Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter
2. I will read verses 13 through
17. And someone says, well, you always
preach from that passage. No, not really. It's amazing
how when someone doesn't like what you preach, they always
accuse you of always preaching to that. And I have been accused
of preaching But nothing in Romans 9, nothing in 2 Thessalonians
2. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. Listen to the words. We read
these things and are so familiar with them that we often read
them without really listening to the words. Listen to what
Paul wrote. But we are bound to give thanks
all the way to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because
God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit and the belief of the truth. whereunto he called
you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast
and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether
by word or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given
us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort
your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Pray this morning that God will
give all of us here in this small group ears to hear In this text that I read we see
the vital connections between all of the various facets of
God's purpose and Those things that God ordained concerning
the salvation of his people. They all are important. Some hold more importance as
compared to others, but they all hold vital connection one
to another. Let me break them down into seven
things briefly. Here's the first one, the constraining
obligation of thanks. You cannot experience the grace
of God, and you cannot see others experience the grace of God,
and not be constrained by obligation to give thanks to God always. People who reject election, people
who reject sanctification of the Spirit, people who reject
belief of the truth, people who reject being called by the Gospel,
people who reject good words and good works cannot be thankful
to God. They are described as our Lord
described them. They may well draw near unto
God with their lips. They may say thanks with their
lips, but their hearts cannot be but far from Him. These things are so connected
together. Just like those things in Romans
8 whom He predestinated. They're like an unbroken chain. You can't take them separate.
They have importance in order. But you can't break them apart
and pick and choose what you want, what you like, what you
don't like. It's not about even understanding those things. It's
about bowing to the truth of God as it is revealed in Christ
through the Scriptures. the constraining obligation of
thanks. But we are bound. And it's not
just some rule that we're following. It's an inner constraint of love
for God and His truth. And seeing that manifested in
others about you. We are bound to give thanks always. Always to God. Remember that
one Pharisee? He prayed to God, but he prayed
out within himself. That old publican, that all he
did was fall on his face and said, oh God, propitiate me,
the sinner. Secondly, the love of God. and
a people of sovereign choice. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. There is no
true thanks apart from acknowledging the sovereign election of a people.
These are not just deeper doctrines for deeper Christians. This is
fundamental truth for all who are Christians. Because if you
don't come this way, you're not a Christian. This is the only
way God's ordained to create Christians. And it began with
His sovereign choice of a people. And you reject or dismiss or
leave out that, you've left out God's sovereign wisdom and purpose
and will. Number three, the sanctifying
work of God through sanctification of the Spirit. I will say something here, but
I will expound upon it further later. This is absolutely vital
before anything else takes place. Sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. And you cannot switch that order.
You cannot believe enough to be sanctified by the Spirit.
You have to be sanctified, that's set apart, made holy by God Himself
before you'll ever believe the truth. Now you don't have to
be sanctified before you can ever physically hear it. But
you must be sanctified of the Spirit before you'll ever believe
it, and love it, and follow it, and rejoice in it. That must
come first. But there is a goal to this sanctification. No one is ever sanctified by
the Spirit and left there and then simply goes on to glory
one day. It is sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. But let me say, the sanctification
of the Spirit must precede belief of the truth. The most vital
thing for us as fallen, Adamic, finite creatures is belief of
the truth. Because you don't have to know
anything about sanctification of the spirit to be sanctified
by the spirit. You don't even have to preach
sanctification of the spirit to be sanctified by the spirit.
But you do have to preach the truth, and you do have to believe
that truth preached to believe the truth. So you see what I'm saying about
this vital connection. Some things are more important
than others, but in their proper perspective. But even then, certain
things avail more than others when it comes to what we know
and what we see. God doesn't just sanctify people
through regeneration and take them to glory. He regenerates
the people so that they are enabled to believe the truth. The goal of sanctification is
that. Belief of the truth. Belief of
the truth, not just belief. The devils believe and tremble. In one sense, they probably understand
some things far better than we do. Even the devils do. They
knew who Christ was when He was in His flesh. We know who you
are. Are you come to torment us before
our time? Most fallen men don't even know that much. And they
knew it was in His sovereign prerogative to do with them as
He would. Suffer us to go over into that
herd of swine. Suffer us. The goal of that sanctification
is belief of the truth. Now we'll look at that more later.
