Let's just read these two verses,
47 and 48 of John 1, and ask the Lord's blessing. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to
Him, and saith unto him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom
is no guile. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence
knowest thou me?" Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that
Philip call thee, when thou watched unto the fig tree, I saw thee."
Let's pray together. Our Father, this morning we call
upon You knowing that Lord You know and do all things well. We thank you for the privilege
to be able to meet together. Lord, this is your day. This
is the Lord's day. The day that we look in celebration
to the glorious resurrection of our blessed Savior. Lord,
would you bless the Word this morning. Would you help this
braille creature. Would you bless the Word to our
comfort, to our help. Lord, I pray for Tommy and for
Robin and pray for that church down in Sylacauga. Lord, where
you've allowed the candlestick of the glorious Gospel of Christ
to be raised up. And Lord, you've blessed it.
You've maintained it. And for that, we give you the
honor and glory and praise. I thank you for the candlestick
here. I thank you that we've got one more Sunday to meet together. And Lord, if you'd be pleased
to allow the gospel to continue to be preached here, for that,
we're thankful. Bless, I pray, for Christ's sake. Amen. You know, the major question,
I think, when false religion. And I say false religion, and
the reason I say that is because this is the question that is
usually posed to people when someone is wanting to be a soul winner. And I say that. Here is scriptural language. The Scripture says, He that wineth
souls is wise. But what a believer knows and what an unbeliever thinks
he knows is two different things. He that wineth souls, there's
one that wins souls. There's one wise. It's the Lord
Jesus Christ. But false religion makes this
statement concerning people that they desire to be soul winners. They'll ask this question, Do
you know the Lord? Do you know the Lord? Now, when someone asks that question,
what they're thinking is they're going to lead you down what many
refer to as the Roman road. And they're going to take a few
scriptures, and they're going to, you know, they're going to
look in the Bible. And they're going to read a few
scriptures for you, and they're going to say now, If this is
so, this must be so. And if this is so, then this
is so. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God." They'll say, do you believe that? Well,
anybody that's got any sense is going to realize, well, they
need to say yes. And then they'll back and forth,
back and forth, and then they'll pose this question. Now, you
don't believe that God lies, do you? Well, no, nobody's going
to say God lies. Well, then let me ask you this.
Would you like to give your heart to Jesus? Well, here again, I mean, what
are you going to say? I mean, are you going to embarrass
yourself and say, well, no, I really don't. You know, I mean, there's
a lot of them that will tell you that, but people don't want
to make themselves out to be a fool. And then after someone
leads them in a prayer and stuff like that, and they'll say, now,
you know what? Now you know the Lord. Do you
know the Lord? Yes, I know the Lord. I mean,
if you prayed that prayer and you gave your heart to Jesus
and you walked down the aisle and you were baptized, you know
the Lord. Really? I'm going to tell you something. This thing of knowing the Lord, I've got a question for you. What do you mean? What do you
mean you know the Lord? Does that mean it's just some
kind of a little intellectual I, you know, I know that there's
a God. The devils know there's a God.
The demons in hell knows there's a God. Does that mean when you say you
know the Lord, does that mean that there's some kind of a bloody
system that we've, you know, me and Jesus, they say. You don't find believers calling
Him by His first name. They say, we've got a good thing
going. It's the most disrespectful thing I've ever heard in my life.
Let me tell you something. This thing of knowing the Lord, Nathanael saith unto him, Whence
knowest thou me?" The issue comes right down to
this. Does the Lord Jesus Christ know
you in mercy, compassion? And if He does, How is that evidenced? 2 Timothy 2.19. Let me read this
to you. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God standeth sure. Steady. Having this seal. The foundation of God stands
sure. Having this seal. Now you think about this. getting
ready to be said next. I want to know what that is.
