How great it is to have the Lord
show me how weak I truly am. I often ask my Lord and Savior
for help in my daily walk. I presume that most of you who
know the Lord do probably the same. Are they not a majority of the time for ourselves? For it is ourselves that we see
our innermost parts of, the weakness that is within us. I pray for those of Marysville,
our brother Rick having his first live stream right now, Lord willing. That's all going well, I pray.
You know, they've lost their place of worship. They were worshiping
at the library there in Marysville and the library has been closed
due to this virus. And Rick mentioned in the letter
that he received from the county, they said, we will reconsider
our agreement after this is all over, giving Rick the indication
that they may not reopen to him again. So we want to pray for
our brothers and sisters. I've become pretty good friends
with Kevin Thacker down in San Diego, and they've actually been
told not to meet. And though Kevin records his
messages and sends them out on YouTube at 11 o'clock, when he
goes down to record, some of the members show up anyway. And
just like some of you folks, I'm thankful. I'm thankful that
we have some of our members staying home. To be quite honest with
you, I'd be very worried about Polly Mary right now. I pray
for her. I pray for her brother, Mike
Loveless, and his wife, Shirley. I pray for Donna and her husband.
Many of our folks, and I'm not saying that any of us are any
braver than the other or anything different. But like I mentioned
a moment ago, we don't go jump off the bridge, the Golden Gate
Bridge. We don't worry about the things that we can't do anything
about. And this virus is something that we really can't do a whole
lot about. We do what we can, we separate ourselves, we stay
away from each other. But I can tell you here right
now, after shopping in the store yesterday, we're a whole lot
more protected in what we're doing right here today than what
you are when you go grocery shopping. If one of us are going to get
the virus, it's already been marked in God's book. Our days are numbered. And the
day that we will leave this world has already been set in stone.
And nothing can change it. But I do often pray, often pray for my Lord to help
me in my daily walk. My strength indeed is small. My prayer is this in many of
my personal private prayers in the closet time of my heart.
Lord, not my will, but Thine. That's a hard thing to do. It's
a very hard thing to do. Our will is always trying to
jump up and do this and do that. To rest in the Lord is one of
the hardest things I know to do as a Christian. Oh, I believe God. I believe
His Word. I believe that that belief is
a gift from Him. Yet I still struggle with my
own thoughts of strength. The child of the living God is
born again. Born of a new spirit, a new will. One that bends. One that bends
to the will of Him who created all that is. There was a day
in every one of our past where we walked through this world,
through this valley of the shadow of death, saying, it's my will. I will decide on what I'm going
to do this Sunday. I'm going to go party. I'm going
to go ride the Harley. I'm going to go fishing. I'm
going to watch football." Whatever it is you wanted to do, that
was an exercise of your will. And you willingly walked against
the will of God. Oh, you didn't stop the will
of God, for nothing can turn the will of God. But we thought
we were. We thought we were walking under
our own power, doing our own thing the way we wanted to do.
It was some time ago I brought up the subject of Elvis Presley's
song, I Did It My Way. Oh, we all thought that, didn't
we? What a blessing. What a miracle
that the Lord gave us a new spirit. that the Lord arrested that old
stony heart that would not bend its will to Him and gave us a
heart that does. One that bends to Him who created
all it is, a will that willingly submits to the rule of Him who
rules despite the imagination of men. I often ask this question,
Lord, make your will known unto me. I'd like to ask you this
morning if you would to turn to the sixth chapter of John. Lord, make Your will known unto
me. As I stated in last week's message
titled, Our Faith, true answers to any question must begin with
God's Word. This book, this book that our
Lord has inspired men to write and publish and put together,
and yes, even interpret. This book is a gift of God to
speak to each and every one of His children. Throughout time,
not just a particular time, but throughout time. however long
time might be. When we have questions about
anything, we must place the basis for our answers on God's Word. This book is our only source
of truth in this cursed world that we walk in. Men believing that they have
their own wisdom, that they've discovered truth, Yet without
the basis of God's word, their imagination comes up with all
sorts of single truths. Am I not correct? One of the most ridiculous things
I can believe anybody would think. It just is the most ridiculous
foolish thing that has ever been invented and that is that a man
can be a woman or a woman can be a man. I'm not even talking about the
sexual part of it. I'm talking about somebody who thinks they're
a woman just because they want to be a woman even though God
made them a man. You cannot change the DNA. I don't care what you
do to the outside of this body Your insides are still the same,
and that includes life and death in the heart. Their imaginations come up with
all sorts of things that they call truths. Let me tell you
a truth. Let me share a truth with you.
