet on the plane, as a
Christian, one whom God has saved by His sovereign grace, He has called you to do the work of evangelism.
Some of you, as you drove into the parking lot this morning, as you saw the sign, you might have thought to yourself, I don't have to listen to the message today.
That's only for Barry and the rest of the evangelism team here at Bethlehem Bible Church. But just to let you know,
I have seen some of you who have been in both services. So you should be on the forefront of evangelism. So I'm going to give your name to Barry as a list so you can join them on Saturday.
Turn with me, if you will, to Acts chapter 13, as we will learn from none other than the Apostle Paul about preaching the gospel, the evangel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
Acts chapter 13, verses 42 to 48. We're going to take a plane ride together because I'm going to airdrop us right in the middle of the book of Acts.
And we will see here that this is the Apostle Paul's first recorded message in Scripture.
This is at the beginning of his first missionary journey, beginning in verse 42.
As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And after the meeting of the synagogue, after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many
Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
The next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you, since you thrusted aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life.
Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
I have made you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And when the
Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
The beginning of chapter 13, the church had commissioned Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.
And they find themselves here in Antioch of Pisidia. And as you will see in verse 42, that our text begins with, as they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next
Sabbath. So we're going to look at these things, which is going to take us into the full text of chapter 13, because it's covering two weeks, two
Sabbaths here. And I want to give you nine basic timeless truths about evangelism from this passage.
Nine timeless truths. I'm not going to sit here and tell you, OK, if you find yourself in this situation, this is what you say, how you ought to say it.
But these are timeless truths that apply to all of us as we see the Apostle Paul given his evangelistic message.
And after each truth, I will end with a question to encourage you and exhort you. And that is my goal today, to encourage you, to fire you up about evangelism.
If you are saved by the grace of God, if you are a child of God, you have been called to the work of evangelism.
Well, you say, well, I'm not an evangelist. Go and preach the gospel to every creature, make disciples of all nations.
It's a call for every one of us. The first truth from our text is this.
God sovereignly chooses sinners as his instruments to do the work of evangelism.
Who is the one speaking here? The Apostle Paul. Look at verse 45, the second half.
They were filled with jealousy and they began to contradict what was spoken by whom? By Paul.
Jump earlier in our chapter, at the first Sabbath meeting, verse 16. So Paul stood up and motioned with his hand, said,
The Apostle Paul. But who was this Apostle Paul that God chose? Well, in Acts chapter 9, when
God told Ananias to go to the Apostle Paul, this was Ananias' answer. My name before the
Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. Ananias knew of Paul's reputation.
It preceded him. He knew that Paul's mission before he was converted, known as Saul, was to persecute
Christians, was to do evil towards them, even unto death. But the risen
Lord answered to Ananias and said, I have chosen him. He is my chosen instrument.
Would you or I have chosen an instrument like Paul? But yet God did. What's Luke's estimation of the
Apostle Paul? Luke is writing, is penning this book of Acts. In Acts chapter 8, verse 3,
Luke says of Saul. But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house.
He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. How about Paul's estimation of himself?
In Acts 22, verse 4, Paul says of himself. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women.
Even before King Agrippa, in Acts 26, Paul says, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but they were put to death.
I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme.
And in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
A man who had raging fury against the church, the
Christians, God chose as his instrument. Even in his epistles, Paul says,
Galatians 1, verse 13. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
And even in his testimony in Philippians chapter 3, Paul said, as to zeal, I was a persecutor of the church.
And if you recall with me in Acts chapter 9, he was persecuting the church, the
Christians. But when the resurrected, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to Paul, to Saul on the road to Damascus, what did
Jesus ask him? Why are you persecuting my people? No. Why are you persecuting me?
Paul knew this. And that is why it was penned by Paul in Romans 10.
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news.
He knew about that. My exhortation to you this morning is knowing that God chooses sinners like Paul, like you, like me, as his instruments to do the work of evangelism.
Do you count it a joy and a privilege to preach the gospel? Or are you just kind of ho -hum about it?