The foundation of God stands sure. Here it is. The Lord knoweth
them that are His. You know, knowing that the devil
knows who the Lord Jesus Christ is, Intellectually, there's people
all over this world that knows intellectually. They have an
intellectual understanding. Somebody says, do you believe
that there's a Lord Jesus Christ? Everybody believes that there's
a Lord Jesus Christ. But knowing Him, and Him knowing you, What does the Scriptures have
to say about that? This is the seal. The Lord knows them. This is the issue. Not that I
have an intellectual, because an intellectual knowledge of
the Lord Jesus Christ, an intellectual evidences itself like this. It's
just as far as a person that intellectually knows. I know a few scriptures. I know
a few doctrines. It's hit and miss, give and take,
in and out, up and down, now and then. You have no heart for it. You have
no love for it. You have no desire for His glory
and honor. It's all about me. Now, I know that from experience. There's a nature in me that that's
just exactly like that. The question for my hope should
not be, do I know Him intellectually, but does He know me in Christ? Does He know me in mercy? If my eternal security rests
in His knowledge of me." What does the Scripture say? Just tell me what the Word of
God says. When it comes right down to it,
I mean, we've witnessed here in the last few months, I mean,
we've witnessed some dear, dear brethren leave this world. And I'm telling you, it just
has become evident to me and to you, I know, experientially. This life is a vapor. I'm telling you, we talk about
that like, I mean, that's for everybody else. I mean, that's
just, I mean, it happens to the other guy. It won't happen. Surely it won't happen to me. I'm looking around and I'm seeing
people leave this world. Then what? I don't want to be lied to and
I don't want to lie to you. I want to know something. What
does the Word of God have to say about Almighty God. What does the Word of God say
about me? What does the Word of God say about me standing
before God? What does the Word of God say? Because the way that a person
dies, that's the way they're going to spend eternity. He that
is holy, that's what Revelation says, let him be holy still.
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still. I'm telling
you, when we take our last breath, You know, somebody says, well,
now you're just trying to scare us. No, I'm not. I'm not trying
to scare anybody. I just want to be honest with
you. I got a buddy that's just, you
do too, a brother. That's just, I mean, the breaths
that are entering his lungs are coming down to, I mean, you just
count them. Then what? How? Whence knowest thou Me? Let me tell you how. This is
the seal of God that stands sure. The Lord knows those that are
His. What does the Scriptures have
to say? Well, I'll tell you how. He knows them. He knows them
first. He knew them before the foundation of the world. I know
that. The Scripture says, Jeremiah
1.5. I'll just read this to you. Jeremiah
1.5. This is what God Almighty has
to say about knowing His people. Before I formed thee in the belly,
I knew thee. Now, you know what went through
my mind when I read that? I knew thee. Lord, what do you mean when you
say, you knew me? You knew me. Before I formed
thee in the belly, I knew you. What does that mean, you knew
me? Here's what it means. I distinguished you. I recognized
you. And this is the one that I just
loved when I saw this Word. I cared. I cared. Before I formed you in the belly
of your mother, I cared." Oh, I thought, oh. I sure am glad
I saw that word. I cared. What did He do before the foundation
of the world? He that cared. What did He do? Here's what He said. according
as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." I
cared for you. He's a just God and He's a Savior,
and He cared. What is He going to do before
the foundation of the world, before He ever formed me in my
mother's womb? Before He ever formed me. There's
my mother right there. Before I ever came forth from
my mother, what did He do? He said, I knew you. I knew Marvin
Stoniker. I recognized you. You're one
that I've everlastingly loved. Why did He love me? He chose
to. What had I ever done? I wasn't
even born, neither having done any good or evil. But the purpose
of God according to election might stand. He said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated, Marvin I loved. He cared. What's the issue? That He knows
me. That He cared for me. He chose
me in the Lord Jesus Christ. He entered into that intimate relationship
with me in His mind before the foundation of the
world. And in so doing, the purpose to set His affection upon me
and knew before the foundation of
the world that I was going to fall. He knew me while I was being
carried. He knew me before he formed me
and knew me while I was being carried. Psalm 51.5, Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me. From Adam. Just passed down every
generation. Sin begets sin begets sin begets
sin begets sin. Like begets like. Somebody said,
well, we're all evolving. No, we're not. Just as wicked
as I am by nature. You cut out of the same lump
of depravity that I was. What makes the difference? I'll
tell you who makes the difference. Almighty God. How knowest thou me, Lord? Behold,
in Israelite, in whom is no God, how do you know me? I've known you a long time. Knew me before I ever formed you in the belly.
I cared for you because I cared for you. Because I loved you. Chose you. How do you separate
these things? These things are not separated.
I mean, I have to talk like it's like it's, you know, like it's
a chronological thing right here. Because I can't speak eternity.
