It is a joy and a privilege to
have Brother David Edmondson and Teresa. Where are you, Teresa? Somewhere. Brother David is no stranger
to this congregation or any other congregation here. Pastor of
the Bible Baptist Church in Madisonville, Kentucky. Long time brother and
friend, we love you so much, we're so thankful you're here. You know, we don't just let anybody
stand in this pulpit and preach, but men that we know and have
confidence in, their message, and the man. We know the manner of the man,
like Paul said of himself. But this man is going to preach
three times for it. And I'm glad. I know it will
be a blessing. Brother David, you come. The
Lord bless you. First, I'd like to comment about
what he said about Teresa being with me. He told me not to come
if she wasn't coming with me. And then to comment on what he
said about entrusting someone in your pulpit. I had a fellow
from the Gideon organization call me not long ago and said,
I wanted to set up a time that I could come and preach for you. I said, well, I'm not interested.
He said, you're not interested? Why aren't you interested? I
said, I don't know you. I don't know you to trust you. Don't take it lightly, Paul,
that you asked me and asked me three times. So thankful for the opportunity. I do definitely count it a privilege
and an honor. If you would turn with me tonight
to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, I want to look at verse 1.
All of you are familiar with this book, with this chapter,
and with this verse. But I want to talk to you tonight
about the only way a dead sinner can be made alive. Are you interested? I see you shaking your head.
I am too. I'm interested. I looked up the word death in
the dictionary and it was defined as no longer alive. I thought,
well, that was a big help. Kind of assumed that. So then
I looked up the word alive and the definition was not dead. So Mr. Webster certainly didn't
shine a whole lot of light on the subject for us. But God's
word tells us of two kinds of death. There's physical death
and there's spiritual death. Just the same as there's two
kinds of life. There's physical life and spiritual
life. All of us here tonight are physically
alive. Not everyone here, however, is
spiritually alive. None of us are physically dead,
but there are some here who are without Christ, having no hope
and without God in this world, and they are spiritually dead. I will turn you to Genesis chapter
2. You know the passage well. Verse 16 tells us that the Lord
commanded the man, speaking of Adam, saying, Of every tree of
the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil Thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." I found it interesting
there that the word surely in the original Hebrew means suddenly. For in the day thou eatest thereof,
thou shalt suddenly die. And yet, Adam lived 930 years
physically. And it's here that we see the
distinction. It's here that we see the difference of physical
death between physical death and spiritual death. Adam died
suddenly. Adam died spiritually. He died to God. Why did he die to God? Because
he offended God. David said, against thee and
thee only have I sinned and done this evil on thy side. All our
sin is against God. He disobeyed God's word. He ignored
God's commandment. He offended God's holy justice. And he spiritually and he suddenly
died. He died unto God. And when God
said, if you eat of this tree, you shall surely die, there was
a condition put upon Adam and in his standing with God. If
Adam obeyed God's commandment, he would live. But if Adam disobeyed
God's commandment, he would die. What does that have to do, you
might ask? What does that have to do with
us? What does that have to do with you and I? Well, it has
everything to do with you and I. It has everything to do with
us. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15
verse 22, For in Adam, all die. As mankind's federal head, as
mankind's representative, we all died in Adam. All of us. Every single one of us. We all
died spiritually. We all died to God. We are all
alienated from God. That word alienated means estranged. You can be estranged from a friend
and live on fine, but you cannot be estranged from God. That's
the same as being dead. If you're estranged from God,
you're dead. So I'm interested in how I can
be reconciled to God. Are you interested? If you're estranged with me,
it won't mean much, but if you're estranged from God, you're dead. Here in Ephesians chapter 2,
verse 1, we read, and you hath he quickened who were dead in
trespasses and sins. Now I'm sure you noticed that
the words hath he quickened, those three words are italicized.
We know what that means. That means that they were added
by the translators in order for the text to read easier. Paul
tells us very plainly in verses 4 and 5 He quickened us in Christ and
saved us by His grace. Look at verse 4. But God, who
is rich in mercy for His great love, wherewith He loved us.
