Chapter one. Now, it never fails that when
someone tells you they're going to come to the services. They
don't show up. Quite often, you tell me someone
is coming and you talk to someone and say they're they tell you
they're coming and you're excited about it. You want them to come.
I want them to come. But invariably they don't show
up. And I'm a human being, you know,
I think of certain ones and visitors coming and while I'm preparing
a message and I think they're going to need to hear this. I
think this will be good for them to hear. I don't know who's going
to show up. I hope the Lord brings somebody
new in to hear the gospel. And while I'm prepared and I
think that I can't help but think that all this will be good they'll
like they'll know I might not like this but they need to hear
this well they didn't show up. But you did and you've heard these things
a thousand times same old same old. But you've told me, John,
time and again, don't change the message. The first Corinthians, as we
say at Corinthians, Corinth is a city, modern city back then, that had all the problems that
we have today. These were people like you and
me. fathers and mothers, husbands
and wives, sons and daughters, who, by the grace of God, by the grace of God Almighty,
they heard the gospel through a faithful, true, God-sent preacher
named Paul. They heard this gospel from him.
God sent him to preach. And they believed, some of them,
by the grace of God, believed God saved their souls and raised
up a church. in the middle of this decadent,
ungodly city named Carth. No different than now, is it?
And they were in the minority. They were just a—it may have
been fairly large, but not comparatively small compared to religion. Ron, the place was full of religion,
like a modern city is. All sorts of religion. But this church was in the minority. They believed the truth. God
had turned them from their idols to serve the living and true
God, the gospel truth, Christ. And
this letter is addressed to them. This is God's Word through a
man, but it's God's Word, and it's to us. He begins, verse
1, Paul. Paul. No titles. No title there,
is there? There are people all over the
land today who are sitting under men who
hold grave titles, who insist upon having them and being called
by them. Reverend so-and-so, Bishop so-and-so,
Doctor so-and-so. Paul the Apostle was the greatest
man to live other than our Lord and perhaps John. But he said, Call me Paul. Call me Paul. Some of you call
me pastor out of respect. I appreciate your attitude but
I am not comfortable with that. I really am not. I don't feel
worthy of the title. You do it because you're respectful
and I appreciate that. But I'll never get comfortable
with that. You men pray for me and pray for your pastor. I'm
so thankful you consider me as such. But it just, I cringe when
I hear it. I really do. Paul. Paul. And he says in verse 1, Paul
called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God.
Nearly every single epistle that Paul wrote begins this way. Paul, he doesn't say the Apostle
Paul, that's a title. And I sometimes say that wrong
Paul the apostle. That nearly every epistle he
writes begins this way Paul called to be an apostle by the will
of God nearly every single one I look at that. Look at Galatians
with Galatians one that we've been looking at and that is on
purpose. Paul is defending or rather confirming
his call to the ministry. His call to preach that it was
indeed of God, that Christ actually chose him and called him. And
I need to hear that. I need that confirmed in me.
I need to know. I need to believe, you do, that
this man named Paul, though he was just a man, Yet, Nancy, he's
God's man. God chose this man. God called
this man. He's God's man. He's Christ's
apostle. He didn't make himself that way.
I need to know that, don't you? He wrote a... God used him to
write a lot of scripture. And I need to know and believe
that this is not the words of a man. Not of any private interpretation. But this holy man of God was
moved by God. And this is indeed the word of
God. So as to not call into question what's written. Not argue and
say it's just the words of a man named Paul and you can take it
or leave it. No. No. So we need this confirmed
in us. And to a great degree, you need
it confirmed in you that the man you're listening to right
now. Again, I tremble to say this.
