Turn with me to Titus chapter
one. Titus chapter one. We are going
to continue our study here in Titus. And we're gonna look at
two more phrases this morning, one for this Bible study, one
for our message in a moment. and I feel led to swap the order
of the phrases. We've been going phrase by phrase,
but we have two more in verse two, but I wanna look at the
last phrase or the last line in verse two for this Bible study. It says, promised before the
world began. Verse 1 says, Paul, a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after
godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie
promised before the world began, promised before the world began.
The point of this Bible study is to establish, it is to make
it very clearly known that everything that is Everything concerning
God, everything concerning man, everything concerning this world,
people, places, events. Everything concerning everything. Everything that happens in the
existence of time. Everything was ordered and made
sure by the word of God's promise before this world ever began. Now, if we have never seen this
before, we need to see this. And if we have seen this before
and forgotten it, like we do about every 30 seconds, We need
to see this again. We need to see this again. If
the Lord would give us faith to really believe this, I mean,
you talk about peace and comfort. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing happens by accident. There are no surprises with God. I hit my eye with a bungee cord
last week. That was a big surprise to me.
All of a sudden, boom, I was surprised. I didn't know that
was going to happen. There are no surprises with God.
There are no surprises with God. Sometimes it's like people assume
that God is trying to figure all this out as he goes. If you listen to false religion
talk, that's what it sounds like. It sounds like he's kind of reacting
to what's dealt to him. You know, he's got a plan, but
we keep messing it up and the devil keeps messing it up and
he's having to change it, but he'll fix it. You know, everything was ordered and made
sure by God's promise before this world ever began. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing
happens by accident. There are no surprises with God. If something comes to pass, it
comes to pass because it was promised by God to come to pass
before the world began. That's amazing to me. That is amazing to me. Now, all
I want to do for this Bible study is show you scripture after scripture
that tells us this truth and proves this truth to us. God purposed and promised everything
before the world began. Our first scripture will be in
Acts 15. Acts chapter 15. Acts 15 verse 18 says, known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world. If it happens in this world,
it's his work. If it happens in this world,
it's his work. Turn over to Colossians one. Colossians one. Verse 16 says. For by Him were all things created
that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him
and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things
consist. John 1 verse 3 says, all things
were made by him and without him was not anything made that
was made. Romans 11 36 says, of him, of him and through him and to
him are all things. Hebrews 1 verse 3 says, he upholds
all things by the word of his power. So if it happens in this world,
it's His work. In our message in a moment, we're
gonna focus on the fact that God cannot lie. Whatever He says is truth. God does not say things that
He doesn't mean. He does not say things that He
does not mean. He does not exaggerate. I do. If you fish, you do. God doesn't. God does not exaggerate. If His Word says that He knew
everything that He would do from the beginning, then He knew everything
that He would do from the beginning. Known unto God were all His works
from the beginning. I love that. And he's already
declared that the end is good, that all is going to work together
for good. He made everything, he upholds
everything. Turn with me to Genesis 8. Genesis 8 verse 22 says, while the earth remaineth, seed
time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease. As long as God allows this earth
to remain in existence, day, night, planting, harvest, four
seasons, we're going to have four seasons. Everything will
continue as it is. I know they talk about global
warming and it may be warmer than it used to be. I don't know.
But winter is not going anywhere. It's just not going anywhere,
not until the Lord says, that's it enough. And then everything
won't be here anymore. But our Lord has promised from
the beginning, everything will continue as it, as he made it
to be. And it has, it has continued
and it will. What he promised from the beginning,
that's how it's going to be. It's going to continue just like
he says that it will. Now concerning Christ, okay,
that's concerning this earth, this world. Concerning Christ,
concerning the Messiah, the Savior. Turn with me to Isaiah 7. Isaiah 7 verse 14 says, Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. That's exactly
what happened. Promised before. And that's exactly
what happened. Micah 5 verse 2 says he would
be born in Bethlehem. That's exactly what happened.
