Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
Probably 20 years ago. I read this article God's part and man's part in salvation. It's so good I've taught it ever since and thought that would be a good reminder in light of what's going on in the pulpit on Sunday mornings with God's in control of salvation.
Does man have a part? What kind of part is that? So you want to get the little handout God's part and man's part In salvation, I asked Peter. What do you want? I'm sorry Peter. I asked her deep what he wanted me to teach.
And I pretty much had the green light to do anything so we're moving Ahead to soteriology. I know he's in Bibliology. All right. How many do we have actually? I don't like to count numbers and noses and nickels but two four.
Well, we've got about 30 copies left. So why don't we pray and then we'll talk about this important subject father. I thank you that you Sustain and guide us and protect us and it's motivated out of your Glory for yourself and your love for us.
I Thank you that you did grant us salvation. You did grant us belief and that one day when we had our lives changed because of Salvation we thank you for that. Thank you that no longer are we people in darkness?
But in light and that we have sure hope of heaven. I pray that you'd bless these dear folks today help them to be more impressed by you and you're trying to work in their life. I pray this in Jesus name.
Amen. All right. Well, we don't have a lot of folks here today. So let's make sure we have a lot of good interaction. You can raise your hand at any time or ask questions. We're going to talk about God's part and man's part in Salvation.
Salvation is a term used more for what God does and Conversion is a word used for more how man responds so if I had to change the title of the of the handout, it'd be God's part and man's part in salvation slash Conversion.
I'm not going to read the whole article, but there are certain sections. I'm going to read. So let's just start off with the introduction. It says God and man must both do something Before a man can be saved.
Hyper-Calvinism denies the necessity of human action. They're teaching. It's all of God and Arminianism denies the true nature of the divine action. The Bible clearly sets forth both the divine and human as essential in God's plan of salvation.
This is not to say as Arminianism does God's part is to freely provide salvation for all men and man's part is to become willing to accept it. That is not what we said above nor is it what the Bible teaches.
In order to understand what God's Word really says and try to answer some straw dummy questions. We shall establish the subject one point at a time. Let's just talk generally before we get into these points.
Why is there always in church history kind of a danger of swinging from one pendulum? Side over to the other. Does it does that happen? Why is there a danger for that? Have you seen it over time? Talk to me?
Okay, so for instance with the Roman Catholic Church. And you've got merit based and and works coming alongside. And then we swing so far away from that because we want to avoid any works righteousness, but by the way I don't know if I can believe what you say because if my knowledge serves me correctly yesterday You sat in a building where they had some stained glass and it said on there.
With a few lambs and a few doves I think pray the rosary every day for world peace. Is that true? Okay, so how would I ever believe you on anything? All right. That's a good comment Charlie next after Bob though.
Excellent point if you couldn't hear what Bob said what pastor Bob said not only do we swing? Sometimes too far because of church history and we see what's going on but also the pendulum swings because at times we try to understand every possible thing and make sure every Loose end is tied up in in our minds.
In other words I was taught something when I was in seminary that has really Helped me throughout the years and that is That it is a sign of Christian maturity that you don't force mental closure on Some of these aspects in other words you just I don't want to say let sleeping dogs lie.
But if you have a truth God's sovereign you just say I accept that and if there's another truth That says man is responsible. I Accept that so I I just will accept revelation and I don't have to tie them together.
Because how far out into eternity do I need to go before these two parallel lines intersect? Especially when I'm fallen so I can't understand everything and I'm finite how could I grasp everything actually when I think of God's Sovereignty and human responsibility, I'm happy for those doctrines.
Why because it makes me think I'm just a human I just accept both of them and think you know what both are taught side by side the Bible true or false. Never tries to reconcile responsibility and sovereignty.
True and it I just think okay, I I want to go someplace I want to try to figure it out, but then like other topics. What about the deity of Christ and and how is Jesus fully God and you watch him on earth?
And you say did he know that did he learn that what happens? I just accept both things. Jesus is fully God and fully man. How do I work that out? I just think I accept it. It's not a blind faith, but I say The just shall live by faith, and I just accept it all right good Charlie.
