One, this is God's word. No scripture
of any private, personal concoction or no man decided
to write this, but God purposed for them to. This is through
the Apostle Paul, verse seven. He says this is to all that be
in Rome. To all that be in Rome. Rome
was the greatest, most powerful kingdom on earth at that time. Rome was the greatest, most powerful
military on earth at the time. world practically world domination. Rome was the center of the world's
politics, religion, science, medicine, technology. Rome, the
whole world's economy, depended upon Rome. It was a rich and
wealthy nation which exported and imported many things. The
whole world depended upon the economy of Rome. Rome was the
seat or the center of culture, styles, arts and craft, music,
drama, an extravagantly rich society, rich nation, wickedly
perverse, hedonistic, meaning given to pleasure. That's all
it was about, was pleasure. They thought life was to gratify
the flesh, pleasure. Hedonistic, to all that be, written
to all that be in the United States of America. that I have
given a clear description of the country we live in. This
is written to all that be in Rome, verse seven says, Beloved
of God. You know, whatsoever God's word
says, it says to them who have it. But the carnal mind, John, is
enmity against. He won't have it, will he? Who
will hear the word of God? The beloved. God's people. Beloved of God, he calls them.
For love. Beloved means the ones he loved
before. The ones he foreknew. Some of these citizens of Rome
or America were just like and still feel themselves to be like.
Those Romans. But God. In love to them. God is rich
in mercy for his great love with he loved him even when they were
dead like these Romans filled with all of these things like
Paul wrote such were some of you and so forth. God in love
purpose to save them. Worthy of death verse we read
there verse thirty two but God. I'm going to spare them. God. In love. Purpose to save some
of them from destruction. Save them from themselves. Save
them from destroying themselves. We're going to see that in a
moment. How God gives some people over and leaves them alone. And
they destroy themselves. But God. Beloved of God. Romans 8. Ephesians 1 says, whom
he foreknew or beloved of his, whom he loved before the world
began, says he did predestinate. It means he predetermined for them
to be holy, like his son. altogether lovely holy spotless
just one. Just one who is good and holy
and righteous will God purpose God predestined a number which
no man can number to be just like him. I love old Barnard's
statement we said God. He said God got up one morning. And said, took one look at his
son and loved him so much, admired him so much, he said, I'm going
to have a whole planet earth full of boys just like him. Well, that is exactly what God
did, predestined them to be conformed to the holy image of his son.
That's what salvation is all about. To save them from sin
and destruction, from themselves, to save them from this world
that he's going to destroy. To make them, to keep them forever
in his kingdom. For the praise, to the praise
of the glory of his eternal love and grace and mercy that's in
Christ. I just told you the gospel. just
told you that God predestined them and he predestined them
to have the mind, the heart, and the character of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ loved God. Now in verse 30, it talks about
haters of God. See that? Backbiter. Haters of
God. Over in 2 Timothy, it says lovers
of themselves, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Here
it talks about them. They don't like to think about
God. or even like to think about God. Don't even want there to
be a God, he said. They hate God. You talk about
God, they hate that. They don't want a God. Not the
one you, not the one this book is. But God predetermined, predestined
to have a people who, like Jesus Christ, love God. Love God as
God. Love God's word, love God's character,
love God's law. David said, Do not I love that
law? Yes, I can't keep it, but I still
love it. Don't you? It's a manifestation,
a clear description of who God is, who's holy. Well, these who love God in Romans
eight, you know that verse 28 says all things purpose by God,
them who love God. It's all good for them who love
God. Well, why do they love God? God predetermined that they would,
predestined them to. We love him because he foreknew,
he predestinated, and it says whom he predestinated, he called. Now, look at verse 6. It says, among whom you are the
called. of Jesus Christ, all that be
in Rome, beloved of God. Beloved of God, loved by God,
and those who love God. They're the called of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
great shepherd of the sheep. Always has been. God is spirit. God has always dealt with his
people, his beloved, through the beloved. the only begotten
well-beloved, so he's always built. See, his delights probably
were with the sons of men rejoicing in the habitable parts of the
earth. The Lord who spoke to man at every time was the Lord
Jesus Christ. The beloved, the firstborn among
many, but the eldest son, the king, the prince, The one whom
God gave all government and gave this whole thing to before the
world began, he said unto his son, thou art my son. I've given all things to you.
