If you wish to follow along,
turn to Numbers chapter 26. We have come through the first three books of the
Bible. We're now on the fourth, Numbers.
We're on chapter 26. Before I read a few verses from
this chapter, let me say that we have, in the book of Numbers,
proceeded forth 40 years' history. of Israel in their journeys in
the wilderness, at least approximately thereabout. I'm sure that there
are some who, maybe if they haven't listened, if they had been listening
to me on my messages from numbers, they probably would have felt
it's been 40 years for them as well. But be that as it may be,
As I began to read through this, sometimes your mind gets focused
on certain things and I began to realize not so much we're
about at the end of the book of Numbers, but we're about at
the end of Israel's wandering through the wilderness. Now with
that being said, let me read just a few verses from Numbers
26. I'll begin in verse one and read the first three verses.
And it came to pass after the plague, that the Lord spake unto
Moses, and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, and
remember this phrase, from 20 years old and upward, throughout
their father's house, all that are able to go to war in Israel,
and to Moses, And Eleazar, the priest, spake with them in the
plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. Remember, Jericho is
where they first actually entered into the land. Now, turn over
and look at verse 65. Same chapter. Numbers chapter
26, verse 65. Remember, first three verses,
Moses and Eleazar are commanded by God to number the children
of Israel 20 years old and upward. Now verse 63 says this. These
are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest,
who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab
by Jordan near Jericho. But among these there was not
a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered when
they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said unto them,
they shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not
a man of them left a man of them say Caleb, the son of Jephunneh,
and Joshua, the son of Nun. What we actually have here is
the second census, or the second numbering of the children of
Israel. The first numbering took place
at Sinai. This second numbering is in the
plains of Moab, of course, near Jericho. So after 40 years have
passed, Everyone who was 20 years and above, other than Joshua
and Caleb, were dead, except for Moses, and Moses is soon
to be taken out of this world. God has been true to his word,
even if that word is in wrath against someone. So imagine this,
after 40 years, Think of the unbelievers who may have been
in the crowd. Now, remember, not everyone,
when the first numbering took place, not everyone who was 20
years and above were unbelievers. You had Moses, Aaron, Miriam,
Joshua, and Caleb for sure we know that believed God and there
seems to be others as indicated throughout the passage. We read
of one who took the spear. So not everyone was lost who
died in the wilderness 20 years and above. Now, all those people
are gone, save Joshua and Caleb, and of course Moses at this time.
But that doesn't mean that everyone that's still alive now believed
God. Many of these were young children
when the first census took place, and they are now at least 20
years old and upward. Now, think about this. Chapter
one, we read these words. Let me go back and I'll give
you this God's word concerning what I've just said to you. Chapter
one, verse one. 44 and 45. These are those that were numbered,
which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel being
12 men, each one of them the house of their fathers. So were
all those that were numbered of the children of Israel by
the house of their fathers from 20 years old and upward, all
that were able to go forth to war in Israel. And this was merely
a census. I wonder, how many people, especially
the unbelievers in Israel, at the second census were thinking,
is God numbering us again? Hmm? Is God numbering us again? Because remember about this numbering,
if we then go back to chapter 14 and listen to what God said
in chapter 14, which was a few years later, mind you, but in
chapter 14, we read this word, chapter 14 and verse 26. The Lord spake unto Moses and
unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation,
which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of
the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto
them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in
my ears, so will I do to you. Your carcasses shall fall in
the wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according
to your whole number, from 20 years old and upward, which have
murmured against me. Doubtless ye shall not come into
the land concerning which I swear to make. Swear to make you dwell
therein save Caleb the son of Jephthah and Joshua the son of
Nun. I just know some unbelievers
are saying, is God going to do something again? Hmm? But I also now have to imagine
those that have been given a God-given faith, because they could remember
these words. Go on in chapter 14 now, verse
31. Now God had, as the New Testament
puts it, God had sworn to him his wrath. You shall not enter
in. Is that not what it says? You
