Bibles to Isaiah 43, please. This last week I was flipping
through some channels on the radio and come across on 650
they have some local preachers, local ministers, whatever you
want to call them. And this one, I think, I'm pretty sure he's
the head minister of Bayside Church over in Roseville, Rockland
area. I'm pretty sure that's the guy.
I recognize his voice. That was the one where Kathy
and I went that one time with my money man. And they had the
stage and they had the smoke going across it and everything.
Even then he didn't preach, but he was talking about something
that kind of caught my ear for a minute. He was talking about
death. He was talking about the death
of a loved one. He had taken the people to the
book of Genesis where Abraham was burying Sarah. And Sarah,
he had to go and he had to purchase a field. so that he could bury
Sarah in that cave at the field there. And up to that point,
I was kind of interested in what he was having to say about Abraham
and what he was saying about how being a sojourner through
the world, we are sojourners through this world. This world
is not our home. We're just passing through to
the world, to the home that God has prepared for us. And he came to a point where
he was addressing how Abraham was dealing with the death of
his wife. They were married for quite a long time, you've got
to remember. They both lived into their hundreds. So, he made a statement. And his statement was this, he
goes, those of us who have received the offer of salvation. And I immediately reached up
and clicked it and turned it off. I've got to tell you something.
That offends me. That offends me a great deal. Here's a man standing before
people And making the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ sound
is something that you can accept, reject, something not of any
worth, something common. Salvation is of the Lord. That's not an offer. That's a
fact. Salvation was accomplished by
our Lord Jesus Christ when the blood of God was shed on that
cross. That was not something that maybe
could happen. It did happen. Our Lord said,
it is finished. That means it's done. Salvation
is done. That's my only source of assurance. Because when I look in the mirror
and see this flesh of mine, I know there's no strength in it. If
it's left up to me to make a decision for Christ, then I'm going to
fail every time. I did for 40 years. It wasn't
until He decided to call me out of that darkness. I was offended by it. Here's a man who people seek
some kind of hope from. People who are grieving from
the death of their family. Maybe a close member or something. What can I think in my mind as
I'm considering that my child is no longer with me? I've never had to experience
that, but I watched my brother go through it. I saw the sorrow
that can fill a man's heart when their child is taken from them. What kind of comfort is that?
That if only you would have, or only if you would do this,
then you too could be up there and not down there. Here's a man whom people seek
some kind of hope from for the pain of losing a loved one, and
all he gives them is a possibility. A maybe. That's what an offer
is, isn't it? Is that not what an offer implies?
I want to offer you something. Maybe you'll take it, maybe you
won't. To declare that salvation is
something offered is to declare that it's a possibility. If you,
if you, if you, if you do this, if you do that. It's offered as a possibility,
like maybe one could accept it, or maybe one would reject it.
Can there be any assurance in an offer? Can you put your hopes in something
that is offered? Can anyone hope in something
that is just a possibility or a maybe? When I look into scriptures,
when I look into God's word, I see assurance. It is done. It is finished. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. It is not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth, but of God showeth mercy. That's
not possibilities. That's not an offer. That's a
declaration. I see facts, not maybes, not
possibilities. I see shalls. I see musts. I see assurance. Are you with
me in Isaiah 43? Look at verse 1 through 13. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear
not, for I will possibly redeem you. For I will redeem something,
and if you want it, you can have it. If you don't, you don't have
to. No, you're right, Daryl, that's not what it says at all.
What does God's Word say? It says, I have redeemed thee. Does that sound like an offer? I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine. We just didn't know it. We ran
around through this life thinking it was just all about us. It's
all about me. I can take care of this. I can do this. Oops, I stumbled. I get back up. I'll do it again.
No. I am His. And He is mine. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God." Making the salvation of God an
offer takes away the sovereignty of Him. It steps on His glory. It puts the glory and the sovereignty
in man instead. That's making yourself to be
God. Did you know that? When we say that our will is
above the will of our Creator, then we're saying that the pot
has the right to say what it wants to be. The potter has no
say-so. I am the Lord thy God, the Holy
One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
and Ethiopia and Sheba for thee. since thou wast precious in my
sight." What were we? We were precious. He has loved
us from everlasting to everlasting. Before we were ever even born, God chose us in His Son to be
redeemed, to be His Son, to be our Savior. That's not an offer. That's a declaration. A declaration
that salvation is of the Lord and of the Lord alone. Something
not a single man alive or woman alive has deserved. No, in fact
what we deserve is exactly the opposite. We have sinned against
our God. All you got to do is doubt and
you have sinned against God. Wanted that to sink in for a
minute. All you got to do is think and you have sinned against
God. Thankfully, our Lord has a people.
Since thou was precious in my sight, thou has been honorable
and I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for
thee and people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee.
