Good evening, everyone. I've stood here a couple of times,
and it's not good to stand here again. I pray, though, that the Lord
will bless us in spite of this vessel. I lived here for ten years. I can't tell you how much I love
you. And I'm just humbled. Whatever
the reason, I'm glad to be here. And I pray the Lord's blessing. I just pray the Lord's blessing.
If the Lord will send His Spirit, then we will be glad. I want to begin this weekend
by turning to one of the most loved and quoted verses of Scripture
probably in all the Word of God. Romans 8.28. We try to remember this, don't
we? We try to remind ourselves of
this. And we try to remind each other
of this. And tonight as we read this verse
and think on this verse and rejoice in this verse, I want us to do
it in light of the last phrase. The very last phrase. Let's read
the last phrase of Romans 8.28 together. It says, To them who
are the called according to His purpose. We love that, don't we? Sixty years ago, there was a
big movement in the Southern Baptist Church. And they were
going to win a bunch of souls. And they all decided that they
were going to band together and have a big revival. A big week-long
tent revival. And all the churches were going
to have it during the same week and it was going to be a big
event. And one of the pastors of the
churches procrastinated. And he didn't call anybody. And they got down to the wire
and they had to take who they could get. That's the only guy
who was left. There was one man available and
they didn't really want him. He had a reputation, but they
had no choice. So they asked him to come speak.
And that man's name was Rolf Barnard. And the first night he got there,
sitting down on the front row was a young man in his early
20s, very early 20s. He was a youth leader and a song
leader. And he asked that young man,
he said, do you know Romans 8.28? And that young man said, I think
I do. He said, well stand up and quote
it. So that man stood up and he said,
and we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God. And he sat down. And Barnard asked that young
man, he said, what about the rest of it, son? He said, do
you know the rest of it? There's more to it than that.
He said, stand up and quote the rest of it. So the man stood
up, and he said, and we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. And Barnard started screaming
at the top of his lungs, Purpose! Purpose. Purpose. purpose. Rolf Barnard looked at Brother
Henry and said, son, if you ever learn anything about God's purpose,
you'll learn something about God. Turn with me over to Romans chapter
9. Verse 11 says, for the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated." God chose a particular people on purpose. on purpose. He didn't look down
through time and see who would do what and let that sway his
decision one way or the other. He chose a particular people
on purpose. It says here, for the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand. Not of words. Not of anything they might do
down the road. But of Him that calleth. But of Him that calleth. Every soul that God the Father
chose to redeem, He chose that soul on purpose, didn't He? Religion says that God cast a
vote for you. And the devil cast a vote against
you. And now the decision is yours. Your choice. You choose. Election
is in your hands. Turn with me over to John chapter
15. John 15 verse 16 says, You have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring
forth fruit." Every sinner that is saved from eternal destruction,
God chose to save that sinner on purpose. Absolutely on purpose. Now let's go to Luke chapter
9. Verse 28 says, And it came to pass, about an
eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James
and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion
of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and
glistening. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory
and spake of his decease, which he should accomplish." At Jerusalem. Jesus Christ died on purpose. He died on purpose. God chose
a particular people on purpose And Christ died for a particular
people on purpose. He said, those that thou gavest
Me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of
perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Nobody killed
the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody. Nobody killed Him. They did crucify Him. They did
hang Him on a tree. But turn with me over to Acts
chapter 2. Acts 2 verse 22 says, You men
of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth A man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God
did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."
They did by wicked hands crucify and slay him. But the only reason
they did is because he was delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. That means he was appointed to
it. Look at Acts 3, verse 18. It says, But those things which
God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that
Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. That means all the Old Testament
said, Christ is coming to die. That's what the whole Old Testament
says. Christ is coming for one purpose only, and that's to die. Now go with me to John 10. Verse 14 says, I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down
my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life,
that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father." God chose a particular people on purpose. Christ died
for a particular people, and only those people. On purpose,
look right here in John 10 at verse 25, it says, Jesus answered
them. I told you and you believed not
the works that I do in my father's name. They bear witness of me,
but you believed not because you're not of my sheep. As I
said unto you, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and
they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand." Isn't that wonderful? Every bit of this was for a particular
people. Every bit of it. So the last
phrase of Romans 8.28 says, To them who are the called, according to His purpose. God
chose a particular people on purpose. And Christ died for
a particular people on purpose. And the Spirit calls all of those
particular people on purpose. Every single one. Every single
one. Our Lord said, All that the Father
giveth Me, shall come to me." Why? The Spirit is going to call
every single one. Every single one. The Lord said,
so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall
not return unto me void. When that word goes out and says,
come, it's not coming back without the sinner. It will not return void. But
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper
in the thing whereunto I sent it. God calls His people from
darkness to light. He calls them from death to life
on purpose. And I'm so glad for that. All
right, now that that has been established. Let's look at Romans 8.28 very
quickly. Very quickly. Look at Romans
8.28. It says, "...and we know." We know. We know, don't we? We know. What a gift of God that
is. We know. Paul said, for I know whom I
have believed. And I am persuaded he is able. I don't think God is able to
save me. I know. I know. Paul told the Philippians,
being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. I know we will. It says in Romans
8, 28, And we know that some things. We know that the things we perceive
to be good things. We know that the things that
go the way we wanted them to go. You know what we know? We know
that all things, all things. Turn over with me
to Ruth chapter 2. Ruth 2, verse 15 says, And when she was risen up to
glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even
among the sheaves, and reproach her not. And let fall also some
of the handfuls of purpose for her. And leave them that she
may glean them and rebuke her not." Everything that we have,
everything that we have given to us has come to us in a handful
of purpose. Purpose. What do we have that
we have not received? Job said, The Lord giveth and
the Lord taketh away. Either way, it's on purpose. Go with me to Ecclesiastes chapter
three. Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1 says,
to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under
heaven. Every single thing, every event
that takes place happens at God's appointed time for God's appointed
purpose. Every single thing. There is
a reason for it. We don't always know what that
reason is. Usually, we never know what that reason is. But we know, we absolutely know,
it's according to God's purpose. Let's look at our text one more
time. Romans 8. It says, And we know that all
things work together for good, To them that love God, all things
work together for good. It has to work together for good.
God is the one doing it, and God is good. There is no other
possible outcome that could come from the work of God. We can rest in that. We can absolutely
rest in that. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God. Everything is working
together for the eternal good of God's saints to them that
love God. Every single thing. Go with me
to Philippians, chapter one. We're almost finished, Philippians,
chapter one. Philippians 1 verse 12 says,
But I would, you should understand, brethren, that the things which
happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance
of the gospel. I've said it so many times and
most everybody knows my mother passed away in 2000. And Brother Henry preached the
funeral. And he quoted this verse. And
I've never forgotten it. And he said, every single thing
that happens is for the furtherance of the Gospel. And I believe
you. Every single thing that happens
is for the furtherance of the Gospel. It's for the good of
God's saints. The whole reason the ball is
still turning is for the good of God's saints. It's not about
you. It's not about me. It's about
the eternal good of God's saints. God's particular people. To them
that love God. Truly love God. That sounds like
that's everybody in every church everywhere. To them that love
God. No. To them that love God. I mean, the God. The judge of
the earth, the one who chooses, the one who saves, the one who
puts that love in a sinner. Everything that happens is for
the salvation of a soul. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. If we ever learn something about
God's purpose, we'll learn something about God, won't we? Teach us. Lord, teach us. Teach us. Alright, Brother Paul.