In the wonderful visions that
the Apostle John received, he had this vision. God gave him
a vision. And when he, this lamb, foundation of the world. And
when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and the four twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them hearts
and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the
saints, and they sang a new song." What's that new song? Do I sing that new song? The old song is the song we come
into this world with. I, I, me, I, me. That's what the song John used
to sing about. I'll do it my way. And then the Lord calls us through
the preaching of His word out of that darkness that all of
us once walked in and shines a light in His heart, in their
hearts, in our hearts. And that light is this. Our God
rules all things. He's not a little G God. He's the big G. And I don't mean
to say that in a derogatory way. He is God. And to call Him God,
He can be nothing but sovereign. What does that mean? That means
that His purpose shall be done, doesn't it? If He's God, then
what He has purposed to come about is going to come about,
isn't it? Isn't that what we see throughout all the Old Testament?
Turn over to Isaiah chapter 14, if you would. Turn over to the
14th chapter of Isaiah. Folks, the sovereignty of God
is what got Christ killed on the cross. When He came to the
people, He was not bashful about who He was. He tells us in the
book of John, He tells us that He came to those people, the
ones that are asking, if you're the Christ, tell us plainly.
He came to them and He said, I did tell you. Not only did
I tell you who I am, I proved it by everything I did. Who else but the one who controls
all that is open the waters of the Red Sea? Who can do that? Who can bring all the plagues
that God brought upon Egypt? If you go back in scriptures
and you read about all the things that led up to the people of
Israel coming down into Egypt, and how they were treated, and
all the things with Joseph, and all that stuff. You see where
God had His hand in everything. It's the same today. The God that we serve here at
Rescue, the God that He has caused us to serve, the
One who has made Himself our God, He caused all the troubles. He
purposed all the things that brought us to hear his word. Some of us right here today have
been through some pretty big troubles. It was no little matter when
John Reeves came here the first time crying. It was no little
matter. It was no little matter when
John Reeves left this place the first time crying because I realized
what I was before God through the preaching of His Word. That's
not no little matter. Everything our Lord has purposed
shall come to be. The sovereignty of God is the
most hated doctrine, the hated teaching of all of God's Word. ever since the fall of man. Ever
since the Lord said, I'm putting you here, ever since He put them
in the garden and He said to them, don't eat of that one tree. Listen to what the serpent said
in Genesis 3 verse 4 and 5. And the serpent said unto the
woman, ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the
day ye eat thereof. Notice the truth, the partial
truth that this wicked one, the serpent, said unto the woman.
Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day
ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods, knowing good and evil. That's the way we come
into this world. I'll do it my way. I'm not such a bad person. You know, there are people who
say, who can say this, I've never lied. So therefore I'm not a bad person. I can't say that, but I can say
you're wrong. We come into this world thinking
that we know it all. We think we know what's right.
We think we know what's true. We trust in our own understanding. What does it say in the Proverbs?
Lean not on your own understanding, but trust in the Lord. The Lord
tells us that we come into this world dead and trespasses and
sin. The God of Scripture is a God
of purpose. That's why we can call him God.
What that means is simply this, that nothing is done by chance.
We don't believe in luck. We don't believe in Mother Nature.
We don't believe in Lady Luck or Lady Chance. Nothing happens
outside of the purpose of our sovereign He who works everything
according to his own counsel. The devil could do nothing against
Job. Remember the story of Job? Remember what it was? The devil was about going through
the earth, back and forth. And the Lord pointed out his
son, one of his people, one of his children. He says, have you
considered this one? Oh, you're protecting him. I
don't consider Him. Go ahead, do whatever you want.
