Matthew 22, and I want to look
at verse 14 as kind of our introductory verse. We're going to be looking
at quite a few verses this morning, so kind of have your page turning
fingers ready. Stretch them out. Crack your
knuckles. Get ready to flip hard. Turn
fast. Keep up. All right. Yeah, we're going to look at
several verses here today, if we're willing. But let's look at this, Matthew
22 verse 14, Jesus here, after speaking about the marriage dinner,
he ends it with saying, for many are called, but few are chosen. We believe here at this church
that Jesus Christ has been given a
people before the foundation of the world. And that's called
election. God has elected a people, not according to anything that
they've done good or bad, but God has a purpose in election,
choosing some and not choosing others. And we believe, as the
Bible has clearly taught, that this election and the purpose
of this election is for the glory of God. And I don't know why
people, I guess I shouldn't say I don't know why, I do know why.
because the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit
of God, but it's hard for me to understand anybody who professes
to be a Christian and reads the Bible, doesn't see that the Bible
clearly teaches these things. Yet, unless the mind has been
given life by God and the heart has been given to believe and
receive these things by faith, what God has done, then it's
just foolishness to us, right? But we believe here that God
has elected a people before the foundation of the world, and
that election is an election unto salvation. And this was before anything
was created. This was before anything was
ever made, before Adam ever transgressed, before sin and death entered
into the world. This was before anything that
God had elected people unto salvation. Now just as a side note, if God
has elected to redeem and save a people out of sin, then before
the foundation of the world, before there ever was sin in
the world, then obviously God's purpose was that sin would come
into the world. Right? God's predestination included
sin and evil. And I know a lot of people don't
like that, don't want to talk about that, and usually deem
me a heretic because I say that because I supposedly make God
the author of sin by saying that. But that's just what the scriptures
say. And I would say, just like I said about election, I don't
see how any Christian who reads the Bible cannot see that God
has predestinated all these things. because it's very clear in Scripture. But in that election, God has
elected a people unto salvation and therefore Christ has come
forth as the substitute for those people and those people only.
And the way that God has ordained that these people be saved is
through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Him coming as a substitute on their behalf. And so Jesus' death,
that He came to do all that the Father had told Him to do, all
that God had willed to do, all the predestinated order and purpose
of God that was in Christ Jesus, He came and fulfilled. He did that. Whenever we look at Christ's
death, whenever we look at His accomplishment in what He did
in coming, a lot of people are looking at this as, well, this
is, you know, Jesus, again, kind of what we talked about last
week is this mentality of, well, God did this so that He could
return this reciprocal relationship between Him and His people and
everything like that. The Bible doesn't speak of that
in any way. The Bible speaks that God has predestinated Christ
to come and die for His people because He loved the people before
the foundation of the world. That He loved them. And because
of His love for them, and because of His desire for His own glory,
He has caused them to fall into sin and death, thereby where
He, by His Son, redeems them to Himself, and in so redeeming
them to Himself, receives glory unto Himself for that work of
redemption. And thereby also, in being a
holy and just and righteous God, those who He did not choose,
that He has also created, for the purpose of destruction, for
the purpose of condemnation. Again, very clear things in Scripture
and we can back all that up by the Word of God. But those whom
He has not chosen to show forth His glory in His wrath, in His
judgment, in the destruction of the wicked. Now, what I would
like to talk about, and this may take, you know, two or three
weeks to kind of go through is what the Bible actually teaches
about this particular redemption of God. Who did Christ die for? Why did He die for them? And
what's the effects of it? And the accomplishment of it?
And we can see that we're not following after some theological
system. We're not following after some
theologian like Calvin or Luther or anybody like this, that a
lot of people claim, well, you're just a Calvinist. No, we're not
Calvinists. I think everyone here would agree
with that. We're not Calvinists. We don't
desire to be Calvinists. We really have a lot of disagreement
with modern, what people call Calvinism. We disagree with that. Matter of fact, we were just
talking this morning, Larry was making a statement, many times
before that I'm sure that you have heard and everything, that
what we believe about the doctrines of grace and sovereign grace
or whatever term you want to put on there, what we believe
about that differs from Reformed believers, Reformed Baptists,
Reformed Protestants. We don't claim to be Protestants.
We don't claim to be Reformed. We don't claim to be Calvinists.
I know this is kind of a cliche and what some think is a deceptive
saying, but we just believe the Bible and we just believe that
we're Christians. I have no qualms saying that
I'm a Baptist by practice and doctrine. I don't have no problem
with that at all. Not with the big B, by the way,
just a little B. not by chain-link succession
back to Jesus Baptist, but that we are the ones whom Jesus have
given the doctrines and the ordinances to, and we are a church that
continues to keep those things, thereby being a New Testament
church. And I believe those are a Baptist church in practice
and doctrine, not by denomination. But anyway, I digress. That's
a different story for another day. So what we believe about redemption
and salvation differs from most churches that is out there. The
message of salvation and the gospel and what Christ has done
for who He has done it and what it actually accomplished is different
in how we view it and understand it according to the Scriptures
than what we hear and even what I learned growing up, what I
preached early in my life. defended early in my life, and
it differs from that. And so I thought, well, let's
look at this for a bit. It's been a while. I know we
talk about it a lot on occasion in passing in other passages
and scriptures. And we do that, but I thought,
well, let's actually look. And again, because it's been
several years since I've actually preached on it as a subject,
let's look at what called, to me, limited atonement. That's the buzzword that most
people don't like. Or the one that generally doesn't
take people as shock as much, particular redemption. What do
we mean by that whenever we say particular redemption? Well,
we believe that Christ's redemption was for a particular people.
That's what particular redemption means. Whenever we say limited
atonement, we don't mean that Christ's atonement is limited
in its ability to save, right? What we say by limited atonement
is that Christ's atonement is limited to a specific people.
