I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter 29. Proverbs 29. Two things I wanna
say before I begin. Number one. I'm not gonna tell
you anything today that I've not told you before. That's number
one. Number two, I'm not gonna assume
that anybody in this congregation today knows God. I'm not gonna assume that. I'm
going to assume that this is the first time that we've ever
heard anything out of the Word of God. I want to set forth,
Lord willing, as clearly as I know how, from God's Word, the truth
of man's need and man's hope in the Lord Jesus. So I'm gonna try to preach like
I'm preaching to all of us, just like a bunch of kids. I want
to be simple. God help me to do so. Proverbs
29 verse 1. He that being often reproved,
he that being often found to be a man of reproofs, or the
blue letter Bible, which is a dictionary, Bible dictionary, it says who
deserves reproof, correction. He that being often reproved,
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without
remedy, without healing, without cure. A man, a woman that is
often reproved, they're often told what is happening, what
they're doing, wrong. He that being often reproved
and stiffens his neck against what God is saying, that man,
that woman is going to be suddenly destroyed and destroyed without
any hope whatsoever. Bear, you just read about a man
that died without God. And this is what scripture says.
He lifted up his eyes out of hell. Brethren, there's a problem concerning
every man, every woman born into this world. And the Spirit of
God instructed a man named Solomon, who penned these proverbs, The
Spirit of God instructed Solomon to write what man's problem is. He said that if men and women
who are in trouble, I'll tell you what the trouble is in just
a second, but here's what scripture says. If you refuse to hear,
God's correction, numerous corrections, numerous corrections. We're going
to look at them. If you refuse to hear what God has to say,
if they obstinately continue to resist his correction, they're going to hell. You're
going to hell. That's just as simple as I can make it. Now
here's the problem. What's the problem? What is the
problem? Here's the problem. Man from
the fall in the garden has been polluted by something called
sin. Sin. When Adam transgressed,
when Adam went against, when Adam disobeyed God's word. And you know what he did. God
told him, you can eat of all the fruit of the garden except
one of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You do not
eat of that tree because in the day you do, you're going to die. And he did. And the scripture
says that when he did, sin entered the world and death by sin. Man died spiritually. What does that mean? That means
that there's nothing in man or woman, there's nothing in us
that loves God, seeks God, follows after God, knows God. He's dead, he's dead. You know
what dead means? Spiritually dead, that means
that there's nothing there. that'll go after God. Nothing
there. And that body of sin which is
found to be within man, that's what the Apostle Paul said in
Romans chapter 7, who shall deliver me from the body of this death,
this sin. Now being found with sin because
of disobedience, man is answerable to the holy law of God, man has
broken either actually or in heart every law of God. Scripture says to offend in one
point is to be guilty of all. So here's the bottom line. Nobody
in this congregation or in this world in themselves is good or
not good. There's none good but God. So man is a sinner because sin
is in him. Sin is the source. Sins is the
evidence. Transgressions. And man began
to manifest that he was a sinner. Now what is a sinner? Now listen. A sinner is one that can do nothing
but sin. Can't do anything else. We've all sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Is there anything that any of
us has ever done that was in the sight of God? Now, not in
front of me, but before God. Is there anything that anything
I've ever done of myself that is not sin? No, no. All of our righteousnesses, what
does that mean? When you read your Bible, when
you try, you know, you're being kind to others and you're just
a good person. All of our righteousnesses, not
your bad stuff, I'm talking about your good stuff. All the good
stuff you do. Went down there and tried to
help them out, down there at the soup kitchen. I go once a
month, I don't really, but you know, I'm just making this up.
