Jeff Durbin | The Fruit Of His Grace

Apologia Studios

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:00

And you're having a conference about the grace of God and the assurance that we have in our, in regard to our salvation in Christ, it might seem odd to spend so much time on the foundations, but I believe that because we've laid those foundations down about what the reference point is, because we've laid the foundations down about that starting place of how

00:22

I actually know, I think we can go to the text of God's word now and truly understand and delight in, and take pleasure in God's promises about his salvation.

00:33

And it's really important for us to have spent time talking about those foundations in terms of how do I know what I know and what is the very foundation of truth?

00:40

What's the rock that I have to stand on? Because what scripture gives us and the revelation of God about who

00:47

God is is so distinct from the religions of men and from the interpretations of men about what grace is.

00:55

And what I mean by that is, we've mentioned this earlier, even religions that co -opt Christian language, they use words like Jesus, they speak

01:03

Christianese, they talk about grace, they talk about faith, they talk about the cross, they talk about salvation.

01:09

Even when those religions borrow our language and speak Christianese, they are not talking about the

01:15

God that we're talking about or the grace that we're talking about. You see, there is a distinction, a chasm between what the world says about God, even religions that ape

01:26

Christianity, and what the world says about grace and what the Bible says about God and grace.

01:32

And so that's where we're turning now. And it's difficult when you have to manage a conference and a couple talks about grace and assurance and salvation because there's a temptation

01:42

I think you have as a pastor, as a minister of the gospel to like I said yesterday, just simply offload the dump truck and just sort of lay out all the proof texts.

01:52

And you could do that and I wanna just say, there's no avoiding at times proof texting and that's saying, here's the proof, here's the text, but proof texts need to be in context.

02:04

And I think one of the best ways that we can do this tonight is talk about who God is according to scripture in his sovereignty, in his rule of all things, in his guidance and his sovereignty over all things, the nature of man, his fallenness, his deadness and sin.

02:21

When we talk about those things and then go to the discourses, the actual discourses where this is laid out in scripture, we can have an assurance and an anchor that actually gives to us joy in tribulation, joy in persecution and just plain old

02:39

Christian joy and delight and worship of God. Because what scripture tells us about grace is so different than the world and manmade religions give to us about what grace actually is.

02:51

You often find that at times, right? When you talk to say the Roman Catholic and you're trying to give them the gospel or you're trying to talk to the

02:57

Mormon and they're using your language. They're saying, no, I believe in the grace of God. I believe that grace is, what do they say, necessary.

03:04

And that's one of those great distinctions about the grace of God that we're gonna learn about tonight in scripture and all manmade religion.

03:11

You see, most manmade religion won't have the audacity to say that grace is unnecessary. We've had that in history, that is there in history, that we can sort of pull ourselves up from our bootstraps.

03:22

We have to strengthen ourselves and sort of climb our way to God. But not everyone is so bold to say that grace isn't necessary, right?

03:29

Most manmade religion will say, of course grace is necessary. I know that I'm a wreck or I'm a mess. I know that I have sin.

03:35

I know that God has to give me grace. But you know, it's sort of a cooperative thing.

03:40

Like God gives grace and sort of that gets into me and I have to cooperate back and forth with God. So there's this movement of God and me.

03:47

We call that what? Synergism, right? God gives grace, I cooperate. I come back and so this is sort of a thing in tandem,

03:55

God and I with this grace. Of course God has to give me grace. I need the grace, I'm a mess. People will admit that.

04:01

They're not usually bold enough to say, I don't need God's grace, I can do it on my own. But the biblical definition of grace is far different from that.

04:11

It is a grace that is truly unmerited. It is a grace upon dead people who can do nothing on their own, who cannot understand, who cannot see.

04:20

They are deaf, they cannot walk towards God, they cannot climb towards God. All their righteousnesses are as filthy rags,

04:28

God says at one point in history. It's a grace that is a powerful grace. Here's the thing, it's a grace that is a sufficient grace, not just necessary.

04:36

It is sufficient to save. It is a powerful grace that saves and saves perfectly.

04:43

And the foundation I've given to you is the very word of God. Build your life, build your theology upon the rock of Jesus' word.

04:52

God's word is the standard. God communicates effectively and clearly.

04:57

Isn't it amazing that when people oftentimes want to debate these issues, they'll avoid the discourses that are just so clear.

05:05

Don't wanna talk about those things, right? They'll avoid the discourses and they'll say, well, no, actually, I know it sounds like it's saying that.

05:13

I know it sounds like Jesus is saying that the Father has chosen a people in Jesus Christ and that Jesus will never lose them or forsake them.

05:20

I know that it sounds like that, but what you really need, because you couldn't possibly understand it on your own, is you need the church to interpret that for you, to give you guidance and instruction to really understand what

05:32

Jesus is saying. Or he's not saying that God has sovereignly chosen a people in Jesus Christ and that he saves them perfectly and he continues them to the end and he keeps it.

05:40

He's not saying that, you need to do this, you need to do this, you need to cooperate, you need to do all these things.

05:46

That doesn't appear to be what Jesus is saying. No, you can't possibly understand what

05:51

Jesus is saying there. You need the church to tell you. You need an authority to tell you. Isn't it amazing, we did some scripture today where the

05:58

Lord Jesus actually challenges people on their man -made traditions. And he quotes them and their tradition and the word of God as though they should see the problem.

06:09

God communicates clearly. And isn't it amazing, one more point on this, when people say that these discourses couldn't possibly be saying what they seem to be saying, what they so clearly say, they'll say, no, you need an interpreter for God.

06:23

So I need a man to speak to me, to give me understanding. God can't communicate on his own clearly enough to his creatures so that they can understand.

06:32

What pride, what amazing human pride to say that I have to have a creature interpret

06:39

God for me to fully understand that God cannot communicate on his own to his creatures.

06:46

Isn't it amazing, the pride, the human pride that's evident in that sort of a claim that you need human interpreters to really help you understand what

06:54

God's saying because he's not really saying what he is saying there in that text.

06:59

So there's two foundations I wanna give to us right now to understand the grace of God. And number one, that is the sovereignty of God.

07:08

We do a lot of evangelism at Apologia Church. We've tried from the very beginning as pastors to model for our people what it looks like to preach the gospel.

07:18

So we've tried to lead our people into the public square, into conflict with the world. And so our church, praise

07:23

God, I'm humbled to be a part of it and to see it. God bless that work. And so we have a church body that is so active.

07:31

They're always out in the public square, in the streets, preaching the gospel, handing out tracts in the tough places.

07:36

And one of the things that we are in constant conflict with is religious groups who have a different version of God.