Zechariah 9.9 said he would ride into Jerusalem on the colt of
an ass. That's exactly what happened.
Isaiah 53 said he would be taken from prison and led as a lamb
to the slaughter. That's exactly what happened.
Why did all that happen? It's because it was promised
before that that would happen. Revelation 13 verse 8 says he
was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world in the purpose and
the will and the promise of God Almighty. Look at Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46 verse 9 says, remember the former things of
old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there
is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning. and from
ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel
shall stand and I will do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous
bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far
country, yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it, I will also do it. Verse 10, he said, declaring
the end from the beginning. Declaring the end from the beginning.
That's our God. The one who purposed and ordered
and promised everything that would ever happen before there
was ever anything here to happen. Verse 11 says, calling a ravenous
bird, he orders the animals. He orders the animals. How many
times did we see through the scripture where he told a fish,
you go eat a coin right there. Ravens, you go feed Elijah right
there by that brook. He commands and orders the animals. He orders men. He orders men, the man that executeth
my counsel. Men execute God's counsel. You want to see what God's counsel
is? Turn on the news. Men execute God's counsel. Our hope, our hope is in the
fact that he had men. He promised before that men would
execute his counsel. Turn with me to Acts chapter
two. Acts chapter 2 verse 22. Ye men of Israel, hear these
words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you, by miracles and wonders and signs which God
did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know,
him being delivered By the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. He said, that's why you did that. You went to war against my people
and against my Christ. And that's why you went to war
against him. It was predetermined in the foreknowledge of God for
you to do that. The predetermined counsel and
foreknowledge of God for you to do that. Look at Acts chapter
4. This is the church praying to God, okay? God's people are
praying a prayer to God right here. Acts chapter 4, verse 26. The kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together. You had all these rulers
from all these different people And they all gathered together
and they were talking about what they were going to do and they
made their plans and verse 26, the kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against his Christ for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus
whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with
the Gentiles and the people of Israel. They were all gathered
together. Why? Verse 28, for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. The cross
of Christ was no accident. It was no unfortunate surprise
to God. It was not a frustrating hindrance
to the plan of God. It was the very thing he promised
before to be done. before there was ever a man standing
on this earth. He said, I'm gonna save my people
from their sin. And I'm gonna do it by the sacrifice
of my son. I'm going to give the life and
blood of my son as an offering to justice and judgment as a
payment to redeem my people from their sin. Everything that happened on the
cross of Calvary. was predetermined and promised
before by God to be done. Turn with me to Romans 8. Romans 8 verse 29. whom he did foreknow, know beforehand,
elect. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Every soul that
Christ died on the cross to save was predestinated to that salvation. The salvation of God's people
was a particular promise to them before the world began. Acts
13, 48 says, all of God's people were ordained to it, foreordained. Ephesians 1, 4 says, all of God's
people were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world. Second Thessalonians 2, 13 says, we're bound to give
thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Everything
concerning the salvation of God's people was set in stone before
the world began. Everything concerning everything
was set in stone by God Almighty before this world began. Everything. So, let's close with these words. Go with me to Revelation 22. Revelation 22, verse 13. Our Lord said, I am Alpha and Omega. What does that mean? That means
the beginning and the end. The first and the last. Here's what we need to understand
from that. He did not say I was in the beginning, and I will
be in the end. What he said was, I am the beginning,
and I am the end. Because he is eternal. You know, we are in time. We think of time. I was born in the past, and I'll
die in the future. Well, Christ wasn't born, and
he's not gonna die. He did die once on this earth
as a man in the place of man to redeem his people, but he's
the ever-living one. And he's not in time. He's not in time. He is. You tell him I am sent you. He
is that He is. He is eternal. He is the past. He is the beginning. He is the
first. And He is the last. And what
that means is, His promise will stand forever. If it stands right
now, it will stand forever. If it stood in the beginning,
it will stand in the end. He is the beginning and the end
right now. That's pretty sure, isn't it? In Him, that promise is never
going to return void. If he promised it in this word,
it will come to pass. Amen. All right, you're dismissed.