shall not enter in. But now look what else he also
said. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them
will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. God always, in judgment, shows
mercy. But only believers can grasp
the totality of the word that God speaks. An unbeliever may
hear it, dislike it, even hate it, but they cannot see their
true need for mercy. Mercy, but a person who has been
given faith by God remembers and hangs upon every word of
God where God Mason would even insinuate that he may be merciful. Think about it. These people,
at first, were numbered for death, and this must have terrified
the lost among them when another census began to take place. I know something about how the
flesh is, and my flesh recalls against the justice of a holy
God, and yours does too. But remember, God is holy. Every characteristic or every
attribute or every quality that makes up or is who God is is
all summed up by holiness. Holiness. But a numbering for
death was not a finality for believers. It was not. God gave gracious promise right
in the midst of holy judgment when he's told some people in
his wrath, you shall not enter in. And he says to this people,
your carcasses shall fall in the wilderness. But then he promised,
but your little ones, what's gonna happen? Your little ones,
they will enter into the land. Is this not the same thing we
see in Genesis chapter three? I won't ask you to turn back
there. In Genesis chapter three, when our father Adam had rebelled
against God and pledged the whole human race into corruption and
depravity and ruin, and in the midst of God's pronouncements
of judgment against both man and beast and land, he says these
words, and I wanna read them so I do not misquote them. This
is Genesis chapter three, and it says in verse 14, and the
Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this,
thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the
field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and thus shalt thou eat all
the days of the life. But look at this, and I will
put enmity between thee and the woman. and between thy seed and
her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise," and notice the it now is changed to a what? A male. It and thou shalt bruise
his heel. That's the promise of the Messiah.
Right in the midst of the Jack Meadows, the original judgment
of God against this world because of our representative and head,
federal head in this world, Adam. He failed against God and God
judged the whole universe so that God says that even the stars
and the moon are not clean in his sight. And yet God promises,
gives just a little inkling of mercy and grace and compassion. Think about this. numbered for
death. As many of you know, that was
my title. And after I wrote that title and began to make notes,
I realized, well, maybe that wasn't the best thing, but let
me put it to you this way. My title is numbered for death,
but that is not my subject. That is not my subject. But let
me tell you something. If you ever know the grace of
God, God ever shows you mercy and compassion, you will first,
or at least, you will also be taught by God that you are numbered
for death. You see, being numbered for death
always precedes the experience of life. We are so dead. by nature, that God has to give
us life first before we can even recognize that we're dead. And
if that's a conundrum to your mind, I understand. It's a conundrum
to mine, but I know it's what this word teaches, and I know
it's what I've experienced. Again, I say, being numbered
for death always precedes the experience of life. This Adamic
race is numbered for death. You, you, All of you, me, all without exception,
were numbered for death. All still die. Mankind must die. We've been trying to escape it
ever since it happened. Ever since it happened. There
is no hope of avoiding Even this, there is no hope of avoiding
even the death of this body, save two men that I know about. One was, and I just looked at
it a minute ago, Enoch, and it says he was not. Everybody else,
all his family, they died. It says of Enoch, and he was
not, for God took him. And the other one was Elijah,
was it not? and God took him up. But there's
also a group of people at the end of this age when our Lord
returns again who believe in him who shall not know physical
death of the body. They shall still be alive when
he returns in his second advent and the book clearly tells us
we're not going to die, we're going to be transformed. So physical
death cannot be what it's all about. Can it? Because not everyone,
and we know of two examples in the scripture, has physically
died, correct? And yet I cannot tell you I am
going to escape physical death. If the Lord does not come before
a few more years, my body will rot in the grave. And so will
yours. And so will yours. We are numbered
for death, but That brings us up to a conundrum. What is the
real numbering for death? There is a greater death above
the death of our material being. Did you know that? Our Lord God,
our Lord God, God made sin. God made sin. God made flesh,
suffered physical death. And yet his body saw no corruption. But there is a death that far
outweighs, as I said, the laying down of this material being. Turn to Romans chapter five.
