Thank you. Thank you, Pastor.
It's been my pleasure. It's been an honor for me to
be in your home. I appreciate so much you inviting
me down. I'm thankful that God has obviously
blessed this union between the believers here at this church
and Brother Gabe Stoniker as your pastor. So very thankful
to see the Lord's manifest blessings upon you. It was a blessing for
me not only and an honor for your pastor to ask me to stand
in his pulpit. I don't consider that a small
thing at all. But also to be in his home. He
and Hannah just, they thought of everything. Just absolutely
everything. It's been delightful and I do
thank you. And I join with your pastor in
telling you ladies, y'all prepared some good groceries. Good groceries. And I appreciate it very much. I know that's a lot of work and
everything's been so very good. And I appreciate So many of you
this morning, already as I sat there, before the service even
started, came up to me and touched my shoulder and said, Larry,
we're praying for you. We're praying for you. Pray that
God would be with you. I appreciate that so much. Don't
we, John? I know years ago, I think I was
26 or 27 years old, Everybody's not right-handed
in this world. There's some lefties. There's some lefties? Okay. But I was asked to preach in Beckley,
West Virginia, and the pastor had invited also, preaching there
was Brother Henry Mahan. Scott Richardson, Don Fortner,
him some big guns. Man, I was a nervous wreck. Why
did this guy invite me? And I think perhaps Henry sensed
that, because there were some other young fellas. I was young
at that time, as I said, in the congregation, preachers. And
he said, I'm asked often by young preachers advice about preaching
and pastoring and so forth. And he said, a lot of things
can be said, but he said, I'll just say this to you now. He
said, be yourself. Just be yourself and don't violate
the gospel. I've never forgot that. Just
be yourself and don't violate the gospel. God enabled me to
do that this morning. Will you turn to 2 Timothy? 2
Timothy chapter two. And don't forget what I said
Friday night. You're invited to our conference
in Sylacauga, Alabama. It will begin two weeks from
this past Friday. I hope to see some of you. We
would just be tickled to have you. Here in 2 Timothy, Paul
writes his final letter to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy. Verse 9 and 10, we'll begin by
just reading these two verses. Paul says, wherein I suffer trouble
as an evildoer, even unto bonds. He was in prison when he wrote
this. But the word of God is not bound. Therefore, for the
gospel's sake, nothing else. That's enough. That's enough. Therefore, I endure all things
for the elect's sake. All the suffering, all the persecution,
the loneliness, the beatings, the imprisonments, the lies,
the accusations concerning my motive, my false brethren. He says, I endure all these things
that I endured for the preaching of the gospel, and I do this
for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. For the elect's
sakes. That's the title of my message.
Now we have already heard, and I have been glad to hear it,
about this blessed word election. And it's been good to hear. As
Paul says here, we've been reminded God does everything for his elect's
sake. That's comforting, isn't it?
I will not try to preach too long. We'll just kind of skim
along the surface of this vast ocean of God's amazing grace,
dip down like those birds I've watched and just get a drink,
I suppose, and then go on their way. I thought about what John
said. It crossed my mind I didn't do
it, John. You said last night, wasn't it,
that if you went too long, Vicki was going to wink at you? Would
that be OK if she winked at me? Would that be all right? For the elect's sake, first let's
begin at the beginning. Paul plainly states that there
is an election. There is such a thing as election. It's a choice. It's God's choice. It's a choice of sinners to salvation. God did that. God did that. And someone, I've been asked,
and perhaps you have too, and it's just an indication of the
idea, strange ideas people have about God. But I've been asked
in response to that blessed fact of God's choosing sinners to
salvation, God's work, God's doing, God's will, God's purpose,
all based on God's grace, then they say, does that matter? Does that matter? What do I mean
by that? The answer would be no if the
God with whom we have to do is that poor, needy, frustrated
being that just can't have his way. Now, if that's him, then
it doesn't matter what he wills, what he purposes, what difference
will it make? But that's not the God that Paul
speaks of here. That's not the God I'm talking
about. That imposter's not worth talking
about. He's not worth it. The God that
has chosen his people to salvation Listen to what he says concerning
himself. This is God himself speaking. I'm reading from Isaiah chapter
46, just two verses. God 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. I like the sound of that, don't
you Gabe? I don't have a problem with that. That's comforting.
