Let's open our Bibles together
to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. We'll begin reading at verse
1. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins, wherein in times past you walked according to the course
of this world. according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation in times
past 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, but God. but God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
ye are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages
to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us, through Christ Jesus, for by grace are you saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast, for
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." It does not look like Angus is
going to be able to come for our conference in a couple of
weeks. He actually had to go in the hospital the other day
and is in the hospital now. Had some internal bleeding, but
he thinks they have it stopped and they're not going to have
to do surgery, so he's thankful for that. But I talked to Chris
Cunningham yesterday and Chris is going to be here, so looks
like it'll be Chris. and Todd and Kevin, yeah. Let's pray together. Our merciful heavenly Father,
we thank you for the work of grace that opens the eyes, gives faith to the heart, unstops
the ears, enables us, Lord, to look to
and rest in and believe on Thy dear Son for the hope of our
salvation. Our merciful Heavenly Father,
we come into Thy holy presence in the name of Thy dear Son,
thanking You for His glorious person and for His accomplished
work and for knowing, Lord, that we are seated in the heavenlies
in Christ right now. Lord, we're in this world and
we're still in this flesh, but what great hope and encouragement
we have in the new nature of the new man, the mind of Christ
and the heart of faith that you've given us to rest our hope in
Christ. We pray, Lord, that you'd bless
this hour and that you would open your word and that you would
reveal more of Christ to us and enable us to leave this place
having more comfort and more hope and more light than we did
when we came in. Lord, we pray for our brother,
Angus, and we ask, Lord, that your hand of healing and strength
would be upon him and that you'd give him a full recovery soon.
Thank you for Chris and Todd and Kevin and ask Lord that you
would be preparing their hearts for the messages that you would
have us to hear and prepare us to hear. We ask it in Christ's
name. Amen. Let's stand together again. We'll
sing hymn number 199 from the Hardback Tymnal. 199. ? Sinners Jesus will receive ?
? Sound this word of grace to all ? ? Through the heavenly
pathway lead ? ? All who linger, all who fall ? ? Sing it o'er
and o'er again ? ? Christ receive his inborn King ? make the message
clear and plain will give you rest. Trust him
for his word is plain. He will take the sinful last. Christ receiveth sinful men. Sing it o'er and o'er again. Christ receiveth sinful men. Make the message clear and plain. Christ, receive the sinful man. my heart ? Message clear and plain ? Christ
received a sinful man ? Christ received a sinful man ? Even
me with all my sin ? Purged from every spot and stain ? Heaven
with him I enter in ? Sitting at home Please be seated. That truth becomes sweeter and
sweeter as we grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ. To know
that He came to save sinners. Let's open our Bibles together
to Judges chapter 2. Judges chapter 2. I've titled this message to know
the Lord and the works which he hath done. To know the Lord
and the works which he hath done. We'll begin reading in verse
six. And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of
Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all
the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the
great works of the Lord that he did for Israel. And Joshua,
the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died being 110 years
old. And they buried him in the border
of his inheritance in Timnath Hiris, in the Mount Ephraim on
the north side of Gaash. and also all that generation
were gathered unto their fathers. And there arose another generation
after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which
he had done for Israel." When I first looked at this passage,
I was struck with the idea of how every generation thinks that
they had it harder and that they were more noble than the next
generation. And I'm sure that my grandparents'
generation who raised their children in the Great Depression and during
the World War II probably looked at my parents' generation and
thought, how easy you have it. And then my parents' generation
looked at our generation and thought, you know, it's all lost
now, you know. These kids have got no interest
in anything but protesting the Vietnam War and going to rock
concerts, you know. They're not responsible. Each
generation does that with the next generation, doesn't it?
And we look at the generation today and we think, you know,
we've got a whole generation of entitled brats that have no
respect for authority and no interest in contributing to society. Some of that's true. Surely we
have seen a great decline morally and spiritually, and that's because
that man is not evolving, he's devolving.