Second truth that we learn from Paul is faith comes by hearing.
Faith comes by seeing. No, faith comes by hearing. It was supposedly attributed to St.
Francis of Assisi, these words, preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.
In my opinion, only Assisi would say that. Now, is integrity of life important?
For sure it is. But faith in Christ comes only by hearing. Who penned that? The apostle
Paul, the one who was given his first evangelistic message. Notice earlier in the chapter with me, verse 14.
But they went on from Perga and came to Antioch and Pisidia. And on the
Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent the message to them, saying,
Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it. So Paul stood up, motioning with a hand, said,
Men of Israel, you who fear God, what? Listen. Verse 38.
It's a proclamation, a verbal proclamation, a declaration, because faith comes by hearing.
Verse 42. And Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.
The next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the
Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.
And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
And then in verse 48, towards the end of our text, when the Gentiles did what? Heard this.
There was a speaking, a verbal proclamation, a declaration of the gospel, the good news of Christ.
Because Paul knew, as he himself penned in Romans, that faith comes by hearing. My exhortation, knowing that faith comes by hearing, do you verbally proclaim the gospel?
Or are you one of those who says, well, others will just see my life? Third truth.
Jesus Christ, does this need to be said, is the heart of the gospel. Jesus Christ is the heart of the gospel.
If you study the book of Acts, it's true of every one of them. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, in the culmination of his
Fari sermon, he says in verse 36 of Acts chapter 2, Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both
Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. It was true of Philip with the
Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.
And it's true of Paul here. No different. The heart of the gospel is Jesus Christ.
But for Paul, he preached Jesus, as we will see from this text, for four reasons. First of all, because Jesus is the culmination of human history, sovereignly orchestrated by God.
Jesus is the culmination of human history, sovereignly orchestrated by God himself. Look with me at verse beginning at verse 17, when
Paul begins his message on the first Sabbath. The God of this people
Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt. And with uplifted arm, he led them out of it.
And for about 40 years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance.
All this took about 450 years. And after that, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.
Then they asked for a king. And God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.
And when he had removed them, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said,
I have found in David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart who will do all my will.
And as we heard through the book of Ruth, this redeemer, the savior, was coming through the line of David.
But not only to Paul was Jesus the culmination of history sovereignly orchestrated by God, but he was the fulfillment of divine prophecy beginning in verse 23.
Notice with me as I read these next few verses, some key terms, the terms promised, prophets fulfilled.
Verse 23, of this man's offspring, God has brought to Israel a savior,
Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
And as John was finishing his course, he said, what do you suppose that I am? I am not he, no, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet
I am not worthy to untie. And wasn't it Isaiah, the prophet, who said there would be a prophet?
John, the baptizer, a voice of one crying in the wilderness. Verse 26, brothers, sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear
God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him, nor understand the utterance of the prophets, which are read every
Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked
Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in the tomb.
But God raised him from the dead. And for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising
Jesus. Christ fulfilled all the prophecies.
And for Paul, he preached Jesus, not only because of that, because only through Christ is there forgiveness of sins.
Verse 38, let it be known to you, therefore, brothers, that through this man, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
And lastly, Paul proclaimed Jesus as the heart of his gospel, because only Christ can free someone from that which the law could not free.
Verse 39, and by him, everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul, was the heart of the gospel. Therefore, he proclaimed
Jesus. Knowing that Jesus Christ is the heart of the gospel, do you preach his person?
Do you preach his substitutionary life? Do you preach his substitutionary death?
Do you preach his resurrection? Paul did. Number four, the word of God is sufficient for salvation.
The word of God is sufficient for salvation. Our text in verse 44 begins, the next
Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear what? The word of the
Lord. Verse 46, and Paul and Barnabas spoke up boldly, saying it was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Verse 48, when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the
Lord. This is on the second Sabbath, but what about the first Sabbath? A week previously,
Paul used the scripture, verse 33. This he has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising
Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm. You are my son, today I begotten you.