Verse 10, declaring the end from the beginning. Man, he sounds
like a great God. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done saying, saying, if I had my way? No, no, no. Saying, my counsel
shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Now this great and
glorious God, God Almighty, that does all of his pleasure, all
the time, everywhere has purpose to save a people for his glory
and his name's sake, and yes, that matters. I know in most
churches this morning, as you and I gather here, and it's no
different in Kingsport, I don't live here, I've only been here,
this is only the second time I've been here, but I know it's
like where I live, and where all of us, wherever we may be
from, most churches today, this very hour, They would sooner
hear you curse than use the word election. Is that not so? Or they say, that's a bad word. We don't want to hear that. Don't
mention that. I'll tell you what's a bad word.
You want to hear a bad word? That nonsense they're spewing
out about man's so-called free will, that's a bad word. Not
God's free grace, that's good. That's a sweet sound. God's free,
sovereign, reigning grace. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter one. Concerning, first of all, the
fact of God's election. Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter
1, and there are so many places that you well know, but we'll
just look at this one. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 2. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and Paul goes
back to the fountainhead, according as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world. Isn't that something? Can you
imagine that? That we should be holy and without
blame before him in love, having predestinated, whoo, that's another
one they hate. Another curse word. Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, everything's
by Christ, to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. And he said, I will do all my
pleasure to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He
hath made us accepted into beloved." Sounds like God does it all. Yes, there is an election, a
choice by God, and God did it. And catch this. He did it on
purpose. He did it on purpose. Imagine
that. Everything God does, he does
on purpose. He's not like you and I. I mean,
I get up in the morning, and Gabe, I may have a thought that
I didn't have when I went to bed. I have to change my mind
and change my plans all the time. You know why? Because I make
mistakes. The first one didn't work out.
I saw a truck. a big panel truck, either in
Alabama or in Danville, Kentucky, I don't remember for sure. But
anyway, on the side of it, it said, we correct what your husband
tried to fix. We'll take care of that. God
never has to back up. and fix. He does it all perfectly
the first time. Our great and glorious God never
has a new idea. Think about that. My soul. He never has a new thought. He comprehended everything about
everything from everlasting From everlasting to everlasting, the
psalmist said, thou art God. And he chose his people on purpose. Look, if you will, here in 2
Timothy chapter 1. Look what he says here. Now,
here's a jawbreaker. Here's a jawbreaker for those
who deny God's sovereign grace. Verses 8 and 9 in the first chapter
of 2 Timothy. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be
thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God. He says, Timothy, it's not for
nothing. It's not for nothing. You're
suffering. Your trials, your hardship that
you're sure to face, just like I've faced, it's for a glorious
cause, Timothy. Verse 9, God, who had saved us
and called us with the holy calling, not according to our works, Aren't
you glad that's true? Not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. There it is. According to God's purpose. I
remember my oldest brother telling me a story one time after he'd been married several
years. and another anniversary rolled
around, he was telling me that he decided to impress his wife,
Donna. So he was going to prepare a
candlelight dinner for her. All the trimmings. And he said,
Larry, I even went to the liquor store to get some good wine. I was going to just do it all,
be special for her. Jim said he was in the store
looking around, and he's about like me, he didn't know too much
about one from the other, and he picked up a bottle about,
you know, he asked the fella, I mean, you know, good stuff,
about $5 for half a gallon, he said. Top of the line. He asked the man in the store,
he said, buddy, is this a good table wine? And the man said,
partner, you can drink that wine on the table, under the table,
any place you want to. Let me tell you this, this verse,
this verse that we just read, that we're saved according to
God's purpose, you can look at it under the table, on the table,
you can look at it straight ahead, or sideways, or cross-eyed, or
even with eyes closed, it still stands. God has purposed to save
his people, and he made that purpose and choice before the
world began. You can read it and rejoice in
that glorious truth, or you can read it as many do, sad to say,
and grit their teeth against it, but there it stands. according to God's purpose and
grace. And this election by our eternal
God, His eternal purpose to save, was not based on foreseen faith. Has someone ever
told you that? Oh yes, I believe that. I believe
in God's election. I believe the Bible teaches that. Oh yes, but this is how it is.