Okay? Now, I know everybody's probably
heard this argument and I, you know, I don't want to be, you
know, a jump on the bandwagon guy, but It has to be said. It doesn't matter whether you
believe like we do or you believe like how I used to believe. Everybody
limits God's atonement. You either limit it in its scope,
okay, who's intended to be saved here, or you limit it in its
effectualness. If you limit it in its scope,
you're saying that we believe that Christ only died for a certain
amount of people, but those whom he died for, it was effectual,
and it completely saved. I mean, it did the job. There
was nothing else that anybody had to do. There's no conditions.
On the other side, you can limit it by saying Christ died for
everybody, but that death was not effectual. It just was a
possibility that was being made, but you, Brother Larry was talking
about this morning, this guy was saying, you have to still
receive it. You know, you still have to,
you know, you still have to believe it. You still have to repent.
You still have to do this, that, or the other before it's applied,
before it's counted, before it's acknowledged by God. There's
something you have to do. So you're limiting the atonement
of Jesus Christ and its effectiveness Or you limited the atonement
in its directive, who it's directed
to, who it's directed upon, who it was for. And I believe the
scripture is very clear that Jesus died and whenever he died,
that death actually was effectual. We use that term a lot, the effectual
work of Jesus Christ. or we use the term efficacious.
Have you ever heard that term, efficacious? That's kind of a
big 50 cent word. Efficacious, that just means
that there was an effect, that when Christ died, that completed
work of Jesus Christ actually effected something. Not affected,
even though it does affect, it effected something. It brought
into effect that for which he died for, the purpose for what
he died for, and hopefully we'll see some of that also as we go
through as well. So, to many this is an affront. They don't like this. They don't
like that because, as I mentioned last week, we've been shoved
down our throats so long a false gospel and a false Jesus and
this whole entire thing that God is love, so yeah, He wants
to save everybody, and therefore salvation is free to all who
wants to have it, if they'll just receive it. This whole notion
has been force-fed to us from the very beginning, from whenever
we were just little children, whenever we, you know, or in
Sunday schools, if you were in Sunday schools, you know, in
Sunday schools they teach you these things, and vacation Bible
schools, they teach you these things. You see it even on billboards. God is love. John 3, 16. You know, all these things that
you see. And it's just constantly bombarded to the point where
people by default just assume that's the truth because they
hear it so often. And thereby, have now, instead
of searching the scriptures to see what is true, they just assume
that's the truth because, well, millions of people can't be wrong.
Well, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest religion in the
world. Surely millions of people can't
be wrong, but that's a false religion and a false church,
and they're not Christians, although mainstream media points them
out being Christians, and usually whenever they talk about Christians,
usually they have that in mind. But they are far from it. So,
whenever we hear, you mean to tell me that Jesus didn't die
for everybody? That immediately begins to turn,
in the natural mind, as that can't be. Number one, I've heard
too many preachers say just the opposite, and number two, I just
really can't see that, because, you know, John 3, 16, love and
he loved the world and he gave his only begotten son for the
world and so he died for everybody. So let's look and see about this. Now here we've seen in Matthew
22 14 Jesus said that many are called but few are chosen. Look
with me also if you would at 1 Peter. Look at 1 Peter chapter 2. Starting in verse 1, it says,
Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and all hypocrisies
and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the
sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. I would
encourage everybody, study the Word of God. Look at the Word
of God. Ponder on the Word of God. Don't
just follow along when the preacher says turn to this page. Study
it. So that whenever you do hear
the preaching of the Word of God, the Word of God is resounding
in your heart already. Those Bereans that Paul preached
to, whenever he preached the truth, these Bereans, that resonated
with them as truth. And then they went home and then
they looked it up to see whether or not that was true. And it
was true. But if we study the Word of God
and know the Word of God coming into the preaching, we can also
confirm, hey, that guy is speaking the truth. Because we've already
been studying it. And if the Holy Spirit has been
gracious to give us understanding of it. But it says, if so be
ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as
unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God and precious. Ye also as lively stones are
built up a spiritual house. Now, let me just pause there
because hopefully I didn't run past that too quick and failed
to bring out and hopefully understand the connection that Paul or Peter
is making here. He's talking about first Christ
to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men
but chosen of God and precious. He's talking about Christ. Christ
is the living stone. He is the one chosen of God. He is the elect. Okay? He is the first elect. And all
those who are in Him are elect because they are in Christ Jesus.
We are the election of grace. because of the one who is elect. Christ is the elect. So it's talking about Christ,
but notice, if you will, Peter then goes on and compares us
the same as with Christ, because he calls us lively stones. Isn't a lively stone the same
as a living stone? If a stone is lively, that means
it's what? It's alive. Jesus is the living
stone, But then he says, ye also as lively stones are built up
a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Now, remember, as the living
stone, Christ Jesus was the chosen of God and precious. We as lively
stones are also the chosen of God. We're talking about a particular
people here. This isn't talking about anyone
everywhere or anybody. This is talking about a very
particular people. It is a spiritual house. It is
a holy priesthood. It is those who have been called
and chosen of God for spiritual sacrifices. Look at verse 6. Wherefore, also, it is contained
in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner. And here it is, verse eight.
A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which
stumble at the Word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed."
Now, here again we see that those who stumbled at Christ, being
the chief cornerstone, being the lively stone, the chosen
of God, the elect of God, the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Anointed
One, the Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, all these things
whom Christ was. The image of the invisible God.
The fullness of the Godhead bodily. All these things that Christ
was, these were disallowed by other men. They didn't want that.
