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. If you have your Bibles this
morning, please turn with me to Luke. Luke chapter 20. I want to read one verse, Luke
chapter 20 and verse 38. For he is not a God of the dead,
but of the living, for all live unto him. We were driving back from chapel
one Sunday, and I seen a license plate that said, live for God. It of course didn't say these
all out. It was a combination of letters and numbers. But this
is what it said, live for God. I would like to ask that anyone
who makes that statement or puts a sign up in a window or puts
a license plate on their car, and let me say it like this.
I wonder if anyone before they make that statement or before
they put it up in a window or on their car, have you ever asked
the question how do I live for God? This is certainly a valid
question and one worth finding the answer to. Now I realize
that most people when they hear this statement, they think about
those things in which they can do for God. But they have already
went far beyond the question. I think maybe the way we ought
to ask the question is this way. How do I live before God. Scripture says, and it is plain,
as plain as the nose on your face, as the saying goes. In
Romans 5.12 it says, wherefore, as by one man sin entered into
the world, and death, underline that word, by sin, and so death,
underline that word, passed upon all men, underline those words,
For that all, underline that word, have sinned, underline
that word. This is a very clear statement
and one that does not take a lot of wits to understand what it
says. This says that because of one
man, and that one man would be Adam, sin entered into the world. This sin brought about death
by this one man. By this, because this one man
died, death passed upon all men, because all men have sinned. So if we are dead, and we are,
if you are going to believe the scripture, then how is it that
we live? How is it that we get life? Someone
might say, I'm not dead, I'm very much alive. They would be
correct in saying that. Your flesh was born and it is
alive until the day the body goes back into the ground. So
how is it that we are dead? The scripture also plainly says
that to worship God, you must do so in spirit and in truth. You will not know the truth if
you do not have the spirit. Christ himself, that is God,
The one whom some say they want to live for says this in John
4 verses 24. God is spirit and they that worship
him must worship him in spirit and in truth. This flesh is not
spirit. That which you are born with
is not spirit. Adam in the garden once he ate
of the fruit lost communion with God and forever plunged all of
us into death because of sin. Adam was no longer spiritual
because of his sin and this was passed to all men. God said this
very thing to Adam. God told Adam this was going
to happen and it did in Genesis 2 and verse 17. But of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest
thereof, thou shalt surely die. God did not say to Adam, in the
day, if you eat of it. He said, in the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. In the day, it says. The scripture is quite clear
that this was actually one day, just like we have today. Today
is one day. How do I know this is true? We
can see this in the account of creation. God himself tells us
this in Genesis 1 verse 5. And God called the light day,
and the darkness he called night, and the evening and the morning
were the first day. The scripture then goes through
the six days that God purposed to create everything that exists. So when God told Adam in the
day, God meant exactly what he said. That very same day, Adam
died spiritually. So that from that time on, everyone
born to Adam is born dead in trespasses and in sin. That is
what Romans 5 and verse 12 tells us. So how is it then that we
can even think about living for God if we are dead to God? First,
we must have spiritual life before we can have any kind of communion
or worship of God. Let me give you another passage
because the scripture is full of this just in case there's
someone listening that might desire to hear the truth this
morning. In John chapter 3 verse 6 it
says, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that's all
it will ever be. And that which is born of the
spirit is spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2 and verse
14 we read, but the natural man, and the natural man is the flesh,
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. The natural man is how we are
born into this world. This natural man cannot receive
the things of the Spirit of God. Again, I have to say, this is
as plain as the nose on your face. as to what scripture says. There is no ambiguity in this
verse. So somehow those that are dead
must somehow first be given life. There is no natural man that
can decide that he will have life. Have you ever seen a dead
man do anything? If a dead man could just lift
his little finger, raise his eyebrow, lift his leg, then he
could give himself life. In fact, if he could do this,
then he is not dead at all, but alive. Before any man in this world
can do anything towards God, he must have spiritual life. He cannot do this for himself.
In this state that is dead in trespasses and in sin, he is
fitted to destruction. In this state, he, and by saying
he, I mean he or she, is an enemy of God. We are at enmity against
God. We certainly cannot know this
if we do not have life, because these are spiritual things, and
the natural man will not and cannot know these things. If
someone tells you all you have to do is exercise your free will
to believe in God, they are lying to you. Believing in God is a
spiritual thing, and the Scripture is plain. The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, and neither can he know
them. He cannot even know them to believe
them, because they are spiritually discerned. Yet men and women
today insist that they have a will that can decide to worship God
or to live for God. There is no other way to say
it but to say it this way. Those that do not believe this
lie against God. Those who are saying this are
liars and are not telling you the truth. So the next question
someone might ask is this. Well, how do I get this life?