And that will be true in every generation, and yet I'm certain
that even this generation will somehow figure it out and get
it together and enough of them will become responsible citizens
and do that which is right. Maybe they'll figure out a way
to preserve our way of life. That's not really the message
here, is it? Peace, prosperity, morality,
or the lack thereof, really has nothing to do with knowing the
Lord or the works that he hath done. Now the generation, don't,
can't you just see the generation of Joshua and Caleb? You know,
they're talking about, well, they were all under 20 years
old when they left Egypt. And I'm sure many of them remembered
the dividing of the Red Sea and they talked about the manna that
fell from heaven and the water that came from the rock and the
battles against the Amalekites. And now, you know, they're entering
into the promised land and the destruction of Jericho. And they
probably looked at this younger generation and thought, you know,
they just don't know anything. And yet, here's the truth. Our
God has a people in every generation. And if he's pleased to make himself
known to them, he will cause them to see the works which he
hath done. And rich or poor, Gentile or Jew,
male or female, bond or free, moral or immoral, the Lord is
going to save his people. He's going to call them out.
And when he does, he's going to make himself known to them,
and he's going to enable them to walk after his ways. That's our hope for our children
and grandchildren's generation, is that Not that they'll figure
out a way to carry on our way of life. Culture changes and
the world changes. And I'm sure that the way of
life today is not like it was yesterday and won't be that way
tomorrow. But that the next generation
will come to know the Lord and that they will come to see and
believe on what he has done. And that's our responsibility
in a way, in a sense, isn't it? The Lord told the Israelites,
you know, that we're to, when your children ask you why you
do this, you tell them why. Explain the gospel to them. I
wonder how many of these Israelites that died out of Joshua's generation
failed to communicate to their children, you know, what, what
the Lord had done for them and give them some hope and understanding
in the gospel. Our hope is that we will know
the Lord and that we will believe the works that he has done for
Israel. Now, To know the works that God has
done in creation and in providence is not saving faith. How many
times have you talked to someone who acknowledged the fact that
God was in control the Creator of all of creation, and they
recount events in their lives where they have seen the hand
of God in providence, and they take hope in the fact that they
believe that God's work in creation and providence, and they're seeing
it, is evidence of their faith. It's not. It's not. It takes a blind fool, a blind
fool to not see the hand of God in creation and in providence. Everybody sees that. Everybody
with any sense can see that. But it takes a work of grace
in the heart to see the works that God has done for Israel.
and to know him in saving faith. Pharaoh said to Moses, when Moses
came and told him to let my people go, Pharaoh said, who is the
Lord that I should obey his voice? I know not your God. I know not the Lord. He had no
interest in knowing God. that's really the way the world
is. And yet, for the for the Israelite, we can say with the
Apostle Paul, oh that I might know him. The power of his resurrection,
the fellowship of his suffering, I've not yet apprehended that
which has apprehended me, but this one thing I do, I press
towards the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ
Jesus. He is the prize. The Lord told Abraham, I am thy
shield and thine exceeding great reward. The generation after
Joshua knew not the Lord. nor the works that he had done
for Israel. Look at verse 11. And the children
of Israel, because they knew not the Lord and because they
knew not the works which he had done for Israel, did evil in
the sight of the Lord and served Balaam. And they forsook the
Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land
of Egypt and followed other gods and the gods of the people that
were round about them and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked
the Lord to anger, and they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and
Asherah. And the Lord chastised them for
it, and they cried out for mercy, and God gave them a judge." And
all these judges represent our deliverer, that judge delivered
Israel from their sin and reminded them who God was and what He
had done. Our hope is that the Lord will
do that for us, that He will cause us to know Him for who
He is, and that He will cause us to believe the works that
he has done. You know, I think about when
Thomas, when Thomas came and the Lord appeared and he fell
at our Lord's feet and said, my Lord and my God. And you remember
what the Lord said to Thomas? He said, Thomas, it's good that
you believe because you've seen me. but blessed are those who
have not seen me and yet believe." And I think about what Peter
said when he said, we did not bring you cunningly devised fables. We handled the word of God. We saw his glory on the mountain
and we heard the voice of God speak. And Peter's talking about
that experience that he had with James and John on the Mount of
Transfiguration. I'm sure this is the sort of
things that the generation of Joshua and Caleb sat around and
talked about. They had seen the Lord, and yet
the generation that followed them did not know the Lord. You remember what Peter goes
on to say? Yet. Yet, we have a more sure
word of prophecy. And it would behoove you to take
heed unto this word as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.
