Thank you, Alan and Gail. It was good to hear Marty on
the organ again tonight. It's been some time, hasn't it? And I'm thankful that she's feeling
much better and able to play the organ for us. How many years
you been playing the organ here? All of them. Yeah, this church is almost 70
years old, just shy of it. You've been playing all of them,
haven't you? That's wonderful. It's good to
have some visitors with us, Mike and Olivia, thankful to. See you folks tonight and some
other folks in the family. I think maybe your pastor is
here, perhaps. Good to have you with us, sir.
Be prayerful for the service tomorrow that God would give
you liberty to exalt our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Thankful for the years God gave
your mother. I tell you, longevity runs in
that family. And we're thankful and pray God's
mercies upon all of you. And may our Lord be exalted in
the service tomorrow. Let's go back to the book of
John chapter 7. John chapter 7. And I'm going
to direct your attention, first of all, to one verse of scripture,
John chapter seven and verse 43. So there was a division among
the people because of Christ. Divisions have been around long,
long time. There was division in the first
family, division between Cain and Abel. Abel, who worshipped
God by means of the lamb, the firstling of the flock, the scripture
says, which pictured and pointed to our Lord Jesus, who was offered
by God as the sacrifice for our sins. Abel worshipped God by
the means that God had appointed, and that which God has appointed,
God approves of. But his brother, his older brother,
Cain, he brought of the works of his hands, and God wouldn't
receive what he brought. There was a division, the division
of salvation by grace through a bleeding, dying substitute,
and salvation by works, the works of man's hands. And that division
exists still today. And it will exist until our Lord
wraps up this thing called time. Now sadly, even in the Even in
the Church of God, people who are brothers and sisters
in Christ, sadly divisions exist among the children of the King. I read by Paul and Barnabas,
both were true servants of God. Both loved the Lord Jesus Christ. Both were saved by grace. Both
were loved of God. Both were bought with the same
price. Both were quickened by the same
Holy Spirit. Both were greatly used by God
in the furtherance of the gospel. And yet, they fell in the strife. and they were divided from one
another. That's a sad thing. Because the
people of God, people who love the truth, ought never to be
divided. We have one goal, that's the
glory of God. We have one savior, that's the
Lord Jesus Christ. We've been saved by the same
grace, We've been bought by the same price. We've been quickened
from spiritual death by the same spirit. We're kin in Christ. We're brethren in Christ. And
it's sad. It's a sad thing. And it's a
fact, nevertheless, that sometimes even the people of God are divided. What is the reason for such strife
and division among men? What causes strife in your home? What causes strife in your home,
in your family? What causes strife among the
brethren of God? Well, the book of God says, only
by pride cometh contention. That's the reason there's strife.
It's a matter of pride. Pride of race, pride of place,
pride of face, and even pride of grace. But not all division is bad. and not a whole piece is good. We do not believe in peace at
any cost. I've been asked oftentimes throughout
my ministry, well, why can't you get along with other churches?
I don't know why you all can't get together. Well, I would agree
on this. Most churches ought to get together.
