I was thinking as Brother Scott
was reading, you know, good news, the gospel, glad tidings. Good news is not good news if
there was no bad news. That which makes the gospel wondrously good is when we know
something of what God saved us from ourselves. We're the problem. Turn with me to Romans 15. Romans 15. I'm going to begin
looking in verse 22. Just a second. But, you know,
the purposes and the intents of a believer are often impeded
or hindered, not not necessarily because they're not good intentions.
But because the providence of God orders things to be so we. There's things that we we have
in our mind that we want to do, and they very very. Probably. Have. an honorable
end. I mean, it's not that they're
bad. It's just, you know. Paul had fully preached, he said,
the gospel where Christ was not named. That's what God had called
him to do. Paul's calling was to go and
establish places. The Lord had a people. That's
why God sent the apostle Paul to go where he did. The gospel
was to be preached in all the world. And so Paul went there,
but because he was doing what the Lord had called him to do,
we start in verse 22 and says, for which cause? That's that's
that was the reason he was he was He wanted to go to Rome is
what he did. He wanted to go visit the saints
at Rome. That's what he wanted to do.
But the reason that he hadn't been able to go is right here,
verse 24, for which cause? Also, I've been much hindered
from coming to you. Now, there may be second causes,
things that come up, we look at as hindrances or say something
that comes up that hinders a good intention. And it might be that
secondary causes may be evident. Maybe something happened, I don't
know, a boss, a fair weather friend, something happened providentially,
you know, engine blew up. But you know, maybe something
happened as a secondary cause. But the reason that that we're
hindered. In this life, the reason that
we're not able to sometimes do what we would like to do. Is
because the steps of a good man are ordered. By the Lord. Almighty God worketh. He's operative. He works all things after the
counsel of His own will. Now, the reason that everything
worked out exactly the way it did today, this is the day the
Lord's made. And Almighty God is working right
now, today, Everything in this world is being ordered. All the
steps are being ordered of everything. Every man, every animal, every
earthquake, every thunderstorm, every snowstorm, everything. God is working all things after
the counsel of His own will for the accomplishment of His purpose.
Now, if Almighty God is working all things, well, then that means
that there's sometimes that some hindrances come up. In our mind,
some things happen and we, you know, well, we were going to,
I tell you, we, you know, but we couldn't, but the snow, the,
we, you know, the Lord worked that. That's one of the hardest things
in the world for me to remember. I hate to call you and cancel
service. I feel, you know, like I'm shirking
my responsibility. It's snow winter. It's supposed
to snow. I try to, you know, relieve my mind, you know, by
calling Brother Scott. Ask him, Scott, what do you think?
Maybe I don't have to make the decision. It won't look so bad
on me. I'm so glad he's here. I heard
him say one time, the Lord sends us snow. I'm thinking, but why? Why would the Lord send snow
on a day we're supposed to meet? Why couldn't Paul go to Rome?
Wasn't anything wrong with the intention? I'll tell you one
thing it does do when we're not able to meet, especially two
times in a row. Man, I'm so glad to be here.
I'm thinking, man, I hadn't been here in so long. Makes me remember. That was good. Hindrances. Things that come up. But you
know this, that neither Satan or any other creature hinders
God's purpose. Nothing happens outside of God's
will. All things work together for good to them that love God. To them who are the called according
to His purpose. Now, whether or not it looks
good or looks bad or looks like it's dishonorable or honorable
or whatever it is, the Lord is working all things. Ephesians
1.11 says, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh, who
is operative. If I can just stop and remember,
that whatever comes my way, that God is operative for my good
and His glory. Hopefully, I can settle down. It's the Lord. That's what Eli
said. He came to him, told him, said,
both your boys have been killed. It's the Lord. Let Him do what seemeth good
to Him. Job says, The Lord giveth, the
Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I just settled down. I am so prone to panic. I want to get it done. I'm going
to get it done. I'm going to do something today
if it's wrong. I have such a bad attitude. Just relax. Settle down. But though the Apostle
was hindered coming to the church at Rome, he wanted to go. But
he wasn't slothful in the work for which he was called. Verse
22, 23, But now, he says, having no more place in these parts,
and having a great desire these many years to come unto you,
whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you.