They didn't want to have nothing to do with it. But it says right
here, if you'd notice, being disobedient where unto also they
were appointed. These people are appointed by
God or ordained by God to be non-believers, to be disobedient,
to be the ones who would reject, to be the ones who would not
receive, to be the ones who would not allow, if you allow that
verbiage because of what's being said here. But he makes a distinction in
verse 9, he says, are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, and here it is, a peculiar or a particular
people. God has appointed some to disobedience,
some to rejection, some to unbelief, but ye are a chosen generation. And the thing that made the distinction
between one or the other is God's appointment, God's choosing. What causes one to be the one
elected to salvation and one elected not to salvation but
unto damnation? It is the choice and appointment
of God. That's it. That's the only thing
that causes the difference. Paul, you said, what is it that
causes you to differ? The only thing that causes you
to differ is the will of God. He says, but ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.
Why? That ye should show forth the
praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light. So we see here that in God's
election, He has chosen some people to be rejecters and unbelievers,
but He has chosen others to be believers, to be a people, for
Himself. So again, we see election. Many
are called if you are chosen. God has chosen these people and
He has chosen them in Christ Jesus, the Elect One, chosen
them to be lively stones, but they have chosen them because
they are part of the live stone. They are a building of God, but
yet Jesus is the chief cornerstone. So you see, we are attached and
in union with Christ Jesus, therefore we are the recipients of all
the blessings of Christ Jesus. And God has chosen the people
that would be in Him. All that the Father hath given
me is what Jesus said. John chapter
17, that there is a specific people, and hopefully we'll get
to that. I don't know if we'll get to that today or not, but
we'll hopefully get to that. So we see that there is a peculiar,
particular group of people that God has elected. So the redemption
that we're talking about, the particular redemption, the limited
atonement, the effectiveness or the effectualness of Christ's
death is rooted and grounded in election. Unless there is
election, no one would be saved. If God would have just ordained
a plan to salvation and not chosen anybody, and then ordained that
sin would come into the world, and then left it up to natural
man to choose, to decide, to seek, to believe, to love, whatever,
nobody would ever be saved. Number one, nobody could be saved
because the natural mind, the natural man will always be at
enmity with God and reject God. They would never receive anything
about God. But second of all, whenever Christ
died, if that death does not have any actual effect, then
man cannot be saved because part of that death, part of the work
of Christ is that for everyone for whom he died that he would
do something not only for them but he would do something in
them so that that natural man who cannot perceive the things
of God that natural man who has enmity against God can now receive
and love the things of God. See, unless there's been a change
an effect from the death of Christ, the natural man will keep on
being the natural man, rejecting God, hating God, and not coming
to Christ for salvation. You will not come to me that
you may have life. Why? Because you don't have the
ability to. You don't have the desire to. In your natural self,
without the divine intervention of God in the quickening, in
the giving of spiritual life, and the directing work of the
Holy Spirit in us, if God doesn't do that to you and for you and
in you, then you're going to continue on in your Adamic way
by being a rejecter of God and a hater of the work of God. And
that Jesus that's out there and that God that has predestined
everything and that Jesus who only died for His people, you're
going to continue to reject that. And you're going to make a God
in your own image You're going to bring down a God in your own
likeness, in your own desires, after your own lust, and you're
going to worship that God. You may slap the name Jehovah
on Him. You may slap the name Yahweh
on Him. You may slap the name Yeshua. Yibahamashamachachak, or whatever
everybody always says. And I'm not trying to, I don't
mean any disrespect to God in that, but it's just everybody
has made such a big deal about how you are supposed to pronounce
these things. Jesus, Messiah, Christ, whatever
you want to call Him. You can slap those biblical names
on your God, but that doesn't make Him God. That doesn't make
Him the God of Scripture. Christ has made effectual what
His death accomplished by sending His Spirit into us. And apart
from that, effectualness, then it would never happen. So there
is a specific people and that specific people is tied to Christ
in election. But not only that, they're tied
to Christ because Christ became their surety. He became their
substitute. So now that same people that
was elected and given to Christ, Christ now becomes the one who
stands in their stead, who becomes their proxy, who becomes their
substitute. So now, everyone for whom Christ
becomes the surety and the substitute and the proxy, He is their advocate. He is the one who is standing
in their place, taking their place before God. So see, it's all the self and
the same people. You can't get away from election. Election is tied. That's why
God said that it is the purpose of God according to election.
Redemption works because the purpose of God in election must
stand. God chose a people to be redeemed
and that must stand. Why? Well, number one, because
God desires it to be so. God purposed it. He said, I will
have all my pleasure as I have purpose, so will I also do it.
God made a purpose to elect a people to be saved, to be redeemed,
to be adopted, to be conformed to the image of Christ, to be
resurrected at the end, to be glorified with Christ, to be
the recipients of the inheritance. God has purposed that. And if
God has purposed that before the foundation of the world,
then that must stand. For it to stand, Christ has to
be their advocate. He has to be their substitute.
He has to be their proxy. He has to be that surety for
them and stand in their place as their head. He stands as their
head. Just like Adam stood as the head
of all His posterity, Christ has stood as the head of all
His posterity. And what came upon Adam, that
comes upon His posterity. What came upon Christ, the second
Adam, comes upon all His posterity. Adam stood for all of His posterity. Christ stands for all His posterity.
What takes place with Adam, takes place with all his people. When
Adam stood and transgressed God, all his people transgressed God
in him. But all those who are in Christ
Jesus, Christ justified. Therefore, all those who are
in Christ Jesus are justified of those things, that they would
be in Adam. They are justified of all the
things that they were done. And why? Because their head obeyed. Their head was perfect. So God's
purpose in election is not just to choose a people, and not just
to love a people, but to show forth His glory in them becoming
sinners, and being redeemed out of that sin, and Christ being
glorified in doing that. So therefore, all of it, the
very beginning to the very end, all is wrapped up in Christ's
atonement. Christ's atonement is the center
point of God's glorifying Christ. Whenever they stand in front
of God at the end of time, whenever He sits upon the throne and all
the creation is before Him, what is the song that's going to be
sung? Worthy is the lamb that was slain. It's not going to
say worthy is the perfect man who walked, although he was perfect. Worthy is the one born of a virgin,
although he was born of a virgin. Worthy is the God-man, although
he is the God-man. That's not what they're proclaiming.