I reign over, rule it, save them, bring them, do all that. He's
the great shepherd of the sheep. God gave him a sheep before the
world began, gave them a sheep. They're goats, they're sheep.
God loved the sheep. They're called sons of Jacob.
Jacob have I not? They're all black sheep. But
he gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of
the sheep. And he said, My sheep hear my voice. All of them. This is the call. The shepherd's
call. He called it, our Lord said this.
He said, The great shepherd is he who calleth his own sheep. They belong to him. He calleth them by name and leads
them out. Come with me, sheep. Come with
me. We're going out. I'm leading
you out. You remember over in the Exodus
where God said, I am come down. Remember that? I am come down. God came down. I am come down, he said, to lead
them out and to bring them up. I'm bringing you out, out of
sin. Out of bondage to sin. Out of bondage to Satan. Out
of bondage to yourself. Out of bondage to the world.
I'm bringing you out. Out from under the penalty of
the law. The death. The bondage of death. I'm bringing you out. He calls
them out. Out of bondage. Sorrow and night. We sing that
song. Out of darkness. You're not going
to be in darkness anymore. I'm bringing you out. Into my
marvelous life, I am the light. Out of this corrupt world, he
says, you're not of this world. Oh, but Lord, you're not of this
world. He keeps telling them that, he
keeps showing them that. Brother Kelly keeps weaning them
from that. Keeps showing, he lets them go a little bit, he
says, see? And bringing them out, calling them out. My sheep,
calling them out of sin, out of unbelief, out of ignorance.
Out of enmity. They were once, you know, like
the rest of this world. No, God, like old Saul. Again, I can't wait to get to
Acts 9. I haven't, haven't. I keep bringing
it up. Saul said, I will not have this man reign over God.
Here is salvation. God who forloved this God-hater. God who predestined this God-hater. God who called him Saul. Who are you? I'm the one you
hated. He's going to have him. He's going
to have him. Call him out, the son of God. Verse 4 says he's
declared to be the son of God with power. He's declared, God said, thou
art my son. Ask me and I'll give you it all.
And he did. All authority, Christ said, is given unto me in heaven
and earth. Power over all flesh that he should give eternal life
to as many as God hath given him. All power is in his hands. All souls are mine, he said.
Calleth whom he will. That's what it says there of
Christ. He says he went up into a high mountain and called unto
him whom he would. And they came. Everyone, they
came. The sheep know his voice. He
knows his own. He calls them by name and they
come to him. Stranger, they come to him. He's
powerful, all powerful. The powerful voice of the Son
of God, all power over all flesh. Aren't you glad? These imposters,
these false prophets say he has power over this and that and
the other, but he can't do anything about your will unless you let
him. Aren't you glad that our Christ has all power over that
he makes you willing when in the day of his power? Aren't
you glad? There was a time, John, you didn't
believe this, did you? But in the fullness of time.
And God's good time, God sent forth his son through the preaching
of the gospel, said, John Davis, you will believe this, won't
you? And John said, I will. I do. I'm sorry. I was wrong. You're right. I was dead wrong. Call of the gospel, verse 16,
says it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe
it. Just stating a fact here, those
that believe they do so by the power of God, the operation of
God, the grace of God. They believe it's a gift, it's
the power of God, the working of his mighty power. They believe
according to the working of his mighty power. That's why they
believe. We just said that. But this gospel call is the power
of God. They all hear it. Jesus Christ
comes into this world. He came once in the flesh and
he walked about seeking whom he willed. And he said, I've
come to seek and to save the lost. I'm coming to this world
to seek my sheep. I'm the good shepherd. I left
the 99 and I'm going to find everyone that the father gave
me. And he came, he said, there's
one in a boat passed by several boats. Here, the foundation of
God stands as sure. The Lord knoweth them that are
his. He's got their names in a book. He's got them right there.