But if this is not of God, people,
we'd better get out of here. Honestly. Right? Galatians 1, Paul said, in verse
1, he said, Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but
by Jesus Christ and God the Father. Paul said, I didn't make myself
an apostle. I didn't apply for the job, he said. Nobody made
me an apostle but God, but Jesus Christ. Look at verse 12. He says, verse
11, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which is preached
of me is not after man, neither received I out of man. Neither
was I taught it. Paul didn't go to school to learn
it. All you go to school to get his
credentials. One time in the book of First Corinthians, he
said, Do I need letters of commendation to you? Do I need degrees? Do I need? Do I need a degree
from such and such seminary so that you'll hear me? You know,
people need that today. People need that. People need
that. They ask me all the time. They ask mostly ask my wife and
ask you, Where did your preacher go to seminary? Where did he
go to study to be in the ministry? When did he decide to enter the
ministry? I ask that all the time. And there's not one man
in this book, not one, who went to school to learn to be a preacher,
who went and got him some credentials, who decided to be in the ministry. Not one. Yet all these fellows
out there, and Feller, Fellinas, Go to school and go after it. Now, that's not of God. There's not one in this book.
Not one, Sherry. And Paul said it this way. He
said, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. Vessels of clay. Men just like you. They saw the
fishermen. They said, we know these men.
We went and bought fish from them. We know Simon. I bought a mess of fish from
him. Where'd he get this knowledge? Where'd he get this wisdom? Where'd
he get this authority by which he preached? They've never learned
letters. They've never been to the school of Gamaliel. They've
never been to these schools that we've gone to. Where'd they get
this? Paul said that the excellency of the power might be of God. so that you clearly see this
fisherman couldn't do that himself. God must have called him. Every man I know, every
true preacher I know, is a nobody from nowhere whom God raised
up, called, equipped, sent, blessed, and proved. Brother Scott Richardson
is a prime example. Fifty-some years, he's a coal
miner. He worked in a coal mine in West
Virginia. There's not one in a million
persons in this country that you would give a dime for a coal
miner from West Virginia, let alone sit and listen to him. But, buddy, he's God's man, of
whom the world is not worthy, Brother Henry, not worthy. no
less than Elijah. That's right. No lesser than Isaiah. Who was Elijah? Who was Elisha? Elisha was a farmer. A farmer. They said, they called To be
an apostle, go back to the text, no prophet or apostle or preacher
decides to be one, applies for the job. You don't want a man who you
hire. That'd make him a hireling, wouldn't
it? Well, if something happens to
me, You don't want somebody who really wants this job. Oh, you don't. You sure don't want somebody
who is going to be a step up for. No man, I know. Preacher. Really called and blessed of
God who didn't make a great sacrifice to go preach where he went. Not
one. Not a step up. Sacrifice. Christ
called those apostles and every one of them had to leave homes
and families and make great sacrifices. Oh, but the Lord blessed them.
Greatly blessed. You don't want a man who seeks
this job. You want a man like Moses who
said, Don't send me. There's other men more capable
than me. Honestly. Something could happen to me.
And you don't want a man who wants this job. You want somebody whom God's
necessity is laid upon. But he said, I am called to be
an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, as is everything. Everything's by the will of God.
Everything's by the will of God. Nothing is up to chance or fate.
Nothing is up to the will of man. I quote that that proverb
all the time, don't it? Quoted all the time. The law is cast into the lap,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. That thing is
by the will of man. Man proposes, but God disposes. What will you do? Here's a lot
is cast in the land. Here's what I will do. You will
do what God has already willed to be done. That's the way this
whole world operates. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad? That gives his people peace.
It's not out of control. It's under divine control. Everything ordered and sure and
nothing can change it. Aren't you glad? By the will of God, and he brings
up this fellow named Sosthenes, our brother. He includes this
man Sosthenes, the Lord had him include his name there, our brother. They knew, Corinth knew, if I
said this, if I was writing a letter to you and I said Paul and Tom Hardy. And to the church at Central
you you know that while you love him you know when you know all
about him or something about me and you love me a man you
steam highly what I knew this stuff today and who he was was
he was a former Jewish leader of the synagogue. The story is
found back in Acts chapter 18, but he was in Corinth, living
in Corinth, and he was a Pharisee, I guess, a leader, a ruler of
the synagogue, a religious man who the Lord saved him through
Paul's preaching. Paul was there 18 months, and
the Lord saved this leader, this Jewish rabbi or whatever he was,
Kelly, the Lord saved him from religion. And. He joined with Paul and he he
he loved Paul supported Paul and you know what happened. The
rest of the Jews took him and beat him. Beat him up. For the truth. He suffered great
persecution. He was hated for the truth's
sake as all Christ said as all his disciples will be. He said
you shall be hated for my name's sake. Now you think Sosthenes
wanted to be beaten up? You think he wanted people to
hate him? No. But he was, and it's just a sad
fact that people hate the truth and hate those who proclaim it. They become their enemies. Why?