And so the Lord has given us his word, and this is the means
by which he reveals himself to us. And this is the message that
he communicates to Israel, the things that he has done. Turn
with me to Galatians chapter four. Galatians chapter four. I want to know the Lord. I want
you to know the Lord. And I want our children and grandchildren
to know the Lord. And I want us to see and to believe
on the works that he has done for Israel. That's what saving
faith is. Look at Galatians chapter four,
and we'll begin reading at verse eight. How be it then when ye
knew not God, You did service unto them which by nature are
not God's, but now, after you have known God, or rather are
known of God." Now, I always read that passage in thinking,
well, Paul is saying that it's more important that God knows
you than it is for you to know him. Uh, but that's not what
he's saying at all. Not in the context of what he's,
what he's saying here. Look, but now after the, you
have known God or rather are known of God, how turn you again
to the weak and beggarly elements where into you desire again to
be bonded. You have observed days and months
and times and years. I'm afraid of you. Lest I bestowed
upon you my labor in vain. And then, and then in verse in
verse 20, he says, I stand in doubt of you. Why? What is he saying? He's saying,
maybe you don't know God. You know, he begins by saying,
but now that you've known God, but maybe you don't know him.
Maybe he only knows you. And what reason did Paul have
to come to that conclusion? They were turning from grace
to works. They were turning away from the
gospel of God's free grace in the work of Christ. And they
were looking to beggarly things. They were looking to fleshly
things. And they were putting the hope
of their salvation in those things. And so, that's what called into
question whether they knew God or not. What is the message here? If we know God. If we know God. We're going to know Him in the
glorious person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and we're not going to be adding to what He has done. To know God is to know Him by
grace. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
8. Hebrews chapter 8. Look with me at verse 10. For
this is the covenant that I have made with the house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws in their mind
and I will write them in their hearts and I will be unto them
a God and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not
teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother saying,
know the Lord. For all shall know me from the
least to the greatest and I will be merciful to their unrighteousness
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Here's
what the Lord's saying in the Old Testament church, the majority
of the Israelites didn't know the Lord. They didn't know the
Lord. Scripture tells us that Moses,
Moses knew the ways of God where the children of Israel only knew
the acts of God. The children of Israel knew what
God did and Moses knew why he did it. And here's what our Lord's
saying about the New Testament church, they will all know me
from the least of them unto the greatest. And so here's the evidence,
the evidence that we that we know him is that we're trusting
Christ alone for our salvation and that he has written his gospel
and all his word upon our hearts and impress them upon our minds. Peter says in 2 Peter 3, verse
18, that we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And so to know him is a spiritual
maturity, a spiritual maturing, and a walk of faith. It's what it is to know God.
This generation that followed Joshua knew not the Lord, nor
the things that he had done. The works, that he had done. Now obviously we can't help but
to think about the things that I've already mentioned. The Passover
lamb, the blood that was placed on the door, the dividing of
the Red Sea, the water that flowed from the rock, the manna that
fell from heaven, the mountain that quaked, all those 40 years,
they knew not the works of the Lord. They knew not the crossing
of the Jordan or the destruction of Jericho or the taking of Jerusalem,
fighting alongside Caleb. They knew not those things. And
so they didn't know the works that God had done. And yet those
works known and understood properly are spiritual works, aren't they?
They're not just understanding and believing in some historical
event. They are understanding and believing
the works that the Lord has accomplished from the foundations of the world.
His work in election Thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy
God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people,
a particular people unto himself, above all the nations that are
upon the earth." That's his work. We know the Lord because we know
what he's done. We believe that our God is immutable
and sovereign, and that he has chosen a particular people according
to his own will and purpose before the foundation of the world.