07:43

So some tough ones are the Hebrew Israelites. Do you have a lot of those in Mississippi? No, thank God. They're a tough group because they're just very, at times, vile and very aggressive, but they have the

07:56

Bible in their hands and they have a version of Jesus and they have a version of salvation. We spend a lot of time out on the streets with the

08:02

Mormon who is using our language. And have you ever had that struggle where you're in a conversation with a

08:08

Latter -day Saint and you're 10 minutes into the conversation and you're shaking your head going, man, I know something's wrong here, but it doesn't sound like there is because they're trained to use our language.

08:18

They're saying Jesus. They're saying he's the son of God. They're saying that Jesus died on a cross and that Jesus rose again.

08:24

You're thinking to yourself, scratching your head, wondering, now I know something is really wrong here, but we're not getting to it because we need to define what we mean about God.

08:34

What God gives to us in his word is so distinct.

08:40

It is so different. I mean, even the claim of monotheism, that God is the

08:46

God above all, that he is the only God, is a claim that would have offended so many people surrounding

08:53

Israel in those days, that God actually is the only God. Shema Yisrael, Yahweh Eloheinu, Yahweh Echad, the

09:01

Lord our God, the Lord is what? One, he is only one God.

09:07

He is the true God. There is only one God. He is from everlasting to everlasting, from eternity into eternity.

09:16

Psalm 90 verse two, the eternal God, forever go and for forever he's the only

09:21

God. He's God alone in the heavens above and on the earth below. There is no other.

09:28

Deuteronomy 4, 35 and 39. You can go on for days the statements that God makes telling the world that he is the only

09:36

God Isaiah 43 10 before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me

09:42

I even I and the Lord and besides me there is no Savior I am the first I am the last besides me.

09:50

There is no God God says is there a God besides me indeed. There is no other God.

09:55

I know Not one. He is the only God And that claim of monotheism runs from the beginning of the

10:04

Bible to the end of the Bible It is consistent. There is only one true and living

10:10

God only one God That's what scripture teaches But here's the thing

10:15

It doesn't merely teach that God is the only God it teaches that God is the sovereign

10:20

God the ruler over all things From the smallest details to the largest steel details from the macro to the micro

10:29

Everything is in God's hands I mean one of the most beautiful things that I absolutely love and I hold to is

10:38

What's said about Jesus in Hebrews chapter 1 that he is the one who carries the universe along to its intended destination?

10:45

That there is a goal of history and that Jesus is sovereignly carrying everything along to its destination and in that that gets more and more beautiful and more and more complex and Complicated as we discover more and more about God's creation.

11:00

I mean to think that you look up into tonight's guy Dr. White is my hero. He is my father in the faith

11:06

He is my mentor if you'd have told me 20 years ago as a young man a boy That I'd be pastoring a church alongside.

11:14

Dr. James White. I would have called you a liar There's no way that could take place, but that's what's going on.

11:19

Pastor White is a solid man of God He believes what he says He's the same man you see out in public and debating and defending the faith as he is behind closed doors

11:28

Only he's actually much more nerdy He's a total nerd

11:36

Who wears really strange clothes It looks like a rainbow threw up on dr.

11:41

White every day I Have some coogies that he's given to me I'm I'm my plan is to put them into like shadow boxes and preserve them so that my

11:51

Grandchildren can make a lot of money at pawn shops like when he's several generations down the road or something

11:56

I guess maybe people will like him. I don't know but he's he's a real nerd and We spend a lot of time together and one night

12:05

We were outside Hanging out. It was late at night and we were looking up to the sky and you just have to let

12:12

James go He'll just start talking about the sky and he's sort of like a little amateur astronomer and knows so many details

12:20

So point out every star and he's like you want to know the story about that thing right there Do you know what you're looking at right there? Do you know what this is right there and he knows like the location of black holes and different parts

12:29

It's like I don't know how you know all that and that's crazy But he'll he'll describe all these different aspects of even the

12:36

Milky Way and what we have near us and this star and how large it is and all These things and he'll go on and on About just the

12:43

Milky Way and I'll talk about this galaxy that's coming on this course Towards us and all these things and it's amazing because when you consider the complexities of our own

12:51

Galaxy and just what it would take to get to the end of it and how much is actually there and the size of our

12:57

Star in comparison to other stars and all the amazing intricacies of our own Galaxy and how it is just in this perfect rhythm and everything is there doing what it's supposed to do if you think about that and there are apparently hundreds of billions of these galaxies and Scripture says that Jesus is carrying everything along to its intended destination

13:20

The earth is in its Orbits the earth and moon are doing what they're doing right now Controlling the tides and everything happening down to the deeps everything in the hands of a sovereign

13:30

God That's the picture a portrait that scripture gives to us about God is that he is that kind of sovereign?

13:36

That there is nothing that happens in this universe apart from his will and his decree. He is sovereign not

13:42

Kind of sovereign. He is fully sovereign. He does according to his will in Heaven and on earth and so scripture again

13:52

There's no way to avoid proof texting in a conference like this and doing topical studies But it's important for us to talk about the portrait that God gives to us in his own word

14:01

Which is the standard and the foundation? It's what we are to believe about God God says in his word that he is sovereign isaiah 46 10 go there isaiah 46 10

14:13

Now as you get there in terms of building context there is this Amazing section if you don't know what

14:20

I encourage you to get to know it put it into your heart It's gonna give you that anchor and that foundation in the most difficult times of your life

14:28

Whether you're dealing with death or tragedy or your own personal sanctification. This is a section of scripture.

14:34

You need to know well Isaiah 40 through 46. This is where God lays the smackdown on the idols of man

14:42

It is just over and over and over. He is the only God. He's the true

14:48

God and then he mocks Yes, he mocks

14:53

God uses a serrated edge a lot through scripture and he mocks the idols of men at one point

15:00

He talks about the man who actually takes wood and he builds an idol out of the wood who made the tree

15:06

God made the tree he takes the wood the thing that God made he makes an idol with some of the wood and then he uses

15:12

The rest of the wood to cook his food and then he thanks the idol for the food He's mocking them and then in another section here

15:20

He makes fun of he makes fun of the person who takes what God made the

15:26

Creator made to fashion and Idol and they work really hard as a craftsman using the gifts that God has given to them to build this idol out of the things that God made to build the idol and they build the idol and there it is and It doesn't move

15:40

It just sits there and the mockery about and you're gonna worship that The idol that can't see can't speak can't hear can't move has no creative power has no

15:55

Power I made the things that went into that thing and you're gonna worship that bootleg

16:01

God Over me, that's the point and then God begins to describe the challenge that he has for the idols of men

16:10

And this is by the way, so powerful It's one of the things I love about the Christian worldview that God can say these things

16:16

He challenges the idols here in this section by saying to them. Okay Idol have your idols tell you the future

16:26

Which is a real challenge for idols Because they don't do a lot of talking right and so that's what

16:33

God is saying Okay Have your gods tell you the future and it's one of the amazing glorious things about the

16:39

Christian worldview Is that in Scripture God actually stakes? Whether somebody is a real prophet from God or a true prophet on the on the basis of the fact that God will give us

16:50

Prophecy he'll predict the future tell the future before it happens and it is 100 % perfect fulfillment and God says in Deuteronomy 18 if a

17:00

Prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not follow or come to pass That's how you know, they're a false prophet.