Number five, the gospel's place in all this. What is the gospel's
place? Where unto He called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. That sounds quite important to
me. We often talk about the regenerate,
and rightfully so, but you don't know anything about the regenerate
that anyone is regenerate until they believe the truth. Though
they must be regenerated first, but yet you don't know one is
regenerated until they believe the truth. That's the manifestation
of regeneration, and that belief of the truth is called in the
manifestation through the proclamation of the gospel. Now because I hold these certain
distinctions, yet connections, I've been mocked. But me being
mocked means nothing. It means nothing. Number six. Perseverance therein. Therefore brethren, what? Stand
fast. You can't dibble dabble around
with these things. You don't get in today and out
tomorrow and then decide to get back in tomorrow if you want
to. It's stand fast. Do you see it? Therefore, brethren,
because of all this, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions. And don't let that word confound
you. It simply means the ordinances. That's the way it's translated
in other places. He goes on to talk about people
that walk disorderly in verse 6 of chapter 3. Now we command
you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
withdraw yourselves from every brother that walk disorderly
and not after the tradition you've received of us. Therefore there
is to be separation. Man or woman can profess all
they want with this. If they don't manifest it in
their life, remove yourself from them. Now is that what the book
teaches or not? What it teaches. But the tradition,
be careful. Well, someone says, here's one
of Paul's traditions. All we have now is not his words,
what he preached. All we have now is what's written.
Because anybody can lie about what they think Paul said. And
ain't nobody heard what Paul said in our day. He'd been dead
for a long time. This book, this book is our only. source of faith and practice,
this book period. But this leaves some people out.
Read the whole chapter, you'll see that's the way it's supposed
to be. That's the way it's supposed to be. Perseverance therein,
stand fast, but also preservation thereunto. You won't persevere
unless God Almighty is preserving you. The pea of tulip actually
has a precedent of not perseverance, it is preservation first. Look,
now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God even our Father which
hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and
good hope through grace to comfort your hearts and establish you
in every good word and work. And let me tell you, when you
try to look to good words and good works for comfort, therein
is your problem. Because the comfort must come
first before you can be established in good words and good works.
Do you see the order there? But yet both are just as vital.
Somebody says, I don't have to have good works to go to heaven.
Yes, you do. You don't have to have good works
to justify you. You can't have good works sanctify you either
one. But if God Almighty has justified you, and God Almighty
has sanctified you, you're going to have some good words and some
good works that go along with that. See the connection of all these
things? See how we have to beware of belittling one part, even
one part. Maybe trying to leave one out.
De-emphasizing one, ignoring one. or adding to any of it. See the connection? No gaps.
No unnecessary parts. None of it. None of it's unnecessary. Because we so preach against
works for justification, some people think we're against works
altogether. It's not so. It's not so. no gaps, no unnecessary
parts, all of it ordained to work in unison to the glory of
God and our good. To malk, to belittle, to leave
out, to compromise any one part or more than one part is to insult
the wisdom of God Almighty's great salvation. That's how important
it is. This ain't just about doctrine.
