Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. My title today is God Said, and
the text will be found in Genesis 1. Just as one preacher said,
I want to preach the gospel as if it was the first time those
listening were hearing the gospel. I want to make sure it is simple
and plain. The truth of God, the gospel,
certainly has some deep doctrine, but the gospel is simple. We
can certainly go into doctrine and learn from that, and we should
learn doctrine. But we can learn doctrine and
miss Christ. The gospel is Jesus Christ. We should try to keep it simple
as the gospel is simple. There are certainly hard sayings
in scripture, but the gospel really is quite simple. There's
no need to use words of man's wisdom to try to convince someone
of the truth. Just tell the truth simply as
it is declared in scripture. If all you get are words of man's
wisdom, you're getting nothing. You must have his word, that
is God's word proclaimed. So then it is not man's words
at all, but God's. But it also must come in the
power of the Holy Ghost. Not some kind of epileptic fit.
I'm not making fun of epileptic fits, because those are real.
It is those fake situations where someone acts as if the Spirit
of God is upon them. That is not how God works. What
I'm talking about is where the Spirit of God comes to you when
the word is proclaimed and seals that to your heart or confirms
that truth to your heart, renewing your mind. So if what God says
is important, and it is, let's start at the beginning. Turn
with me to, if you would, to Genesis 1. I'm gonna read verses
one through three. In the beginning, God created
the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form
and void. And darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light. And there was light. We read
where it all started. It all started with God. It says,
in the beginning. God being the only one that existed
had to create if there was anything to be, you know, anything other
than him that would be. So it says he created the heavens
and the earth. We begin to read the following
words. We can see these in this scripture.
And God said. We then read after each of these,
it says something like this. And it was so. And let me give
you an example of that in verse three. And God said, Let there
be light. And there was light. Again in
verse nine. And God said, let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together unto one place and let
the dry land appear. And it was so. You can see that
several other times through that passage. So what God says is
so. We also read in Scripture that
all Scripture is given by inspiration of God in 2 Timothy 3.16. So when you read the Scripture,
you are reading, just as we have read here in Genesis 1, what
God has said. We also read that when He said
something, it was so. So then when you read Scripture,
any part of the Bible, you can count on it being so, because
God said it. So let's go through what God
has said in Scripture, and I will go through this in the following
points. What has God said about His will and purpose? Who has
God said He is? What has God said about man?
What has God said about salvation? So first, God's will and purpose.
And first of all, let me try to give a definition of will
and purpose as it concerns God's will and His purpose. Will, this
is God's choice or what God wants. Purpose, this is God going about
accomplishing His will. There could be better definitions,
but I hope this helps to think about it when thinking about
God's will and purpose. I want to add this, you do not
have one without the other. You will not have God's will
without having his purpose. You will not have his purpose
without having his will. What God wills, he purposes to
bring it to pass. Even though in our eyes it may
not seem that what we are seeing happening around us is his will.
Let me give you a scriptural example of what I mean. It is
also in Genesis, Genesis 50, Genesis 50. Genesis 50 and verses
18 and 19, 19 and 20, sorry. And Joseph said unto them, fear
not, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought
evil against me. But God meant it unto good to
bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive. Man may think he will do what
he wants, but all things and people are in his sovereign control,
what you might think against someone or even God. If he is
pleased for it to be into good, then it will be into good. In
fact, all things work together for good to them that love him,
them who are the called according to what? His purpose. So here are some of the things
that God testifies to us in His Word that He wills. He willed to put enmity between
Satan's seed and the seed of the woman, which is Christ, Genesis
3.15. He willed to establish a covenant
with some people, Genesis 17.7. He willed to redeem some people
from their bondage, Exodus 6.6. He willed to put a division between
his people and everyone else. Exodus 8.23. He willed to pass
over some, but not without blood. Exodus 12.13. He willed to smite
the enemy, every single one. Exodus 12.13. He willed to rain
down bread from heaven. Exodus 16.14 and John 6.51. He
willed to show his goodness to some. in Romans 9, which also
means he willed to have mercy on whom he willed to have mercy,
and he willed to be gracious to whom he willed to be gracious.