It is a good question to ask. The answer is also quite simple.
In and of yourself, you cannot get this life. It has to be given
by the Creator. He must give you life. He will
only do this if He is pleased to do so. Jesus Christ is the
only one who has the power of life because He is life itself. Life must come from Him. There
is only one way to know if you have been given life from God. Do you believe the record God
gave of His Son? Do you believe scripture when
it says we are enemies of God? Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is God and it was he and he alone who accomplished salvation for
sinners? There was a time when I did not know these things.
I rebelled against this truth, being dead in my sins, and I
could not do anything about it, although I may have sought it
with tears. But there came a time when all
of a sudden I could see what God was saying in His Word. I
was once blind, but now I see. The Almighty God was pleased
to give me life, and in giving that life, there were some fruit
that came along with this. I said fruit and not fruits.
The one source of life is the source of all things. Galatians
5, verses 22 and 23, we read, But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. Against such, there is no law. So if you are to have love, then
you must have God's Spirit giving you life. If you are ever to
have any real joy, you must have His Spirit giving you life. If
you are ever to have any real peace, then you must have His
Spirit giving you life. If you are ever to be long-suffering,
you will have to have His Spirit giving you life. If you are ever
to have any gentleness, you must have His Spirit giving you life. If you are ever to have any goodness,
you must have His Spirit giving you life. If you are ever to
have faith, you must have his spirit giving you life. Hebrews
11, six says, but without faith it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. If you are ever to
have any meekness, you must have his spirit giving you life. And
if you are ever to have any temperance, you must have his spirit giving
you life. So who is it that God gives this
life to? The only answer to that question
is whomever he is pleased to give it to. God does not love
everybody. Again, the scripture is as plain
as the nose on your face. In Romans 9, verses 10 through
13, we read this. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil. And I want to make sure and point
this out in this scripture. It has nothing to do with what
you do or do not do. And that is good or evil. What you do good or bad is not
a factor for God choosing anyone. It goes on to say 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. As most people respond to this,
and as I first responded to this scripture, so does God expect
you to respond because He moved Paul to write down these very
next words in verse 14 of Romans 9. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? The answer is God forbid. So some might say, well, how
can God be against me? How can I be condemned if God
chooses just based on what he wills and purpose? The answer
is that you are dead in trespasses and in sin, an enemy of God. Most will bear this out because
they will hate this truth. You will do what you want to
do, and that is you will not bow down to him, that is God,
even though someone else tells you the truth. This is all of
us by nature. But the glory is, by the grace
of God, there are some who he is pleased that he chose. Even
though those chosen were no better by nature, and in fact could
be worse than others that he did not choose. But that would
be worse or better before men because God is not a respecter
of persons. How you dress, what you make,
whether you do good or you do evil, has no bearing on God choosing
or doing anything for a dead alien sinner. It is all of his
marvelous, wonderful grace. It is called grace because we
did not merit it. We did not earn it. Those chosen
were given grace by God. It is for those that this almighty,
all-powerful God chose that He sent His Son, that is, Jesus
Christ the Lord, to die for them in their stead. Jesus Christ
is God. God had to come down as a man,
and he did, and the scripture is also clear on this. It says
in Matthew 1, verses 20 and 21, but while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For, that is because,
he shall save his people from their sins. Jesus Christ came
to save his people and his people only, those whom he chose. He came and suffered the shame
of the cross and offered up himself being made sin for them that
they, those chosen by God, might be made the righteousness of
God in him. The sacrifice he offered was
accepted of God the Father. And Jesus Christ himself tells
us, it is finished. If God says it is finished, it
is finished. Someone might ask, what is finished? That would be salvation is finished. Salvation is accomplished for
his people. Salvation is not due, salvation
is done. Jesus Christ satisfied the justice
of God. Since sin must be punished, he
did this for those whom he chose and died the death that they
should have died. Now since salvation is accomplished,
one of the things left to do is to let those know this. And
those would be the ones for whom he died. Those chosen of God. When we believe this salvation
is not toward God, it is toward us, that is to us. We now know
what he has done and it saves our soul. And we have peace toward
God. If we are in Christ, we are accepted
in Him when He was accepted. Those chosen, those for whom
He did this, would be the ones who He gives life. Ephesians
2 and verse 1 says, and you have He quickened who were dead in
trespasses and in sins. And again in Colossians 2 and
verse 13 we read, and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses. The only way you will ever know
him and be able to live for God is to live by God. My friends, if you believe this
truth, then you are born of God. 1 John 5 1 says, whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And everyone that loveth
him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. What
this is saying is that if you believe the truth, the truth
that I have just spoken to you, then you are born of God. Not
only that, but if you are one of those who love Jesus Christ
who gave you life, then you will love others who have been given
life from God. Those whom love this gospel.