Okay, this is good. I didn't know you would have such good answers pretty it must be a good teacher. Not only church history and swinging far away from works righteousness and not only how do we grasp things as finite humans?
But How do we measure everything or how do we see things? It's through our own eyes our own experiences. And so since we can't see God and he's invisible if we forget what revelation says that is capital R.
This the scriptures the only way we judge our salvation experience is through our own eyes, and it is true in 1989 I did believe I was convicted of my sin. I did repent. I fully trusted not only my in my own righteousness anymore and my own baptism as a kid my own Lutheranism.
I really believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and we're gonna learn today. Jesus didn't believe for me. God didn't repent for me those are all real things, but that's not the only thing. That's not even the thing that happened primarily our our our initially mine was a response and so excellent.
Okay, any other comments before we look at some texts. I'm already warmed up. I'm already warming up. What a birds do at night, how does that go on. Kim a couple days ago heard some kind of sound ah. This is just outside the window.
I just kind of crazy chaos and so. Finally she couldn't take it any longer, and so she looked out the window and there was a hawk. Trying to get into the bushes where there was this rabbit, and there's fur and feathers flying all around and so she went outside and The hawk needed a meal, but Kim prevented it so.
It's a circle of life. What am I gonna say? All right any other comments? Why are there? Why is this an issue and by the way when you say John Gill. John Gill's commentaries are online for free. But he is a hyper Calvinist, and how do you describe a hyper Calvinist?
Well, it's anybody more Calvinistic than I am that's a hybrid Calvinist, but hyper Calvinism to define terms. This is not in the paper hyper Calvinist would see God is so sovereign That there's no need to pray.
Right because God does whatever he wants. There's no need to evangelize because God will always get his man or woman. And there's no love of God for the non elect. God has has no love for them. So I would say those would be three categories of defining a hyper Calvinist these days when you say hyper Calvinist Evangelicals mean you believe in the five points of Calvinism.
That's what they mean today. Okay, any other comments before we look at passages. Dan. You've got to certainly have some comment. No, you're working on. Okay. That's good. All right. So let's look at number one.
We're trying to break down God's part and man's part in salvation if you don't have a handout. Linton's got one for you. I will read this one and as I read this section You try to tell me some Bible verses that we can look up to see if in fact This is true.
Not a Bible verse to confirm the statement, but to see if it in fact is true. Number one a Man must repent and believe in order to be saved. Let's just stop right there true or false. True and we're not talking about Infants or something like that and the abortion issue.
We're talking about what scripture reveals. We're talking about sentient Humans. Both are true repent and believe in order to be saved. Rising your rights. No one was ever forgiven and made a child of God who did not willingly turn from his sin.
Are her sin to Christ? Nowhere does the Bible even hint that men can be saved without repentance and faith. But to the contrary the word always states these things are essential before a person can be saved.
The one and only Bible answer to the question. What must I do to be saved is. And where's that come from by the way Acts what? Let's look it up 1631 believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.
Let's make sure we find that in our own Bibles acts 1631. You must repent and believe in order to be saved. That's why when we're evangelizing I think it's important to tell the person you must repent and believe.
For me instead of saying you must repent or you must believe I just have those words flow out of my mouth together. I just put them together repent and believe to make sure we cover it true saving faith.
Includes repentance, but I like to just say repent and believe so we have the situation in Acts 16 31. What was going on there by the way who can briefly paint the picture of the scenario? Yes. And it is a great answer.
Actually, if you look at the text study the original some and they said believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Anybody have a different translation that believe in the Lord. Who's that King James? Yes, okay believe on so we got believe in believe on what else anybody else have another translation.
Unto is probably the best way to translate it believe unto it's a it's a not just believe in intellectually. But it's a true saving faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. So what Risinger is trying to do is to say number one a man must repent and believe or a woman in order to be Saved and if you have not repented and believe you are not saved.
Questions so far. These are building blocks for God's part and man's part in salvation comments suggestions. Yes, Gary. Okay. Good other verses like that. That's I asked that earlier and forgot I asked it.