This is one of His people. This is one of us. Those who
are chosen by God from before the world was. To be recipients
of His love. To be loved by Him. Folks, God
doesn't love the whole world. He doesn't love everybody in
the whole world. He loves all of His people out of the whole
world, through every tongue, through every tribe, through
every nation. But God's people are limited. There's a number that no man
can count. But there's still a number. Look at verses 26 and 27. of
Isaiah chapter 14. This is the purpose that is purposed
upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched
out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? And in his hand is stretched
out an all, and who shall turn it back? Now turn over to the
book of Ephesians, if you would. Who shall turn it? You know, we read those words
in Romans 8, 28. All things are for our good,
for the good to those that love God. How did we know that? It starts off the verse with
that very thing. We know. Well, how do we know? If He didn't have full authority
over all that is, if He had given some of His authority over to
men, like the world preaches in most pulpits today, God's
done all He can. He's waiting for you to make
your decision. He's waiting for you to turn yourself over to
God. If that's the true God, then how could we know that all
things are for the good to them that love God? If part of our destiny is left
up to us to make, well, I don't know about you folks. Maybe you're
better than I am, but I'd mess it up. In fact, As Paul states, in Romans chapter 4, I think
it is, we looked at it Friday night. You would think I could
remember that far, wouldn't you? As Paul states, he states it
this way, he says, even the good that I do, I see that there's
evil in it. That's Paul. The Apostle Paul. He says that. Every one of God's
children sees the same thing. Even the good that I would do,
there's evil in it. Look here at Ephesians chapter
1 verse 11. In whom, speaking of Christ,
that's what it said back there in verse 10, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of time, he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, in whom, verse 11, Also we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. There is a people who have obtained,
that means done, that means passed since. Well, when did we obtain
it? To be quite honest with you, of Ephesians chapter 1. But,
we've inherited it in Him. That's why in Revelation we see
Him known as the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the
world. The covenant of God. That's when we inherited our
inheritance in Christ. In Him. Before the world was
created. This people of whom have been
obtained an inheritance in the Lord Jesus, they've obtained
it according to His purpose. This is going to be our subject
for today's message. The purpose of Him. In the world today as it has
been since the fall of man, men believe they rule their own destiny. If you will only take charge
of what you're doing. That's what the churches say.
If you'll just put away what you've been doing before and
do this now, you can be a better person. That's not according
to God's Word. According to God's Word, as we
just saw a moment ago in the Apostle Paul, even the good that
we do, we see evil in it. Don't let your right hand know
what your left hand is doing, because pride will raise its
ugly head. If you'll just take charge, you
too can be whatever you wish. Accomplish all of your heart's
desire. Become the greatest that is in
you. And most certainly, these statements
can be an encouragement to reach for more than just mediocre. To reach more than just a mediocre
status. To reach for the stars, as they
say. To be great, you must reach for
it. Rarely does greatness fall We speak of it as only a greatness
of this world, a greatness of the flesh. Have you ever thought
about what the destiny of flesh is? What is the destiny of flesh? Scriptures tell us this. If you
don't know what the destiny of flesh is, here's God's word to
tell you. All flesh is as grass. You know what? I cut the grass.
