I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Philippians chapter 3. I'm going to preach this morning
on this subject. Does it matter where I go to
church? Does it matter? I'm going to
reference this verse, Philippians 3.3, in just a moment. But before
we begin, let's ask our Lord's blessing. Father, we lift our voice and
our heart to you. And Lord, we know that you've
promised that before your people even ask, You've answered. You've given us a heart to ask.
I ask this morning, Lord, would you bless to the honor of our
precious Savior, the good, salvation, comfort of your people for Christ's
sake. Amen. David, in Psalm 122, verse 1,
said this, under the inspiration of God's Spirit. I was glad when
they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. The assembling together of believers,
it's a joy. for God's people. And it's a
thing that is commanded of Almighty God and care must be taken concerning
assembling. Hebrews 10.25 says, Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more As you see the
day approaching, the day of our death, the day of the Lord's
second coming. Years ago, I was in high school,
and there was a local businessman who had a little filling station. down in Louisiana. And he erected
a little sign right there on his property, and it said this. It said, this Sunday, attend
the church of your choice. And I know that that sounds like
something that the world would agree on. That just sounds so honorable. This Sunday, attend the church
of your choice. But it's dangerous. It's very
dangerous. What if you attend the wrong
place? Not every place of religious
activity Not every place where somebody is standing in a pulpit
and preaching, not everybody can be right. Because there are
a lot of different things being preached. The Samaritan woman, when the
Lord went through Sychar, He stopped at a well and He began
speaking to a woman there. As the conversation came around,
the Lord directed her heart. And she said this, our fathers
worshiped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the
place where men ought to worship. And our Lord in the conversation
told the woman, He said, but the hour cometh. And it always does. And now is,
when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth, for so the Father seeketh such to worship Him."
Not that he's hoping that somebody is going to worship him in a
right way, but he seeks and he finds. He calls, He teaches,
and He keeps His people. And in regenerating grace, they
are true, sincere worshipers. True worshipers of God do not
worship as the Samaritans did, which they had no divine rule
or word from God Almighty for their traditions. The Samaritans
didn't have God's word. And true worshipers do not worship
as the Jews, the hypocritical Jews worshiped, who rested in
their rituals and their forms and their ceremonies The question
is not only where do we assemble in worship, but it's the attitude
of worship. Worship is of the heart, and
the Lord alone blesses with true heart worship, and where he has
been pleased to raise up the gospel of God's grace, He's promised
His presence there. True worship is evidenced by
Almighty God doing two things. True worship, number one, I know that where
He blesses, He sends a preacher. Turn with me to Romans 10. Romans
10. I'd like to read verses 13-15.
Where God is going to permit, allow, raise up true worship. Romans 10. 13-15. For whosoever Romans 10-13, for whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall
they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall
they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things." Now here's a promise from Almighty
God. Whosoever, whosoever, whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord, What does that mean? Now there's the key. There's
the key to that verse. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord. Calling upon the name of the
Lord means, number one, calling upon Him concerning who He is. Now men will say, We tell people,
call on the name of Jesus. Call on the name of the Lord.
Call on Him. And leave it to man's interpretation of what
you're talking about. That's just like us saying, we
believe, Neil, in free grace. We believe in grace. People say,
I believe in grace. What does that mean? What does
it mean to call on the name of the Lord? Now here's what it
means. To call upon Him concerning who He is. That He is God's Lamb. The surety of the sheep. The surety of those chosen in
Him. When you call on the name of
the Lord, you have to take what the Word of God says concerning
what God Almighty has done in Christ. You can't just say, well,
I don't believe in that predestination stuff. I don't believe in election. Well, then you just don't believe
God. You just call God a liar. I just don't believe that God
has just elected a certain people. Well, then you just call God
a liar. To call on the name of the Lord
is to call upon Him in whom God Almighty has placed a people,
a chosen people, To call on the name of the Lord is to call upon
Him who is the obedient servant of Almighty God, the One in whom
God alone is pleased. It's to call on Him secondly
concerning what did He do? He established the righteousness
of God Almighty that robes His people. It was for His people
that He died. You say, wait a minute, now I
call on the name of the Lord. I call on the Lord. And I believe
in Jesus. The devils believe in Jesus. Everybody believes that there's
a historical Jesus. Everybody believes that. It's
a historical fact. I've never met George Washington,
but I believe that there was a George Washington. They wrote
it. I've seen pictures of his signature. I believe that there was one.