And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David, quoting from Isaiah. Therefore, he says also in another
Psalm, you will not let your holy one see corruption. From Psalm 16.
Paul used Old Testament scripture in preaching the gospel, because he knew
Old Testament scripture prophesied of the Messiah. Well, somebody might object as usual and say, well, you know, those were different times then.
It's not like today. Even the context is in verse 14 and 15 of chapter 13.
And on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down after the reading from the law and the prophets.
This is what they did. Even Paul addresses them as those who feared God. But we don't live in this kind of society today.
We're postmodern and we're so secular. There's none of this going on. So why even use the scripture?
Why? Simply because we believe in the sufficiency of scripture to save. That's what we've learned the last few weeks.
Has it not been the case? 2 Timothy chapter 3, how from childhood, Paul writes to Timothy, you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Peter's testimony is the same. 1 Peter 1, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God.
James said the same thing. James 1 .18, of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth.
The word of God is sufficient for salvation. True or false?
A person, a lost friend or family member whom you are given the gospel, needs to believe that this is the word of God in order for the
Bible to have its salvific effect. True or false? False. Because then the word of God's efficiency and effectiveness in saving people is dependent on a lost sinner to believe it or not.
God's word through the spirit of God, the divine author, will do its work. My exhortation and encouragement to you is this.
Knowing that the word of God is sufficient in salvation, do you use scripture when you evangelize the way the apostle
Paul did? Well, you say, I don't have a good enough handle of scripture to do that. Well, get a good handle of scripture.
Get off of Facebook and get in the book. Number five.
When evangelizing, it is important to not only get the gospel right, but also get the response to the gospel right.
It's important not only to get the gospel right, the content, the message of the gospel right, but also the response to the gospel right.
Many people might get the message of the gospel correct and talk about a God who is holy and righteous to judge and about man in his sinful state and his depraved condition who deserves to be punished by a holy
God and of Jesus Christ, of who he is, Lord and Savior, what he's done, his finished life and his finished work on the cross and resurrection.
And then just go and tell somebody the wrong response. It would have been easy for me in that situation that I shared with my daughter and other times when we've had conversations like that, to say to her, because she wants to please her father, at least
I think she does most of the time, say, sweetie, all you have to do and I'll guarantee you heaven, repeat this prayer after me and you're in.
She would do it. But she says to me, I don't do that. I encourage faith in her.
She says, Dad, because you said that of who Jesus is and what he's done, I want to believe in him and I do believe him and I encourage that faith.
Well, what did Paul do? What was he saying their response ought to be? The answer is in verse 38 and 39.
Let it be known to you. Therefore, brothers, that through this man, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you and by him.
Everyone who believes is free from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Now, this is not biblical. Faith is not a mental ascent. Yes, we have to believe in the historical reality, the facts of the gospel that Jesus did come to earth, live a perfect life.
And according to first Corinthians 15, he died according to the scriptures and he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures.
That is a historical reality. We don't believe that because we feel it. We believe in the facts of the gospel.
But biblical faith and faith involves that. But it goes beyond that. B .B. Warfield put it best.
We cannot be said to believe that that which we distrust too much to commit ourselves to it.
Biblical faith is trust, is commitment to a person, Jesus Christ, knowing that you must get the response to the gospel, right?
You don't ask people to pray the sinner's prayer as Jesus into their heart. Do you?
Number six. Paul teaches us here that evangelism involves telling people of God's judgment.
Evangelism involves telling people of God's judgment. You say, wait a second.
I thought the gospel means in the Greek Evangelion. Good news.
Of course it does. Even Paul said in verse 32, and we bring you the good news, the evangel.
But what is it the good news about the good news is that while you and I and everyone we give the gospel to deserves
God's judgment, they've earned it. That's what they deserve. As I told my daughter that God, by his grace, withholds it because of Jesus Christ and what he's done.
That is good news. Notice, Paul warned them of the judgment of God. Verse 40 in our text.
Beware. Therefore, less what is said in the prophets should come about. Beware is a strong Greek word there.