You know, I do this, I do that. You know, I try to help the elderly. All of our righteousnesses, filthy
racks. Why? Because it doesn't measure
up to the glory of God. All have sinned and come short
of the glory God, the majesty of God. So here's, here's, here's,
you know, man from, from the crown of his head, this is what
Isaiah 1, 6 says, crown of his head, sole of his foot, ruined. So let's just, let's just go
ahead and set the record straight. What's the starting point? Where's
the lines on this thing? Well, here's the lines. Man is
a sinner. He's a rebel against God. He
doesn't want to Be with God. He doesn't lie. He wants to run. He wants to hide from God. That's
what Adam did. Adam was in the Garden of Eden. What did he do when he ate of
the fruit? He hid. He hid from God. He was ashamed. Now he knew fear. Knew he was
naked. Got him some fig leaf. Gonna
cover himself up. Gonna hide from God. Now listen. God knows. He knows. So let's
just be honest about it. So here, you know, man was guilty,
and not only was he guilty, turn over to Genesis 3. Not only is he guilty, now he wants to blame others. Ultimately, man wants to blame
God for his problem. Genesis chapter 3, look at verse
9 to 13. Genesis 3, 9. And the Lord God
called unto Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said,
I heard thy voice in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked,
and I hid myself. And he said, who told thee that
thou was naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof
I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, the
woman. Aha. Did you eat of it, Adam? Well, I tell you, the woman. But it goes even farther than
that, that thou gavest me. If you wouldn't have given me
the woman, the woman that thou gavest me
to be with me, she gave me to eat of a tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the
woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said,
the serpent beguiled me. and I did eat. Man from the fall is gonna blame
somebody else for his guilt. Romans chapter nine, turn over
to Romans nine, and it's not, it hadn't changed. It hadn't
changed a bit, Romans nine. I'm telling you that this is
the attitude of the carnal heart. It's not my fault Ultimately,
let's just go to the source of it. It's God's fault. It's God's
fault because I'm a sinner. God's fault. Let me show you
Romans 9. Romans 9 verse 17. For the scriptures saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised you up that I might
show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout
all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he'll have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth. Thou wilt
say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath
resisted his will? Do you know what the apostle
just said? Whenever the scripture declares that God has mercy on
whom he will, and whom he will, he leaves to themselves. Now
who said that? Marvin? Marvin didn't say that. Marvin repeated what the Scripture
says. You are going to say, the Scripture
says, when you hear that God is sovereign, that He does as
He will in the army of heaven, do you know what man is going
to say? Well, then if God is sovereign, and God does as He
will, and He shows mercy to whom He will, and He hardens whom
He will, well, how can He find fault with me? It is still the
same. Man by nature is going to blame
God. Brethren, we got a problem. But thanks be unto God, God has
been pleased to reprove man. What does that mean? He's going
to send correction. He's going to send a rebuke.
And he does so in numerous ways. Turn to Romans 2. Romans chapter
2, let me tell you the first rebuke, and everybody can enter
into this. Romans chapter 2 and verse 14-15,
Romans 2, 14-15. So when the Gentiles, which have
not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which
show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing
or else excusing each other. Now let me tell you something.
Here's the first reproof. Everybody's got a conscience.
What do you mean? You know right from wrong. You
know right from wrong. If somebody asks you something
and you answer them with a lie, do you know what you know immediately?
I just lied to you. I know that. Now we can all agree
about that. We've got a conscience. And we know right from wrong. But not only, okay, that's a
reproof. Man is a sinner, and he knows
it, he knows it. By nature, he don't want to admit
the fullness of it, Mitch. He wants to blame God for it,
but he knows, he knows. Not only turn to Romans 1, not
only do we have a conscience, I'll tell you what else we've
got. We've got the witness, the evidence of the power. and the
Godhead of Almighty God, and we have it in nature. We've read
this before, I told you. I'm not going to tell you anything
I hadn't told you before. Romans 1.20, for the invisible things
of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. We look around,
and I don't care, I don't care what men say that all this, you
know, I was watching television yesterday, the History Channel,
Nature Channel or something like that, and they're talking about
the Grand Canyon. And seven billion
years ago, I was like, how do you know it was seven billion
years ago? Well, here's what the scripture says, that we look
around and we see this creation. And this creation declares the
power and the Godhead of the Creator. And here's the witness. God has sent the reproof. What
he's saying is, I'm God. I made all this. I made you. So I'm a sinner and I know it
in my conscience. I see that there is a God in
heaven that has created all of this. And I'm without excuse,
the scripture says. And it doesn't matter what man
says. Man is without excuse. I'll tell you another thing.
Here's another providential witness. The consequence of man's sin. Every time somebody dies, every
time you go to a funeral, every time you see someone in a casket,
do you know what that's saying? You're going to die too. You're
going to die. The scripture says, to everything
there's a season, a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time
to be born and a time to die. Now we've got, God's reproving
me. You're a sinner. You know it
in your conscience. Nature tells us that God is God. And we're going to funerals.