What do you Christians believe? All Christians believe the same
thing. We might interpret a few passages of scripture a little
differently, but basically we all believe the same thing. If
you're a Christian, you believe in what I'm preaching this morning,
or you're not a Christian. That's not being mean. That's
being honest with men and women's souls. I say that at the threat
of people disliking me and hating me because I care more about
their soul than I do about how they receive me. But I know if
God Almighty ever lays hold of them, they'll think, I kind of
like that fellow after all. In spite of himself. Because
after all, it ain't really about you and me. It's about him and
his work. The God, think about this, the
God who by His ordination works as cause. He's the cause. Works as cause to immutably produce
certain and sure effects. If I mock one effect, I've mocked
God. Right? Since, not if, since this
is the way God ordained it, if I mock any one part of it, I'm
mocking and insulting God. Correct? That's scriptural reason. It's scriptural logic. We are not suffered by God to
pick and choose what we want. Well, I want salvation by grace,
that I'll just do whatever I want in this world, live like hell,
live like the devil, serve myself, and as long as I'm going to elect,
everything will be okay. It don't work that way. It don't
work though. Well, if I'm one of the elect,
everything will be okay. Yes, it will, because He'll sanctify
you by His Spirit. He'll bow you down under the
truth of His Gospel. You will believe that Gospel.
You will believe the truth, and you'll persevere because God
Almighty will preserve you. Notice, according to Paul in
Ephesians 2, verses 8, 9, and 10, if you mock good words and
good works, you mock God. Because it says, And I thought,
I'm pretty much what people call a Baptist. I thought I could
quote that. I don't think I can right now. Maybe I'm not a good Baptist. Well, be that as it may, I'm
even looking for the passage now. Where is it? Ephesians,
that's right. Listen to what Paul actually wrote. For by grace
are you saved. Not for by faith are you saved.
No. For by grace are you saved through
faith. And faith is not what you come
up with for God. Faith is what God gives you for
your benefit. For by grace are you saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves. None
of it. The faith, the grace, the salvation.
That not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. It's not
of works lest any one of us should boast. For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus." What? On two good works. You see it? So good works are
a part of salvation, Mack. Because they are one of the effects
of Him the cause. And He even, what? Which God
hath before ordained. Not just wished. not just had
this really strong desire for, they have before ordained that
we should not just do them every once in a while, but walk in
them. Now you and I may not always
see those good works for what they really are, but they'll
be there. There's times when you think,
boy, I just miserably failed God. And later, somebody will
come along and say, I really appreciate what you did. And
it just boggles your mind, Mason. And then sometimes you think,
boy, I just stepped right up to the plate today. And later
you find out it's all shot full of sin and self. So it's not
always that easy to distinguish what it is. But it will be there
because God ordained it. Because you were created in Christ
Jesus unto not just belief of the truth, yes, but also what? Good works. So don't be afraid
of good works. If you hate good works, you hate
God. You hate God's purpose. Don't
think that we're ever against good works. We're just against
good works for justification. We're against good works for
sanctification. We're against good works for
acceptance with God. We're against good works as a
standard of righteousness before God. But we're not against good
works. Because Paul says, may God, the
God of comforts you, gave you everlasting consolation through
grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word
and work. So you can't mock good words
and good works without mocking God, now can you? Here's another
illustration. Mock the traditions, the ordinances. You remember what Paul said in
1 Corinthians 11, 26? A man that takes of the table
of the Lord unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself.
That sounds quite serious to me, Mack. But that's just wine
and bread. Yes, it is just wine and bread.
But there's something far deeper. No! There's someone far deeper
and something that took place that's far deeper than just those
symbols themselves. They show the body and blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. God manifests in the flesh. We
should take those things with seriousness. with reverence. And I'm not saying you got to
have the mule face when you sit down to take the table. Not what
I'm talking about. But there must be great reverence
for God even in the ordinances. Even in the ordinances. What about walking gospel preaching? People do it all the time. And
yet Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1, mainly verses 17-24, it pleased
God. By the foolishness, what I'm
doing to this world, are you telling me that God is using
that to save people? Yes He is. Yes He is. And I use the word save people.
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save who? Them that believe. In that passage, Paul made this
statement though. For Christ sent me not to baptize. But to preach the gospel. Right?