I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the
west. I will say to the north, give up, and to the south, keep
not back. Bring my sons from far and my
daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone that is called
by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed
him, yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people
that have eyes and the deaf that have ears. Let the nations be
gathered together and the people, and let the people be as assembled
who among them can declare this and show us former things. Let
them bring forth their witnesses that they may be justified, or
let them hear and say it is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the
Lord, and my servant, whom I have chosen. That ye may know and
believe me, and understand that I am he, Who do you say that He is? The Son of the Living God, Creator
of all things, all-powerful God in the flesh. How can you and
I say that? Blessed are you, Simon Barjona,
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my
Father who is in heaven. and understand that I am He.
Before me there was no God. For Him neither shall there be
any after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside
me there is no Savior." And here's what I want you to see. I have declared and have saved. God does not offer salvation,
He declares it. He declares it in His Son. The blood of God was shed on
that old rugged cross a little over 2,000 years ago. Salvation
is done. Put down your works. Put down
your high and mighty thoughts and look to the Savior, He who
declares Himself. I have declared and I have saved,
and I have showed when there was no strange God among you.
Therefore, ye are my witnesses. Sayeth the Lord that I am God. Yea, before the day was, I am
he, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I and my Father are one, he says. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and none shall pluck anyone out of my hands.
I and my Father are one. None can deliver out of my hand
I will work, and who shall let it? Now if you would turn over to
Mark, chapter 1. My title this morning is this,
Salvation Declared. God is not offering salvation
to anyone. To say that salvation is offered
is to give authority to the receiver. That's exactly what an offer
is. Here, won't you take this? Please have it. It is to give the power to the
one that is being offered to, relinquishing the power from
the one who saves. I'll let you have the power.
Isn't that what he's saying? Isn't that what that's saying?
Maybe you can do it. That's not what I hear in Scripture.
What I hear in Scripture are there are none that seeketh after
me. There are none good. It is to give the power to the
one that it is being offered to and relinquishing the power
from the one who saves. Yet all power is in heaven and
in earth and even under the earth belong to the Lord Jesus, do
they not? He shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people. Not might, not maybe, not possibly,
but shall save his people. The Lord Jesus Christ has all
power for he is the creator of all things. This is why I read
that article about the sovereignty. We don't want to toy with that
ever. That would be destruction on
our part. Either He is Lord of all, or
He is not Lord at all. And the Lord of Scripture is
Lord of all. Nothing can turn His hand. Nothing
can separate His people from the love that is in Christ Jesus
the Lord. Not even us. He makes us willing in the day
of His power. I thought I was running around
running my own life, but it wasn't it at all. God was actually working
all things out for my good to call me out of that darkness
in the day that He thought was right. And it was perfect according
to Him. Our Lord is the Creator of power.
He is all power. He is the Alpha, the Omega. All
things are of Him, through Him, and for Him. When we speak of
our Savior, we speak of Him with all authority, sovereign ruler
over everything. Everything about Him has all
authority over... What did I write there? Everything about Him is authoritative
and He has authority over all things. His Word is authoritative. This is His Word. This is the truth. Everything else has been mixed
up with men. You've got to be really careful
about reading commentators. Those are men. Always look into
scriptures and see if it says so. There's another article in
today's... I thought it was in this one. Now I've got to read it again.
Okay, let's continue on. Sorry about
that. His word, he is sovereign in
all things, and his word is so... I confused myself. His word is truth. Everything about his word shows
his authority over all things. He is not relinquished his authority,
including the authority over the devils. How often we read
where the devil has to get permission from our Lord to do anything. His life shows us his sovereignty
there. He walked perfectly in this world,
fulfilling every jot, every tittle, every little spot of the law
in our case. He had authority over his death.
He says, no man took it from me. I laid down my life. I will pick it up again. His
resurrection, he was raised to sit on his throne. His seat on his throne shows
his sovereignty. He rules over everything, interceding
for his children. He speaks, and it is so. Are
you with me in Mark, verses 1? Let's read 14 through 20. Chapter
1, 14 through 20. Now, after that, John was put
in prison, and Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye, and believe the gospel. Now as he walked by the Sea of
Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting the net
into the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come
ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
Now we're talking about salvation declared. Everything our Lord
Jesus does is a declaration. proving that right here, and
straight away they forsook their nets and followed
him. Two men fishing on the side of
the ocean, straight away they dropped everything. The power
of God moved in their hearts. Continue on. And when he had
gone a little further, thence he saw James, the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother, who also were in a ship mending their
nets. And straightaway he called them, and they left their father
Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and they went
after him." This is the power that our Lord
Jesus Christ has. the same power that called Lazarus
from the tomb. And I've said this before, but
it bears repeating, Lazarus came forth to show the power of God
in that call, Lazarus come forth. And this is what he does to each
and every one of his people. Lazarus came forth even though
he was still bound. He came forth. John Reeves came
forth, even though I was still bound by the world around me. I came forth and I heard the
Word of God. When our Lord spoke to Lazarus,
did he not have to hear it? That means Christ put life in
him because he was dead. He had to put life in him so
that he could hear. Dead men can't hear anything.