We've gone to funerals recently. Lord, I'm sure that unless the
Lord comes back or he takes me, I'm sure I'll probably go to
another one pretty soon. So here we are, we've got these
witnesses, these reports, and I'll tell you another thing.
We have the glorious gospel, the gospel of God's grace, the
proclamation of the will and purpose of Almighty God to show
man his need of being rescued from the guilt and the penalty
of sin because of man's transgression. God has sent the gospel. And
the gospel is not an offer. I told you that I'm not offering
you anything. I'm telling you, I'm proclaiming
what God has said. God has said that almighty God
is holy and he's just and he's a savior. And I'm telling you
right now, according to these scriptures, almighty God has
got a people. Ephesians chapter 1, for the
sake of time, you know, I heard Brother Scott say one time, you
can't say everything you know in one message because we'll
never leave. But you know, Ephesians chapter
1, you know that God's chosen a people, you know that. And
you know this, according to John 6, 37, He's going to save them,
you know, thy people shall be willing, all that the Father
giveth me. shall come to me. They're going to come. I know
that. And I know this is the only message he's going to bless.
Paul said Romans 1 15 16. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
The proclamation of God's right to do what he will. Not ashamed
of it. It is the power of God unto salvation. So I can tell you something right
now. While we're hearing this, I'm supposing it's the first
time we ever heard this. I'm telling you right now, God's
going to save a people. I know he's going to save It's not up
to chance, it's not up to man's will. Man doesn't have a free
will. Oh, Marvin, how do you know that? Because John chapter
one, verse 13. Hey, no, turn to this one. I
wanna make sure, because this is a pretty big issue right here.
John chapter one. I just told you that man does
not come to God by his free will. John, the gospel of John chapter
one. Verse 12. Verse 11, he came unto
his own, and his own received him not. But now some of them
did receive him. Verse 12 says, but as many as
received him, to him gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name. What did he just say?
He said that any man, any woman, that in their heart willingly
comes to Christ, They did not come because they had a free
will to do so. They did not. I'll show you,
I'm getting ready to read the next verse. They didn't. Why
did they come? Because God gave them power to
come. That's what he just said. As
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God. That's why they came. Not because
they decided to, and he was waiting on them. Look at verse 13. Which were born? Born how? Born
from above. How? Not of blood, not because
blood ran in their family, nor of the will of the flesh. What does that mean? Nor of the will of the flesh.
What does that mean? Nor of the will of a man by himself,
his free will. They were not born. So when somebody
tells you that man has a free will, I'm gonna tell you that
God said you don't. Well, I've always heard that.
It doesn't matter. It does not matter. They were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. What
does that mean? I told you before. I'm gonna tell you again. I want
my kids to be saved. I want God to show mercy. I pray
God shows mercy here. But Fred, I don't have the power.
I don't have the ability. I cannot, I cannot save you. nor of the will of man. I pray
God saves us. But I don't have the, how are
they born, but of God. So whenever we're talking about
coming to Christ, calling on the Lord, I'm telling you right
now, God's gonna have to save you. I can tell you the truth. I can tell you what the Spirit
of God has said concerning man. Man does not have the ability. How do you know? He told Adam
in the garden, the day you eat, you're gonna die. You're gonna
die. What died with him? Everything
about him, spiritually. He don't have a will. So don't,
please don't listen to people. I'm telling you, I'm getting
old. I don't know how much longer God's gonna allow me to preach,
but if this is the last message I ever preach to you, God help
us to hear this, Chuck, I mean it. I mean it. I don't want to leave this world.
I don't want you to leave this world. Hearing a lie, don't let
somebody tell you that you've got the ability to do something.
We don't have the ability to do anything. Spirit of God is
going to have to do something for me that I can't do for myself.
The message that proclaims salvation to be totally of the Lord through
through grace, by faith, by grace through faith. I'll get it right
in a minute. Not of works, righteousness, we've done. He saved us. He saved us. Saved us in spite
of ourselves. A wonderful example of this,
Matthew, turn to Matthew 27. I wanna show you something. I've entitled this message, What
is Sovereign Grace? Somebody asked that question.