Most denominations ought to get together. Because most all churches really
believe in salvation by works. There's no big difference. They're
like peas in the same pot. And they ought to get along and
save money. Don't have to build as many buildings. Why do we divide? There are some
things we have to divide over now. You tell me you don't believe
in the inspiration of the word of God, now we're going to have
a division now. I can't go down that road with
you. You deny the virgin birth of
our Lord Jesus Christ? You go in your way and I'm going
my way. I'm going the way of the Word
of God. If Christ wasn't virgin born, then he's a sinful man
just like you and me. Genesis 3.15 says he's the seed
of the woman. He wasn't contaminated by Adam's
transgression like all of us were. But if our Savior was not
virgin born, then He's as bad off as the rest
of us. Isn't that right? That's got
to be right. There's some things we have to
divide over. Let me show you a few verses
of Scripture. First of all, go all the way
back to the book of Exodus. Exodus. Look at Exodus chapter 8, and
you recognize this passage of scripture in Exodus chapter 8
when Israel is in Egyptian bondage, and they're there because God
led Joseph into Egypt. They're exactly where God would
have them to be so that the glory of God and the power of God and
the mercy of God will be demonstrated in Him liberating Israel from
Egyptian bondage. They could not help themselves. They could not get themselves
out of the mess that they were in. They were held by the Egyptians
for 400 years. As God told Abraham 400 years before this, they're in
a real mess. It wasn't a pleasant captivity. Their taskmasters were cruel, but they were exactly where God
put them in order for God to glorify himself in their redemption. This is how God would manifest
the way He saved sinners by means of the Passover Lamb, Christ
being the real Passover Lamb, who would lay down His life in
order to liberate all of His people. So Israel was exactly
where God would have them to be. If you believe the Word of
God, we know that all things are of God. And whatever position
you're in right now, if all things are of God, then wherever you
are and whatever is going on in your life, you're right where
God would have you to be. And He will be glorified in leading
you and protecting you and being a refuge for you and keeping
you safe all the way to glory. All things are of God. And here, Israel, and it's getting
very close to their redemption. And this is what God said here
in Exodus chapter 8. God says, and I will put a division. God's gonna do some dividing. Exodus chapter 8 verse 23, and
I will put a division between my people and thy people. Words of the Lord's servant to
Pharaoh. He says, tomorrow shall this
sign be. God had made a division. Israel,
he said, that's my people, not the Egyptians. Now he owned the
Egyptians because all people belonged to him. But God had
made a division. He said, I'm going to bless this
people. This is the nation through whom I'm going to work, to whom
I'm going to give my law, to whom I'm going to give the sacrifices. This is the nation through whom
my son will come. through the tribe of Judah, this
is the nation that I will use. I'll own them as being my people. I will associate with them and
I will bless them that bless them and curse those that curse
them. These are my people. And the
Egyptians, they're not my people. God drew a dividing line. These
are mine, these are not. These I'll bless, these I'll
curse. These I'll watch over, these
I don't really care about them. You see, God used the Egyptians
to fulfill his purpose. He used Pharaoh to fulfill his
purpose, and then he tossed him into hell. That's what God did. He put a division. Do you remember
later on, I'm sure you do, in the history of Israel, Later
on, Aaron decided at the urging of the people to make a golden
calf. They said, we want to see our
God. We want a visible representation of God like the Egyptians had. And so the people contributed
their gold, and Aaron, he fashioned out a golden calf, and they started
worshiping, and jumping up and down, and getting religious,
you know, and having a service, and having a potluck dinner,
and all of that kind of stuff. And Moses is up on the mountain,
Joshua's up there with him, and Joshua said, what's going on
there? Is there a war? Moses said, that's
not the sound of war. That's a party spirit. Something's
going on down there. Some kind of festival. Moses goes down the mountain,
carrying the law of God, and he saw what was going on. People
dancing around a golden calf. These be our gods. This is the
gods that brought us out of Egypt. That's what they said. Isn't
it astounding how foolish people can be? These are our gods? And boy, I tell you, Moses, he
was one upset preacher. And he chastised them, ground
up the golden calf. Then he said to the Levites,
he said, who's on the Lord's side? Come over here. He just
kind of drew a line in the sand. It's a division time. And he
asked, who is on the Lord's side? Come over here. You better separate yourself
from these other folks. And the Levites came over. And
Moses said, now turn around and look at those folks over there.
That's the enemy. Those are the idolaters. He said,
now it's time to make up your mind which side you want. You on the Lord's side, come
over here. Are you for him or against him? There was a division. Let me give you another reference.
Look over at Romans chapter nine. Let me show you a division that
took place a lot earlier than the half. Romans chapter nine. Here's a division that took place
back in eternity. We can go back a whole lot further.
We have to go back a whole lot further than Egypt to see a division. God made a division in old eternity. Romans chapter 9. It says this, look at verse 9, for this is the word promise.