For telling the truth? Yes, they do. People hate them.
Men aren't the only real honest men there are. You know what? The only real honest men there
are, and yet people hate them for it. Sad, isn't it? The only men that
are really In it, Henry, for the glory of God, not for their
own glory, but the glory of God coming in the name of God, in
the name of Christ. Wanting people's souls to be
saved, not wanting their money, wanting their souls to be saved.
You have to pay them for it. Say it, isn't it? It's true. If there's no hatred, there's
no truth. You know that? If there's no
persecution, there's no truth. If everybody thinks, well, a
sweet little preacher so-and-so, he ain't telling the truth. And nobody wants to be hated. Sassanid was beaten up. And the
people at Corinth, these other blessed believers, this man was
their friend then, their brother. And so Paul says, and Sassanid. At the mouth of two witnesses,
two or three things established. Are you with me? I'm talking about here, and
I'm just talking about a man who was beaten up, almost lost
his life for the gospel sake. We're living in a lap of luxury
with no persecution, with no trouble at all. There's just
very little cost. So, you know, it's not just a
name. It's not just a name. If we'd look carefully at God's
Word, these people knew. And so they
sat up. As they read this letter, Jeanette,
Paul wrote, insostinate. Oh, how is he? They sat up and
listened. And verse 2, he says, unto the
church of God. The church of God, church, church,
this is not a term to be thrown about, used lightly. Church,
it's all through scripture, but it's not to be used lightly.
Church is not a building. I'm trying, I long ago began
to try to quit calling these buildings churches. Church is not a building. Church
is not an organization. But it's the elect, redeemed
people of God. Those of God in Christ. God's
blessed church. The word is a precious, endearing
term, Brother John. Church. I hate the way it's bandied
about today. I hate it. I hate it. Especially when they refer to
false religion as the church at Rome. Oh, it's not the church. It's the great whore. I just quoted the Bible. It's
so strange today in this area that when you say something like
that, they say, oh, you shouldn't say that. What do you mean? I
shouldn't say what God's Word says? Oh, through Revelation calls
it the great whore. It's not the church at Rome.
It's the great whore. It's Antichrist. This is unto the church of God. God's church, God's family, go
back, go to Acts chapter two with me. Acts chapter two. I'm
losing some of you. I don't know why. Oh, it's not
by might or my power, is it? It sure not. By the spirit of
God. The church of God, God's church,
God's people, God's family. Acts chapter 2, and I hear this
all the time, and some people say it ignorantly, but they say,
so-and-so joined the church. You don't do that. Nobody does
that. You don't join God's family.
Any more than a little child decided to join his mother and
father. You know, join the church. Salvation. What we're talking about, being
included in the kingdom, the family of God, we're talking
about salvation is being put into God's family by a supernatural,
amazing work of God's grace. It's a new birth. You must be,
our Lord said, marvel not. Don't think this strange. You
see how a man born of a woman must be born. Well, marvel not.
Why should this be strange to you? Marvel not when I said you
must be born from above. This is God's family. You didn't
decide to get in your mother's womb. You don't decide to get
into Christ. You don't get saved. Somebody
saves you. splitting hairs or arguing over
words. This is a difference between
truth and error, between salvation and religion. You don't join
the church. Salvation being put in the church
is God. First Corinthians is going to
tell us this. Chapter one, verse thirty-one says, Of God are you
in Christ. Be in Christ, be in the church. his body. So I've got Acts chapter
2 verse 47. And I promised myself I wasn't
going to holler and scream or get too excited this morning.