As I read through this, and I would encourage you, follow, look at
Romans chapter five. Get there first. Romans chapter
five. There is a death. that supersedes
physical death, that is the death of this body. There is a death
that all of humanity have experienced. We experience it even in the
wombs of our mothers. And this death is the death that
God in his judgment passed upon humanity when our father Adam
rebelled against God in the garden. Wherefore, it says in verse 12
of Romans 5, wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the
world. Now that's Adam. You look at
the context, it's clearly Adam. It's one man. Wherefore, as by
one man, sin entered into the world and death by sin and false
religion immediately runs to when we lay down this material
body in the grave. Do they not? They actually even teach, I mean,
I've not necessarily heard it said, but I've seen it written,
that God pronounced judgment against Adam. It was coming.
He said, in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die,
and the next words from some men's pens are, but he did not.
I say, oh, you are wrong, but he did. He died in the day. in the day that he ate of that
fruit, and plunged all of us into total depravity. He died
that day, but his material body was very much still alive. That
did not go back to the dust, and God later told him, dust
you was taken, to dust you shall return. This is the death Paul
is talking about here. And look at what the words say. And if God's given you faith,
if he's given you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to
perceive, you will know that the evidence is this has nothing
to do, chapter five, verses 12 through 21, has nothing to do
with physical death. Physical death is a result of
this death. but it's not the death he speaks
of. Look. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin, and so death, what? P-A-S-S-E-D. Past. Not is passing. Right? We know if this were physical
death, then we have a lie in the scripture because two men
escaped physical death in the Old Testament. But this is saying
no one has escaped this death, right? Look at it. Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, death by sin, so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, even those that
are not yet born. that are yet to be born tomorrow,
or any other tomorrow that there may be, have already sinned,
how? In their representative head,
Adam. Look at what he goes on to say.
For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed
when there is no law. Nevertheless, death, what? Reigns. reigned. I am here to say again that there
is a greater death that is above the death of our material being.
Here is, this death is universal death. You hear me? Turn to Ephesians chapter 2.
Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. And let me just read a verse
Ephesians 2 and then I'll make a couple more statements Ephesians
2 verse 1 and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
in sins Think about that you see here is Universal death here
is the first death amongst the human race here is real death
did our Lord not say? Now think about this. I know
our finite minds have a tough time grasping this, trying to
understand it. But let us not try to understand
it. Let us believe God. Our Lord said, if a man believes
in me, he shall never see death. Is that not what he said? Yet
how many of our believing loved ones have we put in the ground
in the past years? Huh? Is this not a conundrum
if we face the word of God honestly? But I'm here to say here is a
death that is common to all without exception. Enoch was conceived
and born just as dead as you are. Elijah was conceived and
born just as dead as you are. And here is a death that is universal
save one man. and one man only, and his name
was called Jesus. And he was brought up in Nazareth,
and he was hanged on a tree, and he was buried, raised again
the third day, and several days later he ascended to the right
hand of God the Father. Here is this universal death.
But look at what it goes on to say. And you hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins. And when you hear or you see a man does a right,
maybe he's writing a piece in a paper, a piece in a bulletin,
whatever it might be, and he says here Paul is illustrating
spiritual death. No, spiritual death is the death. It's the real death. Listen,
brothers and sisters, our laying down of these physical bodies
is but an illusion. an illusion in the sovereign
purpose of God. Oh, it will happen. You will
die, and unless you're cremated, your body will rot. I don't care
how much they embalm you with fluid. You will rot in the grave. But that death has no sway over
God's people. And you hath equipped were dead. That's a real death. And the
question is this, how dead is dead? We're not mostly dead. We're not partly dead. We're
not 99% dead. We are declared to have been
what? Dead! That's as dead as you can be. And you, but look at it, hath
he quickened. Now I'm not going to sit and
argue about the fact that this is put in italics. It's still valid
for the context. It's still valid. Look, where
in? Now he's going to describe to us in verse 2 and 3 what this
death is like, what it really is. Where in? In time past ye
walked. Wait a minute. Dead things don't
walk. Yeah, these do. You did. I did. We were very active. very active
in sin and trespass, but totally, absolutely dead toward God. Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation,
or that is our way of life in time past, in the lust of the
flesh, fulfilling the desires, and that word is will, the wheel
or wheels of the flesh and of the wine and were by nature the
children of wrath even as others. So think of it. These people
who have been quickened were just as bad as everybody else. Is that not what this is teaching?