He's given him a sharp warning. Look, you scoffers be astounded and perish.
For I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.
Paul is quoting from the minor prophet Habakkuk, chapter one, verse five. He he loves Habakkuk. I mean, that's his thesis statement.
Chapter two of Habakkuk, verse four in his book to the Romans. The gesture live by faith.
But here he's using Habakkuk to warn the people of God's judgment upon them. If they do not believe.
My encouragement to you is this. Knowing that evangelism involves telling people of God's judgment.
Do you warn people of judgment? When you preach the gospel. Number seven.
People are responsible for rejecting the gospel. People are responsible for rejecting the gospel.
And in these next few, it's going to get a little bit hairy here. No pun intended. But you'll see the perfect balance of scripture here.
Paul says to them, you are responsible for rejecting the gospel. Verse 46.
And Paul and Barnabas spoke up boldly, saying it was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Behold, we are turning to the
Gentiles. What was Paul saying to them after giving them the gospel message? One Sabbath and now the second
Sabbath. They rejected it. They were reviling him. And he said, you thrust it aside.
What do they thrust aside? The word of God. In essence, when a person rejects the gospel, they're thrusting aside the word of God.
And he says to them, furthermore, that you have judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Well, you say, aren't we all unworthy of eternal life?
Of course. But he's saying to them there, you have made that judgment call. And because you have rejected the gospel, you are going to be held responsible.
Knowing that people are responsible for rejecting the gospel. Do you put the onus on them for their rejection?
The way Paul did number eight. God sovereignly orchestrates the rejection of the gospel to accomplish his purposes.
And we talked about man's responsibility. Now we're going to get into God's sovereignty. God sovereignly orchestrates even the rejection of the gospel by people to accomplish his purposes.
Notice what Paul says in verse 47. After in verse 46, he gives him the indictment and saying, you yourselves are responsible for rejecting the gospel.
He begins verse 47 with the term for it's a connective term. It connects what he just said to them.
He says, you rejected the gospel for so the Lord has commanded us saying,
I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
He had just finished telling them at the end of verse 46. Since you reject the gospel, you Jews, we are now turning to the
Gentiles two times in the books of in the book of Acts.
There are transitional times. One is in chapter eight. The church is at Jerusalem. And what
God sovereignly does, he brings persecution. And because of that, the church gathered scatters.
And evangelizes in Judea and Samaria, as we hear about Philip, for example, in the
Ethiopian eunuch. And now here he's doing the same thing. This is Paul's first missionary journey.
And because of their rejection, he is now turning to the Gentiles. Well, what did the original audience understand when they read this, that you may bring the end of verse 47, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth?
Well, we know earlier from Acts chapter 10, that God called Peter to give it to a
Gentile, an uncircumcised Jew, an uncircumcised person who was a
Gentile Cornelius. And then when he tells them the story about it in Acts chapter 11, he says this.
When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying you went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.
But Peter began and explained it to them in order. And by the end of his explanation, it says in Acts 11, when they heard these things, they fell silent and they glorified
God, saying then to the Gentiles. Also, God has granted repentance that leads to life.
It's what Paul said in Romans one, first for the Jew, the gospel, and then for the
Gentile. And as the book of Acts unfolds after chapter 13 in Acts 16, we see the
Lord opening Lydia's heart. This is really the thrust of the book of Acts. That's what Luke is trying to do here.
Remember Jesus' words before his ascension in Acts chapter one, verse eight. You will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses where in Jerusalem chapters one through seven in Judea and Samaria chapters eight through 12 and to the ends of the earth, chapter 13 to the end of the book.
And that's where we find ourselves in beginning with Paul's first missionary journey. So what they understood by this phrase that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth is this.
It's talking about not all without exception, but all without distinction.
That's why the apostle John even wrote in revelation chapter five. And they sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and to open it seals for you were slain.
And by your blood, you ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people in nation,
Jew and Gentile alike. Well, knowing that God sovereignly orchestrates the rejection of the gospel to accomplish his purposes.