So that's another case where we're told In Scripture where the response to God's saving work at Calvary is to repent and believe. Okay, acts 238 is another one Romans 10 9 and 10. It's not just one place.
It's many places where the response to God's saving work is Basically take it or leave it you either believe what God has done And acquiesce to it and if you want to use the kind of the reform view of faith.
You have knowledge of it you have assent to that and you have a trust that belongs as well knowledge assent and trust and so everywhere you go the response to God's work is faith and isn't there even a chapter that we'll get to in about nine years in our current book Hebrews chapter what 11 you know chapter 10 those that make it to the end are the ones that don't shrink back and then we have the examples in chapter 11 about those who by faith Believe and so I think even if you look at your your Bibles and you say Habakkuk 2 for the just shall live by what?
Faith. Galatians that just shall live by faith. Hebrews that just shall live by faith. There has to be a response. And so this might actually be a good time for me to say Have you believed? Have you trusted have you repented of your sins and trusted on the name of the Lord because you cannot and Will not go to heaven unless you believe.
So far so good. All right number two. I Am gonna read this one. Everyone who repents and believes the gospel will be saved. Every soul without exception who answers the gospel command to come to Christ will be received and forgiven by God By the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philip bliss put the truth to music when he said whosoever will forever must endure. If we can be absolutely certain about anything we can be sure that Christ will never void his promise to receive all who come to him.
As old John Bunyan said come and welcome is the Savior's eternal word to all sinners. Why don't you turn your Bibles to Romans 1013, please and let's see if in fact, this is a true statement so the first statement by Reisinger is you must repent and believe in order to be saved and this second statement are the building blocks of Figuring this out is if you do you will be saved you must and then if you do you will be got it.
So it's a minor nuance, but I think it's important. Romans 1013 If you do repent and believe you will be saved. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. I think the original I don't have my Greek text in front of me, but all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Has anybody who has ever called upon the name of the Lord truly repented and truly believed the gospel? Have they been unconverted have they been not saved? Are they are they damned? Are there people in hell?
Who are those who have repented and believed? So far we're tracking pretty easy to understand comments suggestions. Differences. Yes, please. It's fun, you know when you start thinking about these ideas and then I like it when all kinds of other scriptural ideas.
Flooding your mind and systematic theology and you think okay. Who would lose the most if we could ever lose our salvation and it'd be the son and the father and and here Jesus's death wasn't enough and the father's promise wasn't enough and there is condemnation for those who were in Christ Jesus and the list goes On and so I know I always say kind of zip drive files and everything.
But pretty soon it's just like you know, these these truths become extracting Multiplying and and that's exactly true. Good. Okay other comments. Yes, I think it's very insightful and What happens to us is like your dad earlier said we just see things from our perspective and so we can't know therefore we're given a lot of different kind of Pieces of advice and exhortation in the scripture if somebody leaves in 1st John 2 19 that just proves that they never were part of us.
I mean because we don't really know. So from our perspective it seems like some of these things could happen. But we would then have to make the the jump to say or make the analysis. How could people really?
Believe and really be saved if the text does say if you do call upon the name of the Lord you shall be saved. Deduction they have not called upon the name of the Lord. They might have Intellectually said it but it's not a real trusting in so that's a good comment.
Human perspective. How do we know? I mean John chapter, excuse me, Luke 8 with the parable of the soils. Some people receive the word with joy. Right. So when I meet people and they're excited to hear the word.
While I disagree with some of his evangelistic style I do like to let the family and the children we sit around and watch Ray comforts Street evangelism the way the master stuff because he asked them these questions and you know.
It's just you can see that a mile ahead of time and you are you a good person. Yeah. And then he starts asking questions and you quickly realize and so some of those people when they do respond to him positively.
I'm happy. But I don't know if it's real or not because only time will tell from my perspective. How about James chapter 2? You see you see you see from God's perspective. He knows but from our perspective.
How do we know Rahab was saved? Because we just see her works. So I only get to see a fruit of what's going on. Okay, what? Time and trials will. Somebody taught me that once and I try to teach other people that I know about that.