I know our day and age that most preachers are all about just
trying to build people up. to make people think well about
theirselves. I don't want you to think well about yourselves.
I want God Almighty to open my eyes and to open your eyes and
to give us just at least a little glimpse of what we really are
by nature. That the elect of God themselves,
and that's what he calls us and them in Ephesians one, isn't
it, chapter one, those that are predestinated, that we're just
as bad as the worst reprobate that ever walked. And look at
this, verse four, but God. Now here is my subject for this
morning. But God who is rich. Do you see that? Notice it does
not just say he is merciful, though that is, Mason, that's
certainly true. But Paul's being moved by the
Spirit of God to these people who are at one time, what, dead
in trespasses and sins. And God quickens you. He quickens
you. Why? Because he's rich in mercy
for his great love. Do not prostitute God's love
as some universal thing. Because if people that God loves
go to hell, listen to me, If people that God loves go to hell,
then God's love ain't worth spit. What good was his love? If God
loves the person in hell as much as he loves the person in heaven,
then God's love made no difference whatsoever. But you know, in
our day and age, men are not ashamed to teach the very opposite
of that very thing. And they call it the gospel.
and it ate no gospel. God told a church, church in
Asia, he said, as many as I love, as many as I love, I rebuke and
correct. Isn't that what he says? You
see, if God loves you, he gonna lay hold of you. He gonna quicken
you. God's love is not an emotion.
It's power. It's power. It's power. But look, it's more than that.
But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead, even when we were dead
in sins. You see it? Hath quickened us
together. Now notice what it really says. Men will read this and then they'll
explain it away. When were we quickened? Somebody
says, well, that was when I was regenerated. When God first laid
hold of me in life by the Spirit. No, sir. No, sir. That is but the outpouring or
the outflowing of the real quickening. Now look, even when we were dead
in sins hath quickened us together with Christ. Now when was Christ
quickened? When he lay in that tomb and
came back out of that grave. That's the real quickening, folks.
That's the foundation of how a holy God can yet be just and
justify someone like us. There it is. Even when we were
dead in sins has quickened us together with Christ. By grace
are you saved and raised us up together and made us sit together
in heavenly places in Christ. And you and I can't see that
now, but I can believe it. Where am I right now? I am seated
in my substitute and representative at the right hand of God the
Father. When God quickened him, he quickened me. When God took
him into glory, he took me into glory. When he sat down at the
Father's right hand, he took me at his right hand. And he
did you too, if you are in Christ Jesus. That, why did he do that
for? that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Jesus Christ, and then he just, for by grace are
you saved. Through faith, and even that's
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest
any man should boast. Four things, or I'm sorry, five
things about this. God's mercy is sovereign mercy. This book is clear. I don't debate
these things anymore. I loved to debate when I was
younger. I probably almost got in two or three scraps because
I tried to engage this thing in the arm of the flesh and I
thought I was gonna straighten somebody out. Listen, you got
a dead man in front of you, he ain't gonna hear you. But he's
alive enough, you keep poking him, he gonna attack you. Now
figure that one out. Yeah, you poke him enough, if
it's this death we're talking about, he'll attack you, or she'll
attack you. God's mercy is sovereign because
God says it clearly. Romans 9 verse 18, and this is
actually coming from the Old Testament truth. God hasn't changed. God is not different now than
he used to be, and he's not gonna be different in the future than
he is right now. Therefore, hath he, speaking
of God, Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy. And
whom he will, he hardeneth. Now folks, that is who God is.
And any man or woman that doesn't believe that doesn't believe
who God really is. He says, and you hath he quickened. But he
didn't quicken everybody. Go out here to Walmart this evening.