He willed to hide some in the cliff of the rock, Exodus 33
12. He willed to give his law, and he willed for it to be kept
perfectly, Exodus 24 12. He willed not to clear the guilty,
meaning he will not just sweep sin under the rug, Exodus 34
7. He willed to glorify himself,
Isaiah 42.8. He willed to be with his people,
1 Chronicles 28.20. He willed to not forsake his
people, Hebrews 13.5. He willed not to fail his people,
1 Chronicles 28.20. He wills to quicken whom he will,
John 5.21. He willed that all those who
were given to Christ will not be lost, John 6.39. These are
just a few of the things in scripture where God has said He has willed
to choose something or to do something. So based on His will,
what or how has God purposed to carry out His will? We read in Ephesians 1.11. If
you want to turn there, Ephesians 1.11. Ephesians 1, verse 11. in whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. The working of all things is
God's purpose. Everything that happens, God
purposed it, in other words. If it happens or it does not
happen, it was God that purposed that it to be so. But we read
in Ephesians 3 and verses 11, according to the eternal purpose
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. First of all, we see that His
purpose is eternal just as His will is eternal. God does not
change and so His will and purpose do not change. But all His purpose
goes through Christ or in Christ. God Almighty, the Father, loves
the Son and it is in the Son that all things are purposed.
So what was purposed in Christ? God purposed to choose a people
in Christ in Romans 9 verses 11 through 13. Romans 9 verses
11 through 13. We read. 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. So he has a purpose which is
according to election. That is a purpose according to
him choosing, because it says, Jacob have I loved, and Esau
have I hated. There are some who have said
when God says he hated Esau, that it just means he loved them
less. This is nothing but a lie from
Satan himself. God is not imperfect. When he
says something, when he does something, he does it perfectly. He is not on the middle of the
fence. So just as we all know what love and hate is, so is
it exactly what God means here. He loved fully and completely
Jacob. He hated fully and completely
Esau. Psalm 139 says, do not I hate
them, O Lord, that hate thee, and am not I agreed with those
that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. But
thank God, God, He purposed to love some, else none would be
loved of God. God has also purposed to show
His power in bringing down some men to destruction, just to show
His power. And what else? So that His name
might be declared everywhere. That's what it says in Romans
9, 17. He also purposed to save and call us. not just any mere
call, but by a holy calling, a set-apart calling, and it has
nothing to do with our works, but only according to His purpose
and grace, and only in Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the will
and purpose of God that matters. Man's will and purpose will work
only in God's will and purpose as he sees fit. In other words,
the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord. It says in Proverbs 16 and 33. Scripture cannot be more plain
than this. I want to read a couple of passages that tells us this
very thing, that God is sovereign and does as he pleases. So if
you would, turn with me to Isaiah 46, Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46 in verses
8 through 13. Remember this, and show yourselves
men. Bring it again to mind, O ye
transgressors. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and so
there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things are not yet done, saying, my
counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. calling a
ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel
from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it, I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also
do it. Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted
that are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness,
it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry,
and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. It is God that works everything
after the counsel of His own will. Everything going on around
you today, that is God at work. I mean anything and everything.
even if it is evil as some might think. Everything that is done
for his people is unto their good, but God does this to bring
near his righteousness, as we just read. Turn with me to Isaiah
14, Isaiah 14, verses 24 through 27. The Lord of hosts hath sworn,
saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and
as I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will bring the
Assyrians in my land, I will break the Assyrians in my land,
and upon my mountains tread him underfoot. Then shall his yoke
depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their
shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole
earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the
nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purpose,
and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out,
and who shall turn it back? God is in control, and what was
mentioned here is for the whole earth, it says, meaning this
is how God works towards all, and not just the Assyrians. Who
does God say He is? All of this is so because of
who God is. God is high above man. He is
past finding out. His ways are not just better,
but His ways are higher than our ways. But not only that,
God is so much higher than us. You hear people talking about
the man upstairs. And that's just a stupid saying.
If all you do is go upstairs, you have not went high enough.
He is so high, we cannot attain unto it. Psalm 139.6 says, such
knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, I cannot attain
unto it. You are not going to find out
God by searching him out. You cannot reach those heights.
It must be given you to know God. That is given by God. God is creator of heaven and
earth and all in them that is. He created it. So what does he
say about man? Who is man? So what is man? I'm not talking about my opinion
of man. There are a lot of times I'm
a pushover, so my opinion does not matter. I have grandkids
that can make me do just about anything they want. I am movable,
but God is not. So let's hear what He says. God
is no pushover. He is a thrice holy God who is
perfect, and He is perfect according to His standards and not man's.