There's our hope. Turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter
seven. Deuteronomy chapter seven. Verse six, for thou art an holy
people unto the Lord thy God. And the word holy means separated. He made a difference between
the Egyptians and the Israelites. Scripture says when the Israelites
left Egypt, there was not a hoof that was left behind. They were
all brought out, every single one of them. And God brought
destruction upon the Egyptians. And so, for thou art a separated
people, a holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God
hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all
the people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did
not set his love upon you nor chose you because you were more
in number than the other people. For you were the fewest of all
people, but because the Lord loved you and because he would
keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord
brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of
the house of bondage from the house of Egypt, from the house
of the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This is why the Lord
did it. He did it because he made an
oath to do it. He did it for his namesake. He did it because
he's loved you with an everlasting love. That's why he did it. This
is his work that the children of Israel, the generation after
Joshua and Caleb didn't know. They didn't know anything about
the works that God had done for Israel. This is what he's done
for Israel. Not for any other nation. The
Lord tells us in Ephesians chapter one, according as he has chosen
us before the foundation of the world in Christ Jesus, that we
should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself,
according to his own good pleasure and will. This is his work. This
is the work that we place our hope in. The God who is sovereign,
who is immutable, the God who has elected a people and placed
them in Christ before the foundation of the world. They did evil in
the sight of God. And they died and they worshiped
Baal and Ashtoreth because they didn't know the Lord. And they
did not know the works that he had done for Israel. Romans chapter eight says, for
whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son. and whom he did predestinate,
them he called." This is the work that the generation
of this world knows nothing about. This is the work of our God,
not only in election, but in revelation. Someone asked me recently, They've
taken, this particular person has taken the sovereignty of
God to its logical conclusion without taking into consideration
the fact that all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
He said, well, if God's sovereign, he doesn't need the Bible. If
God's sovereign, he doesn't need the church. If God's all powerful,
he doesn't need the, no, he doesn't need anything, but we do. And
he's given them to us as means by which we can know him. It's
the work of revelation. And it's not just the written
word, but it's the ability to hear his word and to believe
his word. And that's his work. Lord, why do you speak to them
in parables? Because it's not for them to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God. It's given unto you that
you might know. This is his work. If the Lord
didn't open the eyes of understanding, if he didn't unstop our ears,
if he didn't give us, oh, a hunger and thirst after
righteousness and a desire to know his word, we wouldn't have
it. We'd be just like this generation.
They didn't know the Lord. They didn't know the works that
he had done. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians
chapter two. We just read in Ephesians chapter
two, how we were dead in our trespasses
and sins and children of wrath, just like everyone else. We didn't
have any interest in the things of God. but God, who is rich
in mercy, wherewith he has loved us. He called us out and he gave
us light and hope in Christ. First Corinthians chapter two, look with me at
verse nine. But as it is written, I have
not seen, nor hath ear heard. Now we know that the seeing eye
and the hearing ear are both of the Lord. So the natural eye
has not seen, nor has the natural ear heard the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him. Now we often think of that verse
when it comes to reflecting on our eternal home. And neither
has it entered into the imagination of man the things that he's prepared
for us. But, look at the next verse. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things
of a man, saith the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even
so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now, We have received not the spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which
are freely given to us of God, which things also we speak, not
in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches,
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth
all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have
the mind of Christ. The children of Israel knew not
the works which God had done for Israel. This was the new
generation, the younger generation that followed the generation
of Joshua. What didn't they know? Oh, I'm
sure they'd heard their parents talk about the things that they
went through, coming through the wilderness and coming into
the promised land, but they had no understanding of what they
meant. Here's the work of God, the deliverance from Egypt, It's
the work of redemption. It's the work of regeneration.
It's the work of election. It's the work of revelation,
where God has been pleased to make himself known with the mind
of Christ and reveal to us the spiritual truth of the gospel. Zachariah, John the Baptist's
father, when he was given his voice back, said, blessed be
the God of Israel, for he hath visited and he hath redeemed
Israel. Zachariah knew that this was
the forerunner of the Redeemer. And that when the Redeemer came,
he was actually going to accomplish the redemption of his people.
He wasn't gonna make an investment in a trust fund that might require
them to meet certain criteria in order to draw it out. He wasn't
gonna make an offer of redemption. He was actually going to redeem,
and that's exactly what he did. This is the work that the children
of Israel did not know what God had done for Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ bought
his people with a price. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. He separated it from us as far
as the east is from the west. He offered his blood on that
mercy seat in heaven and God saw the travail of his soul and
God was satisfied. He redeemed his people. He brought about an everlasting
righteousness. He finished the work. He paid
the debt in full. He became the surety of his people
by his death on Calvary's cross. He provided in himself everything
that God required for the salvation of his people. This is the work. This is the work. This is the
Passover lamb. This is the work that this new
generation had no interest in. He fulfilled the law. And then the prophet Zechariah
said, in prophesying what the Lord would do, he said, I will
hiss, I will whistle, and I will gather them for I have redeemed
them. This is his work. Election, revelation,
redemption, justification. Scripture says in Romans chapter
4 verse 24 that he has delivered us or he that that he Was delivered
up for our offenses and that he was raised again because of
our justification and then in chapter 5 verse 1 it says therefore
being Justified being justified. We're already justified This
is his work By faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. God not depended upon our faith
for us to be justified. That's his work. That's his work. He justified us before God. He made us to be without sin
before God. Turn with me to the book of Titus.