Calling on the name of the Lord is calling upon him concerning
what he did. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. He said, all that the Father
has given me, I'll lose none of them. All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out." You say, well, now I call on the name
of the Lord, but I don't call upon Him. I just don't believe
that He just died for just the elect. Then you're not calling
on the name of the Lord. You're calling on someone that
is of your imagination. A God that you've created to
call on the name of the Lord. is to call upon Him, realizing
why did He do that? Because we couldn't. Because we're dead. Men said,
I call on the name of the Lord because I'm exercising my free
will. No, you're not. You're not calling
on the God of this Bible. You're not calling upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. You're not. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord. Calling on Him is to call upon
Him where He is now. Where is He? I'll tell you where
He is. He's seated at the right hand of the majesty on high.
Ever living to make intercession for His people. For those that He died for. To call on the name of the Lord
is to call upon Him who's ruling this world. who orders all things
after the counsel of his own will. No such thing as luck. Whatever has come to pass is
God's will. Almighty God governs everything
in this world, in heaven and earth, for His honor and His
glory and His praise and for the good of His sheep. Now let
me ask you this. Are we going to call on His name
and believe on Him unless God has sent a preacher? Does it
matter that God sends a preacher? Absolutely. Through the foolishness,
what this world calls foolishness, the foolishness of preaching.
Almighty God saves His people. So I know this, where God blesses
and raises up a preacher, that's where God's going to allow worship
to be exercised. Secondly, I know that where He
blesses, He gives the preacher God's message. Romans 1, just
a few pages back, Romans 1. Romans 1 verse 15, Paul says,
So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to
you that are at Rome also, for I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth, to the Jew first, also to the Greek, for therein,
there in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed. From faith to
faith. From his faith to us believing
in him. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. Is it necessary that the gospel
be preached? Is it necessary? Is there any
complications? Is there any hazards? If I don't
hear the gospel of God's grace, is there Galatians 1? I'll read
this for you. Galatians 1, 8 and 9, But though
we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you. Let him be accursed.
So we said before, so say I now again. If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be
accursed. Does it matter where you go to
church? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Does it matter what you hear? Yes, sir. Are there any hazards
to hearing a lie? Yes, sir. What's the hazard? You're going to die. You're going
to perish. God's going to send you to hell. When he said, let him be accursed,
do you know what that means? You'll perish in hell. Accursed. Accursed for God. Does it matter
where I go to church? Yes, it does. God's message honors
Christ. Not me. The gospel of sovereign
grace is the only message of life. You say, well, Marvin,
you're just saying that because that's where you go to church
and stuff like this. No. God has allowed His people
to know that truth. And where God Almighty raises
up that truth, God sends a preacher to preach that truth, and God's
people believe that truth. This is the truth! This is the
truth! But knowing that the message
of God's free and sovereign grace, the gospel of Christ preached
by His preachers. What caution should be taken
concerning hearing someone else preach another gospel? What caution
should be taken? Philippians 3 says, Beware of
dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware
of concision. Beware, listen to me, beware
of teachers that impose works and ceremonies as being necessary
to salvation. Beware of men that tell you that
salvation is all of grace, but that all you have to do to be
saved is... Beware of men that tell you that
you have a free will And that your will is the final decision,
that God graciously offers it, but it's your will. Beware! The Scripture says forth that
salvation is not of blood, it's not through families, it's
not the will of the flesh. I want God to save my kids and
I want Him to save your kids. But I'm going to tell you something.
I don't have the power. My desire and prayer to Almighty
God in saving is bound by this, Lord, Thy will be done, which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God. How much How much input does a man have
in salvation? How much input does any man have
in salvation? None. None. You're telling me that man has
no input, nothing. He has nothing. Nothing. which were born not of flesh,
I mean, not of blood, not of the will of man, nor of the flesh,
but of God." But of God. Jonah said, Jonah 2.9, it says,
salvation is of the Lord. How much does a man have? How
much input does a man have in salvation? None! God Almighty
saves who He will, when He will. by the means of the preaching
of the gospel of God's grace. Man has no input. If you are
saved this morning, if God has saved you, called you out of
darkness and kept you by His power and grace, it is totally
according to His will, His purpose. You didn't have anything to do
with it. God saved you because He chose to save you. That's
it. Beware. Beware of men that profit. from religion that beg and browbeat
and pressure you to give, to maintain their ministry if you
don't give. Now this ministry is going to fold. Good. Let it
fold. If Almighty God does not maintain
His people, it's not going to be maintained. Now I'll tell
you this, God's people give. They're generous people. Thank
God for them. God Almighty moves on His people
as the Lord prospers you. How much should I give? How much
do you make? How much did you make? How much
do I give? As the Lord prospers you, God's
people give. They're not stingy, selfish people. By God's people, they don't.