Walk through the aisles and tell people, you're dead in trespasses
and sins. See the reaction you get. They
are dead in trespass and sins, but they're so dead they don't
want to hear it. Because our deadness in this sense is not
being inactive altogether, but it's being totally inactive toward
bowing to God and who he is. And it is being very active toward
what? Self. Me. Me. And you hath he quickened. Here's
the second thing. Mercy experienced flows from
mercy wrought in Christ Jesus. We read that. When did he quicken
us? When our substitute was quickened. You see, that's when God really
killed me. Did you know that? That's when God really killed
me. That's when God punishes my sins, or punished, sorry.
That's when God punished my sins. You're a believer today, something
bad happens to you. God is not punishing you for
your sins. Now you may be reaping what you've sown, but God ain't
punishing you for your sins. Because if God punished you for
your sins, he'd put you in the lake of fire forever. That's what would happen. He hath not dealt with us according
to our sins. And let me tell you something,
any male or female on the top side of this earth still breathing,
God has not yet dealt with them according to their sins. Mercy
is experienced and it flows from mercy wrought by Christ. Did
not the Apostle Paul say, and you don't have to turn to it,
but Romans chapter eight, and he speaks of this group of people. This group of people are called
this. They're called those who love God. They're called those
who are called according to his purpose. It is said they are
foreknown. It says they're predestinated to be conformed to the image
of Christ. It says that they are not only predestinated but
they're called. And not only called but they're
justified. Not only justified but they're glorified. And then
in verse 31 it says this. What shall we say then to these
things? Well you know what most people say, well I don't believe
that. I don't believe that. Well you don't believe the book
of God then. You don't believe God's word then. Well, I can't
preach that, it split my church. Well, your church need to be
split because Christ called the church his church. This ain't
my church. God, no, you don't want to be
owned by me. That'd be bad news for you to
be owned by me. What should we then say to these
things? If we be believers, we say this, if God be for us, who
can be against us. But remember, this grace, this
love, this predestination, all of this was while we were still
dead in trespasses. When we were shaking our fist
at God and saying, I will have my way. But look, what shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us, who could be
against us? God's not just for me now. If God's for me now,
he's always been for me. Look, he that spared not his
own son, but delivered him up for us all, that's all this group
of people, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Preacher, I'm a sinner. and I'm
so bad. Preacher, you just don't know
how bad I am, and I just don't know that God would forgive somebody
like me, I'm so bad. You really don't understand how
bad you really are. I mean, I know some of us have
got a good taste of it, but we have no idea how reprehensible
we are in God's sight by nature. Reprehensible, a stench in God's
nostrils. We are not a sweet smelling thing
to God by nature. As a matter of fact, remember
we're called the children of wrath. And that don't mean we
were under his wrath. That means we had wrath toward
God. That's what it's talking about.
And we're the children of wrath. We hated God just like everybody
else hated God. So again I say, Mercy experience
flows from a mercy wrought by Jesus Christ at Calvary. If God
ever shows you mercy now, it's because he showed you mercy when
Christ died on that tree. And because he showed you mercy
in Christ even before the world began. Here's the third thing. Mere offers of mercy are never
enough. You know the book teaches that?
Mere offers of mercy are never enough. I realize that I need
to quit arguing with people when they say, well God offered this
or God offered that. Turn with me to Romans 10. Verse
21. Now don't let your Calvinism
override the truth of God. Conform your Calvinism to the
truth of God. Okay? Now I don't particularly
like the word offer, but look at what it says here. Verse 21
of Romans 10. But to Israel he saith, look
at the context, it's God. This is God talking. Now he talked
through Isaiah, but this was God speaking. But to Israel he
saith, all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient
and gainsaying people. Now I will give you a scriptural
phrase that defines that, and you can read it later if you
wish. It's given in Revelation chapter two and verse 21, and
God is speaking to a woman called Jezebel in one of the local churches,
and it says this, that I have given her space to repent, and
she repented not. Now what the book says, you see,
God Almighty has offered man all kinds of things, but you
know what the problem is when you're dead in trespassing sins?
