It has been my delight, our delight,
to be with you these past days. So thankful for the hospitality
we've been shown, the care and the love you have shown us these
past days. I was thinking about when we
called Mexico our home. We lived there for about seven
years, and our home church, Emmanuel Baptist Church, where my pastor
faithfully preached the gospel, I remember remarking out loud
one time, this is the best place to be in the whole world. And
I think my brother in Christ, a Mexican, a proud Mexican man,
my brother, misunderstood me. He thought I was talking about
the city we lived in in Mexico. I didn't have the heart to tell
him that I didn't mean that at all. And truly at this time we
find ourselves in another best place in the world, Rock Valley,
Iowa. And why is that? Because the
Lord in his good providence has gathered us together in his name
to hear the gospel of our salvation, the word of truth. As I was preparing
my thoughts and my message, the only thing that I kept on bringing
to mind was when those Greeks That group of Greeks, those Gentiles,
those men came to Philip of Philippi. And what did they say to Philip?
They simply said, sir, we would like to see Jesus. We would like
to see Jesus. And I pray this morning the Lord
would enable every one of us in this auditorium to see our
Lord and God Jesus Christ high and lifted up and give us spiritual
eyes to see him and spiritual ears to hear him. My text is
found, you'll turn with me in your Bible, to the book of Jude,
where I just read. And I'd like to just spend some
time looking at the first verse there. It says there in the latter
part of the translation that I use, I think I've been asked a number of times about translation,
which translation is the best translation. If you ask me which
one to buy, I would have a very definitive answer. I would say
you need to buy a literal translation in English. But if somebody was
asking me what's the best translation, I would say the one you have
in your hands is the best translation. And in my translation, it says
as follows. in the latter part of verse one.
It says, to them that are sanctified by God the Father and preserved
in Jesus Christ and called. And that's where I'd like to
spend the remainder of our time looking. I love all the places
in the Word of God where we hear and read of the triune God and
how he saves his people. Many of you will be familiar,
no doubt, with some of the portions that we could be looking at other
than this one. We won't turn to those this morning. But our
Lord and God, Jesus Christ, he tells us in the Gospel of John,
chapter 15, I believe it's verse 26. It's so wonderful to read
there, and this could be happening even this morning. He said, I
will send the Spirit of truth, and he'll descend from the Father,
and he'll testify of me. In another place in the Word
of God, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, tells us, as it's written
in the prophets, they shall all be taught of God, And oh, hear
the Father and learn of him, come to me. Don't you love that, beloved?
Then say, come to a theological position to boast about or to
argue about. Then say, come to this ism or
that ism. It says, indeed our Lord has
told us, when the spirit of truth is blessed in power by God, you
come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because there's salvation in
no other. Salvation is not found in a theological position. It's
not found in anything other than the person who is the Lord Jesus
Christ. He said, I'm the way, the truth,
and the life, and no one come to the Father except by me. Now, I heard the King James read
earlier by John. I believe, but I think it doesn't
matter what translation we have, because I think most of you have
an NIV in your hand, if I'm not mistaken. In your translation,
it says the following, and it's not a literal translation, but
the gospel's contained there nevertheless. It says in your
portion this morning, to those who are the called, to those
who have been loved in God the Father and kept in Jesus Christ. I'd like to use those headings,
but I'll be using them in a different order. The first heading I'll
be using this morning is very simply this, loved by God the
Father And then second heading will be kept by Jesus Christ,
and the last heading is called by the Holy Spirit. Now, we'll
spend a little bit of time on each heading, and I pray the
Lord will bless His word as we look at each of those headings.
The first heading is, loved by God the Father, or in the translation
you have it says, loved to those who are loved in God the Father. Now what is that speaking about,
beloved? It is speaking about the everlasting,
never-changing love of our Heavenly Father in sending His Son into
the world to save sinners. We're gonna look at a few passages
under each heading, and the first passage I'd like to show you
is in Jeremiah chapter 31, if you'll turn there with me. In
Jeremiah chapter 31, how wonderful it is to read there, about this
blessed fact of God the Father, that just as his love changes
not, every glorious attribute of God the Father changes not.