It says worthy is the lamb. What is the center point of all
of God's worship And God's glory, it is the work of Christ in the
redemption of His people. That's what we're going to be
worshiping for all generations. And they sung a new song. He
hath redeemed us. He hath bought us with His blood.
He has forgiven us. It's all tied to the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ. And who are the ones at the end
that are going to be saying that? Is all of creation going to be
saying that? whenever He brings and separates the sheep from
the goats at the Last Judgment? Is all the goats going to be
singing, Glory unto God, for He hath redeemed us with His
blood? Well, the one who says that Jesus died for everybody,
those people could sing that song. Even though they're fixing
to be thrown into hell, they could be singing, Worthy is the
Lamb who was slain and hath redeemed us unto God out of all the nations
of the world. They can't sing that. Why? because
they weren't redeemed. They weren't purchased with blood.
They weren't called of God. They weren't given life. They
were ordained for destruction, Romans 9. They
were ordained for destruction. So they can't say that. So there
was a particular nature, there was a particular person There's a particular people and
a particular purpose for Christ's death. That's why we believe
those things. Now, this was foretold in the
Old Testament in type and foreshadow with the nation Israel. Look
if you would at 1 Chronicles. Chapter 17. Look with me, if you would, at verse
20. Again, remember, even though this is a physical thing that
actually took place, and God did choose a physical nation
of Israel for His purposes, okay? Now, I'm not saying that He still
has a continued purpose for the nation of Israel. I don't believe
He does. as a nation. I do believe that He has elect
among Israel who are still to be called out along with all
the Gentiles. But here again we see that Israel
and God's dealings with Israel in the Old Testament is a picture
of the true people of God, those who are circumcised not in the
flesh, but those who are circumcised in the heart. Verse 20 says,
O Lord, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God beside
Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And
what one nation in the earth is like Thy people, Israel, whom
God went to redeem to be His own people. See, that's what
Christ came to do. He came to redeem Israel, His
true Israel, whom God went to redeem to be
His own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness
by driving out nations from before thy people whom thou hast redeemed
out of Egypt. So you see here again, we see
the particular nature of God's redemption and that is for His
people and His people only. It wasn't for the other nations.
It wasn't for Egypt. It wasn't for the other nations.
But He has got a people that He has called out from among
all the nations. Now, we see in Scripture that it is
for these people, the ones who God has elected, that He has
given His life for. And it's only for these. probably one of the most famous
verses we find in the Old Testament is in Isaiah 53. Look with me starting at verse
10. It says, Yet it pleased the Lord
to bruise him, speaking of Jesus, He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin." Here it is. He shall
see his seed. He shall prolong his days and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. There's
the effectual nature of Christ's death. We see here the two things. We see the people for whom he
was bruised and the effectualness of it. die for His seed, and His seed
only, and what He does in that death will prosper. Verse 11, He shall see the travail
of His soul and shall be satisfied. By His knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify everyone? No. He shall justify many. The death of Christ was only
intended to justify many, not all. It wasn't to justify all,
but it is only made effectual by you believing. That's what
the Reformed people say, right? They say that, yeah, that Jesus'
death was for all the elect, but you only become justified
at the point of your belief. So God's wrath still looms out
there over you. You still are not imputed the
sins of Christ, the righteousness of Christ until you believe. That's where we differ with the
Reform. That's where we differ with Calvinists, is in that understanding. We believe that the righteousness
of Christ was imputed to all His elect before the foundation
of the world. We believe that their justification
in God's legal mind and sight was before the foundation of
the world because Christ stood in the everlasting covenant as
their surety. And although Christ had not yet
come in the discourse of time and had died yet, God being eternal
and God knowing He does not lie and knowing that Christ will
succeed in all that He will do, that God on the basis of Christ's
suretyship has justified all of his people based upon the
blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. And so it says here, he shall
see the travail of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge,
shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their
iniquity. He shall bear their iniquity.
Whose iniquity? The many. Or, if we look up here,
his seed. The ones that He saw. He shall
see His seed. He shall prolong His day. And the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in His hand. Why? Because He shall see the
travail of His soul and be satisfied. He shall see what Christ does
and be satisfied. But who is He doing that for?
The ones that are His seed. Look with me, if you would, in
Matthew chapter 1, verse 21. Whenever the angel came to declare
unto Joseph that Mary was going to have a son, the angel says
to Joseph, verse 20, 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 he shall save the world." For he shall save all
mankind? No, it says, for he shall save
his people from their sins. Again, we see the election of
grace. He shall save His people. And
we see the effectualness of it, from their sins. He shall save
them from their sins. He's not coming to make salvation
from sin possible. He came to save them from their
sins. So we see that effectual nature
of this. I don't want to get too much on the effectualness
because I hope to bring that out maybe next week. It goes
hand in hand. You can't get past it. The election
of grace is what it is. The election of God. His choice. But it's a choice unto something.
An effect from that. So you can't ever do that, and
that's why that gospel that's out there, that gospel that is
rampant in most churches out there, is not the gospel. Because
it has a people that is not a distinguished people, and it has an atonement
that has no effect. Look with me if you would at
John chapter 6. with me if you would, verse 35.