I heard that question was asked recently. What is, when you say
sovereign grace, what do you mean? Sovereign grace. I'm gonna
show you. I'm gonna give you scriptural
evidence of what sovereign grace is. Sovereign means that description
of God. What does that mean? That means
he's the boss. He is the boss. That's what it
means. Sovereign, you know what that
word is. Sovereign. He's the boss. He does as he will in the
army of heaven. Matthew 27. This is an amazing
account of something that happened on the day of the crucifixion. Matthew 27, I want you to look
at verse 39 to 44. Matthew 27, starting in verse
39, and they that passed by reviled him. The Lord, you know who they were
reviling. Wagging their heads and saying,
thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days.
The Lord said that. He was talking about his death,
his burial, three days later coming out of the grave. That's
what it is. Thou that destroyest the temple
and buildest it in three days, save thyself if thou be the Son
of God. Come down from the cross. Likewise,
also the chief priest mocking him with the scribes and elders
said, he saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the
king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, we will
believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver
him now if you'll have him. And he said, I'm the son of God. The thieves, notice also, which
were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth, both of
them. That's what happened. Both of
them, railing on him. I woke up early this morning,
and a thought came through my mind before I got up out of bed,
and this is what I thought. I asked myself this question.
What did the Lord say from the cross just before the one thief
asked for mercy? That's what I thought about.
I woke up this morning, and Sammy wondered about that. I know that
the Lord had spoken from the cross, but I thought, what was
it that the Lord said? So I got up, and I looked it
up. I want you to turn to Luke 23.
Luke 23. Luke 23, and I want to start reading verse 32. Luke
23, verse... Let's just read a few verses
here. Luke 23, 32. And there were also two other
malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were
come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified
him and the malefactors, one on right hand and the other on
the left. Then said Jesus, here's where
my question was answered. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive
them for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment
and cast lots. And the people stood beholding.
And the rulers also with him derided him saying he saved others. Let him save himself if he be
Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked him,
coming to him, offering him vinegar and saying, if thou be the king
of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was
written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, this is
the king of the Jews. One of the malefactors which
were hanged railed on him saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself. Now I just read, just a moment
ago, I'm gonna keep reading here in just a second. I just read
over Matthew 27. They were both railing on him.
And they were both railing on him. Ain't no doubt about that.
But the Spirit of God was pleased to have Luke pen something that
the Spirit of God didn't move on Matthew to pen. And something
happened. I know that they were both railing
on him. But Luke was moved to write something
else. One of the malefactors which
were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself.
But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying thus, Not thou fear
God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly. Boy, you notice the difference
in the speech of one that God's done something for her. No more,
God, it's your fault. No more, it's wife's fault. Here's
what he said, I did this. I did this, I'm a guilty sinner.
We indeed justly, for we received the due reward of our deeds,
but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus,
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said
unto him, verily I say unto thee, today, shalt thou be with me Now, my friend, if you want to
know the evidence of sovereign grace, we just read it. I'll tell you what happened.
If you want to read this account, it's going to be found in Ezekiel
chapter 37, starting about verse 26. Here's what the Lord said.
I'm going to take a stony heart out of you, and I'm going to
give you a new heart. And I'm going to be your God,
and you're going to be my people. What happened was Almighty God
snatched this hell-deserving sinner. He was a rebel. He told
the Lord. He told the other malefactor.
He said, we're getting what we deserve. We deserve this. You
and I are guilty. We did what they're accused of
doing. This man has done nothing. Lord,
have mercy. And not only did that actually
happen, turned to Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53. Not only did this
happen in time, but I tell you what, the Spirit of God moved
the prophet Isaiah hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years
before that happened to speak of it, that it was going to happen.
Isaiah 53, verse 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering
for sin. He shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, he shall be satisfied.
By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he
shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoiled with
the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death. Now
here, right here. He was numbered with the transgressors,
and he bared the sin of many and made intercession for the
transgressors. When did he do that? That thief
that was on the cross that God showed mercy, that thief right
there heard the Lord say, Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do. And the Spirit of God took that
word, that sentence, that phrase. What does a man have to know
for God to save him? God's gonna teach him this. I'm
the sinner, and he's the savior, and I don't have any hope outside
of him. The Lord said, I'm the way. Not
you, not me. Not my will or your will. I'm
the way. Not my choosing, his choosing.