You shouldn't promise yourself anything. But verse this, I'm
very passionate about this. I hope I never cease to be. I'm ashamed of my preaching for
the most part. I'm not just, this is not a job
with me. Verse 47, he says, the church
was praising God and having favor with all the people, and the
Lord added to the church, daily, such as should be saved. The
Lord added to the, you don't join the church, the Lord puts
you in Christ, in His body, in the church. Daily, such as should
be saved. What does that mean? that deserved,
oh no, not deserved to be, but that should be according to his
covenant, according to those he chose in Christ before the
foundation of the world, put their names in the Lamb's Book
of Life, they should be saved. Yes, they will, in time. They'll be put, added to the
church. Well, here's so-and-so's name
in the book, he should be saved. Yes, and he will. That's what
that means. And overnight thirteen forty
eight who many corrupt who corrupt the word of God turn this around
but it says in acts thirteen forty eight as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. And many turned that around these
these charlatans twist the word like Peter said turn it around
to actually say as many as believe were obtained to turn a lot it
doesn't say that. that as many as were ordained
to eternal life by God himself believe. And the Lord adds to
his church. So he's writing here, I told
you I didn't get past the first two verses, to the church. So if you're in the church, oh,
blessed are you. You've been joined, been joined
to Christ. And he says, he's writing to
the church. Now this book is written to and
applies to the church. First Corinthians is written
to the church. And he says on down there in
every place, verse two, those in every place that call upon
the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, the church everywhere.
Over in the book of Revelation, you've read those letters, haven't
you? At the end of every letter at the beginning it says to the
angel at the church of so-and-so, Laodicea, Philippi, so on, Ephesus,
unto the church. That is to the angel, that's
the pastor, the preacher, God speaks through that man to the
church. Well, to the church, God's people. It's not to the
world. This letter is not to the world. All this, this letter's full
of warnings, rebukes, reproof, corrections, instructions. It's
full of comfort, full of promise after promise, blessed, blessed
promises. It's not to the world. It's to the church. And then
the revelation at the end, he says, He that heareth, let him
hear what the Spirit sayeth to the churches. And you've heard me say this
so many times, and you're so blessed. Margaret, very few people know
this. But God's Word doesn't apply
to everybody. It's to the churches. And these
fellows are out there telling everybody, without exception,
these things. And they're lying on God, and
they're lying to people. and that makes him a liar. This
is to the churches. This is to the church. This is
to the redeemed, God's people. God's Word has very little to
say to anybody other than believers except repent. And those whom God Almighty grants
repentance, it's the goodness of God that leads one to repentance,
not the preacher. not the revival, the Spirit of
God, those whom God grants repentance toward God, that's who it's toward, but what they are, not just what
they've done. And faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
I mean faith, true belief in Christ, looking to him and him
alone. Those whom God Almighty grants
that to—oh, there's blessed promise after promise—to the Church and to the churches. I'm right. Church at Central or Franklin
Street, or whatever the name, God knows. All the promises. And you've heard me use the other
way, I'm not going to give it again. Verse 2, he says, unto
the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified
in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs
and ours. Three things here he says that
are a description of salvation. description of what it means
to be in the church or say he says sanctified in Christ called
and calling. And they call three things all
right that's what we're going to dwell on for the next few
minutes OK. I've only been thirty minutes. Sanctified in Christ called sites
sanctified the word sanctify Means this nearly every time
you see it, it means it set apart for holy use. The word consecrate
is a similar word. It means chosen by someone and
put to holy use, put to good use of no use before. Unholy
before no good for anything or anyone, but. Somebody. Made something out of it. Sanctified. Set them apart. Plucked
as a brand from the burning. Made a difference. Sanctified. Set apart. Chosen discriminately. Boy, our
world hates that word, doesn't it? It shouldn't discriminate. God's word is discriminating
grace. God's salvation is discriminating
grace. Doesn't mean discriminate against
anybody. But for some. If he doesn't. A sanctification here is to be
set apart by God. Go to 2 Thessalonians with me. 2 Thessalonians 2. It does not
say, it did not say, those who sanctify themselves. unto those
who sanctified himself he did not say that. It says to them
that are sanctified the huge difference in. That means somebody
else did it to you. Them that are sanctified second
Thessalonians two oh you know and love this verse you know
what verse I'm going to don't you. But them that are sanctified,
this sanctification is often spoken of throughout the scripture. In fact, it's really the theme
of this book. You could say that the whole
thing of salvation is about God sanctifying some human beings. set him apart, created in Christ
Jesus unto good work, holiness, set apart for holiness, holy
you, set apart. The theme of God's will, it began
with Israel of old, that bunch of no good brothers of Joseph,
remember them? Boy, they were worthless, weren't
they? But God. Those are the ones he chose.