In John chapter 1 verse 14, listen to these words. And the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth." John the Baptist came speaking
of this one called Jesus. He came as one crying in the
wilderness. Heaven is at hand. In John 5.33
we read this, "...Ye sent unto John, and ye bear witness unto
the truth." When we seek to know something, to gain knowledge
of any particular point or subject, our only trust of this knowledge
must be from Scripture. Based on what Scripture tells
us, I ask you, what saith the Word? Let me give you an example. When we understand the true heart
of men, we can see a different reasoning behind what men do. I said a moment ago that thinking
you're a woman when you're a man, or thinking you're a man when
you're a woman is the most ridiculous thing ever. But when we have
been brought to the point to realize how wicked our hearts
are, how wicked they were at one time when the Lord did not
dwell in them, Can we not understand how we
could have been just as wicked as that ourselves? Were we not
in that same boat as all who walk this earth? God tells us in Jeremiah 17 verse
9, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked
who can know it. Our Lord tells us in John 14.6,
Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father,
but by me. But not all believe that truth,
do they? In the 10th chapter of John,
again, we read in verse 24, Then came the Jews round about him,
and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou
be the Christ, tell us plainly." And Jesus answered him, he says,
I told you, but ye believe not the works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye
are not my sheep. So I ask this question, Lord,
make thy will known. We must first understand this
point. of where it is that we find truth and why it is we believe
this word as truth. In Ephesians 2 verse 8 we read
this, For by grace are ye saved, through faith, that's through
belief, that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. How is it
that we believe these truths? Because God has taken up residence
in a new heart. We must look to His Word as the
basis of all truths, and we praise Him for His grace and His mercy
in revealing His truths to us, rather than leaving us to our
own imaginations as many are. As we look into the Word of God,
we see there are two types of what we would call God's will.
His providential will and His revealed will. I want to first
talk this morning about His hidden will. His secret will, as some
may call it. His will of providence. Let me
ask you this question. Do not all things come to pass
by His will? Is He God of all things? Or has
He just let some things come to pass as they would, as they
would by chance maybe? Does He just leave up to creation? Up to creation to run its own
course, as many think so? Let me give you an answer to
that. And the answer is from God's
Word. Isaiah 14.24, our Lord says this. In fact, you know
what? Read along with me, would you? Do you have your bulletins
with you this morning? It's right here on the front
of the bulletin. Read these words with me. Let
these words soak into the hearts of His people, because this is
our peace, folks. The Lord of hosts hath sworn,
saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. And
as I have purposed, so shall it stand. As it is written, thus saith
the Lord, from cover to cover in this book
that He has given us, everything that has, everything that is,
and everything that will come to pass is by His providential
hand. He's God. He's God. He's not some God. He's not a
God. He is God. We don't worship somebody who
doesn't have all power. If we're worshiping somebody
who doesn't have all power, we're wasting our time. We worship
Him who is God. And all the fullness of the Godhead
dwelleth in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture tells
us that if we don't worship the Son, then we don't worship the
Father. Let me give you an example of some hidden will of God. When Joseph was given the coat of many colors,
and his father allowed him to go out to see his brothers, and
his brothers took him in jealousy, and they threw him in a pit.
First they threatened to kill him, then they threw him in a pit,
and then they sold him to the Ishmaelites, I think it was.