But is he belittling baptism? No, look at the context. He was
rebuking the party spirit that some had begun to use baptism
as a way to manifest. Well, Paul baptized me, or I
was baptized in the name of this one or that one, or so and so
baptized me. None of that matters. That's
not the point. Christ didn't send me to officiate
over the Lord's table, but we better be very reverent when
we do it. You see, the primary thing is this, the preaching
of the Gospel. Because until the preaching of
the Gospel has taken place, God Almighty's Spirit sets you apart
in your heart, mind, and soul, and He forces you, forces you
to lovingly, willingly bow down to Jesus Christ, you've got no
right to the water and no right to the wine and the bread. But let me tell you, there is
a precedent. Gospel preaching is the precedent. Paul sets the
proper perspective. Gospel preaching precedes and
overshadows the ordinances. There are thousands of people
that have been baptized and are taking wine or grape juice and
bread and have never, ever, ever been called by the gospel. Now because of that, that was introduction. Here's my message, the indispensable
gospel. You hear what I say? I hope that
it may be that if there's some here who have certain questions
that have plagued their hearts and minds for maybe even years,
maybe, just maybe, God might give you some answers this morning. The indispensable gospel. According to our text, and especially
chapter 2, verse 14, no gospel calling, no glory. Right? You can brag, oh, I think God's
done something for me. Based on what? Well, I'm concerned
about my sin. So are a lot of people. The people
in hell are concerned about their sin. They're concerned about others
remember that one fella. He went to hell. He was concerned
about his brothers wasn't he? I'm telling you according to
God's Word not my opinion no gospel calling no glory, and
I said gospel calling You don't just wake up one morning and
believe the gospel And let me tell you if all you do is believe
the gospel cause you've been brought up under the gospel that
even what it's about Some of you have been brought up under
the Gospel. I'm asking you, look within. Look within. Was this
thing an act of God? Or is this something that flowed
naturally? Because I've been around it all my life. And if that's the case, I hope
God frightens you out of your wits. And it may be that some have
actually been called by the Gospel, but yet haven't been able to
distinguish that natural move to the Gospel because they were
brought up under it, but yet are looking back, well, I believed
the Gospel way back yonder. You didn't believe nothing until
the Gospel of God Almighty crossed your path. God Almighty set you
apart by His Spirit, and God Almighty bowed you down to the
truth of His Gospel to believe it. And I'm saying to you, if
you're confusing the two, that what happened, or what you believe,
all your people say, I believed that all my life. No, you ain't.
When you were six months old, you didn't believe squat. All
you believed is you want something in your lips when you got hungry.
That's all you knew. You knew nothing. People talk
about I came to the doctrines of grace. It don't happen that
way. If that's all you got, that's all you got. Or doctrines. No gospel calling, no glory.
Why? Where unto? He called you by our gospel to
the attaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know
I can't tell you the exact date. At one time I went closer to
it. Neil, I might could have told you a date or a time. I
can't tell you the date or the time. But Mac, I know there was
a time when the gospel of God Almighty conquered my soul. It
wasn't something I just, well, I kind of like that and that
sounds okay. No. I started out, but no, I
don't like that. That can't be the truth! And
yet that very truth conquered my soul. According to Paul in Romans 1,
verses 14-17, no gospel, no revelation of God's righteousness. For therein,
that's in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed
from face to face. According to Paul in Romans 1,
verses 1-6, no gospel, no Christ. Because it is the gospel of God,
and then he says a few things in parentheses, and then he says,
concerning His Son. If what you're holding on to
is a gospel that had nothing to do with Jesus Christ, it's
a perverted gospel. And that's the next point. You
pervert the gospel. You pervert the gospel. According
to Paul in Romans 1, 6-9, just let you go on to hell. Isn't
that what he says? If he perverts, it's a pervert.