If I don't water it, it dies. All flesh is as grass and all
the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth
and the flower thereof falleth away. That's what the destiny
of flesh is. Mark your place here in Ephesians
for a moment and turn back to Romans chapter 9. It's just a
couple of pages back towards the front of the book. Our Lord states this, for all
have sinned and come short in the glory of God. All have earned
eternal damnation is what that means. All deserve the wrath
of God. And all means you and I included. Listen to these words from Ephesians
chapter 2 verse 1. And you who were dead in trespasses
and sin, where in times past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
that spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among We all had our conversations
and time passed in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. Every one of us have earned the
wrath to come. We have all walked in the ways
of our flesh. We have all walked in the way
that we thought was right. But our Lord tells us, continuing
in that chapter 2 of Ephesians with verse 4, but God, those
who walk this way and we who walk just like them, but God,
who is rich in mercy. Did you notice what leads us
off here? It's His richness in mercy. It's not what we've decided to
do. It's not something we've done. It's not coming down to
the front and saying a prayer. It's not getting in the waters
of baptism. It's Christ. It's the Lord Jesus. It's but God who is rich in mercy. For His great love wherewith
He loved us. Am I one of the us? I want to know if I am. Am I one who is kept and loved
by God? If so, he says, you will believe. Listen to the rest of this. Wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ, for by grace ye are saved. Oh, for grace that He who rules
all things has purposed to save a people unto Himself. He has
purposed it before a star ever twinkled in the sky. God the
Father gave God the Son of people chosen to be vessels of honor,
vessels of mercy, not for what they would do, but for what His
Son, the Son of the living God, would do for them. God chose
a people unto Himself. Now look here at verse 11 of
Romans chapter 9. For the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil. Now this is talking
about Jacob and Esau. Twins. The Lord gave Rebekah
twins. And before they had even been
born, that's what this is talking about, before the two of them,
before they can do any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election. This is why election is to be
taught, but it's to be taught as the purpose of God. If God
had not chosen us, we would never have chosen Him. God tells us
that the ways of God are enmity against Him. That's why it tells
us not to trust in our own wisdom, not to take any stock in what
we think of, not to take any stock in what we do, but to trust
the Ever-Living One, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to trust Him
alone. that the purpose of God according
to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. What? I thought God loved everybody. That's not what the Word of God
says right there. Go on, shall we? Verse 14, what shall we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Paul knew it was going to come from that. He knew that
question of what was going to come. Is there unrighteousness
with God? God forbid. For he saith unto
Moses, I will have mercy, on whom I will have mercy. and I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. That's
in Exodus 33 verse 19, if you want to go look that up on your
own time. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the Scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, that my name might
be declared throughout all the earth. The Lord tells us very
clearly that Pharaoh was raised up and we know he was destroyed
by the waters afterwards. We know that after the people
of Israel, the chosen of God had crossed over on dry land,
the Lord closed those waters right back up on Pharaoh and
his army. They say they found parts of his army under the Red
Sea. I don't believe they have. Just
like I don't believe they found the Ark, either. They'll worship
that as gods if they do. Even for this same purpose, if
I raise thee up, saith the Lord, that I might show my power, and
that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore
have he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardness. that will say then unto me, why
doth yet he find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay, nay, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Who
are we to question God's reasons? Folks, God's reasons are above
ours by more than anything we can think. His wisdom is not
the wisdom meant to see. That's our problem in this world. That's our natural problem is
that we think that God thinks just like us. We're filled with sin. He's not. Everything we think and do is
filled with sin. That's what Paul's saying. When
he says, even the good that I do, I see evil. Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay the same luck to make one vessel
into honor and another into dishonor? What if God, willing to show
His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction that He might make
known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy? See,
that's why we cry out grace. Grace. Grace. Aren't those good words? To a
sinner, they're awesome words. If you're a sinner, these are
great words. That means there's nothing that
I have to do. There's nothing I can do. I can't
earn it. I can't purchase it. I can't
do something to cause Him to love me. He loved me from before
the world was. That's great news. That's why we can look at everything
that is happening in this world around us as purposed of God,
knowing that it's for the good of His people. I hear my pastor
Gene Harmon say that every time I talk to him. He's struggling,
folks. He won't tell you that. If you
ask him, how are you doing, Gene? He'll say, I'm doing great. Shelly tells me that he doesn't
get up out of bed or off his chair very much. She tells me
that he sleeps most of the day. And even after the situation
with him having a catheter in him, he would be embarrassed
if I was sharing with you all these things right now. Don't
send him a copy of today's CD. I don't want to embarrass him.
But here's the thing, and I tell him I say these things. I tell
him that I use these things for the pulpit. I'm great today, John. Everything that I'm dealing with
right now, all the pain that he dealt with and the discomfort
of having a catheter in him. And if you've ever had a catheter,
you know what it is to do that. All of the discomfort. of having
to deal with a wife who is forgetting who he is. Imagine that. Imagine being with somebody.