And he went looking for them. There's one, Simon. Andrew. Follow me. He didn't ask him
anything. He just powerfully said, follow
me. Come, like I would my dog. And
I shouldn't say it in a harsh way, but it was effective. Come. Did they? And so did you. When you first heard the gospel,
nobody asked you anything. Nobody asked you. When you first
heard the gospel saying, Jesus, no, sir. When you heard the declaration
of who Christ is, just this right here, you start doing asking
it. Like those people at Pentecost, they're the ones that, what are
we going to do? It sounds like God's already done something.
Sounds like He's already called you. Believe. Believe. Simon, Andrew, follow me. Zacchaeus,
come down. I must abide at your house. Why? Because I must find my people. Shall not be discouraged or failed. The woman at the well. He must
need to go through some area. Why? That's where one of his
elect is, one of his sheep. Woman, I'm he. Saul, you're a chosen vessel
unto me. And he's still calling his sheep
out the same time. You see, this is far from God's
sovereign love and electing grace and predestinating purpose and
call sovereign call of the gospel. Far from discouraging us, it's
our hope. See, we talk to our children,
we talk to our parents, we talk to people we run into contact.
We can't convince them of anything, can we? We can give them the
best message we've ever heard. We can talk to them until we're
blue in the face, give them the best article. We cannot convince
them of anything, can we? With man, it is impossible. He said my sheep will hear. They will. the world and preach the gospel.
Preach. Don't ask. Don't beg. Don't cajole. Don't
try to bribe them. Don't get all sorts of gimmicks
and tricks and tactics and use these things of foolishness,
wisdom. Don't do that. Just declare who
Christ is, who God is, and stand back and you watch me call out
my people. Watch me. You'll be amazed. Yeah, I'll do a work, though,
that men won't believe even if one tells them. Oh, you know,
so-and-so, he won't. You'll never convince him. That's
right. But you know what? God did. Amazing. God did. Old John Luton. He's
the vilest of the vile. The vilest of the vile. Slave trader. Like an animal. became a slave. Oh, wouldn't
he write? Amazing grace that saved a wretch
like me. I once was lost. What happened,
John? Somebody found me. Somebody called
me, called to repentance. Repentance is, God calls a man
and says, you're wrong. God is righteous, we're unrighteous. Look at verse 17. The righteousness
of God is revealed from faith to faith. God is right. Man is wrong. Everything about
him is wrong. This is the first thing God reveals to us. I'm
right, you're wrong. Everything you thought about
me is wrong. Everything you thought about yourself is wrong. Everything
you've ever done is wrong. You're headed wrong. You are
wrong. I'm right. Only way you're going to be right
and make you right. Right. Right. Repentance. Faith. repentance toward God. You're right. I'm wrong. Faith
toward the Lord Jesus Christ. God says, now, here's my mercy.
Here's my grace. Here's my salvation. Here's my
righteousness. Here's the way. Here's the truth.
Here's the life. Here's your mediator. Here's
your intercessor. Here's your prophet, your priest,
your king, your Lord, your salvation. Here's all. It's in all. All
of it is in him. Go to him. I'm not going to accept anybody
any other way, and I'm not going to speak to you, be spoken to,
and I'm not going to have anything to do with you ever. You can't
come into my kingdom, but if you just go to him, Joseph has
it all. The storehouses, all mercy, grace,
love, it's in him. And if you go to him, you'll find out. I've predestined
it all along, and I always did, though. There he is. That's what faith toward the
Lord Jesus Christ. Call to believe. I believe. There
was a time when Saul of Tarsus said he hated this way. He went everywhere persecuting,
hating this way. What way? Christ. Those who said
that it's not your religion, it's not your words, it's not
what you know, it's who knows you. It's not you doing things
for God. No, no, no. It's Jesus Christ
doing something for you. He's hated this way. He's hated
this way. No, I've worked all my life.