17:06

In other words this book Find a single false prophecy in it and according to God's own standard.

17:14

It's false Think about that claim how bold that is and that's what God says to the idols of men He says go ahead and have your idols tell you the future before it happens

17:21

They can't do it and God does it over and over and over and over again in his

17:27

Word The details of Jesus as Messiah are so compelling and so amazing his person his work his

17:35

Location how he's gonna die why he's coming all those things are long before Jesus comes

17:41

Even down to the when of the Messiah when he's coming into history is prophesied a hundreds of years before it takes place

17:49

God says he can tell you the future before it happens and why? Because he's the one that carries the universe along to its intended destination.

17:57

He is the sovereign He does according to his will in heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and no one can stay his hand and say what?

18:04

Have you done? That's the God that we're talking about and God says to the idols of men. Tell me the future Can't do it.

18:10

Can you but he says something even more amazing and this is water for your soul he says have your idols tell you the past and Why Why did it take place like that you see

18:24

God can't just tell you the events of the future He's not just gonna tell you what is to come because he's sovereign over it

18:30

He says that he can tell you the why of everything that's happened in the past. In other words, there is a purpose

18:38

God's purpose in every event in human history. He has a purpose it has meaning it is not just time and Chance acting on matter.

18:47

It is not just sound and fury Signifying nothing it is purposeful.

18:54

It is meaningful God can tell you the future and the past and why it took place the way that it did idols can't do that because idols

19:01

Are nothing and idols have no control. No purpose. No creative power

19:06

That's the God that we're talking about in an Isaiah 46. There's the context in an

19:12

Isaiah 46 Verse 10. Well, let's start in verse 8 God says remember this and stand firm or call it to mind you transgressors

19:21

Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me

19:30

Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done saying

19:39

My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose

19:47

Calling a bird of prey from the east the man of my counsel from a far country

19:53

I Have spoken and I will bring it to pass. I have purposed and I will do it

20:03

That section is glorious. That's a sovereign God You and I pay no attention to the birds of prey and all their dealings and what they need to do what they do to Survive God's the one who controls even the birds of prey

20:16

Every detail of this universe is sovereignly guided by God He has a purpose that cannot be thwarted

20:23

He declares the end from the beginning which means that there is a purpose

20:29

God's purpose a holy and just and good purpose in every event in human history

20:36

And that is a distinct God From the religions of men and the gods of men

20:42

There is no other religious text that comes close to that All their gods exist in a continuum of gods mommy gods daddy gods baby gods

20:51

Right, you have mommy god daddy god creating a baby God so Beck the crocodile God and people worship this

20:57

These gods are at war with each other. They're capricious. They're unjust They're dealing with their own sin and their own problems even the

21:04

God of Joseph Smith I mean I talked a lot about Joseph Smith But even the God of Joseph Smith was once a man as we are now over the body as tangible as man's if you were

21:12

To see him now you would seem like a man and form like yourselves He was once a man on that planet just like this

21:18

He became a God the same way you become God's yourselves through learning and growing and failing and sinning

21:24

He doesn't even know everything he had to grow in his knowledge. That's not the God of the Bible Call him

21:30

Heavenly Father. He's not and There's a distinction between the sovereign

21:36

God that scripture gives to us and the gods of men in Daniel chapter 4 35

21:42

I've already done some quoting from it You can just record that verse down about God who does according to his will in heaven and on earth and no one can thwart his purposes in Job 42 to go there.

21:54

It's the summary of that massive conflict. My wife is weird Her favorite book in the

22:03

Bible always has been is Job which I think is weird Because it's

22:10

I think one of the most complicated complex books in the Bible personally She thinks you know,

22:15

I'm not I'm not a theologian like like you babe And I'm like well if you love that book like you do

22:20

I think you are in a much higher level than me because it is a deep and complex book But you know the conflict the story there in the book of Job right the bad advice and the you know the wrong things that are said and all the

22:32

Difficulties and all the tragedies happening in Job's life and all these things and he finally wants to have an interview with God Right gets to the point where he's finally broken.

22:40

He wants to have an interview with God And of course, you know the end of that right after he tries to speak out and God says, okay

22:45

I'll ask you some questions first and then we'll get to yours and God basically challenges him on what his sovereignty his rule

22:52

You're a creature on God. You couldn't possibly understand how I run things Right. Can you understand even this little thing?

22:59

I'm the one who rules over that and Job ends with what his hand over his mouth. I've spoken too soon

23:04

I can't contend with the Almighty. But what is ultimately the summary of this story?

23:10

It's here in Isaiah 42 starting in verse 1 it says then Job answered the Lord and said I Know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted

23:23

That's the biblical God That's the biblical God He's much bigger than us much bigger than our

23:33

Conceptions of him as creatures. He is far beyond our ability to fully comprehend

23:38

But make no mistake about it scripture teaches that God is fully sovereign in control of all things and nobody can thwart his purposes and That brings us to the next stage of this question about grace

23:49

If that's who God is if he's the only God the Holy God the just God that we've offended and he's the sovereign

23:55

God How does he save? sinful humanity So we have to ask the question again with the foundation in front of us laying that down That's the rock that we stand on.

24:05

This is that word of truth. We have to ask the question. Well, what's our condition? How do we make our back to a place of?

24:14

Reconciliation and peace with God what is grace according to God's own word and his own definition?

24:20

We know that he's sovereign. We know that we've offended him We know that we're sinners, but what kind of sinners are we?

24:26

So we're laying down the foundation of the sovereignty of God and number two We have to ask the question about how dead are we in our sin?

24:33

We have to ask about our condition. How bad is it now? I'd love to do an entire message right now on total depravity or total total inability

24:41

But we have to at least talk about what does the scripture say about our condition? Is it like the religions of men say that we're sort of sick?

24:49

You know tainted, you know bad we do wrong things make wrong choices But we you know, we're basically good.