But it says here in Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3, The Lord
hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee. You see, the love that God has
for his people is not like our love. Our love is fickle. It's delicate. It's fragile. And really, the only love that's
unconditional is God's love for His people. His love is an everlasting,
unchanging love. And we see that very gospel fact
also in the New Testament. Turn with me to Acts chapter
8, if you would. In Acts chapter 8, and I'll begin
reading there in verse, rather, Acts chapter 13, excuse me, Acts
chapter 13. And I'll begin reading there
in verse 38 and 39, and then jump over to
verse 45. We read there, Be it known unto
you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins,
and by him by our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all that believe
are justified from all things from which you could not be justified
by the law of Moses. And then in verse 45, continuing,
when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and
spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed
bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you, but seeing you put it from you and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation under the ends of the earth.
And then notice verse 48. And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad. and glorified the word of the
Lord, and notice, and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed. Notice the order there, beloved.
It doesn't say as many as believed were ordained to eternal life.
Before the foundation of the world, before you and I were
ever born, in the eternal covenant of God's grace, God agreed within
himself to set apart a people, a people that he has everlastingly
loved. And that's what we read in Jude
this morning, how that God the Father has loved, everlastingly
loved his people. They're sanctified, in my translation,
set apart from before the foundation of the world, so that we can
read here in Acts chapter 13, in the latter part, why it is
any of us believe on the Lord Jesus Christ this morning. It's
because you've been everlastingly loved. You didn't figure this
out. I didn't figure this out, but
it says here, ever so blessedly, as many as were loved, everlastingly
loved, as many as were set apart, as many as were sanctified in
the covenant of God's grace, those ordained to eternal life,
what does it say? I'm so thankful for that, beloved,
how that the love that the Father has for his people is an everlasting,
never-changing love. Isn't that what we read in Malachi
chapter 3, verse 6? He tells us, I, the Lord, changeth
not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. I love to hear how that the love
that the Father has for his people never changes, never changes.
Now as we're going on to our next heading, we just looked
at how that we're loved in God the Father. The next thing I'd
like to look at is how that we're kept by God the Son. Indeed, we're preserved in Jesus
Christ. When we look at the gospel. Not only do we see that we're
everlastingly loved, but we are saved from everything and everyone. Is that not so? Look with me
in Romans chapter 8, if you would. This is what our brother Paul
was persuaded of. And it's so So glorious. We just sang that
stanza. Did we not? Philip Bliss, I never
met him. Of course, none of us met him.
He's in glory right now. But when I read what he wrote,
I have to say, that must be my brother. What did he say? Full
atonement. Can it be? Is that not a brother
saying, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Full salvation,
full and free, all owing to Him and nothing owing to me. But
look what it says in Acts chapter 8, rather Romans chapter 8, excuse
me. Romans chapter 8, and I'll begin
reading there in the latter part of that chapter. I'm going to begin reading in
verse 35 through to the end of that chapter. And if any of you
this morning find yourselves resting in the Lord Jesus Christ,
looking to Him for all your salvation, that's a miracle of God's grace.
Look what it says, and I'm going to read it with you, beloved.
It says here, And again, we're looking at what God's Word says
in Jude chapter 1. We're kept for the Lord Jesus
Christ. We're preserved in Jesus Christ. Listen to what our brother Paul
was persuaded of. Are you persuaded of this this
morning? I pray you are. I can't. I can persuade you as
best I can, but it's one thing for a man to persuade you. It's
quite another when the Spirit of God testifies with your spirit
that you must come to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the
title of my message. We must be saved. It says that
in the King James in Acts chapter 4 verse 12. We must be saved. It says that in the NIV, the
very same words. We must be saved. And if you
don't hear anything else, I pray by the end of this message, that
will be in your heart, a heart that the Lord has opened so that
you might say with your neighbor to your left and neighbor to
your right, if that is your brother or sister in Christ, that you
must be saved. It says here in Romans chapter
eight, beginning in verse 35, Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long.
We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For
I am persuaded, Our brother Paul says, I have no doubt about this.
I'm convinced of this. The Lord has taught our brother
Paul, and he teaches all his people, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things to present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Isn't that glorious, beloved?
And to hear how that we have been kept, indeed saved, from
everything and everyone. But especially, but especially,
me, myself, and I. What am I talking about? Some
of you might know what I'm talking about. Perhaps not all of you.
But some of you most certainly know what I'm talking about.