It's not really another gospel even. God does not save people
under free will lies and then later that saved person comes
to learn the truth. It just doesn't happen. Now you
can be in the midst of free willism, and God Almighty send you His
truth, and He'd call you out of that. But He's going to call
only by His gospel, and only by THE gospel, not a perverted
gospel. Because even those people, Paul
said, if somebody's preaching to you another gospel, let them
be cursed. But then he warned even the Galatians,
he said, who bewitched you? You didn't start out this way,
but here he said, I'm afraid of you. lest I bestow labor upon
you in vain. So if it's that important, Mac,
how in the world can we say a person is saved by this Arminian gospel
and then later they kind of come to a deeper understanding of
God? It don't happen that way. Bewitched by perversion? That's
a red flag. Look out. Look out. Well, that's not the way I started.
Well, one of two things. You haven't started yet. It hasn't
happened to you yet. Or it has and you're still trying
to cling on to some of that back yonder thinking it was of value.
I'm saying cast it down like the rotten filth that it is.
And that's what it is. Rotten filth. But we need to
get along with these other folks. They're God's people too. No,
they're not. They are imposters. They are
false brethren. Paul said, I wouldn't withstand
them not for an hour. That's why it says, come out
from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. You know why?
Because every time you try to dibble dabble, you will not win.
The error will take root in you and it will harm you. If not
to your final end, it will still harm you spiritually in this
world. You'll be miserable in it. Because if you're not miserable
in it, then you don't know the truth. Bewitched by perversion,
it's a red flag. So much so that in chapter 5
of Galatians, verses 7-10, Paul says this, I'm persuaded that
God Almighty, if He did this work in you, He's going to shut
this thing down. All this bewitching and perverse, He's going to shut
it down. That's my words, but you've got to look at it. That's
what He taught. If God Almighty starts a work in you, God will
finish that work in you. But not simply by some sovereign
fiat. You just wake up in heaven believing
free willism and self. No. God will shut it down in
this life. And if He's brought you to it,
and Joe, you begin to get away from it, He'll bring you right
back to it again. Because the truth is, He that
endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved. That's another one. No perseverance
in him who is the hope of the gospel. According to Paul in
Colossians 1, 20, 21, 22, 23. If you don't persevere in Christ,
the hope of the gospel, you have no reconciliation before God.
Go back and read it. There's another thing, no gospel
conversion, no election. I want to read this one just
turn back a few pages first Thessalonians chapter 1 Because I have seen this I've seen it near not this far
Maybe it's not rampant. I don't know because I don't
see it all I But I know it's rampant in some people's hearts.
This idea, well, if I'm one of the elect, it's kind of a mention,
but if I'm one of the elect, it's okay. Everything's fine. And you know what? You can't
know who the elect are. How many times have you heard
somebody say that? Did you know that's a lie? We don't know who
God elected. But if He elected you, it will
be manifested in time. Because Paul wrote this, one
of the first things he said in the first epistle to these people,
verse 4 of chapter 1, knowing brethren beloved. That's the
same people he wrote to from my text, right? Same people.
Knowing brethren beloved your election of God. So you can know
who the elect are, right? Somebody says God don't put a
mark down their back. Nobody puts a mark on their heart.
And when it's in their heart, what happens? It's going to come
out of here. It's going to manifest itself at least to other people
what's been put down in here. You get around them long enough,
you'll say, there's a kindred soul right there. Knowing, brethren,
beloved, your election of God. Why? For our gospel came not
to you in what? Word only. Now I'm asking you,
look back. Remember! May God give you grace
to remember. Has this ever happened to you?
If it hasn't, you're still lost. For our gospel came not to you
in word only. It must come in word in some
fashion or another. Whether it's auditory, visual,
some way it's going to come in word. But it's got to come, how?