Oh, don't you love the but-Gods of Scripture? Verse 5. Even when we were dead in sins,
have quickened us together with Christ. By grace are you saved. So leaving out these three words,
Hethi, quick, and really leaves us with a more accurate translation
of this first verse in Ephesians 2. And you who were dead in trespasses
unseen. That gets my attention. That
speaks to my heart. And you, you that were dead. I'm reminded of the time that
Nathan came to David. And he told him about a rich
man and a poor man. The rich man had a little ewe
lamb that he had raised as his own child. He fed that lamb,
took care of that lamb like a member of his own family. And the rich man wound up taking
that young lamb and serving that lamb for dinner to a wayfaring
friend. And David said, oh, if I could
get my hands on that man, I'd kill him. And God said, you are
that man. You're that man. And you who were dead in trespasses
and sin. You see, we get the bad news.
before we get to good news. Bad news, you who were dead in
trespassing sin. Good news, were dead, and you
have equipped. That's good news, isn't it? That's
the gospel. When I read that, I immediately
thought of the story that I just told you, but I'll tell you something
else I thought about me. I went through this life, just
as I said a moment ago, without God. Without Christ. I haven't had any hope. But God. God who is rich in mercy. Isn't God rich in mercy? He's
rich in mercy. You who are dead, not just sick,
not just injured, not just slightly wounded. That's the way a lot
of preachers preach the fall anymore. Not just a little handicapped,
not just blind, not just deaf, not just dumb, but dead. Dead. This ought to be of great
concern to those of you who are still dead. Some of you are still dead. A death is characterized by the
absence of the senses. One who is dead cannot hear you.
You can speak, but they won't hear you. You can invite them
to come somewhere with you, but they won't come. A dead man cannot hear you because
he's dead. One who is dead gives you no
signs of recognition. He cannot see. He can't acknowledge
anything that you tell him or that you show him. One old preacher once said, there
are none so blind as those who are dead. A dead sinner cannot
come to the front of the church. I don't know who ever got that
idea that there was any life in moving from one place to another.
But a man told me that my whole life. And I came up front so
many times that I wore the carpet out in the church that I attended. A dead sinner cannot raise his
hand. Have you ever been at a funeral
and somebody says, OK, you can have this Jesus, just raise your
hand? Dead men can't raise his hand.
A dead sinner cannot say a sinner's prayer. Just repeat this prayer
after me. Dead men can't. Their deadness is the reason
for their inability. One who is dead cannot smell.
There is no sweet-smelling savor of life unto life and Christ
of one who has no life in them. When I was spiritually dead,
I smelt nothing of Christ's sweet-smelling fragrance, but I do now. Because I was dead. But God quickened
me. God made me alive. There's no sense of taste to
one who has no life. The bread of life is tasteless. It has no fulfillment to one
who is dead. The fountains of living water
bring no refreshment to a lifeless sinner. Just don't. No sense
of touch or feeling in a lifeless sinner. One who is lifeless can't
feel either joy or pain. And a dead sinner feels nothing,
for they have no feelings. With the dead, there is an absence
of desire. There's an absence of ability. There's an absence of will. There's an absence of will. Those who are dead have no desire
for heavenly things. None. They have no desire for
Christ who is the bread of life. They have no desire for Christ
who is the fountain of living water. A dead sinner has no desire
for forgiveness, no desire for mercy, no desire for grace. Why? because they're dead. We have
no ability to work that we might earn life. We have no equity,
which is the word for righteousness in the scripture. We have no
righteousness or equity that we might purchase life. We have no worth that we might
deserve life. All we deserve is hell. Death
and eternal condemnation. I don't want what I deserve. Do you, Kelly? No, sir. I need mercy. I need grace. I need forgiveness. You have no worth. You have no
willingness even to will to live. Because you're dead. What hope,
man, is there for a dead sinner? Well, here's the only hope any
dead sinner has, and you have been quickened. You, Heavenly
Father, God of all things, have quickened dead sinners. That's
our only hope. Paul wrote this letter to those
who were dead. I'm so glad that word's in there.
