Brother Carl was reading those
scriptures. I began to look at them and how my heart was stirred
with the wonder of God's sovereign grace. A certain woman named Lydia The Scriptures set forth that Almighty God, who has eternally known His people, He calls them by name because
He named them. This woman's name was Lydia.
But let me tell you what's precious to me about that, and you just
say this for yourself. There was a certain man named
Marvin. This woman was a seller of purple. She was a businesswoman. She
was like anybody else. She had a job. That was her profession. And this certain woman, obviously
one that Almighty God had everlastingly loved, and in particular, merciful grace. This woman from the city of Thyatira, out of every nation and kindred
and tribe and tongue, God has a people I wouldn't have had
any idea I don't know anything about Thyatira, but I know this,
that Almighty God does. And He raised up a city and He prospered that city. He
elevated that city and caused a certain woman's parents to
meet, fall in love. They had a little girl. Her name
was Lydia. He raised her up and he gave
her a mind. And this woman, the Scripture says, worshipped God. She worshipped God in the only
way she knew how. And I'll tell you why I said
that in just a minute. She had heard some things about
God. And she was doing what she truly thought was the right thing
to do. I came up, as I told you before,
I went to church because that's where my mama went to church
first. And later I went to another church because that's where my
mom and daddy went to church. And I believed what they believed
because that's what they told me. was the right thing. And
I worshiped God in the only way I knew how. I went to church
and I walked it out. But the Scripture says something
happened here. Paul said she heard us. Paul was there preaching the
gospel, the gospel of God's grace. Oh, what a miracle that God would
raise up a preacher. I think about this little community
that God Almighty raised up. A man that went through some
tough times here to there. Brother Scott told me some things
about himself. Who would have ever thought?
And God raised up a preacher and gave this preacher a heart
to preach the gospel. What a miracle that God would
teach a man something of God's grace and not leave him. Not leave him. I think back years
ago when I was going to church, I heard a man preach." And I
thought, that is so different. I've never
heard that. I listened to what was being
preached and I remembered making this statement. I started going through and I
said, you know what he's saying about God's grace Choose predestination. I said, that's all in here. I
never saw that before. I never knew. That's all through
these Scriptures right here. The same message over and over
and over. Paul was preaching the gospel
of Christ That gospel, as we said last time, He wasn't shamed
of. And here was a miracle that took
place. She heard us. How did she hear? Paul said,
whose heart the Lord opened. God Almighty gave her a new heart. A new heart after Him. Oh, I
do understand. Faith cometh by hearing. There's
going to be some hearing, but understanding and true hearing
is when God gives a new heart. And all of a sudden, something
was different. Here was the difference. God
Almighty, she would have never known where she was from or who she
was. How would she know? God providentially
caused this woman to be directed to a place down by a river where
God had sent a preacher. What if she'd have been sick
that day? What if she'd had some business
to take care of over, you know, and she wouldn't have been there?
She had an appointment. God Almighty predestinated that
this woman would be right there by that river on that morning
when God sent a preacher. And this woman right here heard
effectually what Paul was preaching. And here's the miracle of God's
grace. She attended unto the things. She believed them. Those things were precious to
her. Those things were beautiful to her. She attended unto the
things which were spoken of of Paul." Paul was preaching Christ. He was preaching the glorious
gospel of God's grace. The gospel that God had taught
him. Taught of God. And there he was doing the only
thing that he knew to do. What did Paul have to glory in?
Save the glorious gospel. of God's grace and mercy. And this woman that heard the
words that were spoken by Paul that the Spirit of God taught
her in regenerating grace, she was baptized. She was baptized
because the Lord had given her a new heart. Not in order to
get a new heart. Baptism is a confession That
salvation is all of grace. Baptism is that setting forth. That is the confession before
the world. This is what I believe. I believe
that salvation is all of the Lord. It's grace buried with
Him, risen with Him to newness of life. Baptism is not for salvation. It's because of. It's obedience. It's obedience. Nobody is saved
because they're baptized. Baptism is a confession of our
faith. My confession of faith, my preaching
of the gospel is not in order to be saved. God's taught me
something. And before, I was just a businessman. I was a businessman. What I did
was I sold vinyl siding. And I painted a few little pictures. But until Almighty God called
me out, I was just a businessman in religion. That's all it was. Just going through the motions.
This woman, God opened her heart and she attended to what was
spoken of by Paul. And she says, this is the Christ
that I believe. This is what I believe about
salvation. That's baptism. Baptism. She was baptized in her household
and she besought us saying, if you judge me faithful to the
Lord, would you come over to my house and abide there? She constrained us. By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples. You have loved one for another."
Would you come to my house and preach this some more? Would
you come to my house? I'd like to sit around and just
listen to what you've got to say. Who knows? The Lord may be pleased
to teach me something. What a miracle of God's grace.
Just a certain woman. Just a certain woman named Lydia.
Nobody else. A lot of folks down there that
day. is having a prayer meeting for what they're doing, going
down by the river and having a prayer meeting. And by the grace of God, God
was pleased to send a faithful preacher. A faithful preacher. And God was pleased to bless
that message. I pray that the Lord is pleased
to bless the message of His dear Son, Sovereign grace. Miracle. Miracle of all miracles. That God Almighty. Look at the
evidence of God's grace. There's some folks that are sitting
here that God, I'm convinced, has done something for. And you
know the miracle? Brother Carl just mentioned it. What was preached a moment ago?
What was preached right now? Was it new? No. Oh, aren't you
glad for that? I am so thankful that, number
one, I would not have a heart to want to come up with something
new, something catchy, you know, kind of dazzle you a little bit.
No, it's the same message over and over and over. Why do you
preach the same thing, Marvin, over and over? You're like a
broken record. Thank you. Thank you. Why do you preach
that? Because this is what he said
to preach. Who knows? God may save your child, your
mama, your daddy, your wife, your husband. Who knows? God
may be pleased to do so. But I do know this. He's not
going to bless any other message but this one. And the miracle
of God's grace is God's people never tire of hearing it. Like
I said before, tell me one more time how God put away my guilt.
Tell me one more time how nothing that I've ever done or could
do And let me just say how thankful I am that God Almighty does not
look to my faithfulness, because I'm going to be honest with you,
I have never been faithful. I can't even go through a prayer
without my mind just wandering so much. If Almighty God would
judge me on the best prayer that I ever tried to pray, I'm just
sorry. I wouldn't have made it. Thanks
be unto God that God opens hearts of His certain people, of His
elect, and calls them to Himself. Does He have a right to do that?
Yes, sir. He's God. Here's the miracle that He does
it at all. That Almighty God would not leave
men and leave women in unbelief. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart. For Christ's sake, All right. Brother Jerry, would you lead
us in a call?