It says, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He that
cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. But I said unto you that ye also
have seen me and believe not. All that the Father hath given
me, all that the Father hath given me shall, there's no doubt
about it, shall come to me. There we see again, the election
and the effectualness. All that the Father giveth me,
that's the election. What's the effect of being elected
of God? Shall come to me. Being elected of God means that
Christ will die for you and Christ dying for you means that you
will come to Him. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me and Him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. Why? For I came down from heaven
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. So
now we see that this is the will of God, that Jesus died for the
ones that he was given. Why? So that they might come
to him. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and he that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. for or because. Why are they
coming and why are they not going to be cast out? What is the effectualness
all about? Because I came down from heaven,
not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And
this is the Father's will which has sent Me that of all which
He hath given Me, I should lose nothing. Again, there's the effectualness
and the election. All which the Father hath given
Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last
day. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise Him up at the
last day." Look, if you would, at John 10. Verse 11. Jesus said, I am the
Good Shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. So you see here, he gave his
life for the sheep. He didn't give it for the goats.
We know that in the end that God is going to separate sheep
and goats. So there are two types of people,
two classes of people, sheep and goats. And Jesus said that
he died for the sheep. Look down at verse 14, I am the
good shepherd and I know my sheep and am known of mine. So who
are the ones that God knows? Depart from me, you workers of
iniquity, for I never knew you. He didn't know the workers of
iniquity or the goats, but who does He know? He knows His sheep. And I am known of my sheep. How
do they know Him? How does the sheep know Him?
What will they have been given to know? Remember in 1 Corinthians
chapter 2? He says that the Spirit has been
given that we might know. That's the effectualness. Who are the ones who have been
given this effectual work of God in us? The ones for whom
Christ died. Who are the ones for whom Christ
died? The ones who was given to Him. He said, as the Father knoweth
me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. See, Brethren, that's very clear
language that Jesus is using. That's Jesus talking, not Calvin
or Luther. Not some, you know, Reformed
theologian. That's Jesus talking, saying,
I lay down my life for the sheep. Look, if you would, and ask. Acts 20. You read verse 28. It says, "...take
heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church
of God which He hath purchased with His own blood." So who is
it that God has purchased with His own blood? Well, we can see
two names that's given to us there. Number one, we're the
flock. That would be a sheep flock,
right? That's what you'd call a bunch of sheep, right? It's a
flock. A flock of sheep. Guess you could be a flock of
seagulls. But he also says here, look in
verse 28, he says, to feed the church. Take heed therefore unto
yourselves to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers." So he's talking to the elders, to the pastors
of the churches, saying, take heed, this is the flock of Christ. This is God's flock. And you've
been made overseers of them. Then, take heed to feed the church. So, the church and the flock,
you know, the church is made up of the flock. The gathered
assembly is made up of those who are the sheep of God. Now
that doesn't mean that a goat might not wander in once in a
while, even in a sheep pasture. There may be a sheep out there
and there may be a goat once in a while wandering out there.
But just because the goat mixes with the sheep doesn't make him
a sheep. He's still a goat. To feed the church of God which
He hath purchased with His own blood. So again, we see there
is a particular group of people for whom Christ died, and it's
very clear in Scripture here that He died for His sheep, for
His church. So now if you would, over in
Ephesians. Same sentiment we just read there
in Acts. Paul uses when he writes to the
Ephesians, he says, Husbands, verse 25, Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word. that he gave himself for the
church. Again, we see the particular
scope of who Christ died for. Now back in Hebrews. Chapter 2, verse 17. Wherefore, in all things, it
behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in all things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
So here again we see who's in view. Well, his brethren. Well,
not everybody's called his brethren. The only ones who are called
his brethren are his people. And who is He making reconciliation
for? The sins of the people, His brethren. While you're there in Hebrews,
look at chapter 9. Actually, before I read Hebrews
9, keep your finger in there. Let's read, before we read that,
let's go to 2 Timothy. Chapter 1. In verse 9, the Scriptures say, Who hath
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. So here we see that we've
been saved and called with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Now look back, if
you would, at Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 15. It says, For this cause He is
the mediator of the New Testament, that by the means of death for
the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. So who did Christ die for? The
called. He died for the called. Who are
the ones who are going to receive the promise of the eternal inheritance?
The ones that are called. In Romans chapter 8 and verse
28, we read, "...and we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called."
Not just called, but the called. It's a specific group of people.
The definite article of the is there in front of that in the
Greek. It's just not a blanket called. It is a group of people. that all things work together
to them that love God to them who are the called according
to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
He did predestinate, then He also called. So here we see the
called are those whom God has predestinated and them are the
ones who are his brethren. These are the ones who he has
died for. These are the ones who he has
given the inheritance of eternal life. So he gave his life for
a specific group of people. We also see brethren that not
only are these the ones that He gives His life for, but He
also intercedes. And He only intercedes for these
people. He doesn't intercede for everybody else. Look with
me if you would at John chapter 17. Hopefully you can begin to see
that If you look at this in a universal salvation, a universal atonement
and everything, these things have no meaning then. I mean,
if it's for everybody, and there is no effectual outcome for him
just doing the thing that he did. I know everyone will say,
well, we believe that it's effectual. Whenever we believe, Jesus causes
us to be born again. And whenever we believe, saved and promised eternal life. Then Jesus says that He will
not leave us or forsake us so that we're kept by God. He perseveres
us and all that kind of stuff. No, you're preaching that your
belief is what did that. Jesus' death didn't do that.
Jesus' death alone is what caused you to be justified. Jesus' death
alone is what caused you to be the recipient of faith. to be the recipient of repentance,
to be the recipient of conviction of sin, of eternal life. Jesus' death did that. That means
that everyone for whom Christ died becomes the recipient of
that irregardless and not conditioned upon your activity of any kind. Now, I'm not saying that there
won't be activity. There will be activity. but that activity
stems from the effect of what was already done on your behalf.