Were dead. tells me that there's life, and
to those whom He quickens. To you who are yet without Christ,
trust me when I tell you that there's no hope for you apart
from God's quickening you. Absolutely none. To those who
were dead, to those who were no longer dead, Paul gives us
the only hope that any of us have. God has to make you alive. God has to quicken you. Every
saved sinner will tell you the same thing. It was God that made
me alive. Ask them if they helped in any
way. I mean, you ask a child of God if they helped in any
way. Oh, no. I was dead. Ask them if they cooperated anyway.
How could they? They're dead in trespasses and
sin. Ask them if they collaborated with God. No, they had no senses. They
had no way to collaborate. They had no way to communicate.
They had no will and no ability. None. Some of you God has quickened. God has given you a new birth.
God has made you a new creature in Christ. Do you remember how
it was when God first saved you, when God first revealed the gospel
to you? Like a newborn infant, well,
we couldn't see too clearly. I've got a little granddaughter
that my youngest daughter adopted, Now she's able to focus in pretty
good, but when we first got her home, she'd look at you in her
eyes and she couldn't focus in. That's kind of the way we were
when God saved us, wasn't it? We couldn't comprehend much of
what was said to us. But in the life of a child, as
time goes on, the child learns a few simple syllables and as
they grow older they begin to learn words and they put words
together to make sentences. And that's kind of the way it is
with us. Our Heavenly Father accepted
our broken utterances. He graciously received our unclear
and our uncertain prayers. Like children, we had a lot of
zeal, but it certainly wasn't according to knowledge. And as
we grew in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord, we began to have
some wants and desires that we never had before. We felt a hunger
that we'd never felt before. We had a thirst that we had never
experienced. And we didn't have that hunger
when we were dead. We didn't have that thirst before
we had life. Dead men and women don't hunger
and thirst. They don't hunger for the bread
of life. They don't thirst for the fountain of living water
because they're dead. How did these come to have these
sensations, these senses? They're made alive. Don't you
like that word made? Made. Those who were dead. Not
dead anymore. Now the children of the living
God. Now, let me say this before I
go any further. We know that in salvation, We
don't choose the Lord Jesus. You've heard sound enough preaching
for many years to know that that's foolishness. Matter of fact,
the Lord Jesus said himself, you have not chosen me, but I've
chosen you. We didn't in and of ourselves
decide to love God. We love him because he first
loved us. Isn't the Holy Spirit so clear
about these things? How simple is that? You have
not chosen me, but I've chosen you. Is there anything about
that that we don't understand? The problem is men and women
don't believe it. We love him because he first
loved us. Is there anything that we don't
understand about that? No, it's so plain and so simple.
Do we believe it? We never exercised our will in
order to be given life. Why? Because a dead man has no
will, no ability, no choice. Our Lord said very plainly, you
will not come to me that you might have life. Is there anything
about that we don't understand? The one who's been made alive
unto God has been given a will that desires the will of God.
Did you hear what I said? We now desire the will of God.
And what's our prayer? Lord, thy will be done. Not my
will, but thy will be done. If that's your will, it sounds
to me like God's given you life. One's been born again, now has,
and don't throw anything at me yet, now has the ability to come
to Christ that they might have life, and they come constantly
because they need Him every hour. The chosen sinner has been made
willing to come to Christ, and it was in the day of His power.
They now can have some confidence that Christ put away their sin. Why? Because God is quick in
them. And they see it. and they know
it to be so. They now have some assurance
that they can come to Christ and they have because they've
been made alive. With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible. All things. Even coming to Him
that we might have life. Christ asked that impotent man
at the pool of Bethesda. He said, will thou be made whole? And he said, I can't. He said,
I have no man to put me in the water. I can't. I've been in
this awful condition for 38 years. Well, you ought to know that
I can't. And then the Lord said this.