I won't have it unless God gives it to me by merit. Oh yeah, God said I've called,
I've called, and ye what? refused. You see, I don't want
to conform God's Word to McAlvinism. I want McAlvinism conformed to
God's Word. And somebody says, well preacher,
that means you gotta ask for God's mercy. No. Somebody says,
that don't make sense. You're trying to figure out God.
Quit trying to figure out God and believe what he says. Look
at the preceding, immediately preceding verses. Verse 19 of
Romans 10, but I say, did not Israel know? How many opportunities
did God give Israel? How much space did God give Israel
to repent? He fed them and clothed them
all the way through this 40 years journey, and they still murmured
and complained every time they got a chance, and even when there
was no chance. They were murmuring and complaining
against God, but look what it says. But I say, did not Israel
know? First Moses saith, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish
nation will I anger you. But Isaiah is very bold, and
only people who preach the gospel of Christ are this bold. Everybody
else is trying to take the edge off the sword of God's gospel.
But Isaiah says, is very bold and saith. Another thing, this
is no new doctrine. This ain't something that John
Calvin came up with. As a matter of fact, John Calvin
didn't come up with Calvinism. It was the free willers who hated
the truth of God and they said, we don't like, and they called
it Calvinism. It was the truth of God they didn't like. Look,
but Isaiah, or Esaias, as it's put here, is very bold and saith. Look at it. I was found of them
that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. So it don't depend on the seeking
and the finding. God's got to quicken the dead
first before they ever seek and find. But if he quickens you,
bless God, you will seek. And you will find. But it does
not depend upon you or me. So again, I say mere offers of
mercy are never, never good enough. You see, If I have an individual
that, well, let me just use another illustration. This would probably
hit home a whole lot better than if I used myself, because after
all, I'm a real good guy, and you all just know how good I
am. Let's just take our present president. And let's take someone
who doesn't like our president. And I mean, they really don't
like our president. And he'd go over and offer them
$100 if they would just say, I believe Trump's a pretty good
guy. Do you think the haters of Trump
would want his $100? They'd rather go without the
$100 to still hold on to their hatefulness. Now, whether I like
Donald Trump or not, if he handed me a $100 spot, I'd take it,
put it in my pocket, and I'd say, well, Trump's a pretty good
guy, but there's some things I don't like about him. I'm telling you this, being dead
in trespasses and sins is to shake your fist in the face of
God. As a matter of fact, Paul puts
it this way, and let me find it. I just wanna read this to
you. Romans eight, verse seven, because
the carnal mind, that's what we all have when we're dead in
trespasses and sins. Because the carnal mind is what? enmity, that word means hatred. Well, preacher, I know a lot
of people that don't hate God. No, they don't hate their idea
of God. They don't mind the way God is
presented by some false apostate preacher, but they hate God when
God is preached for who He really is. Again, I say mere offers
of mercy, they're never. Never, never enough. Number four,
only spirit-convinced sinners. And I have the right to say that
according to John 16 verse eight. Speaking of the spirit of God,
when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness
and of judgment. Now when I was in that religious
group many, many years ago, I was taught constantly in Sunday schools
and from pulpits, we need to get men and women to realize
they're sinners. You can't do it. Only God can convince a man
or a woman how bad we really are. And then I believe, Eddie,
I believe you really only give us a little glimpse, because
I believe it would, the shame would wrack us in this mortal
frame if we really understood how reprehensible our flesh is
to God. Paul put it this way about his
flesh, I hate. I hate it. That's what he said,
didn't he? I hate it. You see, he didn't
say, well, everybody's a sinner. Well, go ask them if they are.
I dare you to tell him. Go ask. Now, yes, they are all
sinners, but they've never been convinced of it by the spirit
of God. And if the spirit of God, if
I just convince you of it, some other guy come along, convince
you different. But if the spirit of God ever convinces you of
it, you'll never get over it. You'll find out that even your
righteousnesses, your best deeds, are filthy rags in God's sight.