I'm a good, I'm blameless. Not knowing he's wearing a rag
that God sent. Like that prodigal son not knowing
he stinks. He's in the hog pen until God
said, bring him home. He's one of them. Bring him home. The first thing he did, what
did he do? Bring the best robe. Take that stinking garment off
of him and cover him. And so on, shoes on his feet.
He's going to walk by faith from here on. Oh, Saul said, I believe. Finally, Saul said, I tell you,
I'm determined not to know anything now. He was determined, John,
to go all over the world and kill every, do away with this
way. Now he said, I'll die for this
way. This is the way. For me to live,
he says, is Christ's. There is no other way. And he
died because of it. He didn't die. He lived. Call,
a sovereign call to follow. These beloved, these believers,
these followers. Verse 7. Actually, this is the
meat of the message right here. Verse 7. They're called to be
saints. They're called saints. God calls
His people saints. We don't call ourselves that,
do we? But God calls all of His people saints. God's the one
who makes them saints. The Roman Catholic word is canonized. They all get together and decide
who's a saint. God's purpose to where his saints
law. God's one and there are saints
called Saint Amy. Ever heard of Saint Amy? I'm
sure you have if you go over there. She's sitting there saying
it doesn't sound right to me. Right? Saint Stanley. You know a Saint Stanley? I can't
find one in history. There is one written in a book. Uh-huh. He's saying, I don't
know. He's hanging his head. Everyone,
you don't call yourself saints do you? What do you call yourself? Sinner. Old Jacob. He said, I'm the God of Jacob.
Jacob have I loved. Jacob, what's that mean? Supplanter,
cheap, no good. God said, you're not called Jacob
anymore. I'm calling you Israel. Prince
of God. What do you reckon he called
himself that day for? What's your name? Jacob. I don't think he ever got used
to Israel. Nor do we saints, but God calls
them saints. You think he's a saint, don't
you? Don't you, Brother Gabe? I think he's a saint. His mother
thinks he's a saint. All of God's people think he's
a saint. Except him. God says he's a saint. All in
Christ is a saint. Beloved of God. Called saints. What's saint mean? What does
a saint mean? It comes from the word sanctify.
The word sanctify means separate. Set apart. Set apart to be holy. Sanctify means set apart for
God's holy use. To be holy. To be for God's holy
use. Set apart. Sanctified. Different. What sets them apart? These saints. What makes them to differ? Who
makes them to differ? They don't think they are, God
says they are. Here's what Christ said in his
high priestly prayer. He said, Father, sanctify them
through thy truth. Thy word is truth. This is what's going to separate
them. They're going to know the truth. They're going to know the true
God. All of them. They'll be all taught
of God. All thy children shall be taught
of God. What? Who the living and true
God is. And every man that hath heard
and learned of the Father does what? Comes to Christ. He says, I am the truth. Ask me a question. Ask any question
you will. You'll find the answer. in me,
Christ said. I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm
the life. Amen. The truth. They're all
taught the truth. 2 Thessalonians says this, Oh,
I thank God. Oh, thanks be unto God for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord. Beloved, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you through sanctification of the and belief
of the truth. Where unto he called you by our
gospel. Sounds real similar that it is. Same as sanctify the separated
ones to believe the true God, the true Christ. The faith is
called. Verse five. I got to hurry. Verse
five. He says, I'm an apostle to the
faith. Verse eight. It says your faith,
your faith. your faith, something he gives
you, but it's still the same faith, the faith. Verse 12 says the mutual faith. See that? The mutual faith. In
another place he calls it the faith once delivered to who? The saints. The faith once delivered
to the saints. He says it's the common faith. He says, Henry, one Lord and
one faith. One hope of their calling. One Father who loved them, gave
them to Christ, teaches them, brings them to Christ. One faith. What is the faith? I've already
said it. It's Christ. It's Christ. And
he says in verse seventeen, the just whom he did foreknow, he
predestinated, whom he predestinated, he called him, he called him.