That's what he told his disciples. He said, you didn't choose me.
I chose you. I ordained you. I called you. Leave me to myself and I'm telling
you I'm going to hell. I know that. The Lord was pleased
to send the reproof. He sent the conscience. He gave
the nature. We see it in providential going
to funerals, men are dying, we've got the gospel of God's grace.
We have had reproof after reproof after reproof. He that being
often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed,
and that without remedy. We're guilty. I'm gonna close
with this. Is there any hope for me? Is
there any hope for me? Matthew 11. Verse 28. The Lord says. I know this. I know unless the
Lord unless the Lord draws me. You know, I had a bunch of people
that quit following him because the Lord said, no man can. This
is in John 6, 66. If you want to look it up. Just a few verses before that.
John 6, if you want to look it up. The Lord had told me, he
said, no man can. That has to do with ability.
Didn't say no man may. He said, no man can. Come unto
me, except it were given unto him of my father. And they quit
following him because of that. They quit following him because
of that. That's hard saying. And he followed him no more.
You know what happened. The Lord looked at his disciples.
He said, will you go away too? You want to go away? Go. If that's
what you want to do. Peter said, where are we going
to go? You that know him, where are you going to go? Where are
you going to go? Where are you going to go? Matthew, Matthew 11, 28. Here
it is. I'm going to wrap this up. Come unto me. Come on to
me. And let me tell you something.
Don't go back to a date. Well, I tell you, June the 17th,
it was about 2.17 in the, what are you coming to now? You're
coming to a date. You're coming to a date. I've
told you before. My birth certificate says I was
born October the 5th, 1949, if you want to figure out how old
I am. What difference does it make?
I'm here. What if it was October the 6th?
What if it was a typo? What difference does it make?
Don't go back to a date. Come unto me. Don't come back
to an act that you performed. Well, I remember Brother So-and-so.
I mean, I remember they were singing 27 verses just as I am. And I remember about on verse
probably number 14. I remember I just, I just decided
to, don't, don't go back to an act. Well, I was baptized. Water
doesn't save. Water don't save you. Water doesn't
save you. How do you know Marvin? You're
just making that up. No, the scripture says without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission. Without the shedding
of blood, his blood, the Lord said, when I see the blood, I'm
going to pass over you. Come unto me. Not a feeling. Feelings are deceiving. Sometimes
I get up in the morning, I just don't feel good. Come unto me. Come to a person. Come in heart. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden. What does that mean? All of you
that are weary and tired and exhausted with the burden or
the load, with the requirements of the Mosaic law, I shall love
the Lord thy God with all your heart. I want to, I want to. I know something of the frailty
in my flesh. I just, I find myself just doubting
God and just, you know, Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not
commit adultery. You say, I've never done that.
In your heart you have. Don't tell me. The Lord said
that. All you that are laboring, trying
to keep the law. I love the law of God. I love
the law of God. I just can't keep it. All of
you that's burdened down with the consciousness of sin, you
come unto me, all you that labor heavy laden, I will give you
rest. Okay, how do I come? How do I
come? Won't you come just like that
thief came? Wasn't any aisles there to come
down. There wasn't a, you know, wasn't
a table to kneel down before. Where was he? He was hanging
on a cross. How'd he come? Come, come, come like old blind
Barnabas. He heard that Jesus of Nazareth
was walking by. He came, it was impromptu to
him, right now. He heard that the Lord was walking
by. Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. He said, old man, hush now, hush. And he cried the louder. Jesus,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. And when do I come? Last verse
right here. When, when do I come? When do
I come? Hebrews chapter three. Hebrews
3, seven to nine. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost
saith today, If you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation of the day of temptation in the wilderness,
when your fathers tempted me and proved me. I saw my works
40 years. Wherefore, I was grieved with
that generation and said, they do always err in their heart. They have not known my ways.
When do I come? Come right now. Come right now. Come in your heart. If God's
given you a heart to want to come, cast yourself upon him. forsaking anything that you've
ever done, putting no confidence in your flesh. If you want to
come, he made you willing in the day of his power. You come.
You call on him. And he said, he that cometh to
me, I will in no wise cast you out. Now I'm going to say something
that Brother Scott used to say. That's all I got. I pray God
bless it to his glory and our good. Amen. All right. Let's
take a few minutes break.