God saw who would believe, Brandon, so he chose them to believe.
Now that represents God as being involved in some ridiculous business,
doesn't it? He does that which will already
be done. Oh my soul, no, that's ignorant. That's foolish. That's pointless.
No, the Lord Jesus Christ told the Pharisees on one occasion,
They gathered around him and said, how long are you going
to keep us in suspense? How long are you going to make
us doubt? If you're the Christ, tell us plainly. And he said,
I've told you. I've told you, plainly. But you
believe not. You won't believe. You won't
bow. It didn't end there, though,
did it? He said, and the reason you don't believe? You're not
my sheep. I wonder how they like that.
You're not my sheep. He said, my sheep hear my voice. They hear my voice. I know my
sheep, and they hear my voice and follow me. And I give them
eternal life, and they'll never perish. My father gave them to
me, and they'll never be plucked out of our hands. I wonder how
them Pharisees like that. In Acts chapter 13, I think Paul
is at Antioch and he preaches. And again, the religious folk,
they're usually, if not always, the most fierce opponents of
God in the gospel. They gathered around and refused
to believe and tried to sow dissension among those who God had been
pleased to save. And we read in verses 45 through
48 in Acts 13, as many Paul first told them, well, since
you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, whose fault
is it? It's not God's fault. You can't
blame God. You hear about election, you
think that gives you some loophole. When you stand before God Almighty,
you'll see the reason you go to hell is because you refuse
to bow to the Son of God. That's exactly right. And that's
what Paul told them. Seeing you judge yourselves unworthy
of eternal life, we turn to the Gentiles and we read, as many
as were ordained to eternal life believed. Believed isn't that
glorious? God doesn't send his preachers,
his people, on no fool's errand, does he? He sends us out with
the blessed truth other sheep I have which are not of this
foal, them also I must bring. Listen to what David again wrote.
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and calls us to approach
unto thee, Psalm 65, that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall
be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy
temple. That's good news. Blessed is
the man whom thou choosest. God had from the beginning. Try that on. Oh, I think it was
Spurgeon I read. He said, when I sit and think,
contemplate, that God chose me. He says, I sometimes think I
can take the wings of an angel and soar toward heaven, soar
to the throne of God. But then I think, God chose me. And down I fall at his feet and
exclaim, oh my God. How could you ever choose a rebel
like me? Unto South, what a glorious thought. Mr. Spurgeon preached a sermon
from this text of scripture. Yea, no rather, the Lord hath
appeared unto me of old saying, Jeremiah 31 and three. Yea, I
have loved thee with an everlasting love. My soul, therefore with
loving kindness have I drawn to thee. Mr. Spurgeon called
that message, A Song Concerning Loving Kindness. A Song Concerning
Loving Kindness. I mentioned staying with Gabe
and John stayed as well, he and Vicki and Todd and Lynn stayed
Friday night. And of course, as well as with
Hannah there and his daughters. And I'll tell you what, Gabe,
I've been singing just about the whole time I was at your
house. I sang in my bedroom. He's looking at me, said, where's
he going with it? I've sang going up the steps. I've sang in the shower. Deeper
than the stain is gone, when he reached down his hand for
me, he's not asked me to sing a special yet. And I know he's
heard me. And I don't blame him. Nobody's
ever asked me to sing a special. One old preacher once said he
was criticized for always singing, and someone told him, you just
need to be quiet. You need to shut up. You can't
sing. You can't carry a tune in a bucket. And he said, well,
let me tell you this. God created the crow and the
nightingale. And I may not be able to sing
like a nightingale, but I'm going to sing like a crow because I'm
going to give praise to God Almighty who called me out of darkness
into his marvelous light. Mr. Spurgeon said concerning
that verse, how ravishing is the thought of eternal love.