And that it will be the activity for everyone for whom Christ
died. But in John chapter 17, look
if you would at verse 1, it says, These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come, glorify
thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee, as thou hast given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given Him." So here again we see that as
Jesus goes into this prayer to the Father, who is He going in
behalf of? Who is He interceding for here?
Who is He praying for here? All that thou hast given Him. But again we see that He has
given Him power to give eternal life. He has given Him power
over all flesh. to give eternal life. But who
is it that are the ones that Jesus gives eternal life to?
All that has been given Him. You see the particular nature
of this? Jesus has been given power over
all flesh to give eternal life. So that means He can give eternal
life to whoever He wants to give eternal life to. But who is it
that He gives eternal life to? Those that Thou hast given Him.
And we've just read that those that He's been given was given
to Him before the foundation of the world, before anything
had ever happened. So we see He intercedes for those
that have been given to Him. Drop down to verse 6. It says,
I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me
out of the world, not those that Thou has given Me of the world,
the whole world, but those that Thou has given Me out of the
world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest
them Me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that
all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. For I have
given unto them the words which Thou gavest Me, and they have
received them, and known surely that I came out from Thee, and
they have believed that Thou didst send Me." This is all stuff
that Jesus did on their behalf and gave to them, and they received
of it. The only reason they received
that is because Jesus gave it to them. It wasn't Jesus offered
it to them and they had to receive it. No, Jesus gave this to them. He gave them this knowledge of
who He was. He gave them the knowledge that
He came from the Father, that He came to do the will of the
Father, that He gave them the knowledge that He was able to
give eternal life to whoever He wanted to give it to, and
He gave it to them. He told them that I love you
with an everlasting love. How in the have you loved you?
Have I not chosen you and not Esau?" So Jesus here is interceding
on behalf of the ones that God has given Him, and in that intercession,
He has given them something. How did He intercede for them?
Well, He didn't just pray for them, as most people think Jesus'
intercession before the Father is just praying for them. No,
how is Jesus interceding for them Well, He's interceding by
going to them as the Comforter. He's interceding for them by
going to them and revealing to them who God is and who He is
and what His work was. How does He intercede on their
behalf? He intercedes by work in them. And that's what He's done right
here. Thou hast given Me power over all flesh to what? My intercession
is given life to all those that Thou hast given Me. to give them the words which
thou gavest me, and they received them, and have known surely that
I have come from thee, that they have believed that thou didst
send me. I pray, here it is, I pray for them, I pray not for
the world. Now, brethren, I don't, you may
deny everything that I've said before now. You may deny every bit of that.
You may say that I'm taking scripture and I'm twisting it to fit my
theological system. But Jesus very clearly and very
plainly says, I pray for those, and who are them that he's talking
about here, those who was given to him by God, who's, they were the fathers before
they was given to the anointed one of God, to be the surety
for, they was already gods, chosen of God, called out, the called
ones. And he says, I pray for them,
the ones that you have given me out
of all of the world. But he says, I pray not for the
world. Jesus here is saying, I'm not
saying this prayer for the world. I'm only saying this prayer for
them that Thou hast given Me. Now some are going to argue and
say, well, He's just talking about the twelve disciples there.
Well, let's continue on. I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me. for they
are thine. So again, we see specifically,
we're fixing to see that it's not just the twelve disciples,
but let's just say it is the twelve disciples. Then who's
the ones he's praying for right here? Just the twelve disciples
and nobody else. He's not praying for the world,
and he's praying for those that thou hast given me. So again,
he's praying for those that thou hast given me. And He said, and all mine are
thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now
I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And I
come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me. Now, brethren, how many times
does Jesus have to say that to get it through to us? Again,
I understand He has to give us understanding, It's clear. We're not making this up. We're
not reading this from a systematic theology book written by some
reformer, okay? This is the Word of God. This
is Jesus speaking here. We know it's Jesus. And red letters,
right? He said, And now I am no more
in the world, but these are in the world. And I come to thee,
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them
in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest
me, I have kept. And none of them is lost. None
of them is lost. None of them is lost. None of
them is lost, brother. They are all being found. None of them are going to slip
through the going to fall out of my fingers. None of them are going to be
unreached with the Gospel. Not that the Gospel is what saves
them anyway, but they're all going to come to Him. They're
all going to come to the knowledge of Him and believe upon Him.
That does come through here in the Gospel. But it says here,
none are lost. So that means there is again
the election those whom thou hast given me, and the effectualness."
What is the effectualness of this? None will be lost. Everyone that thou hast given
me, whom I am praying for, whom I am about to die for, they will
not be lost. But the son of perdition, now
the son of perdition was lost. Now they're saying, oh yeah,
see, there you go. He's talking about the 12 disciples because
he's talking about Judas right there. So he's just talking about
the 12 disciples. Well, I think we're going to
find out. He's not just talking about the 12 disciples, but even
so, the ones that was given to him, but obviously Judas, even
though Jesus chose him to follow him and to be a part of the ministry
that he was doing, Judas was not an elect child of grace.
He was a son of perdition. as God had chosen him to be,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled. So what does that mean? That
means Judas was the son of perdition as the Scriptures, at this point
was just the Old Testament Scriptures, right? As the Scriptures had
prophesied. Because Judas, being the son
of perdition, betraying Jesus Christ, That was a fulfillment
of Scripture. And we know that all prophecy,
brethren, is not fortune-telling down the corridor of time, looking
to see what's going to happen in the future and then telling
it ahead of time. No, all prophecy is is forth-telling
what God has already purposed from all eternity. Judas was
the son of perdition, so he was not one of the called. He was
not one of the elect. He was not one that Jesus prayed
for. He was not one that would receive the blessings, and he
was not given the knowledge that these other men had been given.
