Turn with me to Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter one, from the official day that my family permanently moved to Kingsport, I was called to be pastor here in October of 2012. But it took a minute to fully transition over and we said that's it, no more transitioning on December the 29th of 2012.

And eight days later on the first Sunday of 2013, we started going through the book of John together. And we also started going through Romans. But I'm focusing on the four gospels in what I'm saying right here. We started going through the book of John together. And it took three and a half years to go through that book. And I enjoyed it so much. I enjoyed it so much. I would look forward to going through John again. I'm ready to go through John again. But as soon as we finished the book of John, we started in on the book of Mark. We actually started before we finished John. There was a little overlap. And I know that's not the order of the Gospels, but that's the order I felt led to go in.

We started with John, three and a half years, and then we went to Mark, and it took two years to go through the book of Mark. And then a few years span went by and I tried to start going through Matthew on two or three different occasions. I started it and I had intentions of going through it, but I just didn't feel led to do it until December of 2020. We started going through Matthew and we were in the book of Matthew for four years. And we finished Matthew a little over a year ago. To the day, it was 14 months ago. And I believe I now feel led to go through Luke.

And I'm very happy about that because I love being in the gospels. I'm telling you all of that to say, since the Lord called me to be a pastor, we have been in one of the four gospels almost the whole time. So far as a congregation, we have gone through seven books in the Old Testament and 19 books in the New Testament. but I love being in the Gospels. One portion of Scripture is not above another portion of Scripture, but I just love being in the Gospels.

And if the Lord is willing, we'll see if the Lord would let us begin today going through Luke. I would love to, and if he'll lead us to, then we'll start this today and continue on with it. So let's begin in verse one. I want to read the first four verses of Luke chapter one.

For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. Luke began by saying, for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order the truth concerning the gospel. the truth concerning the gospel. The Lord does that for all of his true preachers.

We have nothing new to say. We have nothing new to say. Luke said right here, the Lord has laid it on my heart to do the same thing and say the same thing that generation upon generation before me has said. Our desire is to set forth the same message that was declared in the beginning.

Everything changes and everything evolves. Not God's word. This is really important because people think God has changed. People think, well, God was very strict in the old Testament. He's not quite as strict as he was back then. Or God used to say that, but now God has changed his mind and he says this, God does not change. He does not change. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. I am the Lord, I change not.

And Luke said a true preacher of God's word will declare the same old word. That was given, that was declared in order, set forth, in the beginning. It's just passed down generation to generation. Luke heard the gospel from the Apostle Paul. And as a little intro for the book, let me just show you this real quick. Turn with me over to Philemon just before Hebrews. There's only one chapter in Philemon. Philemon verse 24 says, Marcus, the apostle Paul is listing names right here. Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow laborers. Luke was a fellow laborer with the apostle Paul. Paul also called Mark. Marcus, a fellow laborer. Any person who labors in the ministry of the gospel of Christ is a fellow laborer.

But Luke traveled directly with Paul, just like Mark mainly traveled directly with Peter. And if you turn back about two pages to 2 Timothy 4, Verse 10 says, Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. So Luke was a direct traveling companion with Paul.

And see if this is not a real blessing to your heart. This really This really touched me. Think about the Lord's providence in this. Okay. I think you'll enjoy this. Think about his all wise, perfect provision. Turn back about seven or eight pages to Colossians chapter four. Verse 14 says, Luke, the beloved physician. Luke was a doctor. All right. He was a doctor.

What better man could have been chosen to travel with Paul who was going to end up being the most beaten? Tortured, stoned, left for dead preacher of the gospel that the New Testament would ever see. In God's good providence for all the torture that he would send Paul through for the gospel sake. God sent Paul through everything he went through. You've read it. You've heard everything that man endured.

And he said in the book of Acts that God's spirit had witnessed to him that in every city he was going to go to, afflictions were coming. And in God's good providence for all that torture he would send Paul through, he sent Paul with a doctor to bandage him up and get him ready for the next round. Many believe that Mark was the penman for Peter in writing the book of Mark. Many believe that Luke was the penman for Paul in writing the book of Luke. It doesn't matter. It's all God's word. These are not man's words. No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. God's spirit wrote every bit of this.

So either way, clearly the Lord was pleased to use these men. And so Luke is credited with being the penman of Luke. and being the penman of Acts, those two books. He begins both of them the same way, writing to Theophilus. And that could be an actual person. But the name means lover of God. That's what Theophilus means. Lover of God.

He was writing to every soul who loves the true and living God. And that is what I'm going to focus on for the rest of our time here. He was writing to every soul who loves not the God of his or her imagination. Everybody has a God made up in their mind. He was writing to those who truly love the God of Scripture, the true and living God.

All right, so with all that being said, go back to Luke chapter one. Verse one says, for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. For this Bible study, I want to start here. I would like to start the book of Luke. with this right here.