No. No. But men that stand on corners
and television sets and radios and beg and say, you know what,
you've got to send, because we want to send the gospel to you.
If God didn't raise it up, God's not going to maintain it. If
I've got to beg and bow deep and stuff like this, oh no. God's going to maintain
it. God will. And He blesses. He'll bless. Where you don't
hear the gospel of sovereign grace, where you don't hear the
message that God Almighty chose, elected, predestinated, where
you don't hear that the Lord Jesus Christ died for God's sheep,
where the Spirit of God shall surely, effectually, eternally
call and keep His people unto the day of salvation, where you
don't hear that preached, Mark 4.24 says, take heed what you
hear. Take heed what you hear. What should I do? Come out from
among them. Yeah, but you don't understand. My mom and daddy went to this
church. I was raised in this church.
All these people. Listen, does it matter what you
hear? according to these Scriptures
right here. It does. Paul says, if any man preach
any other gospel, if an angel preached it, any other gospel
than that which we've preached, let him be accursed. What should
I do? I'd never go back. I would never
go back. For the good of your eternal
soul, I'd never show up again. Knowing these things, that God
sends a preacher, and that the God-sent preacher will. God's preachers preach this gospel. God's preachers preach sovereign
grace. You say, well, Martin, you don't
think that there's some that maybe... No. God's preachers
preach this. There may be one that God hasn't
called out of darkness yet preaching a lie. I've been there. But when Almighty God calls him
out of darkness, I'm telling you, he will preach God's message.
He will. Is there any evidence, knowing
these things, that it matters? It matters. Is there any scriptural
evidence, evidence to my heart, that I'm hearing the truth. Now
what I want you to do is now in Philippians chapter 3, in
verse 3, Philippians 3. Now what I want you to do, those
of you that are members here, which most of you are, I want
you to judge what you're hearing from this pulpit and what you've
heard from this pulpit for over 50 years. You judge if what you're
hearing is not what these Scriptures, because if what you're hearing
is not consistent with these Scriptures right here, then I
would advise you to go somewhere else. For the good of your soul,
I'd advise you to go somewhere else. But if you are hearing
this, I'd advise you to sit and listen to what God has to say.
I'd advise myself to take heed of what I'm preaching, what I'm
hearing. Here's the evidence. Philippians
3.3, Paul says, for we are the circumcision, that Jews inwardly. That's according to Romans 2.29. We are the circumcision. True
Jews, believers, which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice
in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Three points right
there. And they all stand or fall together.
You don't take one away. They stand or fall together. This is the truth. This is God's
Word. The Spirit of God has set forth the heart evidence of true
worship. I'm not talking about emotionalism.
I'm not talking about outward ceremonies. I'm not talking about
all of the frills and the frou-frou and all. I'm talking about worship
of the heart. An evidence that's not drummed
up and emotional, but it's manifested by God's blessing. Here's my
first question. Will you attend? Does the message set forth that
men, true believers, worship God in spirit? That is to say that believers,
by the Holy Spirit's blessing, serve. Romans 1.1 says this, Paul, a
servant. of God, called to be an apostle. Marvin, a servant of God, called to be a pastor at Katie
Baptist Church. Gary Boehner, a servant of God,
called to sit right there, record this message, pray far, praying
God's blessing, hearing God's Word, Servant. Raised up. Wherever He's put you. We worship
God in spirit. Serve. Forsaking. All else. Anything that comes between me
and serving God. Forsake that. But don't forsake
God. We worship God in spirit, serving
and honoring and believing Him as the message that is preached
in this place and blessed to your heart to give you an understanding
of your bond of service. I want to be there. I want to
be there. I love the God that's preached
here. I love the God of all grace. The God of all mercy and hope. The God that saves sinners and
doesn't leave it up to them. I love the message where God
is God and not this little impotent nobody. I'm telling you, the
little G-God that men preach that says He wants to save you
if you can. He's done all He can do. That's not God. The God that we serve. Are you
satisfied where He's put you? Is He worthy? Is He worthy to
forsake everything else? It's amazing to me how man by
nature talks about loving the Lord and when it's convenient,
when it's convenient, David said this, I'd rather be
a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents
of the wicked. Where God's people assemble and
hear God's message, let me tell you, His Word is read. Let me
tell you the most important part of this service. is reading what
God has to say. Hearing what God has to say.