At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not
only this, but when Rebecca also had conceded by one, even by
her father Isaac, for the children being not yet done, neither having
done any good or evil, 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. The Lord made a
division. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Well, what shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? He says,
God forbid. For he said to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth. I wish people would pay attention
to that. It's not of him that willeth. It's not of him that runneth
who makes the effort, but of God that showeth or manifests
mercy. Who's gonna get the glory for
salvation? Not you, not me, not the super-duper
soul winner, not the evangelist, not the missionary, not the pastor. Who's gonna get the glory for
the mercy of the Lord's gonna get the glory? Don't you try
to steal his glory. He said, I am the Lord. He said,
that's my name. I'm Jehovah. He said, my glory
will I not give to another, neither my praise to a graven image.
Keep reading. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up. Who raised
up Pharaoh? God said, I raised him up. God
put him on the throne. He didn't know anything about
God. He didn't know anything about
the worship of God. Well, how'd he get to such a
lofty position, really the most powerful man in all the world?
How'd he get there? Same way any man gets anywhere,
God put him there. God used him. Every once in a while somebody
will say to me, Jim, I sure pray that God will use me. I promise
you he will. He used Judas, did you know that?
I don't want to be used that way, Alan. I don't want to be
used that way. I'd rather be used as a vessel
of mercy who preaches the gospel of Christ. But the Lord said,
even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might
show my power in thee. That's why I raised you up, to
manifest my power, God said. And that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. We're still talking about what
God did to Pharaoh. He drowned him in the Red Sea.
They say, well, it wasn't very deep. It was deep enough to drown
a bunch of people. Here's the division, verse 18.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will, he hardeneth. Look at verse 19. Thou wilt say
then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted
his will? Nay, but O man, Who art thou
that replies against God? God doesn't owe you an explanation
for what he does or the reason he does what he does. It's like
Elihu in the book of Job. He told Job, God doesn't owe
you an explanation. God does what he wants to do.
Everything fulfills his purpose. And nothing in all the universe
can frustrate the eternal purpose of God. You think you can? You're just a little bitty pawn
in the whole scheme of things. He says, 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? Watch this. Here's division.
Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? That sure
sounds like a division to me. Does it to you? one group to
be honored, another group to be dishonored. Now watch what
he says. What if God, willing to show
to manifest His wrath, and to make His power known, endured
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction,
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the
vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared unto glory, even
us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the
Gentiles." Before God ever made the world, he made a division. And there's some people destined,
marked out to be vessels of mercy, to the glory of God's free grace. And others, vessels of wrath. And God has fitted them for destruction. You see, understand this, God's
gonna get the glory in both cases over everybody. His justice is going to be served
in both instances. The vessels of mercy, they're
gonna be saved because of the doing and the dying of the Lord
Jesus Christ, because grace was given to them before the world
began in Christ. 2 Timothy chapter one in verse
nine says that. And then there's another group
that God's gonna bring into existence. He's gonna give them life. He's
gonna maintain that life. but those people will be used
in God's execution of his judgment upon them. God made a division. You can't deny that. You say,
well, I've made the difference. You don't make the difference
in anything. We just, we think we're so important. I'm so powerful. I got news for
you. You can't stand in God's way
of him fulfilling his eternal purpose. I don't know who we
think we are. We stand up on our hind legs
and brag about our will and our ability and we can do this, we
can do that. A man told me one time, God can't
save me unless I let him. I said, you're talking about
your God. God of the Bible can't be frustrated, man. He does his
will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth, that no man can stay his hand or say unto him, what
doest thou? And as a heathen king said to him, it never can
azure. Division. Division. Turn back to the book of Luke. The book of Luke chapter 12.