In more than word only. But also in power. Now, here
we're not talking about this charismatic manby panby thing
they call power. What are we talking about? We're
talking about God coming in and crashing down the walls of your
citadel. through the preaching of the
truth of the gospel. And that gospel will break down
all the obstacles. Paul said in 2 Corinthians it
crushes walls. It scales the high citadel and
then gets on top and bounces and bounces until it just begins
to crumble all around the truth. In other words, God Almighty
by His Gospel conquered your heart, mind and soul. Has that
ever happened to you? If not, you've got no reason
to believe you're one of the elect. I don't care what you
profess. I don't care how long you professed
it. Has the preaching of the Gospel,
does the preaching of the Gospel even today conquer your heart,
mind and soul? For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in much assurance, not assurance about yourself, assurance about
Him. I know who Jesus Christ is. I
must assure about myself. People say, well, I came to know
myself. We don't know nothing like we
ought to know that yet. And we don't even know Jesus Christ
after the flesh anymore. Not when this happens to you. and the Holy Ghost, that in much
assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for
your sake." And Paul's not talking about, well, I was a really holy
guy when I was around you. No, he's talking about this was the
thing that was at the forefront. I determined that no nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, because for your
benefit, that's the only thing that's going to help you. You
can't make the Spirit of God sanctify you. And if He has sanctified
you, you'll believe this gospel. because he'll call you by that
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And not only that, it's not just, well, that happened to me, now
I'm going to go sit in my little cave, in my little house, and
I'll be my own little Christian. And ye became followers of, he
even says us before he says the Lord. That doesn't mean you follow
others before you follow the Lord, but let me tell you, you
don't know you follow the Lord unless you're willing to follow
along with the rest of God's people. And that's just the way it is.
Well, I don't have to do that to be saved. Yes, you do! Yes,
you do! Not as obligation, but as effect
from Him the cause. You're going to want to be with
God's people. Well, how in the world do you think you don't
want to be with us now, yet you're going to be with us for the rest
of eternity? What kind of fool are you? Is that clear enough
language? Oh really? Get off your high
horse, lay down your pride and say, Oh God, bow me down before
you and make me willing. Because it is after all God that
worketh in us both to will and what else? And do of His good
pleasure. So you can't get on, I will get
right on up to believing the gospel, then we'll just stop
it right there. It don't happen. And ye became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction. In other words, you know, it
don't happen just chewing on your cud or your chewing gum
and say, boy, what a wonderful thing this has been. It's going
to be misery for when it first starts. When God first brings
you down, it'll be misery. And if you've never been through
that misery, you've never been there. When He begins to show
you just a little bit of what you are, it will frighten you
senseless. And when He begins to show you
a little bit of who He is, then your fright about your sin itself
begins to vanish away. You say, oh, God has the right
to destroy both my body and soul in hell. I'm telling you, no gospel conversion,
there's no election. Yes, you were elected. You've
got to have been elected before you were ever converted by the
Gospel. But if God Almighty chose you in Christ, before the foundation
of the world, in time, in this time, in this life, He will send
His Gospel to you. And by the power of His Spirit
enabling you, it will bow you down to the truth of the Lord
Jesus Christ. So that what? You were in samples
to all that believe. Macedonian, Achaia, There'll
be times you'll try to keep your mouth shut and just can't. There
are times when you wish you had kept your mouth shut when you
didn't, but still yet, there'll be times when you try to keep
your mouth shut and you just can't. As Earl used to say, it'll leak
out on you. It'll leak out on you. For from you sounded out
the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but
also in every place. Your faith to God were to spread
abroad, so that we need not speak anything. For they themselves
show of us what mannering of entering in we had unto you,
and how ye turn to God from idols." And remember, that's the way
it happens. You turn to God first, then from idols. Because if you
try to turn from your idols first, you'll never get to God. Because
He's going to have to constantly be causing you to be turning
away from Him. I turned to Him. From idols. To do what? To serve. When I used to think I was a
Christian, doing what Christians do, I really didn't even know
then what Christians did. What I thought they did was totally
wrong, but be that as it may, it was always just a chore. Gotta go to church today. And it's Wednesday. Wild Kingdom's
on. Yeah, I'm not that tall. Made
my profession. And Wild Kingdom came on on Wednesdays
and I love Wild Kingdom. Stan wrestling them alligators.