For I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on
my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with
your company. had previously given the church
at Rome this this exhortation, he said, not slow, full and business,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Now, listen, listen to
me. Let me hopefully give you some
practical understanding about this fervent in business that
that has this has nothing to do with. I mean, you want to
be fervent, you know, business as far as monetary. That's but
that's not what it's talking about. The work of the Lord.
the ministry, fervent, fervent. Paul says, serving the Lord,
do what you can. Now, what has the Lord commanded
us to do? Go into all the world and preach
the gospel. We've got, we're trying, we're
trying as Often as we can, as quickly as we can, with the tools
that we have, the messages that Brother Scott's preached here
years and years and years, trying to get them and put them on and
get them out. It's amazing to me how many responses. I know since a little over, maybe
coming up soon to two years, over over 30,000 messages, you
know, a lot of them all over the world, most of them from
China. People download these messages. that he preached. And I'm thinking, you know, we're
doing what we can do. Serving the Lord as He commanded
us. Preach the gospel. That's what
we do. I'm not concerned about trying to clean up society. And
there's a lot of things that are good things. I'm not saying
that. What has God called us to do? Preach the gospel. That's
it. That's all I'm concerned about
doing. I'm not concerned with any other programs I'm not saying
the programs are not good. I'm not saying that. I'm just
saying that that's not what I'm concerned about. Serving the
Lord, doing what you can, but how do I know what to do? How
do I know what to do? Let me ask you this. What do
you want to do? What do you want to do? How do I know what to do concerning
the service of our God? What do you want? Psalm 37 verse
4 says, Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give
thee the desires of thine heart. Not only give you the desires
of your heart, but also give you what your heart has then
desired. Is there anything wrong with
ministering to the saints? Praying for them? Being an encouragement
to them? Help them? You see somebody that's
in really help. I'm not talking about a sluggard. I'm not talking about somebody
that's lazy. I'm not talking about somebody that doesn't want to
do it. I've often said this. If I see somebody pushing a rock
up a hill, I'll help you. But if you're sitting there waiting
on me to walk up and push that rock up for you, you'll probably
be waiting a long time. Why? When you see somebody struggling
and they need some help and they're doing all they can Do what you
can for them. Help them. What does somebody
need? What's the greatest need that
somebody's got? I'll tell you what it is. To
hear the gospel. That's what I've said before.
What can you do to somebody that you work with? Ask them to come.
Just tell them to come sit. I've got them for about an hour.
An hour and fifteen minutes. Uninterrupted. I've got the floor. Prepare the message. Pray the
Lord's blessing on it. Lay it out systematically. What
do they need more than anything? They need to hear the Gospel.
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of it. It's the power of God and
salvation. He wasn't a sluggard. The Lord
had providentially sent him to these different places. And he
says, now when I take my journey to Spain, I want to come to see
you. Not to go see the pomp Rome,
it wasn't the grandeur of that world's care that drew his heart.