Let me move on. Number five, a true spirit-convinced
sinner will not argue against God's sovereign right to dispense
mercy as he pleases. Did you know that? You see, you
don't have to believe in election to be saved, to be converted.
You know that? You don't have to believe in
election, but if you believe God, you're believing in the
God who elected. And he's gonna teach you about
who he is and what he's done. Now let's look at Romans nine
quickly, and I will read these verses. Romans nine, verse 18.
I mentioned this. 918, therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou
will say then unto me, and they're still doing it today. Well, if
that's the truth, how could God find fault with anybody? Right? Look at it. Thou will say then
unto me, why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his
will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump? And this is important
because there's no man or woman any better than any other man
or woman in this world by nature. My heart is no different than
the heart of Jeffrey Dahmer. Do you hear what I'm saying?
Y'all remember who Jeffrey Dahmer is? That man that killed all them
young boys with homosexual tendencies and then cooked their bodies
and ate them? But my heart by nature, Mason Lilly, is no better
a heart than that man's heart was. The only difference was
God didn't restrain him. God gave him just enough rope
If God ever lets go of His rope on you, will you be in the same
place? I'd be in the same place. Why?
Because we're all what? The same lump. If not the potter
power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel an honor
and another a dishonor, what if God willing to show His wrath,
men present God as if He's just trying to hold His wrath back.
And that's not the way he's presented. Oh, he's got wrath, but he's
just trying his best to keep it back. When God's pleased to
show wrath to somebody, he's gonna show wrath to somebody.
Look at our text. Your carcasses will fall in the
wilderness. And he made believers go through 40 years of hell in
the wilderness just to do that. Did he not? Even Joshua and Caleb
had to go right along with everybody else in that wilderness for 40
years. Why? Because God is pleased to
show his wrath as much as he's pleased to show his love. What
if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known,
endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of what? Mercy, which he hath aforeprepared
unto glory. And this ain't just for the Jews,
he goes on to say, is it? That's for us old idolatrous
heathens, Gentiles as well. You know what he says? Even us,
whom it's called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. We'll do something I've only
done, I've been trying to preach the gospel for 35 years. I've
only done this one other time. While I was actually preaching,
and it was at a burial service, I sang. So I'm gonna sing you
a song. You forgive the singer and his
inability to sing, because that's not the point. Although I'll
try to do the best I can. But there's a song that's come
to my attention. Some of you will know it when you hear it.
And I've read the words of these songs. It's this song, and it
just grips my soul. Now, I've listened to it online,
and they've dolled it all up. Mm, got the G-towers going, you
know. The tune's great, and I'm not against good tune. But folks,
it's the words that are important here. So I'm gonna try to sing
it as best I can, but I want you to hear the words. Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song, the
joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue. Thy free grace
alone, from the first to the last, hath won my affections
and bound my soul fast. Without thy sweet mercy, I could
not live here. Sin would reduce me to utter
despair, but through thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
and he that first made me still keeps me alive. Thy mercy is
more than a match for my heart, which wonders to feel its own
hardness depart. Dissolved by thy goodness, I
fall to the ground, and weep to the praise of the mercy I've
found. Great father of mercies, thy
goodness I own. And the covenant love of thy
crucified son, All praise to the spirit who whispered divine. Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness
mine. All praise to the spirit who
whispered divine. Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness
mine. This sinner rejoices in a God. who is God indeed and in fact
and not just in name. Because I gotta have a God like
that. Because I'm that bad. If he left
it up to me, I'd never repent, I'd never believe, I'd never
be baptized, I'd never take his table, I'd never serve him in
love. I may do it out of duty, hoping
to miss hell and get to heaven, but I couldn't do it in love.
And I want to do all those things, Mason, in love toward him. Because
he deserves it. He deserves it. What about you? What about you? See, this sinner
so rejoices in God's free mercy that I refuse any message that's
contrary to that free mercy. Because one, it don't honor my
God. And two, it don't help my soul. Mack, would you close us in prayer,
please?