This is the power of God. When our Lord, in His power,
said, it is finished, it is finished. Now we've got to learn this lesson
the hard way, some of us. And I am one who follows in that
very footstep. I learn things the hard way.
I think it was a week or so ago I shared with you about how when
I was a child, I stuck my finger in the lighter and burnt my finger.
Not more than 20 seconds after dad said, don't do that. I've
been doing that all my life. Jonah, go and preach to the Ninevites. Oh, no, no, no. Those are bad
people. They're really nasty people. I don't want to go preach
to them. I'm going to go the other direction. Jonah had to
learn it the hard way. He had to learn by dying in the
belly of the fish that salvation is of the Lord. And when the
Lord spit him out of that fish onto dry land, he knew the message
that he would have for those people. And it wasn't a message of, God
might save you if you'll let Him. It wasn't a message of, here's
salvation if you'll just come down and take it. It wasn't a message of, you could
be saved if you will just do this and stop doing the foolish
things that you were doing. It was the message of this, salvation
is of the Lord. And this is the peace that God's
people have, is we know that it was all of Him. And we know
that nothing we could have done could have brought us to that
at all. I ask you this, does what we just read about the fishermen, does that
sound like an offer? A possibility or maybe? If you declare a lie
that robs God of his glory, that offends me. You tell me that
salvation is a possibility, you're telling me that your God is worthless. I'm telling you about a Jesus
Christ who died with all power in heaven and earth. I'm telling
you about a God who rules over everything, including the wicked
hearts of men. A God who comes in and cuts that
wicked heart out of His people and gives them a new heart that
believes Him. You sit here this morning believing
the Lord Jesus Christ, it's because the Lord Jesus Christ is doing
a work in your heart. It's not because He's offered
you something to believe in. He is putting that belief in
you. That's why He says, even if your faith is as small as
a mustard seed, it's still from God. It's still perfect. It's the gift from Him. Look at verses 21 and 22. And when they had went into Capernaum
and strayed away on the Sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue
and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught
them as one that had authority and not as the scribes. The scribes
were running around saying, you had to be circumcised. The scribes
were running around saying, you have to do this, you have to
do that, you've got to go over here on the Sabbath day. Jesus
Christ is our Sabbath day. We rest in His work, in His work
alone. He is the one who circumcises
the heart. The flesh is going to burn up.
It's going to go away to dust. Our Lord Jesus spoke as one of
authority. Salvation is declared. His word is the word of authority. As we read in Isaiah, can you
go back there for just a moment, if you would? I should have asked
you to mark your Bibles, I apologize for that. Go back to Isaiah,
if you would. This time, let's look at chapter
44. Isaiah chapter 44 verse 1, And
yet now hear, O Jacob, My servant. Hear what the Lord says, ye people
of God, ye servants of the great High. ye of Israel, whom He has chosen. Thus saith the Lord that made
thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee, fear
not. Salvation is of the Lord. You have nothing to fear if you're
one of His. Oh, Jacob, my servant, and now
Jerome, whom I have chosen, for I will pour water upon him that
is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit
upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring, and they
shall spring up as among grass, as willows by the water courses. One shall say, I am the Lord's,
and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another
shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself
by the name of Israel. Thus saith the Lord, King of
Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the first,
I am the last, and beside me there is no God, and who as I
shall call and shall declare it and set it in order for me,
since I appointed the ancient people And the things that are
coming shall come, let them show unto them, fear ye not, neither
be afraid, I have told you thee from the time that I have declared
it." Who declared it? When God speaks, it's a declaration. This is a declaration of the
Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done. This is a declaration of what
the Lord Jesus Christ has done for His people. Cleansed them
completely from all their sins. God remembers their sins no more
because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done. What the Bible
tells us He has done. He gave His life for us. I told thee from that time, and
have declared it ye, or even my witnesses, is there a God
beside me? Yea, there is no God, I know
not any." The God of Scripture declares salvation is of the
Lord. The glory is His, and His alone. We, the recipients of
His love, the recipients of His mercy, His grace, are called
with a holy calling, and that calling is a calling of authority.
sovereign ruler over everything. It's not a possibility, it's
for sure. He says, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. We are washed in the blood of
God, the blood with power, and it has the power to cleanse a
lost sinner. When God reveals His Son in one
of His chosen saints, we don't speak of something offered, Because
there's no assurance in an offer. My Lord moved into my heart.
He took up residence. Has He taken up residence in
yours? Does your heart burn to hear
the Word of the Lord? Do you want to hear more about
Jesus? And what He's done for you? We declare salvation is done,
finished, completed, and perfect in our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory
divine. Stand with me, if you would,
please, and let's turn to our