That's why Judas betrayed him. As a matter of fact, Jesus even
says unto Pilate, He said, if you would know who it is that
gave you this power, if you would know who I truly am, you would
not do this. If all these people would know
who I was, they would not be giving me up to you. Acts said,
had they known this, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory. But they were not given to know
Him. Judas knew Him on a physical level, on a natural level, but
Jesus did not know Him in a spiritual way. Look, if you would, now down
to Verse 20. He says, neither pray I for these,
oh, here we go. Not just the 12 disciples. Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. So, not just on these that God
has given me, these 12, or 11, but also for everyone who will
believe through the Word that is being
preached by them. Are we not still believing on
the Word that was preached through them? We've just been reading
Paul all the day long. We just got done reading Peter.
Right now we're reading John. We read Matthew. We can read
Mark, Luke. We read all these passages from
these men that Christ had been given and men are believing on
Christ through the Word of God. Those are the ones that Christ
was praying for. All those who would believe, because they believe? No. That's
just a group of people that He's talking about. All the ones that
will believe are the ones that Christ prayed for. that they may be one as Thou,
Father, art in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in
us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me." Now
there's a distinction between them and the world. The reason that I have died for
them and the reason that I have given them to believe is so that
there may be an effect. What is the effect? Their belief
being a testimony before the world. Those who have not been
given to believe. Look at verse 24. Father, I will
that they also whom Thou hast given me be with me where I am
that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me for
Thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Again, what's the
effect? That they may behold My glory
which Thou hast given Me. That they may be where I am. There's an effect. Everyone for
whom Christ died is going to behold His glory and be where
He is. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but
I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent
Me and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it,
that the love wherewith thou hast loved Me may be in them,
and I in them." Brethren, you see, He only intercedes for those
people. Again, in Romans chapter 8, we
were just there, but notice particularly verse 34, Actually, I'm going to start
reading in verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Those that He intercedes
for are the same ones that He died for. Jesus gave His life
for only a particular group of people. He intercedes for only
a particular group of people. And those that He intercedes
for, we see, are the same ones that He died for. There's not
two different groups of people, and we see that in Hebrews. We'll
read these few verses here, and we'll pick up with this again
maybe next week. Look, if you would, at Hebrews
chapter 7. And look with me if you would
at verse 24. Hebrews 7 verse 24 says, But
this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest
became us who is holy, harmless, defiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then
for the people's. For this he did once when he
offered himself up. So here we see again who is the
one that Jesus intercedes for and has saved to the uttermost,
them that come unto God by him. seeing that He ever lived to
make intercession for them." Who are them? The ones that He
saved to the uttermost. The ones that come to God by
Him. Who are the ones that come to God by Him that John 6 told
us? Who are the ones that come to
the Father? All of the Father giveth Me. Brethren, it's all
over the Scripture. The Scriptures declare the same
thing over and over and over again. It's all tied together. It's all fluent. together. It's not reaching. I'm not reaching here trying
to make a doctrine of verses. You're just pulling verses out
of their context. No, look, all of them are saying the same thing.
They're all together in context with each other. Not one place
do we see that Jesus has ever said that He prayed for the world.
And if He's not prayed for the world, those places where it's
said that He died for the world or is the Savior for the world
can't mean everybody everywhere because He made a distinction
between those that the Father give Him out of the world and
those that are of the world. We have to let the context determine
what all and world means. Whenever the overwhelming testimony
and report of the Scripture is that Christ died for a people
that was given to Him before the foundation of the world,
and them only, and them that He died for, actually something
transpired and is transacted and is effected in them, then
brethren, it's only for them. It's not for everybody else.
Look at Hebrews chapter 9, verse 12. It says, neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Brother Larry mentioned this
morning that he heard some preacher on the radio saying that a gift
is something that we have to receive, or I can't remember
exactly how he said it, that it's something that we receive.
The only way that you can obtain a gift is by receiving it. Well,
right here it says, Nothing about us receiving it to get it. It
says that He has, by His own blood, obtained eternal redemption
for us. But He didn't offer it to us.
He obtained eternal redemption by His blood. Look at verse 24. He says, For Christ has not entered
into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures
of the truth, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us. Not yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with blood of others." I just want to make a stop right there.
I hadn't thought about this until just now. But what does it say
there? nor yet that he should offer
himself often." Let's think about that for just a second. If the
Lord would give me to draw out what he brought to my mind here. If we say that salvation is a
universal offer to everybody else, then Christ Jesus' death
was not a sure thing for anybody, but a possibility for anybody. For everybody. If you're saying that Christ's
death was a universal thing, then you're saying Jesus' death
didn't effect or make certain or obtain anything for anyone,
but just makes it possible for everyone. Therefore, what do
we have to continually do? We have to offer Christ. Christ
has to be offered over and over and over and over and over again
to everybody to whom it has not been made effectual to. His death
has not been made effectual. We have to offer Him so that
it would be made effectual. Again to this person and then
to this person. See, salvation isn't by onesies and twosies.
Salvation was a corporate work that Christ did on behalf of
His sheep, His church, His elect, those who were given to Him.
Christ died for all of His people at one time. and His work that
He did for all of His people at one time, He offered up once,
not to men, but to God. And He offered that up to God. God accepted that, received that. He was propitiated. He was satisfied. Justice was done. Justification
came. And therefore, everyone for whom
Christ died received all of that at one time. That's why we don't
believe in justification at faith. That's why we don't believe in
salvation onesies and twosies. When were you saved? Oh, I was
saved when I knelt down at an old-fashioned altar. No, you
were saved in Christ Jesus. You were saved by Christ Jesus. And we were all saved at the
exact same time. Christ's work of atonement is
what satisfied God for all of time. Whether it be before the
foundation of the world or whether it be to the end of time, that
salvation was what God accounted as righteousness. And that's
what was imputed to men. Not whenever you choose Him.