Try to drink it in. If you are a believer in Christ,
you were loved before time began its cycles. In that old eternity
before the earth was born, you were beloved of the Lord. Man,
David, that'll bring you down. You were near to Jehovah's heart
when this great world, the sun, the moon, the stars slept in
the mind of God like unborn forest in an acorn cup. He loved you
with an everlasting and infinite love. Rejoice in this and let
your souls be glad. Never forget that the special
electing love of God is the source of every blessing. And that's
exactly what we read in Ephesians 1. The second thing to notice,
election, as it has often been falsely accused of, does not
exclude the use of means. That's exactly what Paul was
telling Timothy. Timothy, I endure these things. I suffer these things for the
elect's sake. Have you ever been told, and
I'm sure you have, if someone hears you believe that doctrine
of election, you know, it has a way of kind of slipping out,
and they'll say, well, if I believed what you do, I wouldn't even
bother to preach. Really? Well, that's a tough
one to answer, isn't it? I wouldn't bother to preach if
this wasn't true, would you? I wouldn't bother to gather here,
or you wouldn't have bothered to call Gabe. You wouldn't have
this place to worship. You wouldn't sacrifice and give
to maintain this place if it wasn't for the glorious fact
that you know God Almighty has purpose to save a people for
his namesake. And he will do it. I know I have
all of Mr. Spurge. I think I have all of
his works. That's why I mention him so often. All of his volumes of sermons
each year, been reprinted, have been many years, for quite a
few years now. And you know on the dust jacket,
inside, there's an appreciation, a writing by various men. Brother
Henry Mahan was asked to do one, and he did. There's been all
kinds. In one volume, volume 24, a man,
and I think he was well known in Tennessee, a man named John
R. Rice recommended Spurgeon's sermons. He was Mr. Arminian of his day,
but listen to this. He wrote these words, I differ
with Spurgeon somewhat on some doctoral details. Really? He was more Calvinistic than
I in some statements of doctrine. Really? But, now here's my point. He went on to write, but, but,
so great was the moving of the controlling Holy Spirit upon
Spurgeon, and so whole sold his compassion and love for sinners,
and so urgent his great heart, that when the gospel came out
of his heart and voice and pen, it stressed, whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely. You see the flaw there.
He assumes that because Spurgeon believed these glorious doctrines
of God's sovereign grace, that there's no way he could thereby
preach the whosoever will. But the very opposite is true. It's because God's grace is free. It is sovereign. It is unmerited. It's not of works. It's on those
grounds that we preach whosoever will let him take the water of
life freely. God's promise is this, my word
shall not return unto me void. That's the very reason Paul said,
Timothy, endure all things for the elect's sake. And Paul was
not hindered in the least, was it? In his compassion, his burden
for souls, his kinsman according to the flesh. I mean, hear him
when he says, I have a great heaviness. I have a great heaviness
and a continual sorrow in my heart for my brethren, according
to the flesh. In 1 Corinthians 9, he said,
I endure all things for the elect's sake that they too may obtain
the salvation of God that's in Christ Jesus. You see, the God
who ordained the end, ordained the means to that end, and Paul
knew that. He knew that, just as when Moses
was instructed by God to put that brazen serpent up on a pole. And after doing so, go through
the camp of his dying Jewish brethren and hold up that pole. And he
didn't do that and then say, shh, mums the word, did he? No, no, no. As I've heard Don
say, he's heard men preach as though they were afraid some
of the non-elects might get in. Don't worry about that. God will
take care of that. No, Moses didn't say mum's the
word. You know what he did? He held
that pole up high and he said to every dying rebel, look and
live. And everyone that looked, glorious
gospel, glorious grace, mighty God and Savior, everyone that
looked lived. The vilest offender that truly
believes that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives. Our brother read it a moment
ago in Acts when that frightened jailer cried out in the midnight,
what must I do to be saved? I love Paul's answer, don't you?