Sorry lot, weren't they? Israel of old Jacob really started
with Jacob Abraham idolatry son as Jacob. But it started with Israel of
old and all the way through God's word how God chose a people set
him apart. Same as election you know that
same select set apart over the exodus eleven it says you're
going to know how that God put a difference. This is sanctification. God says,
I put a difference between you and the Egyptians. To the natural
eye, you can't tell a difference. Before I came, there wasn't any
difference. But I'm going to make the difference.
Who maketh thee to differ? 1 Corinthians 4, 7, 6. See what all verses we're going
to look at, Sherry? Oh, it's a rich book. God, how that God
doth put a difference, sanctify, elect according that set him
apart, set his love, his mercy, his grace upon, gave them to
Christ, put them in Christ to be saved, set apart. Look at
2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. Paul said this to the Corinthians,
I thank God always on your behalf. He says it to the Thessalonians,
we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren. Beloved
of the Lord. You'll never hear a true grace
preacher, a true preacher ever get up and thank people for coming. If he does, it's a slip of the
tongue. He thanks God, he knows why. The only reason we're here at
all, the only reason we love the truth, the only reason is
God set us apart. This is what sets apart God's
people from the world. They love the truth. They receive
the love of the truth. Why? Well, the whole world hates
it. Honestly, most of the world hates
what we've been saying this morning, don't they? Why do you love it?
John, you're sitting there doing this the whole time. Why? I preached
at the time, and again, the people were going to knock me out, and
if they could, they'd take me down and beat me up like Sassanese.
Why do you love it? God made you to differ, John.
This is the truth. I'm just reading the Word, aren't
I? Why do you love it? You've received from God the
love of the truth. We're bound to give thanks always
to God for you, John Cheesley. Because God hath from the beginning,
look at verse 13, chosen you, election, adoption. Because God, beloved of the Lord,
for love, that means love before the world began. God hath from
the beginning chosen you to do what? Save you. We're not worth
saving, Mack. We're not worth it. But God. The Savior. God's going to... Oh, man. This is reality. The whole world's in for a shocking...
Everybody likes reality shows today, don't they? I don't like
the reality of the Word of God. And the reality is that Jesus
Christ is coming to destroy this world full of people. But God chose you to save you. How? Verse 13, through sanctification
of the Spirit, See that? Set you apart. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Paul have I loved, but Daniel. That's my brother's name. I hope
that doesn't apply. I don't even want to say it.
Well, you could. You got a brother or sister?
Are you any different? Henry, you got brothers and sisters?