Look what it says with me in Genesis chapter 6. Genesis chapter 6. And I'm just going to read one
verse in Genesis chapter 6. Some of you know what verse I'm
going to read. Look what it says in verse 5. And this won't be just a Bible
verse for you this morning that the Lord has taught you. You'll
be able to say, that's me. It says in verse five, and God
saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Not sometimes. Can you look at this verse and
see yourself in this verse? And God saw that the wickedness
of Joseph was great in the earth and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. I heard some slander come back
to my ears. We don't always get to hear the
slander people speak of us. Thankfully not. But on this occasion,
I heard that a man I don't regard as a faithful pastor, a man I
don't believe who's preaching the gospel, said this about me. Seems to me like Joseph is trying
to hide something. This is how it was related to
me. I couldn't help but laugh and say, well, that's exactly
right. But I'm not just trying to hide something. I'm hiding
everything in the blood and righteousness of my Lord and God, Jesus Christ.
Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, said, no one can be my disciple
unless they hate their mother, their father, their brethren.
And he said something very critical. And their own life, too. Now who does that sound like?
The Apostle Paul is a pattern to those who believe hereafter.
And what did he say? What does it sound like when
a man hates his life and loves the life of the Lord Jesus Christ
lived out for us? He said, I count all things done.
Refuse compared to the excellency of my Lord and God Jesus Christ.
I don't want to be found in a righteousness of my making. I want to be found
in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's another verse that speaks
about how it is we must be delivered from me, myself, and I. Especially
that. Look what it says with me in
Jeremiah chapter 17. In Jeremiah chapter 17, it says
the following. right there in the ninth verse. Jeremiah chapter 17. And again, is this just a verse
to you this morning? Or do you know that this is describing
you and me this morning? Look what it says in Jeremiah
chapter 17, verse nine. It says, the heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? Who
can know it? Sometimes we have the heartbreak,
the sadness of seeing somebody in the news. A tragedy has happened, a murder
has happened. And they go to the neighbors
of that man and they say to him, what was he like? And they say,
I don't know how it could have happened. But you, beloved, you
know how it could have happened, because you know this verse is
describing you and me who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God
has revealed this in mercy to us, not in wrath, not in judgment,
so that you might know you must be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. And we'll look at that in a moment.
But look what it says here. The heart is deceitful above all
things. My heart as deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked who can know it." So we're looking at this heading,
kept by Jesus Christ, preserved in Jesus Christ in Jude chapter
1 in the latter part in verse 1. Isn't it wonderful to hear
our Lord and God saying, that he does all things that please
his Heavenly Father. I love that. He does all things
well. Look with me in John's Gospel, chapter 8. In
John's Gospel, chapter 8, in the 29th verse, this is the words
of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. the surety of the covenant, the
guarantor of the covenant. He who has performed not some
things for us, beloved, all things, all things. I'm so glad that
is so. Every clause of the covenant
that was once a curse for us is now made a blessing through
the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. See, the law of
God doesn't demand the best you can. Far from it. The law of God demands absolute
perfection, holiness. And aren't you thankful this
morning you're looking to him who has performed not some things
for us, but all things. Isn't that what our brother David
cried out in Psalm 57 verse 2? I cry unto the God who performeth
not some things for me but all things for me. Listen to our
Lord and God in verse 29 of John chapter 8. And the he that sent
me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone
for all For I do always those things that please Him. And that
doesn't describe me, and it most certainly doesn't describe any
man here this morning. But it does describe our Lord
and God, Jesus Christ, living the life for us that we cannot
live for ourselves. I really want you to understand
this great teaching the old writers used to call the great exchange.
Substitution and satisfaction. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21,
it sets forth ever so blessedly how that our heavenly Father
made his darling, sinless Son to be made sin for us that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. So how can
I help you hear how it is that Christ is our life, beloved?
If you'll allow me this homely illustration, my aim is to just
point to Christ and you look to him for everything. Well,
let's suppose that you and I were invited to a sporting event,
perhaps a football game, perhaps a tractor pull, and the Franklin
Graham Evangelistic Association found a way to partner with that
sporting event. And they're going to do something
religious at that game or that event. And we're in the seats,
and somehow or another, they call your name, and they call
my name up. And we're in the middle of this
capacity-packed arena or stadium, whatever it might be. And this
man, he's religious. He's zealous. I kind of know
what he's going to do. I don't want to be there any
more than you do. And he says to me, Joseph, pick
a number between 1 and 10. I say 3. You say 7. Guess what?