24:55

Is it that you know, we're sinners, but not so bad Or is it like the scriptures say over and over and over that we are dead in our sins and trespasses?

25:05

That we do not seek for God that we are not righteous. No, not one Ephesians chapter 2 we're gonna do some more a little later in detail

25:13

But what the Apostle Paul says to the church in Ephesus is he says you were dead in your trespasses and sin

25:21

And he says this you were by nature by nature Children of wrath that speaks to their nature their nature

25:32

Your spiritual condition before God was you were a child of wrath not a child of God You hear people obviously tell that story a lot.

25:42

It's not something that's popular in reform circles Like everyone's a child of God. Nope, not true Not according to Scripture you got children of God through adoption because of the gospel and you've got children of wrath

25:52

You are a child of wrath before you come to have peace with God through Christ Your sin is such that you are dead in your sins and trespasses and it is appropriate to ask the question

26:02

What can a dead man do? What can a dead man do? and the answer is nothing

26:11

All you can do is stinketh Right. All you can do is stink. All you can do is rot.

26:17

You can't move. You're not capable of it You are dead. You can't respond you are dead and so what Scripture says is that you are dead in your trespasses and sin sins by nature children of Wrath, that's the condition in John 8 34.

26:31

Jesus talks about our condition and he says whoever commits sin is a what?

26:37

Slave of sin whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

26:42

Where did we ever get the idea that we're free? Obviously the conflict that has to get addressed at times is the conflict of the question of free will are our wills free

26:53

We're not gonna spend a lot of time on this today. But yes, you're a creature You're making willing choices, but your choices are choices that are actually operating based upon your will

27:02

Right if your will is fallen if you are by nature a child of wrath Then the choices that you're making are gonna be child of wrath choices, right?

27:10

They're your choices You're doing what you want to do. God's not putting a gun to your head saying you're not going to do this Saying you be bad you be sinful you're doing what you want and God is many times restraining the evil and the intentions of men

27:24

Through his sovereign power and his will and we are not as bad as we could be because God is restraining us

27:30

I believe However, the choices that we make as fallen people are fallen choices because the nature is fallen

27:39

Dead spiritual men and women do dead spiritual things We are not free.

27:47

We are enslaved to our sin. Jesus said it. He's a Lord of glory. He is the truth He says whoever commits sin is a slave of sin

27:56

And that's why that beautiful promise in our context tonight about assurance is so beautiful He says but if the

28:03

Sun sets you free You should be free indeed bad news

28:09

Good news. You are a slave You need to be set free by another the

28:15

Sun is the one who sets you free you do not set yourselves free He sets you free.

28:22

That's the glory of his grace in John 6 44 we're gonna do some more of this in a minute in context, but Jesus actually talks about the ability of Fallen men and women he says in John 6 44

28:36

No, man is Able to come to me. No one is able to come to me unless The father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up.

28:50

There's the ability you don't have it You're a slave to sin You don't have the ability to come to Jesus apart from the father drawing you

28:58

We're dead in our sins and trespasses and of course that katina of verses in Romans chapter 3 where the

29:04

Apostle Paul is Trying to bring the point home that Jew and Gentile all from Adam all

29:10

Fallen all condemned and Adam all have the same problem You're not special because you're part of God's covenant people the

29:18

Jews you are like the Gentiles You are fallen apart from God's grace. You are according to Paul not righteous

29:27

Not good Non God -seeking you do not seek for God.

29:33

Nobody does Nobody seeks for God scripture says nobody is good Nobody is righteous the poison of asps is under their lips and it says this there is no fear of God Before their eyes that is a universal indictment upon all of humanity men and women boys and girls and Jew and Gentile this is the condition of every person

29:56

So if that's our condition if we're not able if we're slaves if we're dead in our sins and Trespasses if we do not seek for God if we have no fear of God if we're not righteous and not good

30:09

Then what's the answer? How does a person go from that? to a place of reconciliation and peace with God and Scripture is clear.

30:18

It is abundantly clear It is God in his sovereign will and his sovereign grace that brings salvation to sinners

30:26

It is not you it is not me It is not your upbringing your efforts your righteousness your good deeds

30:34

It is the sovereign grace of God That chose you the sovereign grace of God that saves you the sovereign grace of God that keeps

30:41

You God is sovereign and we are dead God is sovereign and we are dead

30:49

So what does the scripture say and you could we could do this? For two months of conferences to just pour over this truth and examine it

31:00

And I'd love to do that. But tonight we have limited time. And so let's talk about just a few sections

31:06

I want to do this in terms of context and one of the things I've learned I'm talking about James a lot tonight,

31:11

I guess one of the things that he's taught me From a young age when

31:16

I first made him met him when I was 18 years old One of the things that he taught me is that we have to be consistent in our handling of the

31:22

Word of God We can't use and this is something that has blessed my life. We can't use different standards for different texts

31:30

You know what? I mean like we get to the deity of Christ through a certain hermeneutic by letting the text

31:35

Speak and let let the text speak let God do the speaking. Let's do it in context.

31:41

Let's think about the words Let's think about the grammar. Let's think about how this connects to this verse Let's let's do our homework and make sure that it's

31:48

God speaking and not us putting things into the text We need to let the text speak and let it text it and speak in full and let the argument run to the end

31:56

We need to follow Jesus arguments. We need to follow Paul's argument to the conclusion

32:02

We can't just go to God's Word and rip verses out of context and just proof text people to death

32:08

We need to actually say no, what is Jesus teaching there in a full discourse? and so let's go to one that is exactly where we need to land on this question of how a

32:18

Person is graciously brought to God. So let's go to the gospel according to John chapter 6 and let's run through what

32:27

Jesus teaches about God's sovereign grace and power and salvation if we want to learn

32:32

About God's grace and our assurance. There's no better place to go than the Lord Jesus when he speaks about it in John chapter 6 starting in verse 35

32:49

Jesus said to them I am the bread of life Whoever comes to me shall

32:56

Not hunger and whoever believes in me shall not shall never thirst

33:04

Now let's just stop there for a minute Another amazing thing about the biblical worldview in contrast to the religions of men is that God says in his word

33:16

That he cannot lie God Cannot lie it is against God's own character and nature

33:24

To lie by the way in terms of Christian ethics and we talk about Christian ethical systems

33:31

We don't say you shouldn't lie or you ought not lie because there's some law standing above God's head

33:38

Right like God's yielding to this law that's above him and he's not lying because the rule is out there he's trying to obey now, that's not why that's not why we don't lie as Believers in terms of an ethical system we don't lie because we're made in his image and it is against God's own holy character to lie and He is eternal and he is transcendence

34:01

God doesn't lie cannot lie. And that's why we as his image bearers are not to lie and Here's a moment where you have

34:09

God in the flesh the incarnate one walking among his people. And what does he say? Here's your assurance

34:17

Whoever comes to me shall not hunger Whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

34:26

Okay, so brother or sister have you come to him? Do you believe in him

34:32

Do you trust in him? Then what is his promise to you that cannot be broken?