So there in Romans 9, we've learned that God is the great potter. He fashions people according
to his own will. Whatever happens to you has already
been determined from old eternity. You do not make the difference. The Bible says God makes a difference. That's what I'm trying to point
out to you tonight. Look at Luke 12, verse 51. The words of our Lord. Look at
verse 49. I am come to send fire on the
earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have
a baptism to be baptized with, and that's the baptism into death,
in order to save us from our sins. And he said, and how am
I straightened till it be accomplished? He said, suppose ye that I'm
come to give peace on earth. Every year at Christmas, you
gotta see some floats that said, peace on earth, peace on earth,
goodwill to men. I tell you how God established
peace between people on this earth, through the sending of
the Prince of Peace. And by the blood of his cross,
which is the price of peace. He says, suppose ye that I've
come to give peace on earth, I tell you no, but rather division. Like I said, all division is
not bad. Division among brethren's bad,
but there are divisions that are of God. So he says, for from
henceforth there shall be five in one house divided. Three against
two, two against three. The father shall be divided against
the son, and the son against the father, and the mother against
the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, and the mother-in-law
against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against
her mother-in-law. There are families where there's
a division, where God has revealed Christ to one individual and
not to others in the family. I know something about that in
my family. And we can talk about just about everything else except
the grace of God in salvation. You can talk about, you know,
our grandparents and great-grandparents and go back into the genealogy
of our family. And we can talk about those things,
we can talk about the weather, we can talk about sports, talk
about high school, talk about going to college, all of those
things. But there's one subject that is a real dividing subject,
and it's how sinners are saved. That'll divide your family. And I say this to you, be patient.
Because God had to teach you the truth, he's gonna have to
teach them too. Don't do like a friend of mine,
God taught him grace, taught him salvation solely in Christ
Jesus, and his wife was adamant in her opposition, and he said,
you ought to believe this, and threw the Bible at her. Literally. That ain't gonna do any good. Stay calm. When I was in Bible
college, we'd play ping pong and argue theology. A useless
endeavor. I'm sorry I ever did that. Truth
isn't to be argued. It's to be proclaimed and you'll
either believe the truth if God blesses it to your heart or you
won't believe it. I got no control over that. I
call on men to believe on Christ Jesus. I can't cause anybody
to believe. That's not my work. I see these
guys on, forgive me for this. I saw a preacher the other day
and he said, you know, repeat this prayer after me. And he
said, if you've done that, why don't you call our 800 number
and let us know? Why do they need to know? What
do they need to, so they can brag? Got another notch on my
soul winning gun here. We're so bound by the flesh,
so looking for recognition. Our Lord said, I came to send
division. And there's a lot of families
just like my family. I guarantee you it's that way
in just about every family here, you people who believe the gospel
of grace, who believe Christ. There are people you love, maybe
your mother, your dad, your brother, your sister, maybe your husband
or wife, I don't know. But if you stand up for what
you believe, and they don't believe it, when
they find out you believe it, I remember when I learned how
the God of the Bible saved sinners, and God taught me that the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ was a success. He wasn't trying to save everybody.
He did save his people. Like the angel said, thou shall
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Well, did he do it? If he didn't, then he failed.
And he can't fail. Isaiah 42 says that. But I was
so excited. I had learned this. God taught
me that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ effectually forever,
once and for all, put away the sins of all of God's chosen people. I was thrilled. I couldn't wait
to get home and share it with my dad, who was a preacher. and shared it with my uncle,
who was also a preacher. And they was both together, and
I said, I'm coming home. I want to tell you the greatest
news I've ever heard. And I told them, I've learned
that Christ died for his elect. He paid our ransom. He put our
sins away. That Calvary was not an attempt
to save It was salvation accomplished there. The Savior said, it is
finished. What's finished? All the Old
Testament prophecies of Christ, all the pictures of Christ atoning
work by sacrifice, they were finished. And the people of God
were saved. We were saved at the cross. Christ
is not disappointed. Isaiah 53 says, he shall see
his seed and be satisfied. That's what it says, be satisfied. Well, he couldn't be satisfied
if somebody he shed his blood for is gonna go to hell anyhow. In fact, that wouldn't even be
justice. But I was thrilled. I was so
excited. I was going home happy. I told Nancy, I said, I'm gonna
tell my dad some news he ain't, I don't think he's ever heard,
because I heard him pretty soon as a little boy. And I went home and told him.