Yes, Frank. I Think that's insightful. And so here's what I would say Frank since the text does say whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved or Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ or repent and be converted acts 3 it doesn't say truly repent or truly believe.
It's still okay to say those things to people. Repent and believe and now if they're there seem to be falling away. We could ask the question. Have you truly repented? Have you truly believed because what we also know is there's a faith that doesn't save.
There's a repentance that doesn't there's a sorrow that doesn't lead to repentance. There's a difference between Peter and Judah. Judah. Well, there's a big difference between Peter and Judah. One was a long time ago.
The other was a long long time ago Judas and Peter there are differences. And what we've found out as we've watched evangelicalism in the last 30 years just think Alabama think Southern Baptist think bunch of Christians get together.
Bob Evans. Just because they say they're Christians. You're looking at me like what are you talking about? What's the Bob Evans just because people say they believe they don't really believe that's why there's Certain evidences for saving faith found in first John are our James.
Well, you know, that'd be a good thing to look at but I don't think so why because you didn't have to believe anything. At that particular moment with Jesus on the earth because It was sight. Although I think he talked about believing that he was a son of man.
How about how about Luke 22 for a second answer the question? Let's see if there's there's the answer there for us see the thing is with Judas, it's amazing that the Lord would choose him because. Even when you think about who carries the money who is the one that carried the money with the disciples?
I Mean if you are going to be Jesus and have somebody carry the money, who would you pick to carry the money? Matthew. Right because he is the tax guy and the other comment is the most trustworthy one.
I mean Judas was from the big city, right? He's the he was the kind of GQ guy. He was the one who was not the money guy and he picked him. Anyway, pretty fascinating. I think from it human externals Judas would probably Have it going on.
Let's see. Which what verse do I want? I want in my mind. I'm thinking 22 23. Is that true? Let's see if memory serves me it is Luke 22 22 and 23. But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.
For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined right from eternity past. But woe to that man by whom he is betrayed and they began to question one another which of them could be. It could be who is going to do this.
Anyway sovereignty of God human responsibility right there. Okay, don't want to go too far off off into Judas land. But Judas was responsible and he never repented and believed. I think there's a sorrow that doesn't lead to repentance at 2nd Corinthians talks about and I think that's what Judas had.
Yeah, certainly and there's a great little book about repentance by Thomas Watson and he talks about you can be sorry about sin and Lots of people are sorry for sin, but that's that's not True repentance.
That's not all repentance is there can be a true sorrow in repentance. But if you only have sorrow that's not full biblical repentance. I would have to say based on his ending and based on this verse in Luke 22 that it was a superficial love it was a Not true repentance to use your words not true belief that he in fact was the Messiah.
I mean you didn't have to believe to see Jesus do the miracles because he saw that so that was sight. But he had to believe that he was the Messiah and the promised one of old from the Old Testament. So it was superficial non-saving Faith for Judas.
I Totally agree and you think about sheep and goats and you think about separation on that last day and you think about weeds in the garden. And which ones are right and which ones aren't. I mean ultimately we we only know when people kind of spiral out and Regularly I receive emails or updates from fellow students from 25 30 years ago who I would have thought Had everything together Theologically and then they say they cheat on their spouse and then off they go and they're no longer pastors or whatever.
And so to this point here everyone who repents and believes the gospel will be saved for those who walk away for some time. It's fair for us to ask them the question. How can you say you repented and believe when your life is like that?
Exactly and what I do these days, especially if I'm talking to younger people and any good idea I have I usually just take from somebody else and make it my own. But when people begin to say to me and they're younger, let's say 22 23 18.
Well, Mike, you know, I I don't really know about the Bible. You know it is written by man and all the transmission and errors and all that stuff and so let's just say it's a young guys 22 and What about this and what about that?
Yeah, not really sure about Christianity's there's gonna be other ways and this pluralistic kind of thinking. I'm wrong sometimes when I say it, but I can make my point. Anyway, I say this to the young man.
What's her name? Because for me to like this girl sleep with this girl XY and Z. I've got to now deconstruct the Bible because I was raised and it's obvious any blind person could see the Bible teaches fornication.