And they took him down into Egypt. He went into Egypt. They sold
him to the Egyptians. The Egyptians began to treat
him as a slave. Some things happened. He was
thrown into a prison. He was able to interpret the
dream that the king of Egypt had. And he became the most powerful
man behind Pharaoh. He had the keys to all the storehouses
of Egypt. You think if Joseph thought he
was going to have to go through all that to get to that, that
he would have willingly gone there saying, oh, that's God's
will. He would have if God wanted him
to, but God didn't want him to. Those are things that happened
to him just as the things that happened to you and I in life
happen. There's that saying that things happen. We know who controls
things. We know who rules things. And
it is by His secret, providential will that all things come to
pass. When Jonah ran from the Lord, our Lord had the power
to stop him, didn't He? He had the power to change the
heart of Jonah. Yet Jonah ran from the Lord,
ran down to the city by the sea, got on the boat, went out of
the boat, and was thrown overboard. Are you seeing the providential
secret will of God? 9-11. 9-11 was providence of God. This virus that we are experiencing
in today's world, which really is severe to you and I, but it's
not as severe to Things that have happened before. This virus, these are samples
of His will not revealed in His Word. Even though the story of Israel
going down into Egypt was foretold to Abraham, the details of Joseph
were not. Knowing that our Lord in His
providence works all things out for the good to those that love
Him, to those that are called. Knowing that very fact in God's
Word. Believing God's Word in that
very fact. We have peace because our God
rules in all things. But my opening statement was
this, Lord, make Thine will known unto me. And He does. He does reveal His will throughout
His Word. But nowhere is it more clear
than right here in John chapter 6. Look at verse 36 with me if
you would. But I said unto you, our Lord
speaking, that ye also have seen Me and believed not. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven,
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will.
There's no interpretation here. This is God's Word, folks. This
is the will of God right here. This is the Father's will which
has sent me that all which He hath given me I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is
the will of Him that sent me that everyone which seeth the
Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and I
will raise Him up the last day. I am here this morning to tell
you this. The revealed will of God is to glorify the Son of
the Living God. God the Father chose a people,
chosen from before the world was ever made. A people that
would be redeemed by the sacrificial blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ. God Almighty in the flesh sacrificed
Himself for His people. And as one of His children, as
one of His people, I sing glory and praise to my Lord and Savior.
Because I know what I deserve. I know what I have earned. And
I know that all that I have earned has been placed on my Savior,
the Lord Jesus. In the day of His love. We're
talking about glorifying the Son. In the day of His love,
He called us by the regenerating, life-giving power of His Holy
Spirit. Turn over to 2 Peter, if you
would, chapter 3. Do you recall in verses 39 and
40, our Lord repeated Himself. 39 and 40 of John chapter 6,
and this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that all
which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it again the last day. And then He repeated Himself
almost word for word, not quite, but almost, and this is the will
of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth
on Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise Him up the last
day? Our Lord says in John 3.16, Whosoever believeth in Me shall
have everlasting life. Folks, if God in the flesh, if
the Lord of all glory, if the Creator of all that we can see
and all that we can't see tells us something twice, do you think
we ought to consider it important? Let me remind you of the words
that were already spoken in the book of Isaiah. The Lord of hosts
hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come
to pass. As I have purposed, so shall
it stand. It was the will of God to send
His only begotten Son to stand as the substitute the scapegoat,
the sacrifice, the propitiation, the atonement for His people.
He set His love upon these people before a star ever twinkled in
the sky. Their names were written, scribed
in the palms of His hands. He has loved them with an everlasting
love. What is the will of God for me,
I ask? The will of God is that I should
be His, is what we read. I came down from heaven not to
do mine own will, but of Him that sent me. And this is the
Father's will which has sent me, that all which He hath given
me I should lose nothing. but should raise it up the last
day. What is the will of God for me? I can tell you this, I had no
idea it was to be a pastor in a church at the age of 60. I had no idea it was even to
be going to a church on a weekly basis to praise and worship the
Lord at the age of 40. I had no idea that a pastor would
ask this man who thinks he can't sing at all, and really probably
can't, would be asked to lead singing, that I might learn what
it would be to stand in a pulpit. Some of you may recall that I
spoke on this many years ago. I used to sit down just after
leading a song or give a 10 minute devotional for the opening of
the Bible study. You've seen our Bible studies.
They're scarce. People are not here. Not too
many people are here. I would shake so bad my wife
would sit there and have to calm me. I was so scared. I could not believe that I would
ever be standing before groups of people and preaching, let
alone leading singing. But God's will for me, His hidden
will, was that John would go through a terrible trial. One that would
bring him to this very church, seeking the love and comfort
of a brother, but yet hearing for the first time the Gospel
of Christ and Him crucified. What is the will of God for me? I don't know in this world. I
don't know what tomorrow holds in store. I know this, that all
things So whatever the Lord has in store for me this afternoon,
whatever He has in store for me tomorrow, if tomorrow or today
is the day that I am to leave this world, hallelujah, glory
to our God. If I have to live to be a hundred
years old and preach the gospel every week, three times a week,
hallelujah, praise me to God. If I have to learn how to cook
fresh meat out of a barrel because power is no longer here. God help my wife if I ever have
to go for two weeks without a shower. But if I have to go through those
things, then it be God's will. What is God's will for you? We
have no idea what it might be in this world, but we do know
what it is for eternity. What is the will of God for me?