Titus, first and second Timothy and Titus. And look with me. verse chapter 3 verse 5. We often quote that passage in
Timothy where the Lord said, this is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am chief. There are several of those
faithful sayings in the New Testament and they were They were the mantra of the church,
if you will. They would repeat these things
over and over again because it was a summary of the gospel. And here, in the book of Titus,
we have another one. In chapter 3, beginning at verse
5, Yes, chapter three, beginning
in verse five, not by works of righteousness, which we have
done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of
regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that being
justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying. And
these things I will that thou affirm constantly." This is the
thing that we affirm, what? That we're not saved by works
of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
he has saved us, which he abundantly showed us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Justified in Christ. Knowing that a man, Paul said
in Romans, is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ. God is looking to the perfect
faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ for the justification
of his people. This is his work. This new generation
knew not the Lord, neither did they know the works that he had
done for Israel. Man, that a man is justified
by the works of the law in the sight of God? Evident that no
man is justified by the works of the law in the sight of God,
for the just shall live by faith. The Lord said, you are washed,
you are sanctified, and you are justified. Oh, justified in the
lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God's always seen
his people justified. If you can't have eternal justification,
you don't have an eternal God. And this is His work. He carried it out in time on
Calvary's cross when He shed His precious blood in order to
justify us. But He was fulfilling in time
what God had always purposed in eternity. What about adoption? This is His work. which the children
of Israel, the new generation knew nothing about. What are
we saying? This is where we hang our hopes.
This is what Joshua and Caleb knew something about. Galatians chapter four, verse
five says, to redeem them that were under the law. that we might
receive the adoption of sons. The adoption of sons. Ephesians
chapter one, verse five says, predestinated unto the adoption
of sons by Jesus Christ himself. For we have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit
of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Lord God went into
the orphanage of castaway children and chose out those whom he would
save and brought them to himself, made them heirs, joint heirs
with Christ, adopted them into his family. That's his work.
This is the work that the world knows nothing about. This is why they turned to Baal
and Asherah, because they know not God, and they know not the
works which he hath done for Israel. What about the work of regeneration?
Did we have anything to do with that? It is not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth. It's of God that showeth mercy.
What did Paul say? Saul of Tarsus was breathing
out threatenings against the church and God arrested him. He stopped him in his tracks.
And later Paul wrote, when it pleased God, who separated me
from my mother's womb to reveal Christ in me and call me by his
grace. God did it in his time and he
did it all. That's why the Lord said to Nicodemus,
Nicodemus, except you be born again, you cannot enter the kingdom
of God. And if you're going to be born again, you have to be
born by the spirit. The spirit listeth with us whoever he wills.
You're going, He's going to have to blow your way. Oh, Lord, Lord,
have mercy. The Lord opened Lydia's heart,
didn't he? Gave her faith. We just read
that in Ephesians chapter two, for by grace you say through
faith, that faith is not of yourself. It's a gift from God. Joshua died at 110 years old. Caleb went to be with his fathers.
They had walked with the Lord because they knew the Lord and
they knew the works that he had done for Israel. The next generation,
oh, they were living off the benefits of their parents and
they had no interest in the things of God. They knew not the Lord,
nor the works that he had done for Israel. Salvation is to know
him. Now what the Lord said in John
chapter 17, this is eternal life, that you might know him, know
him and his son whom he has sent. Oh, to know God is to know the
works that He has done for Israel, His mighty works, His mighty
deeds, and to place our hope, to place our hope in Christ who
did all the work. Our Heavenly Father, thank You
for Your Word. Forgive us, Lord, for our our
sin and our unbelief. And for Christ's sake, Lord,
we pray that you would keep us from following after this generation
who knew not God nor the works that you had done for Israel. Remind us again and again of
your glorious work of redemption. Cause us, Lord, to know thee.
For it's in Christ's name we pray, amen. 26, let's stand together, number
26. Thank God for love, His sovereign
love Unchanging is God's covenant love Which predestined that I
should be One of the Joseph family Thank God for grace, His manageless
grace Amazing, free, eternal grace Grace chose me and devised
a way To save me head from sin of his son's own blood. He fetched
no sin atoning blood. The blood of Christ poured out for me, obtained redemption
told. Thank God for power, His Spirit's
power, regenerating, saving power. The Spirit's power caused me
to live and may be willing to believe. Thank God for peace, His perfect
peace. The blood of Christ has brought
me peace. My conscience free, my heart
at ease. I am redeemed and I have peace.