It was the saints of God. I like this building. I love it. It's beautiful. I love the building
on it. But do you know what I love? I love the people of God that
are here. This is such a blessing to be
able to be here together with you. We're sitting here. at this moment right here at
the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is the supper. We're feasting
on Him, eating of Him, drinking of Him. God's people. Paul said, I want to be with
you. Paul says in verse 25 to 27, But now I go unto Jerusalem
to minister unto the saints, for it hath pleased them of Macedonia,
Achaia, to make a certain contribution for the four saints. which are
at Jerusalem, it hath pleased them verily, and their debtors
they are. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to
minister unto them in carnal things." Now, let me ask you
this. What did Paul primarily do? He preached the gospel to
those people. But in the preaching of the gospel,
in the ministering of those saints, there was a need that was made
aware. And it was the saints at Jerusalem,
the Jews and the Gentiles, those that these Jews had previously
despised. No way in the world God's going
to save one of those. A contribution had been made. Some money. Turn over to 1 Corinthians
16. Let me show you something about
giving. 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2. A contribution had been made
and Paul said I want to bring it to you now concerning first
Corinthians sixteen one and two concerning the collection for
the Saints as I have given order to the churches of Galatia even
so do you upon the first day of the week. Do you know why we meet on Sunday
first day of the week. It's in celebration of the resurrection
of our Lord the apostles met. On the first day of the week,
they used to meet on on the last day of the week on Saturday Sabbath.
But the believers after the resurrection of our Lord under the direction
of the Spirit of God, they in celebration of his resurrection,
we meet. This is why we meet on Sunday.
It just doesn't happen to be because we're not working today.
Traditionally, this is the reason we don't work today is because
this is the Lord day. He said, upon the first day of
the week, let every one of you Lay by him in store, as God hath
prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Now,
listen to me. God's people are generous people.
They share as the Lord prospers them. God's people give. Now, let me just, you know, please,
please, You know, you think, well, there he goes, you know,
preaching on money. Let me tell you something. For God so loved the world that
He gave. Number one, it's a joy. It's
a joy to give. But I'm going to tell you something.
It's a commandment. The Scripture says, now listen
to this, and let me ask you this, if this is an option. Verse 2, upon the first day of
the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God has
prospered him. How does a man give as God prospers
him? I'm telling you that God's people
give, and if there be no inclination of graciousness, giving, and
you can use every excuse in the world you want to. You can try
to tell me how many bills you got and how many kids you got
to put through school and how many this and that. You're not having to deal with
me. Now, I'm telling you, God's people are gracious people. Is that too plain? This is the
way it is. The spiritual maturity of a person
is evidenced by giving. Now, that's just the way it is.
That's just the way it is. The spiritual maturity. As God
prospers a man. How much has God prospered you?
Unto whom much is given, much is required. I'm telling you, we are the stingiest
people in the world. I may be getting too honest.
Maybe I am. If I am, well, Lord, forgive
me. And if I'm not, Lord, help me. Turn over to 2 Corinthians 9. I've said this many times. There is a great, great blessing
in giving. It's a joy to give. It's never recorded in the Scripture
only that Paul says the Lord said it. Paul said this as the
Lord said it's more blessed to give than to receive. Do you
know that Scripture is not in the Bible? Paul said that the
Lord said it. That's what it was. It wasn't recorded. 2 Corinthians
9, 6, and 7. I say this. He that soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly. He which sows bountifully shall
reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposes
in his heart, so let him give." Not grudgingly or of necessity. Not like this. Oh, all right. I'm going to give. Man, I can't
afford this. Just keep it. Just keep it. Obviously, you need it more.
Just keep it. Don't give grudgingly. Don't do that. God loveth a cheerful
giver. And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work. All believers give. They give. Now, some more than
others. What's the difference? As God
prospers a man. If somebody's making $25,000
in here, give as God prospered you. If you're making $100,000,
then give as God prospered you. You say, well, I just don't think
I can do that. Well, maybe God will take it away from
you. Or worse than that, maybe he'll let you keep it. I had a man one time, a doctor,
told me he was a believer, claimed. And he said to me one day, he
said, you know, Marvin, I hope God never, I hope God never touches
my money. I hope God never puts me in a
situation where He takes away my money, and I thought, I hope God delivers you from
that because He may just allow you to keep it and keep it all
and die with it all. God's people are generous people.