Were you any different than them? You better than them? Do you love the gospel? They
don't. Well, did you decide to love
the gospel? Through sanctification spirit,
God Almighty sent, one day, in great mercy, of all the towns for you to wind
up in, Brother Kelly, sent you here. There's horses, barns everywhere,
horse traders everywhere. Why here? But God. set you apart. Huh? Sanctification of spirit. God Almighty said there's one
whom I've loved before the world began. Right there. Sitting at
a well. Sitting up a tree. Sitting on
a horse. Or whatever. In a filling station. Holy Spirit, go. Get him. Fetch him. bring him to me. He's mine. I love him. Tell him I love him. Break his
heart. Bend his knee. Open his mouth. Dig his ear. He's mine. Sanctification. A
doctrine. Set apart. sanctification of
the Holy Spirit, and belief of the truth. See, this is what
sets apart God's people. Belief of the truth. Belief of
the truth. It's the call. Look at our text,
back in our text. Now, that didn't get through
the second verse, did it? Called to be saints. It's the
call. There are two calls, basically.
Two calls. There's a general call. And I
wanted to talk to you about the sanctification of the father,
son, and spirit. I will. God sets us apart by
divine election. The son sets us apart by his
blood redemption, his righteousness infused. His son of God died
for the elect. His blood was applied to his
people. That's called particular redemption. Tell it the world all over. Go
ahead, tell them. Jesus Christ died for his sheep,
and every single one he died for will be saved. And Jesus Christ imputed his
righteousness, too. They are holy, unblameable, and
unrepentant. He paid the sin debt. fulfilled
the law and made them perfect. Tell it. They don't have any. He has it and he did it. All
right, tell them that. And the Holy Spirit also sets
apart by this gospel call. He comes, sent by the Father,
sent by the Son, through the preaching of the gospel, that's
what he uses, and grants repentance, faith, regeneration, a new creature. new birth, birth from above by
this seed implanted, righteousness imparted, that is a new nature,
fruit unto holiness. It's a threefold sanctification,
okay, I said. And they are called, it says,
to be saint. This gospel call is twofold. There's a general call and then
there's a particular call or effectual call, the old Saints
used to call it the old Puritans. Didn't you like that saying?
Did you read that saying by the Puritans in a bulletin? I've
had that for weeks, been saving it. Did you read it? It says the Puritans were fond
of a saying by a man named Bernard, not Barnard, Bernard. Hast thou
appealed to the gospel? To the gospel shalt thou go.
Don't you like that? Huh? All God's people appeal
guilty appeal to the gospel. That's why you got your appealing
to the past out within the gospel shall we go. To the law. Well, he said, I say here's two
things general call in a particular call our Lord said that here
it is many are called. That's a general. But you are
chosen. And he said that right after
the apostle said Lord are there few that we say. He said how hardly should I have
it's harder easier for a camel to go through the eye of an eagle.
With man it's impossible. Lord are there few that we say.
Many are called. The general call Paul said this
in Romans ten. that many like to quote one verse. Don't they John one verse about
all I know in Romans ten verse thirteen who serves your call. I don't have a clue where that
came from. You do. I've told you time and
again where that comes from heaven. That's right. Joel chapter two
verse thirty two. Can't just quote one verse. Well In Romans ten. It says that all says have they
not all heard. This faith come about here have
they not all heard yes barely the whole word sounds gone throughout
all the earth even to the ends of the world. And now more than
ever have they not all heard. There's a zillion copies of this
all over the planet. I venture to say there's not
a country or nation anywhere on the top side of this earth
that doesn't have a copy of it. Not one. Have they not all heard? Yeah. Now, the call is not an invitation. This general call, and you go
ahead and look it up in your concordance or whatever, when
it says bid them, that's not invite. It does not say that.
It's by design that he never says invite, because it's not
an invitation. It's a pronouncement. You see,
kings never, no sovereign who's ever lived has ever asked anybody
to hear him, let alone the king of kings. God doesn't invite
people. And I will take issue with any
man that says so. It's a pronouncement. It's a
declaration. God commandeth. Didn't that say
that, Brother John? Commandeth men everywhere to
do what? Repent. Doesn't ask you to repent. Does a judge sit on the... Brother
Ed, does a judge sit on the throne and ask the man to plead mercy? A guilty death row criminal? Call it red-handed. If you'll
let me, I'll have mercy. How ignorant can you get? This
gospel call that all have heard is a proclamation. It's a shame God's not a beggar
and His men aren't either. No, sir. We don't resort to all sorts
of tactics and all to get people to come in. What kind of God
do they have, anyway? What did God do before they had
TV and all that? How did he get the word out,
huh? They don't have God at all. God says,
I'll say, the wind. Bring my sons. Say to the north,
give them up. To the south, bring my sons from
afar. Bring them. There's a general
call. Have they not all heard? Yes,
barely. They've heard, but then there's an effectual call. What
many of you receive. Effectual just means he brought
you. Drew you. Many are called, but
few are chosen, apprehended. The word has a good word in it.