God must give you spiritual life before you ever live for him. Luke 20 and verse 38 says, that's
our text, for he is not a God of the dead, but of the living,
for all live unto him. I also want to be clear and make
this point. God does not need anything from
us. Our living for God is because
of God himself giving us life. And that which we do for him
is to bow down to this almighty sovereign creator who has saved
our very souls from hell and damnation. Our doing for him
is worshiping him. for what he has done, and our
doing for him looks to nothing we do for him. We are to give
all praise, honor, and glory to Jesus Christ the Lord, for
it is he who has done everything. So maybe it is that you want
to live for God. I ask you, can you bow down to
him, a sovereign Lord, who has and does all things right? I
know there are a lot of people out there that like to play church,
but this is no game. He holds every breath you take
in his hands. Scripture says he kills and makes
alive. Do not think God has to do something
for you at your own good time. It may just be that he is not
pleased to do anything for you. I do hope that there are some
listeners out there who love God. But if you do love God,
it is all because of what He has done. Scripture tells us
what love is, and Christ personifies that love. In 1 John 3 16 we
read, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid
down His life for us. If we know this love, if this
is the love we have for God, what does it go on to say? And
we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Those whom
are born of God, who believe and love the God of Scripture,
are those for whom we care about. If we do this, it is all because
of what He has done. It is cause and effect. God does
something first, which then moves us to those things. 1 John 4 and verse 19 says, we
love him because he first loved us. There is no love for God,
there is no living for God, unless God, the holy, just, almighty
creator of heaven and earth, and created all that is in them,
There is no love or living for God unless he does something
first. He has already completed salvation
for sinners. He only done this for sinners.
So if you do not know yourself to be a sinner, then you have
no reason to think that God has done anything for you. Because
the scripture says, Christ came into the world to save sinners. I know those of this world, that
is, those who are religious and those who are not. I know they
do not agree with this. It is not that they do not agree
with me because it is not me that has said these things. It
is what God says in his word. No matter what our friends and
family say or do, those for whom God has given life will submit
to and worship only this sovereign almighty God. It may cause you
problems with your friends. It may cause you problems with
your family. It may cause problems in your
church. But if it does, then those problems need to happen.
Christ says this is the way it will be in Matthew 10, beginning
in verse 34. He says, think not that I am
come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but
a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her
mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. The
gospel of Jesus Christ is not meant to bring everybody together.
It will divide families because not everyone has life before
God by God. If you do not have this life,
you will hate this truth. There is no doubt about it. It
goes on to say in verse 36, and a man's foes shall be they of
his own household. And it goes on to say in verses
37 through 39, he that loveth father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. and he that taketh not his
cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that
findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for
my sake shall find it. If you find your life, that is,
you find a way that works for you and you deny the Jesus Christ
of Scripture, you will lose your life. But if by God's grace you
lose your life, that is God shows you how dead you are, and he
does this by first giving you life, because you will not know
how dead you are until he first gives you life. But in this,
you will see that nothing else matters but the glory to Jesus
Christ the Lord. You must consider the cost. Do
not make a decision lightly. As I said, this is not a game.
You do not start down this path and then turn back. God will
not have it. If you start down this road,
there will be troubles. It is the child of God's lot
that they suffer in this world. But this life is but a vapor,
and it cannot be compared to the life that Jesus Christ has
prepared for us in glory. That life where we can truly
live for God. Don't look to things. Don't look
to fallen, sinful man. Look to the only one that has
done and will do what is needed. It may be, it may be that he
has been pleased to allow you to serve him in love, to truly
worship him and to live for him. Now just a reminder, every Sunday
on WVVACW, we have a portion of one of our Sunday morning
messages. Or you can come and be with us here. We start at
10.30 and we're just past Little Beaver State Park on Country
Club Drive and then on Annabelle Lane. So come here, Jesus Christ
and Him proclaimed.