Paul said back in Romans chapter 15, he said, It hath pleased
them, Macedonia, verse 26, and Achaia, to make a certain contribution
for the poor saints that are in Jerusalem. It hath pleased
them barely, and their debtors they are, for the Gentiles been
made partakers of their spiritual things." If God has been pleased
to call out these Gentiles and bless them richly, spiritually,
and these Gentiles were financially, they were well off. They had some stuff, and these
poor Jews over here didn't have anything. They were, I mean,
they were struggling. How do you sit and watch somebody
struggle when they're really trying to make it? God may have
put them in that situation for one purpose, to bless you helping
them. We found out a few years ago
that Brother Cody and Walter, well, actually it was Walter,
Walter needed a vehicle down in Mexico. Here's a faithful
man, been down 40-something years, been down there. They thought
he was going to take up an offering. Kind of called a few of the churches
around, said, Walter needs a... He can't work. Not because he
won't work, because the Mexican government won't let him work.
It's against the law for a missionary in Mexico to work. So what do
we do? We support him. We help them.
So let's let's take up, let's help them out and send them some
money to get Walter a vehicle. Buddy, I'm telling you, when
the last shot was fired, we bought Walter a vehicle and bought Cody
one too. And I'm telling you, they weren't
cheap vehicles either. They were big SUVs. And we we saw them
when we were down there, big, nice vehicles. And buddy, I'm
going to tell you something, I don't know one church has struggling
today because of it. There were thousands and thousands
and thousands. I mean, you start looking at
thirty five forty thousand dollar vehicles. And he bought two. And, you know, all these churches
that sent down there are still operating right now. Paul says,
if God has made them, these Gentiles partakers of spiritual things,
their. Duty. Look at verse 27, their
duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. It is
my duty. Verse 28, when therefore I have
performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I'll come
by you into Spain. Paul was trusted with the taking
of this gift. Go to Jerusalem. Deliver that
contribution. Help them. Be glad to help them.
And then go to Rome and visit with them. Try to see them. Because
he said, my plans, verse 24, when I take my journey, come
to you, trust to see you, be brought to you, that I might
be filled with your company. It is such a privilege to be
able to be here. It's such a joy to be able to
see you, be with you. I trust to see you. But don't
be overconfident in your plans. If the Lord wills, I'll be there. But of all the things that Paul
desired, here's the last verse we'll deal with this morning.
Verse 29, And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall
come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Of all the things that Paul desired,
He wanted to come visit with them. I want to visit with you
this morning. He wanted to be a help to them.
I'd want to be a help to you. I need some help. He wanted to
be a blessing to them. No doubt about that. But here's
what he prayed. That when I come, I'll come in
the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. If the Lord blesses this message
to you today, if we're taught by it, exhorted by it, convicted
by it, it's been a help to us. I pray that it is. The fullness
of the gospel, the knowledge of the gospel, the blessing of
the gospel, the comfort of the gospel, If God doesn't bless
this message to our hearts, if we don't walk away today with
a blessing of the gospel of Christ, then we don't have anything.
I just took up an hour and a half of your time. But if Almighty
God has been pleased to bless this message, the fullness of
it, the completeness of it, If Almighty God has been pleased
to bring honor to himself, then this has been a profitable
hour and a half. You know, we absolutely cannot
expect too much from the Lord. We just don't. Paul prayed that
God make him an instrument of the blessing of the gospel, and
that's the prayer of every gospel preacher. I pray that God would
Teach us something. We're not ashamed of the gospel.
I'm not. I'm not. I am not ashamed of
telling you what Scripture says about giving. Brother Don Fortner
told me one time, you know, he said, Marvin, don't ever be ashamed
to deal with something that the Scriptures deals with. Don't
ever be ashamed of it. I'm not ashamed to tell you anything
concerning these Scriptures. It's so. I'll tell you what it
does. It causes us to take a good look
at ourselves. And you know what a believer
is going to do? They're going to take God's Word against themselves.
They'll take God's side against themselves, against that beast
that lives within them. May Almighty God be pleased to
bless our hearts today to His glory and to our good. Amen. Gary, would you come?