He said, rise, take up thy bed, and walk He couldn't rise and take up
his bed and walk, but he did. With the command came the power. Isn't that what life is? Eternal life. The power comes with the command.
That poor woman that was bowed over, I've pictured her in my
mind's eye for so long. She bowed over. Scripture says
she can in no wise raise herself up. Neither could you and I. In no wise could we rise, raise
ourself up. Yet Christ said to her woman,
thou art loose from thine infirmity. Now do you think that she said,
Lord, you know I've been humped over like this for 18 years. I can't straighten up. If she
could have raised up, don't you think she would have? But she couldn't raise up. But
she did. Christ laid his hands on her
and immediately she was made straight and she glorified God.
Are you glorifying God? If he's made you alive, you are.
Because you know that he's the only one who could do that for
you. In Matthew chapter 12, I believe,
we're told that there was a man with a withered hand. Wasn't
able to work, wasn't able to do anything for himself. He had
a withered hand. His hand was dead. The Lord said
to that poor man, stretch forth thy hand. Do you think that he
said, I can't? There's no life in my hand. I
can't move it, I can't stretch it forth. Christ said, stretch
forth thy hand. And he'd been right if he'd said,
I'm not capable. It's withered, it's dead. He
couldn't stretch it forth, but he did. You see, when God makes you alive
with his command, I'm saying it again, being repetitious on
purpose, when God gives the command, With it, he gives the power.
And I'm so thankful that he does, because I'd still be dead. What
great hope, what great comfort, what great assurance is found
in the power of Christ. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation. It's the power of God to everyone
that believeth. Well, I thought it was just for
the elect. Only the elect of God believe.
Of course, that's another message. Only those who remain alive under
God can believe. So, if you believe, come to Christ. He says, come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and with the command to come,
he gives the power. What a God. How merciful and
gracious God is. I thought no man can come. I
thought no man would come. Not unless the Father which is
in heaven draw him. And that drawing is quickening
and giving life. That's what that drawing is.
If God draws them, they'll come. If Christ calls them, they'll
come. How do I know that? Because I came. And because with the command
comes the power. Who hath resisted his will? Who can resist his will? You
know, I couldn't come to Christ that I might have life, but I
did. Why? Because God gave me life.
You, happy quickened. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me all,
and no wise cast out. John 6, 37. So, if you're interested
in this life that is found in Christ, there's good hope that
God's already quickened you. Why? Because a dead man has no
desire, no will, no ability. Isn't that encouraging to you? Martha said, Lord, if you'd been
here, my brother would not have died. Christ said, your brother
shall rise again. And Martha responded, she said,
I know he'll rise in the resurrection. And Christ said, I am the resurrection.
I am the resurrection. and the like, and he that believeth
in me, key word, in me, key words, in me, not every wind of doctrine
in Christ, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? That's my
question to you. Do you believe this? She said, yea, Lord. I believe
that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should
come into the world. And our Lord said, worthy lady,
He didn't forget why he'd come. He said, take away the stone.
And Martha said, oh Lord, he's four days dead. By now he stinks. And the Lord said, said I not
unto thee, if thou wouldest believe that thou shouldst see the glory
of God. You know, I wonder how often we may miss the glory of
God because of our unbelief. Said I not unto thee if thou
wouldest believe? Thou shouldest see the glory
of God. Oh, I want to see the glory of
God. Lord, I believe, but help thou my unbelief. Friends, if
we could just believe. God help our unbelief. And the
Lord cried. I love, I think about this so
often. You know why? Because I was Lazarus. Lazarus couldn't come forth.
He was dead. But he did. He did. Now, did
Lazarus receive life after he got up out of that tomb and walked out? You say, well that's ridiculous.
Exactly. Exactly. I like to tell a lot
of preachers that. It's ridiculous. No, you see,
with the command came the power to come. And he that was dead
came forth. Lazarus come forth and he that
was dead came forth. And it was all because God gave
him life. I love to think about that passage. I can do all things through Christ
which strengthens me. In and of myself I can do nothing.