Apprehended, laid hold on. A buddy of mine, my dad, used
to call me. And sometimes he wouldn't come.
And then Brother Ron, he would effectually call me. You know what I mean? Sure you
do. He'd call me, a general call,
come! I wouldn't answer. And then it was very effectual. I can't. Lay hold of me. Aren't you glad it's this way?
Aren't you glad that God Almighty violates your will? Against your
will? Aren't you glad I will not have
this man reign over me? Aren't you glad, Nancy, that
God said, yes, you will? Paul said, I've been apprehended.
He's never more glad or happy to be incarcerated in his life. Old Barnard used to say, nobody's
so free as the Lord's captive. If you are chosen, all God's
people come when he calls them, come unto me. But they won't
come if you don't. No, goats won't, but sheep will. Because Christ said, all that
the Father giveth me shall come unto them. See, he's a witness,
a leader, and a what? Commander. That day, when that
pack of dogs, you remember, that pack of dogs was outside, fit
for nothing, need to be shot every one of them, and my dog
was right in the middle of them, acting like a dog, an old dog
acting like a young worthless dog. How do you know the difference? How do you know the difference
between my dog, a good dog, as good as dogs can get, a bought
dog, an owned dog, a taught dog? How do you know the difference?
Right here. And I didn't have to call his name. Bill, come! And one dog would come. I didn't
have to call his name. And I could, all day long, I
could holler at those other dogs. Come! And they'd run. But one dog came, humbled, broken,
but saved, to my feet. That's my dog. That's how you
know. That's my dog. He said, all that
the Father has given me, they shall come to me. This is the
effectual call. You, everyone in here who's heard
and believed the gospel of God's grace, heard it from a man who
just stood up and declared who God was, didn't you? Declared
who Christ was. Declared what we were. A man
that stood up for 45 minutes and called you a dog, and called
you a worm, and called you worthless, and said all manner of evil things
against you. And you received it. You took
it. And it's hard to believe, but
you loved it. And you came, and you stayed, and he still calls
you a whiner. And you still take it. No man
you heard, whoever you heard the gospel from, stood up and
asked you to do anything, told you to accept Jesus, told you
to come down the aisle. Now, Sheriff, keep playing 100
verses or just as I am. Nobody in here heard a man ask
you, beg you, plead you, tell you anything. Just declare. Right? Peter stood at Pentecost
that day and all he did was declare who Christ was. And he sat down.
Johnny sat down. And buddy, they came running
to him. What must we do? It's already
been done. You see, that's why it says,
unto them that call upon the name. That's why they're calling. They've
been called. That's why they're calling. They
call. Unto them that call. That's a continuum. It's not
a one-time thing. You don't run down the church
aisle and commit and consecrate and dedicate and all that. No,
no, no. It's calling unto the Lord for
mercy. In fact, let the blood of Jesus Christ be put on the
mercy of God against the only one that is evil. And I said,
you'll be just when you speak and clear when you judge me.
Oh, God have mercy upon me, according to your tender mercy in Christ. And you keep calling because
you're a sinner all your day and you keep calling to him coming,
you keep coming. You keep calling, you keep believing,
you keep coming to hear the same gospel, and you keep calling.
All them that call. And the reason you call is because
you've been called. Not by me, but by God. Hitting first grit is wonderful.
We're just scratching the first few verses. OK. Brother Gabe,
you come up, please.