Do you persevere in the work of evangelism? Even when people reject the gospel, or do you say it's not for me,
I'll leave it to the evangelists. God is sovereign. And last but not least, number nine,
God is sovereign in salvation because those whom he has appointed for eternal life, they will believe verse 48.
It's a climax of our text. When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the
Lord. And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed, look, no matter how you slice this first dice, it kind of chop it.
This verse basically reveals what it plainly says that God is sovereign in salvation, but you say, wait a second, didn't
Paul earlier in the same time in verse 46, indict them for rejecting the gospel and saying, you are guilty for your rejection.
What is Luke, the author who penned the book of acts trying to do here? This is in essence, a missional book showing the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church to the ends of the earth.
What is he trying to do here by including a verse like that? Especially today, when those of the reformed faith are indicted for exalting the sovereignty of God, Luke says here, all who are appointed to eternal life believed.
Well, others have tried to see what this verse doesn't say. For example, some have said that the word appointed in our verse there, those who are appointed to eternal life means disposed as if mankind in, have no of himself had a human disposition towards God naturally.
Well, that's not true with scripture because of total depravity and radical human corruption, which basically says that man is not only unable to believe in God and Christ, but he is unwilling to come to him.
Paul said it throughout his epistles. Let me give you a brief overview that disappointed can't mean disposed to.
Paul said in Romans two verse five, that an unregenerated heart is calloused the way our hands are calloused and can't feel.
Paul said in the first Corinthians one, that an unregenerated person, the word of the cross is foolishness, literally moronic to him.
He said in second Corinthians four, that the gospel is blinded for the mind from the minds of unbelievers.
He says Ephesians two verse one, that people are dead in their trespasses. Ephesians four, their understanding is darkened.
Second Timothy two 26, the devil has captured them to do his will.
There's no way a human being in and of themselves because of that radical corruption can be prone to come to God in and of himself.
Spurgeon said it best attempts have been made to prove that these words do not teach predestination, but these attempts so clearly do violence to language that I shall not waste time in answering them.
I read as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, and I shall not twist the text, but you'll glorify the grace of God by ascribing to that grace, the faith of every man.
Is it not God who gives the disposition to believe if men are disposed to have eternal life?
Does not he in every case dispose of them? Is it wrong for God to give grace?
If it'd be right for him to give it, is it wrong for him to purpose to give it? Would you have him give it by accident?
If it'd be right for him to purpose to give grace today, it was right for him to purpose it before today.
And since he changes, not from all eternity, others have twisted it through the centuries.
A 16th century theologian, an Italian man. So Cena said this, according to this verse 48, as many as believed were appointed to eternal life, not as many as were appointed to eternal life.
God believed he switched it around. As many as believed were appointed to eternal life. As if God's appointment sovereignly was dependent upon man's faith conditionally.
Well, that should be a red flag because so seen as didn't believe in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. He believed that Jesus Christ, yes, he died historically, but the reason for his death was to give us an example of what it means to live a sacrificial life, but not that he died in the place of, in the stead of sinners, red flag.
We are not elected because we believe. We believe because we are elected.
You can know for certain that as you go out and give the gospel to your children, to your neighbors, to your coworkers, to your classmates in evangelism, you can know for certain that those whom
God has appointed for eternal life, they will believe you don't have to play any games with them or coerce them.
Just give the straight up gospel truth and tell them the right response. And if God has appointed them, they will believe.
Let me tell you, there's freedom in that to do the work of evangelism.
Spurgeon said about this first again, Oh, how I love God shells and wills.
There is nothing comparable to them. Let a man say shell. What is it good for? I will says man.
He never performs. I shall says he and he breaks his promise, but it is never. So with God shells, if he says shall, it shall be when he says, will it will be.
Now he has said here, many shall come. The devil says they shall not come, but they shall come. You yourself say we won't come.
God says you shall come. Yes, there are some here who are laughing at salvation who can scoff at Christ and mock at the gospel.
But I tell you, some of you shall come yet. What you say, can God make me become a Christian?