Christ said without me you can do nothing. Not a little bit,
not a few things, nothing. But in Christ, with Christ, I
can do all things through him that strengthens me. To him that
gives me You see, it's our union with
Christ that makes all things possible. So why do we get discouraged?
Why do we get depressed? Why do we get stressed out? Why
don't we believe the Lord? Well, I can tell you if you want
to know, it's an unbelief. It's just what it is. We've got
to call it what it is. We doubt our God, but how could
we? How could we? The Lord asked himself. When
Sarah laughed, when she found out she was going to have a child,
the Lord said, is anything too hard for the Lord? Job said, I know that thou canst
do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
What in God? Christ said, with God, all things
are possible. If thou canst believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth. We just quoted that. Yet sinners
say things like, well, I don't know if God chose me. Joshua said, choose this day
whom you'll serve. If you choose Christ, it's only
because he chose you. It's only because he gave you
the power. A dead man can't make a decision
to follow Jesus, but one who is given life does. Joshua said,
as for me and my house, we'll serve the Lord. Mary chose the good part, didn't
she? Mary chose the one thing needful.
Mary chose that which could not be taken away from her. She chose those things because
God created her. God made her alive. Now I'm not preaching for your
will, I hope you know that. But I am so thankful that with
the command comes the power. I guess if I was going to title
this, might I'll title it that. Let me say this in closing. If you're here tonight without
Christ, I'm being as sincere as I know how. If you are here
tonight without Christ, let me tell you, you're here without
hope. Christ is our hope. Christ in you is the hope of
glory. And it's my greatest desire that
God will make you alive. I know that's your pastor's greatest
desire, that God will quicken you and
make you alive. I look out tonight and I have
many friends here that are pastors, Brother Todd, Brother Gabe, Brother
John, Brother Mike. I know that's your greatest desire
too, and that God just puts that into his preaching servants'
hearts. All God's people for that matter.
Oh, we want to see folks saved. We want to see folks trusting
in Christ. Finding their hope of redemption
in Him. And I know that's your pastor's desire. You see, none
cares for the sheep like the shepherd I love what Brother Mike said
in his prayer. He puts that sheep upon his shoulder.
He don't put a goat up there and then magically transform
him on the way back to the foal, does he? No, he's watching out
for the sheep. That's what a pastor does. Matter
of fact, the word pastor means shepherd. Harlings don't love the sheep.
A lot of harlings today. Men out for hire. But the shepherd
does. The shepherd cares for the sheep.
They mean everything to Him. Do you have an interest in these
things? Do you want to know the Lord?
Do you desire to pass from death to the life? Then I encourage
you to come faithfully to hear this man preach. Come and listen
to him proclaim the word of the Lord. This is not my word. This
is not his word. This is God's word. Speaking
of these men that I mentioned a minute ago, I don't know if
there's any five men in the world that I enjoy listening to the
most. They feed my soul. They tell me of Christ. Every
one of them. It's the same message. It's delivered
with their personality and their style, but it's the same message.
And it's a message of life. It's a message to those who were
dead. Oh, may God be pleased to give
you life. May God give you life and enable you to come to Him. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Then it sounds to me like you
already have life. Well, I need to get some things
straight in my life. You know, my mother used to say
to me all the time, my mother had a lot of sayings. Did your
mom have a lot of sayings? One of her sayings to me was,
David Lee, did you know my middle name was Lee? That's all she
called me, David Lee. David Lee, you better straighten
up and fly right. And you know I tried for a long
time and I realized that I couldn't straighten up and I couldn't
fly right. And neither can you. You can't. I tried for many years but I
couldn't. But God in Christ, hear me on this, but God in Christ
can make you Perfectly holy. Perfectly righteous. Perfectly
just. Why, He can even make you unblameable. Above blame. Unreprovable. Above reproof. In His sight. And that's all
that really matters, isn't it? He's the one with whom we have
to And that's all that matters.
All that God may be pleased to give you life. Amen.