I can't speak in an all-encompassing one. Just a frail creature of
the dust that's trying to stand up here and trying to be honorable. I speak these things, and you
know that. I say them, but this was always
so. All of these things were all.
Before He formed me, He cared. Because He cared, He chose. Because He loved, He entered
into that everlasting covenant of grace, mercy, purposed that
I wouldn't fall. How knowest thou Me? He knew me. He knew me when I
was growing up in rebellion. Listen to Galatians chapter 1. I certify, Galatians 1, 11, I
certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached to
me is not after man, for neither received it of man, neither was
I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have
heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how
that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it and profited in the Jews' religion above many of mine equals.
in mine own nation, being more exceeding zealous of the traditions
of my fathers, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in
me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood." He knew me. I was in false religion. Just false free will. Religion. So proud of it? Freddie, I didn't
know, I couldn't express to you how proud I was of myself. I mean, I didn't really know
very many people who were more zealous than I was. Oh, I didn't
really want you to know what I really thought, did or said,
you know, back behind, you know, closed doors and stuff like that.
But I'm talking about just outwardly. I was just so proud of myself,
you know. I was a song director, a youth
director. I was this, that, and the other.
I mean, I really can't really figure how that assembly could
have really made it without me. You say, well, I've never been
that proud. Yes, you have. You just didn't stand up here
and tell me like I told you. Can you imagine watching? But let me tell you
this. He who is longsuffering to us. God is not slack, as some men
count slackness, but is longsuffering. The thought that He would show
mercy to me in my utter silliness and rebellion and religious arrogancy. How knowest thou me? There is
Nathanael. The Lord said, There is one in
whom is no God. How do you know me? Oh, when I look back and I think
how the Lord kept me in my blindness guided me, causing others to
cross my path, causing me to hear the gospel and to reveal
to me how utterly stupid in myself I am. That's where Paul said,
O wretched man that I am. Not that I was. Sin. My sin is ever before me. and
how it grieves me to think about how silly. You know, that's something
men don't want to admit. They'd love to talk about how
silly I used to be. Oh, and I was. There's no doubt
about that. But how about right now? Lord,
thank You for Your long-suffering to me. Thank You for Your mercy
to me. Thank you. Just the little bit
that I realize of how arrogant and how silly and how inconsistent
I am. And I don't want to say that
and use that as a cloak to cover my rebellion. I mean it. I mean
it. I embarrass myself thinking about
how silly I really am. How do you know me? I knew you
before I formed you. I knew you when you were conceived
in iniquity. I knew you while you grew up
in rebellion. How about after He called me
out of darkness? He knows me right now. In regeneration, He knows me
while I'm walking right now, striving to walk after Him. Striving to trust Him. Here's the way it is. I've got
a nature in me that just absolutely is not going to bow to Him. That
which is flesh is flesh. That which is spirit is spirit.
And there's two me's there. And they're both me. I just quoted that. Oh, wretched
man that I am. Somebody said, well, I mean,
don't you mean that old man that you were? No. That old man right
now that I'm struggling with in this world and realizing that
I get up every morning when I realize I'm dealing with him. He's there
always. I realize I'm dealing with him.
Here I am. I've got a man that lives In
me, the me, in my mind, I serve the law of God. I bow to God in Christ. The Word. When I say the law, I don't mean
the law trying to establish a righteousness. I bow to His Word. Lord, if You
say I am, that's the way I am. And here I am struggling. to set forth in consistency some
Scriptures. He knew me everlastingly in conception,
walking in rebellion when I didn't know Him and now walking, striving
after Him in regeneration He knows me in the struggles that
I have. Listen to this, Isaiah 64. Here is a prophet of God speaking
under the inspiration of God's Spirit. Listen to the wording. Isaiah said that. And when he said this, do you
think that he said this of himself? Or is this God speaking through
him? Listen to the wording. We are
all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags. And we all do fade as a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Oh, when men start talking about
what they've done for God. I'll tell you the best that I've
ever done, and I can tell you for you too, if the Lord were
to judge you on the best that you've ever done, He'd put you in hell. Oh yeah,
but you don't realize how consistent I've been. No, none of us realize
how inconsistent we've been. Let me tell you something. We
have nothing to glory in save the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm
39, 5 says, Verily, every man at his best state is altogether
vanity. He knows me in my failures. Oh, wretched man that I am. But let me tell you this glorious,
glorious truth in closing. He'll know me in death. I'm going to leave this world. And you are too. Pointed unto
man, wants to die. I'm not going to preach on this.