34:39

You never gonna hunger You never gonna be thirsty Even on your worst days

34:46

Even on your worst days where you feel you feel like God is far off Right, you feel like these promises couldn't possibly be true.

34:54

His promises are true They are certain he cannot lie and he says you're never gonna thirst.

34:59

You're never gonna go hungry Not ever and so it gets better We can stop there and say what a great conference, right?

35:07

Let's walk. Let's finish up there because that's enough But here he goes on he says but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe

35:20

He's talking to people now who are in his midst who are hanging out They see

35:26

Jesus. They see the miracles. They see his life and yet they don't really believe

35:31

They don't believe in him, even though they're seeing all these amazing things. They're seeing his life. They're seeing his character

35:37

They're seeing the miracles and he says you've seen me and yet you you do not believe so there's a group of people in front of Jesus right now, they are not believing in Jesus and Here's what he says about their unbelief.

35:53

He says all that the father gives me will come to me and Whoever comes to me.

36:03

I will never cast out For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will

36:09

But the will of him who sent me and this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose

36:15

Nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day

36:21

You've seen me you don't believe all that the father has given to me

36:26

Will come to me and it he says I have come down from heaven. Here is my mission

36:31

This is my purpose. The father sent me for this very purpose Do you think

36:36

Jesus could fail and what the father sent him for? Do you think that he could never fail? He says

36:41

I've come down from heaven not to do my will but the will of whom has sent me that of all that he Has given to me. I should lose nothing

36:48

You don't believe but I'm gonna lose none that the father has given to me Ever I will not lose them and I will raise them up on the last day

36:59

You will never be lost by Jesus. You will be raised up on the last day But we need to pay very close attention to something

37:05

He is talking to people who don't believe in him and he's saying to them the father's given to me a people

37:15

He has given to me a people and they will all Every one of them come to me and I will never lose them and I will raise them up So that is a sovereign

37:29

God He's sovereign over the decisions that people are making He's sovereign listen over the faith of the people in front of him.

37:38

They are sinners They are hostile to God just like every other Gentile They don't believe in Jesus right there and he says to their unbelief.

37:46

All of the father has given to me will come It's guaranteed. It's fully assured. It's gonna happen and I will never lose them and I'll raise them up That's the promise you and I have in Jesus if you're trusting in Jesus, you'll never thirst if you're trusting in Jesus You're never gonna go hungry if you're trusting in Jesus, you're never gonna be lost if you're trusting in Jesus You will be raised up.

38:05

That is God's magnificent incomprehensible Marvelous grace, that's the grace we're talking about and notice something

38:13

It is a grace that goes beyond the category of their participation or cooperation

38:21

Because ready these people who were given to Jesus were obviously given to Jesus before all of this because he says that he

38:30

Arrived and came from heaven to get the ones the father gave to him

38:35

So there is a people that has been given to go to Jesus by the father to never lose

38:42

That is a sovereign grace that is a sovereign will of God it is a sovereign choice of God And it's something that goes beyond the category of their decisions and their cooperation.

38:55

And so Jesus goes on He says for I've come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the

39:03

Will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last Day for this is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the

39:12

Son and believes in him should have Eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day

39:20

Jesus gives a particular kind of life and it is called eternal Everlasting life.

39:26

It doesn't end. It doesn't stop. It is a forever life in God That's the kind of life that Jesus gives.

39:32

So here's the challenge, right? You look at a text like this You say okay, obviously God has a sovereign will God is sovereign over this salvation thing

39:38

That's a grace and a power and a sovereignty that is mind -blowing But Jesus actually says here's what it is everyone who looks on the

39:45

Son and believes in him should have eternal life So here's a challenge to you. Do you? trust him Do you believe in him because that's the challenge really?

39:54

It's not the question of who's the elect? Are you the elect is he the elect? Where's the elect right? Is there a certain shade of the elect?

40:00

I'm looking for are they glowing or something? Like where are the elect? That's not how this works

40:06

Here's what Jesus says is the identifying mark. How do you know? How can you have that assurance?

40:12

You're the believing one It's that active ongoing trust in Jesus, right?

40:19

Not the mere profession or past tense I believed in Christ back there just mere profession it is a believing in Christ a trusting in Christ if you are in this room right now and you are

40:31

Trusting in Christ and in him alone for forgiveness and salvation. You are never going to be lost You have eternal life.

40:37

That is a word from God I can say it with full authority and full assurance because they're not my words. They're his

40:44

They're not my words. They're his you see we do have the authority as Christians as pastors to make declarations of certainty of authority and those

40:54

Declarations of certainty are based upon the authority of God's Word. Not my promises They're his promises and then

41:01

Jesus goes on here after he promises that those who trust in him will have eternal life He goes on and it says the

41:08

Jews grumbled about him. They were Gungus mooing weird word

41:14

Because he said I am the bread that came down from heaven They said it's not this

41:21

Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know How does he now say I've come down from heaven

41:26

Jesus answered them. Do not grumble among yourselves No one can come to me unless the father who sent me

41:37

Draws him and I will raise him up on the last day

41:43

Think about that for a moment how powerful that is how potent it is to the religions of men No one can come to me no ability

41:52

You don't have it. Nobody you're gonna cross paths with has the ability to come to God. They don't have it

41:57

They can't get it. They won't conjure it up It doesn't exist. They have no ability because he says later they are slaves to sin.

42:04

They have no ability They don't desire God. They don't want God. They're at war with God. They are children of wrath.

42:10

They are enemies of God They are haters of God. That's what scripture says No one is able to come to me. They're dead in their sins and trespasses on Less and here's that sovereignty of God over the deadness of man and sin

42:21

He says unless what the father who sent me draws?

42:27

him Now people that love to counterfeit Christianity and ape Christianity will go.

42:32

Oh, yeah, absolutely You need that gracious drawing of the father. We're not arguing with that Yeah, people are sinful people are you know, yeah, they're dead in their sins and all that.

42:43

Yeah. No one is able sure I mean, it was early work of my theology. However, you do need the drawing of the father

42:50

We'll admit that no one is able you got to be drawn by the father it goes on No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and here it is ready and I will raise him up He raises up The one the father draws what did he just promise in the very same text follow the argument of Jesus?