Not whenever you come to Him. Not whenever you believe on Him.
But it was imputed to you based upon the suretyship of Jesus
Christ. So he once went into that holy
place and offered up himself and once he proclaimed salvation
for all of his people. He goes on to say, nor yet that
he should offer himself often as the high priest entered into
the holy place every year with blood of others, for then he
must often have suffered since the foundation of the world.
But now, once in the end of the world, he had appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many, not of all, but
many. And unto them that look for Him
shall He appear a second time without sin unto salvation. Brethren, His death was a particular
sin. He redeemed a particular people.
that He give His life for only them. He intercedes for them. The ones whom He intercedes are
the ones who He died for, the ones who He died for, the ones
that He interceded for. And as the Lord will receive,
even though I've mentioned it many times today, there was an
effect because of what Christ did for them. And only them. So we'll leave off there and
Lord willing, take up with us a little next week. Does anybody
have any questions or comments or anything to add to this? Again, we're looking at God's
particular redemption in Christ Jesus. Limited atonement, if
you would. Is it biblical? Well, I think
we've seen this morning that it is biblical. It's not just
an imagination out of some reformed heart or some reformed mind.
That it's truly the biblical account of salvation. of redemption. And if that's what the report
is, that's what the testimony of God is, isn't that what we
should declare? And if it is the testimony of
God, shouldn't we be embarrassed to tell it? I know a lot of preachers
who believe this, but they're embarrassed to preach it. As
a fact, before I came to Joplin, We're looking around for different
churches because we felt that we needed to find a church that
preached the things that we had begun to believe. We was looking
at churches and went to a church in Tulsa. I found this guy on
the internet, supposedly, that believed in the doctrines of
grace. He pastored a church there in Tulsa and went and visited
that church. Whatever I asked him about, you
know, preach these things. You preach the doctrines of grace
in here. He says, well, I don't ever come right out and say some
of these things. And while I believe in limited
atonement and everything like that, I still preach that Jesus
died for the world, but it's only effectual for the elect. I know that it's only effectual
for the elect. But I offer, we make a general call. So I just
kind of leave it at that. I didn't go back. Why am I going
to listen to somebody that doesn't preach their convictions? That
doesn't preach the truth of the scriptures? I mean, if this is
what God has said, why are we going to try to make, you know,
excuses for what God said? Let God be true and every man
a liar. And so anyway, anybody got any questions or comments,
or proofs, or rebukes, corrections? All right. Anybody got any prayer
requests or anything? No need for the Mass. No need for the
Mass. I was thinking about, in verse 25, that he should offer
himself often. No need for the cooking. Oh,
yeah. Yeah. Yeah, the Catholics that have
Mass, that's what they're doing every time they do that, is they're
offering Christ again in the Mass. And see, that's this thing. I mean, there's countless millions
of people that are underneath that system, and they mindlessly
go and they listen to their priest, and they listen to this ritual
and tradition of their church, and they don't even see in Scripture
how that's offered. Of course, the Catholics even
tell you that they're offering Christ continually on that. Matter
of fact, the way that they handle that bread and that wine and
everything, handle it as supposedly sacred
because for one, they believe that it's actually the actual
real flesh and the actual real blood of Christ and it turns
into that whenever they take the Lord's Supper or their mass
and everything. So they actually believe that
they are offering Christ again on land. That's completely contrary
to Hebrews, but specifically that chapter, that verse. The Catholic religion and the
Catholic faith is not the faith of Scripture and those who follow
that system are not Christian. Are there the elect of God within
those that God is calling out? Yes. We've been talking about
this more. Richard Bennett was the one that
got the Lord called out, called out of the Catholic Church. I
know other men that grew up in the Catholic Church and God has
called them out of that. There's a calling out. But if
you're a Christian God has given you life and is teaching you
the word of God. I don't see there's any way that
you can stay there. People that say that you can
stay in there and still be, I don't see that. I don't see that anywhere. At the very least, at the very
least, you've compromised the gospel and you are in ecumenical
relationship with the harlot. That's at the very least. You're
blaspheming God whenever you partake of the Mass, you're blaspheming
Christ. And so I think that a person
cannot stay there. All right, let's bow and have
a word of prayer. Father, we come to you now and
we thank you so much for Christ Jesus, and we thank you for your
love and your mercy and your grace that you've given us in
him. And Father, we surely don't boast
in the things that we've talked about today, because we know
that it is only by grace that we have been added to the number of those
for whom you died. Lord, we don't surely boast before
you. We don't boast before men. We
surely don't think that we are above anybody else. It is only
by grace that we have been caused to differ. It is only you that
has given us these things in Christ Jesus. We do honor and
glorify him, though, because it is only because of him that
we are saved. It's only because of him that
we have come to the knowledge of our salvation. And it's only
because of him that we can enjoy the experience of this salvation
and trust in him, live upon him. So Father, Lord, I pray that
you continue to bring these things to our mind. I pray for those
that are watching and listening, Lord, that you would open up
the scriptures to them. Lord, I pray that you might grant
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth to those who may
be hearing these things maybe for the first time in their life,
but for especially those who have heard this over and over
and have been struggling and knows that there might be some
truth to this, but yet what they are sitting under, listening
to year after year, been taught and trained by their families
growing up, whatever the case might be, Father, that You might
give them the repentance to turn from those false Gospels, and
that they might embrace the truth that is in Christ Jesus, and
that Your Word clearly displays. Lord, I thank you for the Holy
Spirit that you sent to us to lead us into truth and to guide
us, to assure our hearts before you that we are yours. Lord, I just thank you for all
that you have done on our behalf. Be with these brethren now as
they leave. I ask the Lord that you just might guide them, direct
them, that you might keep them, that you might Minister to them
Lord, and we just thank you again for all that you've done. It's
in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.