So what I think about Him is of no consequence. He is creator
of heaven and earth. What are you going to say to
Him? The answer is nothing. But I am interested in what he
says about man. What are man's thoughts? In Genesis
6 and verse 5, and this is just before the flood, it says, the
imaginations of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Some might say, well, this was
before the flood, and after the flood, it was different. Well,
if you will, turn with me to Genesis 8. Genesis 8. Genesis
8 and verse 21. Genesis 8 and verse 21. And read. And the Lord smelled a
sweet savor, and this is after the flood, after they've got
all the ark. And the Lord smelled a sweet
savor, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse
the ground anymore for man's sake. For the imagination of
man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again smite
anymore everything living as I have done. It was the purpose
of God to create man. I don't think anyone would disagree
with that. If he had not willed and purposed that, then there
would be no mankind. But God purposed that man fall
in the garden. He says to Adam, In the day that
you eat thereof, you shall surely die. God said it, so it is so. Adam died that day, that 24-hour
period, Adam died before God. In what he did, he plunged all
mankind into darkness, that is, death. Because of his one transgression,
what does God say in Romans 5.12? Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. So man, as he is born in Adam,
is dead to God. God says of all his living creatures
that he created, they will bring forth of their own kind. So as
you are born in Adam, you are born dead to God. And Romans
5.12 confirms that. What is the result of this dead
state? It means that all our faculties come forth from this
death, this darkness. That means our will is dead and
our heart is dead. Jeremiah 17, nine says, the heart
is deceitful. How much? Above all things. Not only that, it is desperately
wicked. It is bent on being wicked. When
this flesh commits those wicked deeds, it is filled and satisfied
with them. It is so wicked there is no one
that knows how wicked it is. No man born of Adam can know
it. God help me that I do not find out just how wicked my heart
is. But he who created us knows it
because he says so. He has told us how wicked we
are. So where does that leave us? If we are left there, we
are left with no hope unless God has purposed something different
for us. If God wills something different
for us, what God says about salvation. God bethinked, he willed and
purposed something different for some. We already know that
God purposed to glorify himself. We already know that this will
be done in the face of Jesus Christ, the Lord, based on what
we've already looked at and which God has said. God has purpose
to save some. So now I want to look at the
purpose of God in salvation. We must first see that if God
had not purpose to save some, then none would be saved. All
would be lost. There's no doubt about that based
on scripture. A heart that deceives us would
never tell us we are in need of salvation. It tells us we
are okay. We have made our decision for
God. What we need to look at is God's
will and God's purpose for us individually. I cannot look into
this for you and you cannot look into this for me. We need God
looking into this for us and carrying out his purpose for
us. We have already seen from scripture that all things are
in Christ and for Christ. So let's look at that a little
further. It is God who is pleased to glorify himself. And he would
do this in his son, Jesus Christ the Lord. He said it from the
very beginning that enmity would be put between the seed of Satan
and the seed of woman. The seed of woman is Jesus Christ.
Now we know that the woman does not have a seed. That comes from
the man. So what seed are we talking about?
That seed which is of the Holy Ghost, born of a virgin, born
under the law, it was a man-child that was born. That man-child
was God Almighty, that one who created all things, the one who
is high above us all. This same one came down to this
earth as a man. It was he, God himself, who was
going to be the redemption of his people. That God whom it
tells us in scripture, there shall no man see God and live. We are talking about a holy,
just, perfect one who had no reason to do this because of
any need he had. God does not need anything. He
says in Psalms 50 and 12, if I were hungry, I would not tell
you. Why? Because he created the world.
He does not need anything from the world. This sovereign almighty
God came into this world to take the place of some. Him being
the offended one, and they being the ones who have done the offending.
That daysman that Job speaks about, that one who would and
was made sin for his people. He was made the very thing that
I am by nature. He was made the very thing He
tells us He cannot look upon. Why? So that I, so that you,
might be made the righteousness of God in Him if you are chosen
in Him. It is all because of what He
has done that makes Him to His people, wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. For those He loves, this has
been done. This is in scripture, is in the
past tense. If you would, turn with me to
1 Corinthians 1.30. 1 Corinthians 1.30. 1 Corinthians 1.30. 1 Corinthians
1.30. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Now, in conclusion,
turn with me on over to Ephesians 1, Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1,
verses 3 through 14. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. According to the good pleasure
of his will, to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. that in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will. that we should be to
the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye
also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Based on what God said, all we
have went through in scripture is true. If you believe God,
then you believe what God has said. He has said what His will
and purpose is. He has told us who He is. He has told us who we are. He
has told us who salvation is. God does not change what His
will and purpose was. His will and purpose is, and
His will and purpose will always be. He was, is, and will be who
He said He is. We are who God says we are. Either
we are only evil continually, or we are righteous in Christ
Jesus the Lord. Salvation is a person. God has
told us who salvation is. It is the Lord Himself in the
face of Jesus Christ. Can you bow down to Him as Lord?
Psalms 27 1 says, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my
life. Of whom shall I be afraid? God has willed and purposed to
bring all things to pass for the good of His people. He has
done this for His honor and glory and accomplished this in Jesus
Christ the Lord. If we believe God, we believe
that salvation is accomplished. Why? Because God said it. It
is so, whether you believe it or not. Can you bow down to what
God said? I want to remind you that at
12 noon on WVVACW, you can hear one of our Sunday morning messages.
Tune in. We start here at 1030, just past
Little Beaver State Park. Come hear Christ and him crucified
proclaim.