My mom had to go through that. Dad forgot who she was. He would
ask one of the kids, who's that lady in there? She keeps telling
me to do this and do that, and I don't like it. He was married
to her for 30 years, something like that. And through all that, he says,
this is what God has purposed for me today. God helped me to
be that way. God helped me not to murmur about
what He has purposed for me to deal with today. These riches that He might made
known are for His glory. And He makes them on the vessels
of mercy, as it says in verse 23, which He had aforeprepared
unto glory, even us, whom He hath called, not the Jews only,
but also the Gentiles. Verse 23 gives us the purpose
of Him, that He might make known the riches of His glory. Now, markers fought here in Romans
9 and turn back to Ephesians again, this time over to chapter
3. As we read in verse 21 of Romans
chapter 9, the potter forms vessels as it pleases Him. Those that
He has purposed to be merciful to and those He has purposed,
He hardens. He even gives warnings watchful
of men who are ordained of God from old, foreordained, predestined
as it is said, chosen vessels to come into this church, into
the church of His people, into the congregations and turn His
Word into lasciviousness. That means wickedness. Listen
to the words of Jude 1 verse 4. For there are certain men
crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this very thing. This is God's Word,
folks. John's not standing here making
up words. I'm reading directly from His
Word, inspired Word of God to His men, to record it on paper. ordained to this condemnation
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God. What is it they're
turning? They're turning the grace. You know what turns the
grace? It's to say that you have something to do with your salvation. Salvation is by grace and grace
alone. Grace in Christ Jesus. Mercy
in Him. To say that we have anything
to do with that is to destroy grace. It's to make it works. To turn the grace of our God
into lascivious wickedness and denying the only Lord God and
our Lord Jesus Christ. The sons of Esau were purposed,
as it's stated back there in Romans chapter 9, They were purposed to serve the
younger, to serve, to save the sons of Jacob. The God of purpose
determined before the world was to save his sheep, to call them
from the darkness that we were born into and to lift us up from
the miry clay that binds us to this flesh, freeing us from the
debt of our sin. His purpose is eternal. Look
at verses 7-19 of Ephesians chapter 3. Verse 7, Whereof I was made
a minister according to the gift of God, the gift of the grace
of God, given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Paul, right into the Ephesians,
tells us here that he was made a minister by the working of
God's power, not of his own. Remember the story of Paul? What
happened to Paul? He was on the road to attack,
to persecute the very ones who called Jesus Christ Lord. And
God came to him and blinded him. Now what did Paul have to do
with that? Did the Lord come to him and say, if you'll just
make a decision, you can be a better person? No. The Lord didn't ask Lazarus to come
to Him either. He commanded, come. Lazarus,
come. You know how He commands us to
come? Through the preaching of His Word. How are you going to
call on somebody you've never heard of? If all you've ever
heard of in this world is how Jesus loves everybody and He's
waiting for you to do something, how are you going to call upon
the true God who purposes all things? Unless the man standing
in the pulpit is preaching God rules it all. Not a little bit,
not most of it, but all of it. Verse 8, Unto me, who am less
than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ. to the intent that now under
the principalities and powers in heaven and places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the
eternal purpose which He had purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord. We who have been called with
an effectual calling A calling with the power of God, sure to
accomplish its purpose. We have an inheritance laid up
in heaven as we read back in Ephesians chapter 1. Because
our Savior, our sacrificial Lamb, and what He has done. What has
He done? He humbled Himself. Wrap your minds around this.
God humbled Himself and became flesh. Part of that is because I can't
perceive the whole of the majesty of who Christ is. He's not just
the Son of the Living God, He's the Creator of all that is. He
put me in my mother's womb. He brought each and every one
of us into this world. And He put us exactly where He
wanted us. And at the time of His love,
in the day of His power, He brought us to our knees with a broken
heart and shined the light of His loving Son in our hearts.