Sinful so people do things for reasons right the fool has said in his heart. There's no God. He's not that's not that word for for stupid. That's the word for he knows exactly what he's doing and he's got to construct things.
That's why evolution is such the perfect. You know satanic kind of masterpiece because I don't have to be accountable to anybody. I do what I want. And when I'm hungry, I eat nobody blames me when I have a sexual urge I enjoy it because who can blame me.
I'm a product of dirt. So people do things for reasons. What I probably used to do when I was younger that I don't do anymore is when people would run off with some girl. I'd say you're not a Christian.
When Christians do sin and you can read 1st Corinthians and so now I say don't call yourself a Christian. How could you call yourself a Christian because that's nuanced. I'm not the judge. Okay. Yes, Bob well, we're caught in time Bob and I agree with that and I think you'd agree with me when we Say to ourselves, I don't even know some of the attitude fruit in their life if they have it or not.
We can see a lot of actions that people do but there's the fruit of the Spirit that the Spirit of God Works inside of people and love and joy and how do I see any of that? Maybe I see some trickles of it or a fruit or I don't see it.
But we do have to be careful. Sometimes I've said in my study in my office talking with people. I would say based on your profession of faith. Our lack thereof based on what you've just told me. I don't know how you can call yourself a Christian.
Based on what you've just said to me about your denial of Jesus as the God man. If you do die tonight, you are going to hell but see to me that's nuanced. I'm not saying you are. I'm saying based on what you said because if you don't repent and believe you're not going you're telling me you're not repenting and believing.
Okay, number three. This is fun. Yeah, I do this for a living, you know, I Would I'd give up everything to do this. Number three. So let's review a man must repent and believe. Number one. Everyone who does repent and believe will be saved.
Number three. Repentance and faith are not vicarious not done by someone else for you, but are the free acts of men. Of course men and women men with their own mind heart and will must renounce sin and receive Christ.
God doesn't repent and believe for us. We repent and believe turning from sin and reaching out in faith to Christ are the acts of man and Every man who so responds to the gospel call does so because he honestly desires to do so.
He wants to be forgiven and he can only be forgiven by repenting and believing. No one including God can turn from sin for us. We must do it. No one can trust Christ in our place. Parents pastors we must personally knowingly and willingly trust him in order to be saved.
So before we read anything more comments. Suggestions are are there Bible verses that we can look up to? Verify said statements. Let's think about you. Let's think about me when I became a believer. Did I truly repent and believe.
I must repent and believe. If I do I will be saved. But did somebody repent and believe for me. No, God didn't repent and believe for me and by the way, he doesn't have anything to repent from. Let's keep reading.
Someone may be thinking but isn't that what Arminian teaches. The Arminian teaches my friend. That is what the Bible teaches and teaches it clearly and dogmatically, but don't Calvinist deny all three those points.
I'm not talking about or trying to defend Calvinist since they come in a hundred varieties. If you know anyone that denies the above facts, then that person regardless of what label he calls himself. Or what he labels himself is denying the clear message of the Bible.
I can only speak for myself and I will not deny that God's Word so plainly teaches. But haven't you established the doctrine of free will and Disposed of election if you assent man must repent and believe and it is his own act.
No, we have neither proven free will nor disproved election since it is impossible to do either. We have merely stated exactly what the Bible says. What a man must do in order to be saved now. Let's look at what the scripture says a sinner is able to do and what he's not able to do.
So what he what is he hinting at there? All right, you must believe and repent. If you do you will be saved and God doesn't repent and believe for you. Why is rising or bringing this point in it seems like it's a minor thing.
But why is he trying to make you think this way? Okay, excellent and wouldn't you all say and I know you know this wouldn't you say that theology needs precision. How about other jobs that need precision?
Makarovsky talked to me about a plumbing job that if you've got the a Pipe that you need to connect to that's 1 8th of an inch smaller than the pipe you've got. Yeah, but can't you jury rig something?
Okay. In our lives Let's say computer programming. How precise do you have to be if you're programming something can't you work for hours and the thing just won't come together and there's some? Little tiny thing you've forgotten and once you change it the thing runs greatly for me.