That I should be His. That I should spend eternity
in personal communion with Him. This is how Scripture says it.
Remember, we look to God's Word for answers. If God be for me,
if God be for us, who or what can be against us? We may not know His providential
will for us here on this earth, but we can most definitely know
His revealed will. In the third chapter of 2 Peter,
the Apostle deals with four specific things. He mentions the reason
for writing this epistle. He foretells that there will
be scoffers in the last days who doubt the coming of Christ.
He describes the coming of the Lord and the destruction of the
earth. And He closes with the use that
we should make with the knowledge of these things. 2 Peter 3, verses
1 and 2. This second epistle, beloved,
I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds
by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the words which
were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment
of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. He says, I stir up
your minds, your pure minds, by way of remembrance. Perhaps
maybe a better word for pure is sincere. We are sincere in
worship of God, in the faith of Christ, and in love to one
another. Yet we need to be constantly stirred up to the remembrance
the remembrance of the doctrines of Christ, the duties of believers
and the promises of our Lord and Savior, not only because
we're still human and prone to forget, but because we need the
constant preaching of the Word to grow, to be spiritually mature. I'd like to bring out two quick
points. Two things especially. The words
spoken by the holy prophets, that is the prophets of Old Testament,
because remember, this is a time when the Old Testament was all
they had. The New Testament had not been completed yet. They
were men of God. They spoke of Christ in promise,
in prophecy, and in type. And the commandment of the Lord
Jesus given through us, His apostles, His preachers, His teachers,
and perhaps maybe one of two things or both are referred to
here in these words. His commandment to preach the
gospel, or maybe His commandment to love one another. Referring
to what we just read there, being mindful of the words that were
spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us,
the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Now verses 3 and 4. knowing this first, that there
shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts,
and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of creation. Now we know from the writing
of the apostles that in the last days men will mock, and they
will make a mockery of sin. Is that not what is going on
in our very world today? They will jeer and mock all religion. Oh, there's those religious people
who put all their hope and trust in a ghost. They'll jeer and they'll mock
all religion. They will mock ministers of the
true gospel. They will reject the gospel of
grace, especially will they mock the second coming of Christ,
the resurrection of the dead, the torments of hell, and the
joys of heaven. They'll be a people who walk
after their own desires and do their own thing according to
their lusts. The object of their scorn is
Christ and the promise of his return. The reason that many
years have come and gone, everything is the same and nothing has changed
from the beginning of creation. They will willingly ignore three
of these things. They overlook the fact that it
was by the Word of God that all things were created. They ignore
that. They overlook that. They ignore that the heavens
came into existence by the Word of God. They say that it just
came in by some big bang theory, something of their own imagination.
By the way, that's been proven not possible. The heavens came into existence
by the Word of God, and the earth was formed out of the waters
by the Word of God. God created it all, and by Him
it remains to this day. They overlook the fact that God
once did destroy the world by water. Destroyed it as it existed. The
earth was covered by water by the command of God. And by His
command it was removed. All things have continued as
they were since then. They forget by the same Word
which created the world, it is also sustained. It's kept intact. If our Lord removed His hands
of sustainment, everything would just either disappear or explode
or go whatever. It is by His hand that we are
held. It is by His hand that the winds
blow the way they blow, is it not? These things that our Lord keeps
intact, they ignore, are reserved for destruction. Our Lord will
not destroy the world again by water, but He will by fire. Verses 8 and 9, we read, Beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promises. Some men count slackness, but
is long-suffering to usward, not willing. that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance." The Apostle is here addressing
the believers again, calling them beloved. Let these men scoff and mock
all that they will around us. The length of time that has passed
since the promise of Christ's coming has no significance to
you or to I. Do we think it's getting close?
It's closer today than it was yesterday. How's that? Could this be the end of time
and our Lord coming back tomorrow? When we die and leave this earth,
we become immediately in the presence of Lord God Almighty.
Do we not? I've often asked myself, could
that not be considered the end of all time right there for me?