Folks, that's the whole deal right there of grace. Christ
and Him crucified. Again, the same message I brought
to you last Sunday. Guess what? I know I'm going
to be on a TV screen, but I'm going to bring the same message
to you next week that I'm bringing this week. But it'll be a different
set of scriptures. Maybe. Maybe not. You can tell
what scriptures I use the most in my Bible. I don't know. What
about yours? Same thing in yours? Yeah. Folks, it's all about the
good news that helps the sinner. How does a providential God give
peace to a poor sinner? Poor sinner, first off, must
know that there's nothing we can do. Everything I do is an
abomination to my God. Even if I think it's good. Why? Because I don't do it perfectly.
You see, this is where we come up short in thinking of our God,
is we don't do anything perfectly. God demands perfection. Without
it, nothing can be in His presence. That's why He sent His Son. When Jesus Christ walked this
earth, folks, He did it perfectly. He fulfilled the law perfectly. He pleased His Father in everything
He did, and that includes being made sin. He saw the travail of His soul,
the sorrow that would be brought upon His soul. Can you imagine
the sorrow that was on Christ Jesus who knew no sin? Just,
I mean, we've come to the point in our lives now, especially
those of us that are a little older, eh, it wasn't such a bad
sin. It was just a little bitty deceiving. I didn't even lie. I just didn't tell the whole
truth. And we think that's not bad. Folks, that is just as terrible
as anything else against our almighty, righteous, and holy
God. We needed a sacrifice that was
just as perfect He humbled Himself. He became
flesh. He who created all things, perfect
as He is, walks amongst His creation as a man, 100% man and 100% God. And this was all purpose before
time began. Scriptures tell us that He shall
be called Jesus, for He shall save His people. And again, thus
saith the Lord, all that the Father giveth Me shall come to
Me. He purposed His Son to die on
the cross, being made a curse for us, that there would be no
condemnation. Isn't that what we read in Romans
8, verse 1? There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus. He had purposed His Son to die
for that very reason, that there would be no condemnation. Why? Because all that we would be
condemned for, He paid the price in full. We were chosen before the foundation
of the world to be the recipients of His grace, His sovereign grace. We stand holy and blameless before
a thrice holy God. We stand in His righteousness
and His righteousness alone. All glory belongs to Him. Salvation is of the Lord. It
was purposed in Himself, and I ask you this, Turn away the hand of God. If
there's anything that can turn away the hand of your God, it's
just like that sign that's out here in the front foyer. What
does it say? If your God is trying, your pastor
is lying. The Word of Truth declares, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That means
believe on the One who is described in this book. Not one that is
talked about in this book, and men have added their own interpretation
of it. There's only one way to heaven,
and that is through the Lord Jesus, who has purposed all things
unto Himself. My prayer today is that God might
reveal these truths to our hearts. But not just this day. every day. I need Him every hour, continually. And only God can speak to the
hearts of men. So I pray that this day would
be a day for you where the Lord would teach you His Word. Paul,
a preacher of this very same gospel, had the same prayer.
Look at verses 15-23 of Ephesians chapter 1. And I'll bring this to a close. Wherefore I also, says Paul,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love of the
saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom, and revelation in
the knowledge of Him." The eyes of your understanding being enlightened,
that means illuminated, that means open. Just like Paul, remember
he was blinded for several days and then finally after going
to where the Lord had told him to go, the scales fell off of
his eyes and were enlightened that he may know what is the
whole. of His calling and the riches
of His glory in His inheritance in the saints, and what is exceeding
greatness of His power to usward, who believe according to the
working of His mighty power. That's why a God of purpose brings
such peace to my heart. I know that there's absolutely
nothing. And that's what we read back
in Romans chapter 8. Let me read this for you. You
know it. You can probably quote it without even turning to it.
He that spared not His Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Does that sound like a God who's
waiting for you? He sent His only begotten Son.
Why would He wait for me? If He waits for me, I'm going
to hell! Aren't you thankful? Aren't you
thankful? That our God is a God of purpose.
And what He is determined to be, is going to be. Period.