I I don't do any computer programming but in College I did. I had an Engineering class and we had to go to the like the central mothership computing area. Sign in and then we had these cards, and we'd have to run the cards in.
I think my assignment was somehow Landing the lunar module without blowing it up or something and I would run all my cards in there. And it would just explode anyway. Hey, we live in a precise world. And so for us to say yeah, but you know theology is kind of come see come saw or whatever.
That that's that's not the way to go about it. And so there are errors that creep in on hyper Calvinistic side hyper Arminian side. Whatever kind of theological categories we want to give to people that's why we're trying to be as precise as possible.
Because God is so precise every I and T to use English Letters is important and is there for a reason? God wanted precise worship with nadab and a by who and they didn't give it and what did it cost them?
Their lives and so we serve a precise God think about it. You're not to think about God in any way shape or form that he doesn't tell you to think about him. Any thought about God that's not true that's from Scripture is Idolatry so we serve a precise God we want to think about things precisely and here's the fun part.
I don't if I could sit on the communion table, but I'm going to this is like a sign that this is like the devotional aspect to our message today as You do understand the precision of God's Word and the minutiae of his character.
I think it gives praise To God. I think in your heart. You're like wow who could figure this out who can who can do this? This is amazing that all these things especially when you put 66 books together, and you go.
There's they're all teaching the same thing and so when I see precision. I don't say oh yuck dry creedle intellectual only. I think man this is amazing when Paul saw. How does the sovereignty of God and how does human responsibility?
Perfectly go together. Israel can't lose our sis her salvation. We can't lose ours. How did Paul end? Romans 11 with 33 through 36 with an interjection oh-h exclamation point. Look to the person to your left and say oh Yes, my name is Reverend 1997.
I was here we had our first Bible conference that I kind of helped organize and we had John to Brian come. Pulpit was over there, and I remember to Brian was talking everything and remember Charlie. You probably were here.
And he said he had a heart attack and he was laying on the ground think I'm gonna die. So what goes through your mind when you're on the ground you think you're gonna die from a heart attack. And he said I was not thinking to myself shine Jesus shine.
He said I was thinking To use the words now to import what we're doing about what we're talking about with with precision. I was thinking my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood. When my mother was dying what was going through my mind she closes her eyes for the last time and I thought to myself really absent from the body.
Present with the Lord if ever. I loved you, you know my Jesus. These songs go through my mind scripture to live as Christ to die as gain. When I went to Mark Westcott's deathbed and I said Mark you're gonna die.
Are you ready to die. And he said yes, and I said, how can you be ready to die because you're a sinner? And he opened it up his eyes and he said because Jesus died for all my sins. I mean I started crying thinking.
You know, this is theology. That's just not esoteric. This is theology that helps us when our children are making professions of faith. How you die. So this is this is to me very important and if somebody ever said to me Mike the problem with BBC is you learn a lot.
But you don't do what you learn. You you know plural you you don't do what you learn. I Know but I don't like it. Well, what's my other option? We don't teach you these things. Because if I don't teach you those things and you can't kind of grow into what you know.
I know there's a gap between knowledge and what we do, but that's why I also teach there's someone who never had the gap. Right, so I know compromise radio. I don't want to compromise but I do. So I say to people I'm here to tell you about the one that never compromises.
So it's forcing me back to go back to the to the Lord Jesus Christ when you read Ephesians for instance people are like well Ephesians. There's some deep things in Ephesians and Predestination and the church and one body and all these other things going on you're like.
These people could hardly read at Ephesus. These were blue-collar people and nobody they probably did say to Paul. I had that seminary church. This is like internet. How about how about Hebrews? I have some deeper things to tell you but man, you're just stuck on the ABCs.
Okay, I was in Israel several years ago not this last trip last year but several years ago and they Had a museum and the museum had lots of large Anchors and the tour guide said those anchors are too big for the boat because they would sink the boat.
What are these and the tour guide said these are idols? Because they they want an idol that can help them so they can be secure and steady and and steadfast and so they think well An anchor does that?