43:11

What did he just promise? That he gives eternal life and he'll never lose the one the father have given to him has given to him and he will raise

43:19

Them up. Who does he raise up the ones the father has given the ones who'll never lose Right and he says here in the text

43:26

I will raise up the one the father draws the one that couldn't come so you have a room of Christians right now

43:35

Are you trusting in Christ? Two of you have your heads bobbing.

43:40

Okay. All right, we might have to have a new message for this conference All right. Are you trusting in Christ?

43:49

How did you get there? You see we know our own stories right like, you know, the particulars

43:55

Maybe you were sitting on your grandfather's lap at a really young age He told you about your sin and the holiness of God. He talked about Christ Maybe that's where God opened your eyes, you know your story

44:03

Maybe you were living a life of sin and rebellion and you came to Christ later on in life Someone gave you a tract or they sat down they presented the gospel.

44:10

Whatever your story is. You have a story There was a means by which God used

44:15

Particular people or events to draw you to himself, but actually let's go to what

44:20

Jesus said here He says this you weren't able to come and it was the father who drew you So you're here now trusting in Jesus not really because of you right

44:33

You're here trusting in Jesus right now and you have assurance because of a sovereign God who loved you before you were and he brought you to himself and Here's here's the point in terms of grace and assurance

44:46

Jesus doesn't just say the father draws and then you know, you're in this we're hooked up and you're in this relationship

44:52

He says no the father draws you I'm going to raise you up That's a glorious hope and a glorious promise is that you and I have the glory of heaven for all eternity with God and the

45:02

Assurance the guarantee that cannot ever be broken that you and I will be raised up on the last day

45:11

That's the hope that we have and it's not based upon your feelings It's not based upon your good days and your bad days

45:17

It wasn't based upon that to get into this relationship with Christ and it's not gonna ever be based upon that It is a sovereign work of God Over dead fallen sinful people.

45:27

That's the powerful sovereign grace of God But it goes on if you move over to John chapter 10 another section or discourse from the

45:34

Lord Jesus. This is to my soul Where I go for hope and joy in God I told you that John is my favorite gospel, but here's another section where Jesus describes

45:47

His people and the sovereign grace of God in John chapter 10 starting in verse 7 the

45:53

Lord Jesus Tells us more it says so Jesus again said to them truly truly I say to you

45:59

I am the door of the sheep all who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them

46:06

I am the door if anyone enters by me He will be saved and we'll go in and out and find pasture.

46:14

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I King that they may have life and have it abundantly.

46:22

I Am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep the sheep

46:32

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and Fleas and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

46:41

He flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep I'm the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own

46:51

Know me he knows who his sheep are He just said that he came down from heaven

46:57

Not to do his will but the father's will that he should lose none of all that the father has given him

47:03

You don't believe but all that the father has given to me will come to me and I will raise them up and now here He says

47:08

I'm the Good Shepherd. He says the Good Shepherd lays his life down for the sheep I know who they are.

47:14

He says and this is beautiful. I'm verse 14. I'm the Good Shepherd I know my own and my own know me and this

47:23

I can't comprehend Just as the father knows me and I know the father

47:31

I I have to readily admit I confess I don't I Can't comprehend that because if you do a study of the relationship of the persons of the

47:43

Trinity and What Scripture tells us about the relationship between the Father and the Son and the

47:48

Holy Spirit? You have to be struck with the awe and in the beginning was the

47:54

Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and Archaean halagas

48:02

As far back as you want to go with no stopping point. The Word was already there and The Word was prostone day on with God Toward God in this intimate relationship with the father father and son and He is

48:20

God so Jesus knows the father is in this relationship with the father.

48:25

That is an eternal relationship Forever ago. There was never a time if you can even use that concept where the

48:34

Father Son and Spirit were not in a holy beautiful delightful fellowship and relationship in the

48:41

Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit and Jesus says here I Know them and they know me like I know the father and the father knows me.

48:52

I Don't get it. I can't wait to understand a little bit better but that is a love and a

49:02

Devotion to me and to you as God's children that I cannot even begin to comprehend and I kind of like it.

49:09

I Kind of like it because there's more to discover and the beauty of his love and his grace But he goes on and watch what he says here

49:16

He says I know who they are and they know me and then he says watch this He says this in verse 16 and I have other sheep

49:26

That are not of this fold. So he's there. He's with the Jews, right? He's got his sheep there He says and I have other sheep that are not of this fold and watch the guarantee here.

49:35

He says this I Must bring them also and they will

49:41

Listen to my voice so there will be one flock one shepherd.

49:48

I Know who they are and I've got other ones and I'm gonna get them and they are coming and they will listen

49:55

How's that hope by the way for evangelism people always mock Calvinism and always say like well, you know if it's

50:01

God of sovereign You know if he predestines and all then why are you doing evangelism? My question to you is why are you doing evangelism?

50:08

Why are you doing evangelism because if you think God's purposes can be thwarted by the creature

50:15

Why are you doing evangelism? You think God's already done everything he can and he could try his very best and try to save and desire to save and Jesus can

50:22

Die for their sins and they can go to hell forever. I Preach a gospel because I have a sovereign

50:28

God who saves perfectly I preach a gospel knowing that sometimes I proclaim repentance and faith and the glory of Christ and his kingship and authority and sometimes

50:36

Nothing happens and God will judge them on the last day that even when

50:42

Messengers of grace come with a message of peace and life and forgiveness they so hate God that they continue in their sin and rebellion and they love it and Sometimes you preach that gospel and God comes into a dead person's life and he raises them to life

50:58

He opens their eyes. They see Jesus and they fall in love with Jesus and they trust in Jesus That's a powerful gospel when you know that you're preaching to people that this could be

51:08

Scott's elect. I'm gonna preach the gospel It's not up to me to be you know, the best at this. I don't have to be perfect at this

51:14

I can make mistakes. I'm just gonna preach the gospel and the truth. You know what God's gonna do He's gonna bring the increase.

51:19

He's gonna open the eyes of the blind. That's what he does my job is simply to preach the truth and God saves

51:26

So here's the thing. I know when I go out to preach the gospel. It's a 100 % successful mission

51:32

Every single time it's it's success every time I preach the gospel. Nobody turned to Christ that night.

51:38

That was a huge success Why because God's the sovereign over the whole situation

51:44

Jesus has his sheep. He's gonna bring them. It's guaranteed success They are coming and here's what happens next.

51:51

It says verse 17 for this reason the father loves me Because I lay down my life and I may take it up again

51:57

No one takes it from me, but I lay it down there is that sovereignty again? I lay it down of my own accord

52:04

I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again This charge I've received from my father

52:09

There was again a division among the Jews because of these words many of them said he has a demon and is insane

52:16

Why listen to him others said these aren't the words of one who was oppressed by a demon can a demon open the eyes of?