I mean, I was... But you know what? I don't care
about no Wild Kingdom now. It don't matter. I want to be
here. And that boggles my mind. I really want to be here with
you folks and hear the truth and that still amazes me. And
it's no longer just a chore. Yes, it's physically taxing sometimes,
but it's not some mental chore. It's certainly not a spiritual
chore. It's a delight. to serve the living and true
God and to wait for His Son. Wait for His Son. That wait means
like expectation. Even so, come Lord Jesus. I want to go to Cape Girardeau
tomorrow, but you know what? I hope I don't get to. Especially if it means this.
He comes on back and all this is over with. Cape Girardeau
won't mean nothing back. You understand what I'm saying?
To wait. To wait for His Son from Heaven.
How many people do you know of that profess to be Christians,
and the first time you think you're going to die, it even
happened to me, what happens? You start calling for the doctor.
Why is that so? Because we still got so much
unbelief. If we believe God like we ought to, the first time we
had a chest pain, we ought to say, may this be it, God, kill
me right now. and get me out of here. But,
Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief. The other day I about
passed out. My first thought was, I need
to get the nurse up here. Then it scared me that I was scared
about that, Joe. I thought, boy, who am I? But you know what?
You know what? It wasn't my time to die. You
know how I know that? Well look, I'm still here. Therefore, I
didn't need dying grace. And that time, you know what?
I didn't have dying grace that day either. He was like, oh,
I'm going. Call the nurse. Number eight, no gospel. 4 Thessalonians
1.13 No gospel, no truth, no salvation. That's the way it
is. No gospel, you've got no truth. You've got no gospel, no truth,
you've got no salvation. Because it is the Good News.
It is the Gospel of your salvation. The Word of Truth. The Word of
Truth. To malk, to pervert, to belittle, to compromise,
to leave out, whether knowingly or not, it doesn't matter. To
leave out the Gospel is to despise God's wisdom. is to despise God's
glory, is to despise God's grace, is to despise God's salvation,
but to bow to the gospel more appropriately to be bowed by
God to His Gospel? To believe His Gospel? To rejoice
in His Gospel? To want to be around others who
have a like heart and mind? That is to honor God in all He
is. Because we honor God more by
believing the Gospel. believing His Son than in anything
else we'll ever do in this world. Everything else has to flow from
that. Because if it don't, it's nothing but shot full of hail. Tim James once said, it's okay
to believe God. It's right to believe God. It's
good to believe God. It's a good thing! Rejoice in
it. Rejoice in it. Be with us as we continue, as
we eat together. We thank you for the food, Lord.
Those that have worked and will work to prepare it for us. Lord,
give us fellowship this day. And Lord, I do pray for those
out west. Cape Girardeau, what a glorious
thing for us to hear, Lord. Oh, God, may it be your work,
the work of grace in the hearts of men and women. I thank you
in Christ's name. Amen. On July the 9th, that's a Saturday,
right? At what time? At 5 o'clock in
the evening, right? July the 9th, that's Saturday,
5 in the evening, Pam and Chad wants everyone who can to come
to their house and we'll have some fellowship food and stuff,
right? Do we need to bring anything, or we talk about that later?
Should have everything, so everybody try to make a mental note of
that and write it down. Next Sunday or last Sunday? Next
Sunday or last Sunday of the month? Is it? Okay, so also, God willing, we'll
eat together again. The 9th of July, 5 o'clock, right. Saturday after the 4th of July. Yeah. All right, I think David's getting
the hamburgers and hot dogs ready. As soon as that's done, then
I guess we'll eat. Well, I've been to a museum before. Before today, it's a joke. It's in my multiple life. So I'm getting like 70-some percent
of the total amount that you give me. But I can feel it this
way. I can totally get a hold of him if I could get a carton.
Seriously. Or I stand up on the floor. I can put weight on it. It hurts.
I have a wound. I have a wound. Make sure you
get a wound. We'll either get a couple of
vehicles together, or we'll, you know, we don't know how many
people will, but we'll work something out. You know, we got time, so
we'll go check it out. and then and i said