He justified. He declares holy, unblameable,
unreproved. Why? Because he did. Because he put him in Christ.
Because Christ died. Because Christ lived, justified,
made them right. They believe him because they're
justified. And they're justified because
they believe. No contradiction there. The justified
ones, the beloved, live by faith in this world, in this God-forsaken wicked world. And then he goes on here. Are
you ready with me? and we were going to go through. He begins to describe the world,
the people whom he leaves alone. God Almighty, His beloved, His
elect, we know why we're saved, that the purpose of God according
to The love of God. The blood of
Christ. It has nothing to do with us,
just the will of God. The purpose of God. Nobody. That's why. Because God, in mercy, sets us
apart. Sets us apart. Calls us out.
Calls us out. Verse 18 talks about the wrath
of God. I dealt with this to our young
people. It says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
The wrath of God clearly seen. Hurricanes. Tornados. Things that come from heaven,
wind, fire, rain, sun beating down. Revelation 16 says, in
the last day, the angel of the Lord will be sent to scorch them
with a burning heat. It says they curse God. They
do not repent to give God the glory. Don't even think about God. Here
it says, verse 28, they don't even like to think about God.
God's not in all their knowledge. They've got a lot of knowledge,
but He's not in it. The wrath of God coming down
from heaven against all. You know, I thought about the Egyptians. See, all of the plagues
came down. The wrath of God. What was it?
It was the wrath of God upon the Egyptians, and the world
is always Egypt has always represented
a godless world, an idolatrous world. Egypt worshiped idols.
But God had a remnant, an elect, right in the middle of Egypt.
They worked for the Egyptians. Oh, but they're coming out. God
called out because God loved them. He set his love on them.
Were they different than the Egyptians? Oh, no. But God made
a difference. God made a difference. He went
and revealed himself to them. Revealed the way, the truth,
the life to them. Called them out. Well, the wrath
of God fell on the Egyptians in the manner of how many plagues?
Nine? Is it nine? Nine? Help me. Laura, how many was
it? Well, anyway, these plagues of
God came down on the Egyptian and you won't find anywhere.
For one Egyptian. Say it. God's judging us. Not one. Not one of them said. God's angry with the wicked every
day. Not one of them who believe. God hateth all workers. Not one. Every single Israelite did. Every single Jew knew this is
the wrath of God. And God sent something into Sodom
and Gomorrah and wiped it out. And there was a man and his daughters
that he brought out. He had to drag him out, didn't
he? That was his salvation. God said,
he's mine, he's coming out. And he did. Well, here came a
wind, powerful wind, and a hurricane came up through the Caribbean,
dodged this island, that island, went up through there and made
a direct hit on Sodom and Gomorrah in the state of Louisiana. Not one whip, City that prides
itself in being in this wickedness. Wiped it out. Who says that's
the wrath of God? Not the Egyptians. We all do. But it could have hit Roanoke,
Virginia. Because it's not one way better. Rocky Mount. Right? It's just hidden. The wrath of God revealed from
heaven. It goes on to talk about creation, clearly seen, clearly
seen. We discussed that, the young
people, clearly seen his creation. Let me give you this one illustration.
Computers. I think man, you know, verse
22, professes himself wise, he became a fool. I think he thinks
somehow or another we're just going to become superhumans.
Computer. Computer is an amazing thing
and it's amazing keeps getting more amazing all the time that.
How did computers get here. You know what I think. I think that there was an explosion.