I've got to stop right now. But I'm just sharing something
with the men. And I don't know, maybe I will
develop this next week or something like that and preach on it. But
I just want to read something to you out of 2 Corinthians 5. that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God and
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we
groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house,
which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed,
we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened, not for that we should be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Let me tell you what Paul just
said very quickly. We know this. We know we're going
to die. For we know that if our earthly house, that's this body,
this tabernacle, were dissolved, if it passed away, And we know
it will. We know that we have a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we
groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan." A couple of days ago, Neil and
I left drove and we were going to Danville and went to the services
Friday night and Saturday morning, came back yesterday afternoon.
This is what I wanted. This is what I wanted. I wanted
to be there. I wanted to be there. I wanted
to be there in the services. But I didn't really want to drive
six hours to get there. If I could just, you know, Bypass
that part of it. We want to be clothed upon, robed
in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, be in His presence,
be eternally sitting at His feet, hearing Him, seated with Him. But we've got to go through death. And that's what we don't want
to do. I want to be there. I'd like to bypass that part
of it. That's what Paul said. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up in life.
Somebody said, do you want to live with the Lord in heaven
forever? A believer says, yes, I do. But
I tell you, Brother Scott told me this one time. I know he was
halfway joking, but he wasn't. He told me, he said, Marvin,
I've heard that death is the only way out of this world. I
said, yes, that's what I've heard too. He said, if you ever hear
of another way, let me know. You know, half joking, but he
wasn't. The Lord will know us in death. Oh, death, where's your victory? Where's the sting of the grave,
the victory of death? In that day, when I've got to
leave this world, knowing that He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. I don't want to face that by
myself. I don't want to walk through
that veil, enter into that eternal state, standing before God. This is all the hope I've got,
that He knows me and He'll know me in glory. Knowing that the will of the
Lord Jesus Christ is going to be done That I read you that
this last verse now, I'll stop. John 17, 24, Father, I will that
they also whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory, which thou has given me for thou lovest
me before the foundation of the world and all that's in him. Nathaniel asked him, how do you
know me? He knew Nathanael and all like
him, objects of mercy. He knew them before they were
ever formed in the belly. He cared. Because he cared, he
chose them in Christ. He chose them in Christ who is
their surety and looked to the Lord Jesus Christ who is their
surety. He looked to Christ to answer
for them. How knowest thou Me?" He knows
us in mercy. He knows us in compassion. Because
He knows us in Christ, He knows us in mercy and compassion, when
we were conceived in sin, He looked to the Lamb. When I came
forth from my mother's womb speaking lies, because He had chosen to
show mercy to me. This is how He knew me when I
came forth. Speaking lies, He looked to the
Lamb. When I was walking in absolute darkness and rebellion and when
I didn't care and religious arrogancy because He would not leave me
to myself, He looked to the Lamb and He was well pleased. In regeneration,
He called me out of darkness He told me, revealed to me who
I am. Who I am in myself. The wretched
man. And showed me, revealed Christ
in me. He gave me an understanding.
And I still struggle right now knowing. Because He was long-suffering,
not willing that any of those that He had everlastingly loved
would perish, He looked to the Lamb. And in that hour of my death, He's going to look to the Lamb.
And when this body, this tabernacle is laid aside, and while I'm
still struggling, groaning because I was made to live forever, my
flesh is going to fight it. I want to stay here. I know that right on the other
side, I know right on the other side, absent from this body,
present with the Lord, and I know that. And I'm struggling with
it. Thanks be unto God. He's long-suffering,
looking to the lamp. I'm not going to leave you. I'm
not going to leave. Oh, I tell you, but this is tough. I'm not going to leave you. I'm
not going to leave you. And the closer a believer gets
to leaving this world, I'm convinced, the sustaining grace of God keeps
him. I've watched believers die. I've
watched believers die. And I'm going to tell you something,
they die with integrity. I've watched them. I'm not telling
you something I don't know anything about. And I know this, that
he's going to remember them in glory forever because he chose
to show mercy unto them for the blessed sake of his son. May
the Lord add his blessing. on this word for Christ's sake,
Amen.