52:21

The blind right and he says this at that time the

52:30

Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter That Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon So the

52:37

Jews gathered around him and said to him how long will you keep us in suspense if you're the Messiah tell us plainly

52:45

You gotta love that You just have to love that how many times you have to say it, right?

52:51

I mean these disciples are saying and everybody's saying it like how many times you have to say it and don't you love it?

52:56

They're saying like if you're the Messiah say it to us and Jesus says I told you and You do not believe

53:06

The works that I do and my father's name bear witness about me and here it is he answers their unbelief

53:13

He says but you do not believe because You are not among my sheep.

53:22

Here's the reason you don't believe You don't belong to me You're not my sheep

53:30

That's why you don't believe you don't trust me because you are not of my sheep

53:35

And he says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me

53:42

I Give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand

53:49

My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand

53:56

I and the father are one You have that picture of like you are in the middle of Jesus hand in the middle of the father's hand and you've got to go

54:04

Through this double -fisted grip of the father and the son the sovereign God who holds

54:09

Saturn in orbit You're not getting it out of that hand That's the point

54:15

Sovereignty He has a people he's never gonna lose them and he responds to their unbelief by saying you don't believe because you're not mine

54:25

Mine are gonna come why it's the father's will I'm never gonna lose them. I'll give them eternal life I'm gonna raise them up. You don't believe because you're not mine

54:32

That is the biblical definition of God's sovereignty over salvation and the biblical view of his grace and salvation because the truth is

54:42

No one is able You weren't and they aren't You weren't and they aren't and you hear you are

54:52

Believing in Christ. How did that take place? Because of the sovereign grace of God So when you talk about grace and assurance

55:05

Find your anchor there That's where our hope is and that's what the Bible teaches about God's sovereignty and grace in salvation.

55:13

That's the power of it Now I'd love to do this all night. I really would but let's go to one more text one more text

55:24

Ephesians this is the Apostle Paul and the reason why I want to land here is because the Apostle Paul here Defines what biblical grace is and Interestingly, he does it in the same way

55:39

Jesus does in his discourse in John 6 and John 10 He starts with the sovereign grace of God and choice of God of a people in Jesus Christ in Ephesians Chapter 1 you're familiar with the text

55:54

Hopefully in Ephesians chapter 1 after the introduction grace and peace in verse 3 It says blessed be the

56:00

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he

56:11

Chose us in him when? Before the foundation of the world

56:19

This isn't an ongoing activity where God is like trying to like respond to man and the things that are going on in the world

56:26

And trying to see like well, how can I fix this problem? And how can I do this and work this out? This says that he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

56:33

This is a choice of God. It's his work He's done this he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that We should be holy and blameless before him in love.

56:44

He predestined us for Adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to what?

56:53

our works Our good deeds our cooperation our

57:00

Power it says what according to the purpose of his will? According to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious what?

57:14

Grace Why? Did God do this? You and I are gonna ask that question a lot.

57:23

I think for all eternity right If you haven't asked it yet,

57:28

I think you need to spend more time pouring over the sin that God has rescued you over but That question why?

57:37

Why? Why me? But why would you save someone like me? When you think about God's holiness his power his character you think about what a wreck you are

57:47

Maybe I'm maybe it's just me You should ask like why would you save someone like me and the answer is right here?

57:56

It's according to his purpose all to the praise of His glorious grace and how is that defined here?

58:04

It's just a few verses in how is it defined? It's defined like this He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world

58:12

That you should be holy and blameless before him and love he predestined us to adoption as sons He did this and the answer is why according to the purpose of his own will all to the praise of his glorious grace

58:24

He wants people to magnify his love and his grace This salvation is a grace grace a real grace.

58:33

It is unmerited Absolutely and completely from beginning to end and this is something that took place before the world was even laid down This is the plan of God his purpose to bring him praise now man doesn't like that Sinful humanity doesn't like the idea of God doing things for his glory and his praise, but if you know him, there's no greater thing

58:57

Right when you know him and you know his character and how lovely he is and amazing He is the fact that he does these things to glorify his name and to glorify his grace is something that excites you towards worship

59:09

Amen, I hope so when you think about that God saved me so that I would praise his glorious grace for all eternity

59:16

That satisfies my soul because that's my hope It was his grace that brought me now

59:22

We can go on here through this But I want you to see how Paul lands after this now again

59:29

We need to remember that the chapter and verse subdivisions are a modern innovation, right? So this is

59:35

Paul writing a letter to Ephesus and this is you know, one discussion. It's all together

59:40

So we need to be cautious about breaking it up. Like that was chapter 1 now We're in a whole different thing chapter 2. No, it's the same.

59:45

It's the same thing It's one conversation and in chapter 2 verse 1. Here's how

59:50

Paul defines Biblical grace and salvation. He says this verse 1 and you were dead.

59:58

Who's he talking to Christians? Professing believers in the church. He says you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked

01:00:07

Following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

01:00:14

Among whom we all Once lived there's sanctification for you among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh

01:00:24

Carrying out the desires of the body in the minds and were by nature children of wrath

01:00:30

Like the rest of mankind That's bad that is bad

01:00:37

That's worse than most pulpits are willing to that's willing to say today Right. We don't want to talk about sin in that way.

01:00:45

You're dead. You are your child of wrath. You hate God You're an enemy of God. You're a slave most pulpits in America are afraid to even say that across the pulpits

01:00:54

But this is how the gospel comes. Here's how the description comes. You were once like this This is really where you were you were like this

01:01:03

And here's the hope but God And this is where biblical grace and salvation is defined

01:01:12

But God Being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us

01:01:20

Even when we were dead in our trespasses Made us alive together with Christ By grace you have been saved.

01:01:31

That's his definition So here here's what Paul says according to his story his teaching about biblical grace

01:01:38

We're talking about grace and assurance here at this conference Here's the story according to Paul Ephesians 1 he chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world all to the praise of his

01:01:47

Glorious grace. That's why he did it. You were dead. You were a child of wrath. You were a rebel and he says what?

01:01:55

But God made you alive by grace, you've been saved a dead person in a tomb spiritually

01:02:04

You didn't bring yourself out. You didn't work it out

01:02:10

You didn't climb to God You were dead and it was

01:02:16

God who made you alive By grace, you've been saved that Is the kind of grace that scripture is talking about I spent time

01:02:31

As your brother and his minister of the gospel trying to lay the foundation. It's scripture. That is the foundation.

01:02:36

Amen That's the starting point if you want to talk about grace and assurance, you've got to go to what

01:02:41

God says That's how he defines it Rome doesn't do that They've perverted the gospel distorted the gospel.