The reading of His Word. We sing songs of praise unto
Him. Prayer is offered unto Him. And the gospel is preached. But
what we're preaching is what God has to say. God is worshipped
in spirit. A heart worship. I love His message. I love Him. I love His Christ. I love His people. Secondly,
where you worship, do men rejoice in Christ Jesus? The Lord of glory, God Almighty,
sent His Son into this world for a specific purpose. It wasn't to make that salvation
as I said a while ago possible. It was to save a peculiar people
on purpose. The Lord said in John 6.39, This
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. Why? Why did he come? Hebrews 2.14 says, For as much
then as the children are protectors of flesh and blood, he also himself
took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
hath the power of death. That is the devil. God's elect,
like all men, born in Adam. They fell in Adam. Lose by the
fall, needed a Redeemer. They needed one that could obey
God's law as their federal head, earning the righteousness that
would robe every one of God's sheep. They believed Him. They
were robed. They needed a substitute. They needed one to carry their
burden, their debt of sin, and to satisfy Almighty God. Put away God's wrath. Justice satisfied that they might
go free. They needed reconciliation with
God. Our sins had separated us between
us and our God. And all that we needed, He supplied. My God shall supply all your
need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. You
say, I need money. No, you don't. God could feed
you with ravens and let you drink water. Well, I've got to have
this. No, you don't. But I tell you
what, you need Him. He is our need. We rejoice in
Christ Jesus. We rejoice in His suretyship,
His incarnation, His obedience, His death, His burial, His ascension,
resurrection. His office as our great High
Priest, and we rejoice in His sure return. Unto you, therefore,
which believe. Christ is precious. You know
what that means? It means He's valuable. He's
honored. He's sustained. And then thirdly,
where you worship is the message preached, which men have no confidence
in the flesh. Salvation, we said a while ago,
is of the Lord. We have no confidence in keeping
the law. We have no confidence in baptism. We have no confidence
in taking the Lord's Supper. We have no confidence in our
will, in our ability to please God. We have no confidence in
preachers, apostles, priests, Mary, we were in Mexico a few
weeks ago, and we went into this square in Merida. There's a huge,
just a great big old, old church. And you walk into that place,
and you're uncomfortable just walking in it. And here they're having mass.
And it's just, it's evil. It's evil. And here was a picture over here
on the side of this guy, this fella that wore the robes of
a pope a few years ago. And here he'd come to Medina,
and here he was kneeling down, And I didn't even notice it. Doug West came up to me later
and told me that a guy tapped him on the shoulder. We were
just looking at the picture, you know, and this guy tapped
Doug on the shoulder and pointed out there in the background in
the photograph. And there was a picture of himself, you know, and he
was close while the Pope was there praying. He said, that's me, that's me. That was his hope. That was his
hope. We have no confidence. No confidence. Peter, walking up, Peter and
James were walking up into the temple one day and there was
a man taking alms. Peter said, look on us, silver
and gold have I none, but such as I have given unto thee in
the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. God healed
him. He stood up. And all the people started coming.
Peter said, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you looking at us as
though we by our power did this? God Almighty healed this man.
We have no confidence. I thank God for preachers. I
thank God for the apostles. But we have no confidence unless
God Almighty gives us a heart for what they're preaching, the
God they're preaching. We believe that we're kept by
the power of God through faith. Does it matter where you go to
church? Yes, it does. According to the Scriptures,
it does. The Lord who has ordained the
end, salvation, has also ordained the means. He has ordained the
means. And where God Almighty is pleased
to save His people, He is going to save them through this gospel. This gospel. The gospel of free
grace. Free and sovereign grace. Does it matter? Yes, it does. where you have heard the gospel
preached, that message will always savor of worshiping God in spirit,
rejoicing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in your
flesh. If this is what you hear, if
this is what you believe, then Almighty God has blessed you
to hear that truth. Does it matter? Yes, it does. Lord, by your grace, according
to your purpose, Lord, allow us to please continue to hear
the gospel here, for Christ's sake, for the good of your people.