Seven billion years ago. Outflowing in space were chips
and, you know, circuit boards and huge bang. And there you
have it. Foolish, isn't it? Utterly ridiculous. Say, you don't have good sense.
That's what God says about man. What created computers? This
thing right up in here. This is the most amazing computer
on earth called a brain. Who made that? Who made that? God. The fool that said, nope, there's
no God. What a fool. What a fool. Creation of God clearly seen.
And you know what it says here in verse 23, to change the glory
of God. Verse 21 became vain and their
imagination began because they weren't thankful, didn't glorify
God, refused to believe there is a God. Therefore, they made
up all sorts of things about God. False religion, they couldn't
be without a God, so they made one up. First thing it says they
made him like was what? A man. God says, you thought
I was altogether such and such. What a fool. What a fool, needing
things, unable to do, just like you, dependent upon you. No,
I'm not like you. I made you. That's what Paul
said over at Mars Hill. We shouldn't think that God's
like us. In Him we live and move and have. We have a brain because
of the Creator. And on and on it goes. They glorified
Him not as God. It says, so God, verse 24, gave
him up. All right, I think you're so
wise, I'm going to leave you alone. Now watch this high and
mighty and wise creature, watch him become like a base animal. He says he begins to dishonor
his body. He's so ignorant. He's so corrupt
that he begins to mark his body all over, print his body all
over, stick holes in his body. What a fool. What's he doing? Showing off, isn't he? Great,
isn't he? He's an idiot. This started with reprobate hardened
death row criminals and mark themselves all over their bodies. Well, they got to, you know,
they're going to die soon. And it pervades our societies
and now it's just the norm. What's happening? I used to think. that these things
would bring the judgment of God until Brother Dan Parks corrected
me from Romans 1. He said it is the judgment of
God because of false religion. Because men and women become
idolaters. The leading religions in the
world are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Roman Catholicism. They're all idols. full of idols,
nothing but idols. You see them all over there at
temples, don't you? Idols. It says in verse twenty-five,
it says, It changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped
and served the creature, man, the earth, everything else, the
sun, the moon, not the Creator, who is God. God bless forever. What do you say? Amen. And then it goes on to say homosexuality. Not natural beasts don't even
do that. Animals don't do that. It says they're filled with it.
Until the whole earth, like he said in the days of Noah, God
looked down upon men and said, if there are any, he said, they're
corrupt. Man has corrupted himself. He
said, I will destroy man. Christ said that. Jesus Christ
said that. I'll destroy man. He's corrupt. I've left him alone. Just leave
him alone. Our society. But, God, let's go back where
we started. Let's leave here with the good
news. Here's the gospel. And I'm not
ashamed of it. Are you? This is it. It's our
only hope. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love, God, the
Beloved of God, rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were like them, dead in trespass and
sin, have quickened us together with Christ. In parentheses,
by grace are you saved. It's by grace. What are we preaching?
It's by grace. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. By the grace of God's sovereign
electing grace, I didn't choose him, he chose me. By God's restraining
grace, I'm not left to myself. You know it so, like old Phil
Potts. Leave you alone? He showed Peter to at least leave
him alone. Think you something? Without me you can do nothing
in here. Nothing. Left him alone. What'd he do?
He became just like everybody else. Oh no, here's it. Saint. Called to be saint. Separated. Called. Thank God for his sovereign
electing sovereign love, sovereign predestinating, justifying, calling
grace. Aren't you? That's the good news. What does it all mean to me?
Do you believe this God? Is God, do you believe his word?
Everything he says is right. Everything he says about man
is right. Everything about you is wrong.
Justify God and condemn yourself. Do you believe you have one hope
of salvation? And that hope is Jesus Christ.
Do you believe that? Hey, I got good news. That's the good news. God, your
beloved God. OK. Okay. I don't know. I don't know. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay. All right. I'm Okay. I don't know. I don't know. you All right. I don't know. I don't know. I
don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I
don't know. uh...