01:02:51

They don't talk about grace in that way They talk about cooperation They talk about infusion

01:02:59

All the religions of men they don't talk about grace in this way to talk about no, you've got to make your way You've got to climb you've got to polish yourself up.

01:03:06

You got to clean yourself up. You got to wash off those things You're gonna do better things. You've got to become in yourself acceptable to God scripture says it's not like that.

01:03:14

You're dead. You're dead You're a rebel. You are a child of wrath dead and it is God who raises the dead by grace, you've been saved and Raised us up verse 6 with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ So that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in In kindness towards us in Christ Jesus for and Everyone knows this one

01:03:41

By grace, you have been saved through faith and This is not your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works

01:03:54

So that no one may boast God did this so that you don't boast so that you glory in him

01:04:01

So that you worship him for eternity. We're gonna be worshiping God not talking about ourselves How'd you get here?

01:04:06

Oh, well, I did this thing and I did these ministries. I did this work. Nope. That doesn't work. Nope No, all of us are gonna be boasting in the fact that we're hiding in Jesus that we have his righteousness

01:04:16

I'm here because he loved me and he chose me and he saved me That's why I'm with God for all of eternity and nothing's ever gonna change about that There's that's the stories by grace

01:04:24

You've been saved through faith and by the way, it gets even better than I just said by grace You've been saved. What kind of grace is that?

01:04:30

You were dead. God made you alive. That's the by grace parts You were dead. God made you alive. He did that you were dead.

01:04:36

You had nothing to offer He made you alive by grace. You've been saved through faith and that what's that the grace in the faith?

01:04:44

Not of yourselves It's the gift of God. Did you ever catch that? the grace and the faith are gift

01:04:54

So even my ability to trust in Jesus is a gift of God because I wouldn't have done it on my own

01:05:01

I Wouldn't have believed even that faith is a gift of God and by the way It is not it is not the only place that scripture teaches this, you know that Philippians 129

01:05:13

Paul apparently loved the teaching. He said has been gifted to you not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake

01:05:20

You see we tend to see a verse like that and we're like I'll take the first leave the second. Thank you Right.

01:05:25

It's been gifted to you not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake We're like, okay, that doesn't seem so much like a gift.

01:05:31

But Paul's saying here are two gifts from God It's got wrapping paper and bows on it.

01:05:36

They're both gifts from God faith in Jesus and to suffer for his sake They're both gifts from God. But did you notice that the suffering is a gift and the faith in Christ is a gift from God Scripture teaches you're dead.

01:05:50

God makes you alive. God grants faith and God grants repentance 2nd

01:05:55

Timothy 2 24 through 25 says that the Lord's servant must be patient when wronged able to teach and humility correcting those who oppose themselves if God perhaps may grant them repentance

01:06:09

Leading to a knowledge of the truth. That's grace

01:06:16

That's a sovereign God and that's the assurance that we have to hold on to is that this isn't in your hands and So I mentioned a moment ago.

01:06:25

This is our hope in evangelism is That Christ's chief will hear his voice

01:06:31

So you and I preach the gospel because what does Paul say in Romans 116? It's the gospel. That's a power of God for salvation

01:06:38

Dunamis, it's the same word we use to get the word dynamite, right? Like it's it's the power of God the boom right

01:06:44

God through his Holy Spirit Empowers the message and preaching of the gospel to bring it into a dead person's life to raise them to newness of life

01:06:54

That is the confidence. I have an evangelism as I preach the truth. I don't need to take off the edges I don't need to dumb down the message.

01:07:00

I preach the truth I don't care if you like it people have said to us and I'll just I don't want to spend a lot of time talking About this people have said to us, you know your approach to the issue of ending abortion in the nation is not

01:07:11

Practical. I heard a very famous pastor recently. It broke my heart last week when I heard him say it He was talking about people who want to go to the legislature and be prophetic and preach

01:07:20

God's Word and to demand Abolition and criminalization to call it murder. He said that's just not how politics works.

01:07:26

No, maybe you're right Maybe that's not how politics works, but that is how prophetic ministry works

01:07:33

That is how the prophets speak That's how pastors and Christians are supposed to speak not do things that are practical, right?

01:07:41

Like I think this is pragmatic. This is the best way to go No We don't have to do that if you believe in a sovereign

01:07:46

God and you believe in the power of his work and the work Of his holy spirit. You can preach the truth Unadulterated and maybe in our day there is so much darkness around us because we think we can manipulate people into the kingdom

01:08:00

We think that we can come up with really fancy arguments and ways to dumb down the gospel So we can get as many people to come as possible.

01:08:06

Did you ever see that in Jesus ministry? He was willing to whittle massive crowds down to almost nothing

01:08:13

You see Jesus has a moment in his ministry I'm assuming many many moments where he had the opportunity to start a mega church movement, right?

01:08:20

It's getting amazing now We should get a big building now get all kinds of projects and children's things and all those different things Let's let's get bouncing things outside the church.

01:08:28

Let's have amazing programs Jesus and look at the crowds Jesus turns around and says to people what if anyone comes to me and does not hate

01:08:37

And he names all your favorites father mother everybody You're not worthy to be my disciple

01:08:44

He says you must come to him to die take up your cross Do the death march come die consider the cost before you come.

01:08:54

Don't be like a fool Don't be like a fool. Don't come to me and not understand. Jesus says come to die or don't come

01:09:00

That's the message that christ preached and the apostles preached that turned the whole world upside down And we wonder what's wrong with us we have the same god the same gospel and the same spirit

01:09:16

What's wrong with us? God is sovereign He can wake this entire nation up.

01:09:21

He can take a whole nation that is dead and raise them to life But he does it through the proclamation of the truth in the gospel and he has his sheep.

01:09:29

He can raise them from the dead We need to preach the truth in an unadulterated way.

01:09:34

And by the way final word here. We'll talk more about this tomorrow Everything i've spoken about tonight from the word of god is our hope

01:09:41

In sanctification and glory because the promise was not that jesus was going to come and punch a ticket for people

01:09:47

It was that he was going to save and save them perfectly to the end and never lose them It's god's purpose.

01:09:53

I'll finish with the rest of the verse in ephesians 2 8 through 9 Always quoted by grace you've been saved through faith that not of yourselves is the gift of god

01:10:03

Not according to works lest any man should boast but it goes on for we are his workmanship created in christ jesus on two good works

01:10:14

Which god has already prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. He's sovereign over the beginning

01:10:20

He's sovereign over the middle. He's sovereign over the end your hope and my hope is in that sovereign grace to keep us