I'm the closest number. I don't like that. You get to
watch as this man, and he's sincere. He's a nice fellow. But he asked
me, Joseph, in front of this capacity crowd, let me ask you
a question. If I could put your life up.
on that big video screen over there. I'm talking about every
moment in the light of day and every moment in the darkness
of night. Would you want your life up on that screen? And you
look at me and you see I got a gleam in my eye. Because he
just asked me if I wanted my life up on that screen. And I
clarify with this religious man, this evangelist, and I say to
him, did you just ask me if I want my life up on that screen every
moment in the light of day and in the darkness of night? He
said, yes, I did. And I tell him, you go right
ahead. Because the only life you're
going to see on that screen is the life of a perfect man, my
Lord and God, Jesus Christ. You see, beloved, He's our life.
Everything you need to be saved, He has performed for us. That's
why He tells us here in our portion. I'll just turn to John chapter
8, verse 29. He does always those things that
please Him. This is why the Son of God, the
Lamb of God could behold Nathanael and say behold an Israelite indeed
in whom is no guile. Now how on earth can that be
except for this blessed fact that for Nathanael it was the
Lamb of God beholding one of his precious sheep, cleansed
in his precious blood, washed truly and completely of all his
sins and made the very righteousness of God in Christ. Isn't that
wonderful, beloved, to hear how Christ is our life, Christ is
our righteousness, Christ is our justification, and he's all
of our sanctification. Those are big words that really
simply mean this. If you're justified, if you go
home, go to your home after the service justified, the law of
God can only say one thing about you, not guilty, innocent. How come? How can that be? By
the blood and righteousness of Christ. Because you have been
given faith to believe on the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus
Christ, doing on your behalf what you can't do for yourself.
So we've looked at two headings already. The love that we have
in God the Father. We looked at how we're kept in
Jesus Christ, preserved. Our Lord and God said this is
the Father's will. He who sent me, that of all that
he has given me to save, I shall lose nothing." How dreadful when
you read on a statement of faith at the end, you know, they say,
we believe in the eternal bliss of all believers, and then they
say something dreadful like, and we believe the lost will
suffer eternal punishment. Excuse me. There's no lost. He came to seek and save that
which is lost. And all of his people, every
single last one of his precious people, his sheep, shall and
will be saved. Isn't that wonderful to hear?
That you're trusting your eternal soul to him who shall not fail. You're trusting your eternal
soul to him that was given gospel covenant commandment to come
into this world and save sinners. You see, it's God's discriminating
grace. He came into this world, as we
looked at last Sunday, the Apostle Paul wrote to beloved Timothy,
a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners. And then St. Paul added, of whom
I'm chief. Now the last heading I'd like
to look at is this very simple heading, end call. That call is so glorious. It's
speaking about the effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. Now we've already looked at how
the love of God the Father is an everlasting love that he changeth
not. We've all already looked at how
that our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, has saved us from everyone
and everything, but especially me, myself, and I. You see, he's
not a wannabe Savior, beloved. He is a Savior who saves completely. That's what it says in Hebrews
chapter 7 and verse 20, 25. And in the King James, it's a
little bit of an archaic word, but it says the same thing. He
saves completely all those to come to him to be saved. He saves
to the uttermost all those who come to him. to be saved. And
so this last effectual call that I'm looking at, and I'll conclude
with this last point. We'll spend a few more minutes
on this last point, beloved. There's something wonderful about
when God saves a sinner like you and a sinner like me. And
it does not involve a choice. It does not involve a decision. In fact, he leaves us with no
choice. You ever heard the expression,
beggars can't be choosers? Well, that's exactly right. This
beggar must be saved. And that's what I hope you'll
take with you this morning, that every one of God's people, like,
how do we know? I want to know where your translation
says that, if memory serves, occasionally it does. Occasionally
it does, but it says there, to those who have been called, to
those who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. I want to know if I've been called,
don't you? I want to know if I have been
called. And I was thinking about this
as I was preparing my notes, and the only thing I can think
of is this glorious declaration that's both in the NIV and the
King James in the same wording. Beloved, we must be saved. We must be saved. Look what it
says with me in Acts chapter four. And we looked at this verse
last Sunday, but I'm so encouraged by the Apostle Paul. He said,
it's good for me to write the same things to you. It's good
for me to preach the same things to you, to declare the same things
to you, because for you it is safe. It's good for us to go
to these verses over and over again. But look with me in Acts
chapter four. see if you do not see the testimony
of one of those sinners that God sent his son into the world
to save. It says in Acts chapter 4 in
verse 12, neither is there salvation in
any other than For there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. I don't know about you,
but I know about me. I must be saved by the Lord Jesus
Christ. I don't have any other option.