I love it. I mean, he wasn't one bit concerned
about not appearing Calvinistic enough. It's refreshing to hear
Paul's words. He didn't say, now just wait
a minute, wait a minute. You must be clear on this point,
and you must be clear on that point, and you might need to
be catechized and homogenized and all this stuff. No, no, no.
What must I do to be saved? And Paul gave him the only answer,
God's answer. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. And glory to his name. The next
picture we have, there sits that jailer in his house with Paul
and Silas and his family, believing God, being baptized, and rejoicing
and believing in God with all of his house. Can you just imagine
some self-proclaimed theologian coming by and saying, Mr. Jailer, excuse me. I don't think
you should be rejoicing like this. After all, you haven't
experienced enough, you haven't learned enough, you just don't
understand enough, and I think the jeller would say something
like this, well I know this. I once was lost, but now I'm
found. I know this. I once was blind,
but now I see. If you'll excuse me, I'll just
keep on right on rejoicing. Therefore, Paul says, and you're
all things for the elect's sake. This blessed truth does not discourage,
does it? It does the very opposite. Was
Paul discouraged when he was in Corinth? And I don't know
what the fear Paul had was. I don't know. But we're told
that God spoke to him in the night and said, Paul, don't be
afraid. Speak. Speak up, Paul. Because I have
much people in this city that's not discouraging to hear, is
it? Look at the great shepherd of the sheep. He who knew who
God's elect were. And he said, for the Son of Man
has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Hear him
again. Never a man spake like this man. Oh, what wonder it was when this
man, the God-man, spoke to a troubled sea and it lay at his feet. Or
he spoke to diseased and the disease left. even spoke to the
dead, and the dead came forth. But brothers and sisters in Christ,
hear him speak these words. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Oh, I like how he speaks so matter-of-factly,
so sure. And all that cometh unto me I
will in no wise cast out. That's not discouraging. It discourages
self-righteousness and self-salvation and man's imaginary free will. It says to all those things,
not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory
for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Vicki, are you winking? I'm going to wrap this up. No,
it doesn't. Let me tell you this. God's electing
love, sovereign grace, never, never, hear me, never discourages
any real sinner from coming to Christ. It's the very thing that
draws them to Christ. It says that every needy sinner, am I speaking to one this morning? Am I speaking to a thirsty sinner
this morning? Hear God's word. The Spirit and
the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say,
come. And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, whosoever will, let him take the water
of life, really. Take the water of life, drink
it. And live forever, live forever. John chapter 17, our Lord's high
priestly prayer. Before he had gone to the Garden
of Gethsemane, before he, knowing all things that should come upon
him, stepped forward, and as my glorious substitute said to
that bloodthirsty mob, here I am, take me. Take me, but Larry Chris is going to go
for it. Take me, but you got to let my
sheep go. Before that, he prayed in that
high priestly prayer and spoke these words among so many other
blessed ones. He said, Father, I will also.
that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that
they may behold my glory, O my soul." Bob, think about that. Jesus Christ wants me with him
forever. Father, I will Larry Criss, you
gave him to me. And I live for him. And I'm about
to lay down my life for him. I'm going to redeem him. And
I'm going to call him one day out of darkness by my marvelous
grace. And I'm going to preserve him.
And I want him. I want him with me
where I am. And I ask you this. If King Jesus
wants me with him, who's going to hold me back? Who's going
to prevent that him that does his will always? And in that
day, our great shepherd, as we gather around the throne of God
and of the Lamb, he shall say, Father, I and the children that
you gave me, I lost none. And we're going to sing, I'm going to join in the singing,
in perfect harmony, in perfect tune, in perfect heart, worthy. Like John preached, worthy is
the lamb that was slain. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.