Whoo, boy. It was rough. There was a division. And I'll tell you what, we'll
see what you're made out of when the division is revealed. See,
if you're gonna side with your family against God's word, or
side with God against your family. Well, I'm happy to tell you that
when my dad was dying of cancer, I talked to him and he said,
I want you to pastor the church that I pastor. And I said, Dad,
we differ on how the God of the Bible saves sinners. He said,
we don't differ anymore. He said, God has taught me. He
said, I've been reading Charles Spurgeon. And I have learned
that the God of the Bible saved by free and sovereign grace and
the death of Jesus Christ was efficient and effectual to put
away the sins of all of his people. My dad and I just cried. I about
cry now thinking about it. God made a division, a division. And then back over here in my
text, my time's about gone, but I just wanted to show you these
verses. Look at chapter seven again of John, verse 43. Then
I'm gonna give you two more verses. Verse 43. Here, all these people,
these are not irreligious people now. These are people who are
religious. And some of them, Some of them
said, this is the Christ. This is the prophet. Others said,
no, because he's not going to come out of Galilee. He's not
going to come out of Capernaum. And others said, well, y'all
can believe all that foolishness if you want to, but we're not
going to believe it. And so in verse 43, there was
a division among the people because of him. And the division because
of Christ still goes on today. It's the division of who is He. It's the division of what did
He do. Well, He died on the cross. It's
the division of, well, what did He accomplish? Did He accomplish
anything? Did He just make salvation available? And then you have the final say?
Well, that would mean salvation really hinges on you. That's thoroughly against the
Word of God. There was a division among the
people because of Christ. And then look at chapter 9. Look
at chapter 9, verse 16. Chapter 9, verse 16. Here's a division again. 9, 16. Therefore said some of
the Pharisees, this man is not of God, because he keepeth not
the Sabbath day. Others said, how can a man that
is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among
them. How can a man do these miracles?
Well, I can answer that because he's the God man, that's why.
He's God to do his will and he's man to suffer, bleed and die.
That's the reason he had to take part of flesh. Hebrews, the second
chapter. He had to take part of flesh
in order to suffer. God can't suffer, God's a spirit. God had to come down here and
take in the union with himself of a body that God prepared him. And in that body he lived, in
that body he suffered, in that body he was tempted and tried
in all points as we are, and in that body he was beaten, in
that body he suffered physical pain, and in his body and in
the soul that God attached to his body, because he was body
and soul, God punished his soul. He made his soul an offering
for sin. And because of who Christ is
and what he did, there's been a division. There's still a division
about him. Some people don't believe at
all that he's the son of God. They'll say, he's a son of God.
I beg your pardon? If he's just a son of God like
you and me are sons of God, he can't help us. I've got to have
somebody that can look God in the eye, one equal with God in
every way, and yet bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. I've
got to have a real Savior. I need a high priest whose feelings
are touched, whose heart is touched with the feelings of my infirmities.
That's the kind of high priest I need. And then one more, chapter 10,
verse 19. Here's the shepherd. Chapter 10, verse 19, there was
a division, therefore again, again, among the Jews for these
things. What'd he say? He said, I'm the
good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. They said, we don't believe that. That's why in the next passage
of scripture, when they said, why don't you show us some works
to prove who you are? Christ said this in verse 26,
but ye believe not because you're not of my sheep. That's why you
don't believe. As I said in you, he didn't say,
you're not of my sheep because you don't believe on me. He said,
you don't believe on me because you're not my sheep. In that
division, that original division, there's in the goat category.
Right? On the left hand. You see in
judgment day, The sheep gonna be on the right hand and goats
on the left. It's a division that will be
made known, be made manifest, but it was a division that happened
before God ever made the world. That's right, isn't it? Yeah,
that's right. Division. Well, so I say this
to you, which side you on? Well, I'll tell you what. I just
draw a line in the carpet. I can't draw a line in the sand.
I draw a line in the carpet. Who's on the Lord's side now?
Who believes God's word? Who's gonna bow to the authority
of scripture? So do I. You believe? I believe
it too. Well, after I'm finished preaching,
I'll talk to you in the vestibule. Salvation's of the Lord. Gotta
be that way. Let's bow for prayer and then
we'll sing a final song. Our Father, we bless thy name
for the glorious gospel of free and sovereign grace. And we're
thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ made a division in old
eternity. And by the grace of God, we're
among the people of God. We give thee thanks and we give
thee glory for all things, for Christ's sake, amen.