I tell you, yes, for here and rest the power of the gospel. It does not ask your consent, but it gets it.
It does not say it. Will you have it? But it makes you willing in the day of God's power. The gospel wants not your consent.
It gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, I don't want to be saved.
Christ says you shall be. He makes your will turn around and then you cry, Lord, save me or I'll perish.
Why? Because all whom God has appointed to eternal life might believe, hopefully believe.
No, for certain, they will believe by exhortation to you.
For this is twofold. First of all, knowing that the Bible teaches on the one hand, man's responsibility and rejecting the gospel and God's sovereignty in salvation.
Will you once and for all submit to the word of God and stop trying to reconcile it with your finite mind?
Jesus was the God man. Was he not? 100 % God and 100 % man.
The scripture was written by whom? Who wrote the book of Acts that we're reading this morning? Was it
Luke? Or was it the Holy Spirit? Was both divine author and human author.
You know, even Peter was confused about this thing of human responsibility and divine sovereignty, because on the day of Pentecost, Peter said, this
Jesus delivered up by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. God's sovereignty, you crucified human responsibility, which wouldn't, is it?
It's both. Submit to the word of God. Secondly, knowing that God is sovereign in salvation, namely that those whom
God appointed will believe. Do you preach the gospel with more freedom and boldness?
Let me rephrase that question. Does the sovereignty of God, in other words, inhibit or motivate your zeal for evangelism?
What did it do to the apostle Paul? Let's finish with that. Did it inhibit or motivate him?
Turn with me to Romans chapter 9, if you will. Should the sovereignty of God in salvation, knowing that those whom
God has called will believe, should that smother our zeal for evangelism, or should it motivate us?
Romans chapter 9, where Paul does his famous treatise on the sovereignty of God in salvation.
Beginning in verse 10. And not only so, but also when
Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac. Watch this. Verse 11.
Though, first of all, they were not yet born. And secondly, obviously hadn't done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls.
She was told the older will serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Verse 14.
Question, objection, the reader is throwing at. What shall we say then? Paul knew that there would be objection.
Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, a strong Greek word, mihineto. Absolutely not.
Perish the thought. Verse 15. For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom
I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.
God is sovereign in salvation. It depends, Paul says, not on our works, before even we were born for purpose of election,
God's election, and on his mercy. But let's see the bookends of this doctrine of sovereignty.
Turn at the beginning of chapter 9. At the start of it. We see here the heart of the apostle
Paul. I'm speaking the truth in Christ. I'm not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the
Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Paul, what are you so sorrowful about?
What are you anguishing about? Unceasingly at that. Here's the answer. Verse 3. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ.
Why? For the sake of my brothers. That term accursed is strong.
It's only used three times in the New Testament by the apostle Paul. It means eternally damned, condemned. And Paul was wishing that on himself for the sake of his brothers.
Chapter 10, verse 1. Remember, the chapters are not inspired, but chapter 10, verse 1 is the other bookend of this great chapter on the sovereignty of God.
And we see the apostles, Paul's heart again in evangelism. Verse 1. my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is what?
That they may be saved. The same apostle just taught that God is sovereign in salvation.
It didn't smother his zeal. It ignited it. His passion was to see people saved.
Is that your passion this morning? You counted a joy in a privilege to be
God's chosen instrument to bring the good news to your family and friends. Do you know that people are accountable for their rejection of the gospel?
And yet, at the same time, God is sovereign. And when you give the truth of the gospel with the right response, you can be resting assured that God will save those whom he has appointed for eternal life.
As you leave here this morning, look up above our doors as you exit. There's something written there.
You're entering into your mission field. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this morning for the example of the apostle
Paul and his passion. The same time in evangelism, but yet knowing that you are sovereign in all of it.
Father, may you give us that same desire and zeal. It may be motivated by the reality that those whom you have called appointed for eternal life.
They will believe. And I pray for anyone here who has never by faith entrusted themselves to Jesus Christ and committed their life to him, that you would move in their heart, open their eyes and open their heart like you did