If I'm in the presence of the Lord, there is no more time,
right? Since the longest term of time
is nothing with God, However important that it may be to men,
besides the reason his coming is being deferred as a long-suffering
of God toward his elect, he is unwilling that even one of his
chosen children, even one that he shed his blood for, should
perish. For they shall all be brought
to repentance and faith." And you can read that in John 6,
37-39. Verse 10. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
a fervent heat. And the earth also, and the works
that are therein, shall be burned up. His coming shall be sudden,
at an hour when you think not, and the entire world shall be
destroyed with fire, as we read in Matthew 24. Continuing on
in verses 11 and 12, seeing then that these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought you to be in a holy conversation
and godliness? Looking for and hasting unto
the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens, being on
fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat. Folks believing that the earth
and all therein, whether of flesh, nature, or art, will be utterly
destroyed. What manner of persons ought
we to be knowing these things? Certainly we should not be as
the scoffers who ridicule the gospel and the day of his wrath,
nor as the indifferent professors of religion, nor as the materialistic
minded people of this world, but we should be as holy Thinking
of Christ. Believing on Him. Trusting on
Him. As holy and sincere and dedicated
men, waiting for the Lord's return. Hearing, reading, living soberly
and righteously as we can. Verse 13 and 14, nevertheless,
we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a
new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that
you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found
of him in peace without spot and blameless. That we would
be found according to his promise. We look for new heavens and a
new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness for all those who are in Christ.
Therefore, only one thing, therefore the only thing that should really
concern us is to be found in Christ. Isn't that what it's
telling us? Be found in Him. Where is your belief this morning?
Is it in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Or is it in something
that you have done? Our Lord said on that cross,
it is finished. And to all of God's people, it
is finished. We rest in Him. Verses 15 and
16, in account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation,
even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom
given unto him, hath written unto you, as also in all his
epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some
things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned
and unstable rest, as they do also the other Scriptures
unto their own destruction? Ye therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things, before beware, lest ye also being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness."
Now consider that longsuffering of our Lord and Savior. Or the
delay, as you may say, of His coming. It is for the salvation
of His chosen ones. Why is our Lord taking so long
to come back again? Look at the world around us.
Lord, now the world is ripe for Your return, right now. Our Lord
may have some of His elect still to save. There may still be a
woman in the world, or the world to come, who needs to touch the
hem of His garment One who looks to the Savior for her salvation.
Or another that goes to a well, another that goes to a well to
pick up, to draw water from and meets the Lord. Or another who's
flat out of his wits, living in the tombs of whom the Lord
must come to. maybe it's one of our loved ones.
Oh, what a hope we have. What trust we have, knowing that
there's nothing we can do to save our loved ones, but if it's
His purpose, if it's His will, if He is not willing then He
shall lose none. Would you agree? What a hope we have for our loved
ones. Let's read 17 once again and
close with 18. Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing
ye know these things before, beware lest ye, also being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from our own steadfastness. but grow in grace. And in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be glory,
both now and forever. Amen. Beloved, he says, you are aware
of these mysteries that God has revealed to you. Stand in them. Be not led away by those who
preach another gospel. Not only are we to stand, but
we are to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Christ, to whom
be all the glory. What is the will of Him who formed
me in my mother's womb? Verse 9 makes it very clear.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. As some men count
slackness, but is long suffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, not willing that any of his elect should perish,
not willing that any of his chosen children should perish, so much not willing that he gave
himself for us. And as I've already once said,
if God be for us, who can be against us? not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. My thankfulness, folks, my thankfulness
to my Lord and Savior is not sufficient. My praises to my Savior is not
sufficient. My worship is not sufficient, but he who rules all that is,
is not willing that I should perish. My title for today's message
is not willing. If God is not willing for you
to perish, because you were chosen from before the world was. Because you were in Christ when
He hung on that cross. If He's not willing for you to
perish, nothing can separate us from the love that is in Christ.
He's not willing that I should perish, but I should come to
repentance. What love, what grace, amazing
grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. The will of Him who created me
is this, to know the potter, to know the potter who creates
some vessels unto honor. and other vessels unto destruction. Knowing the things that the Lord
has shown my heart, the truths of His Word, I can sing this when the roll
is called up yonder. I'll be there. How about you? Stand with me if you will.