I don't have any other choice. It's not a decision. The Lord
has put me in the light and the countenance of his well-pleasing
Son. And in the light of Christ, he has shown me, I'm just a mercy
beggar, that I desperately need the Lord Jesus Christ. This word
grace is not so offensive to the religious world, but when
we speak about it being God's discriminating grace, well, that
really offends people. and that are in religion, but
I love it. It's how I know that from on
high that the Lord Jesus Christ was sent into the world to save
this sinner behind the pulpit. Did he come into the world to
save you? Let's look at a few more verses and pray the Lord
will bless his word with his spirit and teach you and reveal
to you that Jesus Christ is your Lord and God. That you're looking
to him for all your pardon, all your perfection, and really,
frankly, anything you can think of that you think you need to
be accepted before the true and living God, the God of all grace.
He is the author and finisher of that. Isn't it what we read
in the scriptures? How he's the author and finisher
of our faith. He's the captain of our salvation. That on the cross of Calvary
he said three words, it is finished, and in glory he tells it again.
He tells it all over again to us slow, dumb, and frankly sometimes
just downright stupid sheep. It's done. Everything you need
to be saved, the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished for his people.
Let's look at another portion of scripture. It's in Matthew. And this gospel is a glorious
command. It's not a proposition. It's
not something for you to accept, although you will receive it,
for he makes it very clear and very plainly to his people how
we must come to him to be saved. Is that your testimony this morning?
That you must be saved by Jesus Christ else you perish? Look
what it says in Matthew chapter 11. And I'll begin reading in verse
25, and listen to our Lord and God speaking about his distinguishing
grace, his discriminating grace, how that he came into the world
to give his life a ransom for, wait for it, many. Aren't you
glad he didn't say a few? He came into this world to give
his life a ransom for many. And listen to what he says here,
verse 25, Matthew chapter 11. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has
revealed them unto babes, has revealed them unto children,
speaking about God's chosen people, those he has called. Even so,
father, for it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered
unto me of my father, and no man knoweth the son but the father,
neither knoweth any man the father save the son, and he to whomsoever
the son will reveal him. Now, back to my question earlier.
The portion we're looking at this morning says, to those who
have been called. Does this call you? Does this
describe you this morning? This is not a suggestion. This
is not advice from our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. This is the
gospel command. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. when God the Holy
Spirit bears witness with your spirit and teaches you and shows
you all you are from the top of your head to the bottom of
your feet. is one just reason why God should
justly send you to hell. Nevertheless, at the very same
moment, our Lord and God in mercy and grace shows us who his son
is, how that his son came into the world to save sinners. Now I understand people will
go, well, everybody's a sinner. That's not what I'm saying. I'm
saying in love and mercy when God teaches you and shows you
and me that we must be saved. Has he taught you that this morning?
That you must be saved by the blood and righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That you must have his blood
cleansing you and washing you truly and completely of not only
your sins, but so too what you once called your so-called righteousnesses. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And
you shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy and
my burden is light. To conclude one more portion,
beloved, turn with me to Lamentations. Lamentations, saved to the uttermost
in the Lord Jesus Christ are his people, beloved. We have been everlastingly loved
by God the Father. We have been saved from everything
and everyone, but especially ourselves through the doing and
dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're kept, we're preserved in
Jesus Christ. He said, my sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. and I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish." Did you hear that, beloved? The
life he gives you and me, his people, shall never perish. How come? Because it's eternal
life. And he's not a car salesman. He isn't trying to sell you a
tractor. He isn't trying to make a proposition
that you'll accept. What does he tell us there? I
give them eternal life and they shall never perish. And then
lastly, this call this effectual call of God the Holy Spirit where
he teaches you in the light and countenance of his well-pleasing
Son that you must be saved by Christ else you perish. That
you must have his blood cleansing you and you must have his life
not yours stand before God Almighty on that day. The God of all grace
teaches us this and shows us this in love and mercy and grace. Lamentations chapter 3. And then I'll ask Eric to come
up. And I did ask Katie if we could
sing a cappella or something. I don't know what we'll sing.
But it'll be nice to hear ourselves together as the Lord is pleased
to lift up our hearts in worship and adoration of our great God
and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lamentations, chapter 3. And I'll begin reading there
in verse 20 and I'll conclude with verse 26. My soul hath them still in remembrance
and is humbled in me. Your translation says the downcast. Isn't that wonderful to hear
what we heard last Sunday? He shall save the downcast. Call his name Jesus for he shall
save his people from their sins. This I recall to my mind, therefore
I have hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are
new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my
portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him. The Lord
is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh
him. It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, amen.