So then when I read Hebrews 6 about the anchor for the soul, I think oh man I got a lot better anchor than that. I've been contemplating the speed that I'm going through Hebrews and I really wanted to go faster.
But when I think about God upholds all things and I'm just reveling in that truth. John Flavor wrote a whole book about mystery of Providence and and just grasping that when I got the text yesterday Scalia dead.
I'm not trying to say I'm some great guy because I'm not some great guy. But I've been I've been immersed in that text for a month now. The first thing that I said to myself was yeah, but Jesus upholds all things.
Even for daily worry. I mean if I didn't believe in the sovereignty of God like the most conservative ideological person in the United States that has influence is dead and Then we're gonna get another lesbian appointed to the Supreme Court.
I mean, you know and the list goes on and on and on. I just feel myself I can feel the tightness kind of going. And then you go, but he upholds all things. He upholds all things, you know. He brought me to his banqueting table his banner over me is he upholds all things by the way.
Look at the Hebrew language there. He brought me to his house of wine his banner over me is love. That's what really is in Song of Solomon, but that's another story. We have our kids singing all these songs deep and wide.
It's about the judgment of God. Yes. Rest in praise. We're gonna look at Hebrews where you think if I'm a Jew thinking Jesus Claims to be God. I'd say no he cannot be. Why because his last name is not Cohen.
He's not from the Levitical tribe because to be a priest. You've got to be from the tribe of Levi and then how Hebrews just Wonderfully teaches us. Hey, wait a second. There is someone Who could be a priest?
He's a king priest and his name was Melchizedek and Jesus is a king and a priest and a prophet and the prophet part is easy. The king priest thing is because not of The line of Levi because he was in the light of Judah, but he there's another king that supersedes that and so I go.
This is great. Makes me like it All right what we're going to do. I don't know who's teaching next Sunday. But we only got to number three. So you have this to keep. My suggestion is That you read the rest of it.
And if I teach next week, we'll go through the rest. If I don't you can just read it on your own and ask yourself are these things true? God is the initiator. Man is a responder but man's response is a real response a true response a Righteous response.
Last comment got about one minute. Didn't get through it all but that's okay. We never do by the way as a teacher I always want to have more stuff than what I Need because you know if I have you know, if 30 sermon notes takes me an hour to preach I usually have 60 because I don't want to have Less than what I need.
Yes, Frank. Okay. Well, here's my here's my precise response. If you mean by here does God know them? Of course because he knows everything and he doesn't have to even hear them per se. He would know what they're thinking before they even ask.
When I think of the word here, I think of Hebrew here and here is how Heree is how Moses talks to the people here. Oh Israel. He doesn't just mean Auditorily he means here and then do. That would be a word in Hebrew.
If I said hear me if I said if I said to Luke Luke hear me out. I don't want him to just listen to me. I want him to listen and then do. So does God? Here I think he hears is God obligated to answer. Well, I know from other scripture that even a prayer from an unbeliever is an abomination to God.
God I hate your son, but I want you to give me something. I Mean who does that? Well pagans do we all did so does he hear the the prayer of an unbeliever? He hears him, but he's not obligated to save then the next question you ask.
What if he says here's my prayer Lord have mercy upon me a sinner in this fun. I Love this. Okay, that's a good question, how about if if you say Lord have mercy upon me the sinner. Are you a believer as you're saying it?
This goes to me when people say well, I got saved because I went up front at an altar call. Friend you didn't get saved because of an altar call. You got saved because the guy given the altar call was talking about Jesus and free forgiveness death burial and resurrection.
And the response is believe and so you didn't get saved because of the altar call you got it saved in spite of the altar Call you got saved because God saved you and you responded with faith and repentance.
You didn't know any better. So you went up to the front. So I think if you say decisional Regeneration sinners prayer talk if you really pray this prayer with me bow your head you say to people repent believe.
Please forgive me. I want to trust in you my whole life of sin in Jesus name Amen, and then the evangelist says if you really meant what you said now, you're a Christian. And so sometimes I think no if you really meant what you said, you were a Christian before you said, amen.
So we're trying to figure out some of those exacts. I'm just glad afterwards that they really.