God's Word is written to us. If we are going to set forth the declaration of these things in order, in the proper order, We need to start with who the declaration is to. The order of the declaration begins with God. It's God's declaration. God's sovereign declaration. It is God's holy declaration. It's God's eternal declaration. That's the starting point. All right, now where do we go from there? We go to who the declaration is to. It's from God. And who is the declaration to? Us. That's really important. That's really important.

What I want to set forth for this Bible study is the promise of God's word is not speaking to everybody. God's word is not written to everybody. People naturally think that the Bible is written to everybody. It's just a blanket word. God gave it to the world. That's what people naturally think. And people think it'll be applied. It can be applied to whoever wants to heed it and act on it. There it is. It's just sitting out there. Do you want to lay hold of it or not? That is not so. We can't set forth the declaration without setting forth this right here. Who it's to. Who it's to. God the Father did not choose to save the whole world. And God the Son did not die for the whole world. And God the Spirit did not inspire the writing of this word. God's Spirit did not write this word to the whole world. Who did the Father choose to save?

Us. And we'll clarify this in just a moment. Are you talking about the people in these four walls? I hope so. But not necessarily. Us. Who did Christ die for? Us. Who is this Word of the Spirit speaking to? Us. It's to us verse one, for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things, which are most surely believed among the world, even as they delivered them unto every soul in the world. No us. which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write to you, not everybody right under the in order, most excellent Theophilus that you might know the certainty of those things where in you have been instructed. The Bible is not speaking to everybody.

Now I know that's a shocking statement, I realize that. I'm not big on shock value statements. I know it's a shocking statement, but it must be told. I say this out of, I've told you so many times how much the reality of these things is just heartbreaking to me.

It's heartbreaking to me, but many people will hold this word and read this word who this word is not speaking to. and the promises of this word will not apply to. There are masses of people on this earth who this word is not speaking to, and God's true preachers are not in the business of giving anyone a false hope. We're not in that business.

So before we go any further with studying this book, let's find out who the us are. I've titled this message, I want to be one of the us. That's the title of this message, of this Bible study. I want to be one of the us. I want to find out who the us are. Who is this word written to? Who are the lovers of God that this word is speaking to? Let's find out.

Go with me to Romans 8. Romans chapter eight, verse 28 says, and we know that all things work together for good to everybody. to them that love God, the real God, the true God of the Bible. Love God. All things work together for good for every Theophilus, lover of God.

All right, who is that? Who is that? Who are they? Verse 28 goes on to say to them who are the called according to his purpose. Every one of the us is called by God to be an us according to his purpose. All right. Who is that? Who are the called according to his purpose? Look at verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, that means know beforehand. Another way of saying it is elect. That's what it's saying, what it means. Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. That means destinate beforehand. Choose a destination beforehand. People love to say, I don't believe in predestination. That's irrelevant. It doesn't matter if I believe in predestination. I do not care whether or not I believe in predestination.

Thank God he has caused me to, but either way, God said, 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, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified."

By giving them faith to believe God's Word, believe on Christ, to stop looking to themselves. In whom he justified, them he also glorified. So who are the us? It's every soul that God the Father foreknew and predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ. That is the soul that he called, justified, and glorified.

Now verse 31, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, Who can be against us? How was God for the us? How was God for us in his foreknowing, predestinating, calling, justifying, glorifying of us? How exactly did God do all of that for us? Verse 32.

He that spared not his own son." Boy, you think about the value of the Son of God. You think about the value of the blood of Christ, the most valuable substance of heaven. Do you really believe that the almighty, sovereign, all-wise God would have just shed that on the ground of earth and let it run out hoping somebody would dip their finger in a drop of it? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Us all, all of the us. People like to read that verse and say, well there it is, Christ died for everybody, us all.

Well, that's not true. He just told us who the us are, verse 29 and 30, whom he did foreknow and predestinate. That's who the us are. Verse 33, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God has an elect. That's who the us are, God's elect. I don't believe in God's election. I mean, verse 33, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Verse 34, who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. That's who Christ makes intercession for, the us.

Verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who shall separate lovers of God from God's love? John said, it is not that we loved God, it's that he loved us. He said, we only love God because he first loved us. God does not love those who love him. If that was the case, then God would love no one. By nature, man is enmity against him. It took the love of God to redeem the us from all their sin and rebellion. to create, in turn, a love for him.

So verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake, we're killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So that's who this word is written to, the us. Turn with me to Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 verse 3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, us. Who is he talking about right there? Who are the us? Verse 1, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse four, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Our Lord said, you did not choose me, I chose you. God did not look down through time to see who would choose him. He said, I chose you. According as he hath chosen us in Christ, When did he do that?

After he saw that we would be alive on this earth for a little while and do good? Okay, it looks like everything's going to be okay with that when I think I'll choose before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us. He predestinated us. unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. The us are every soul that God the Father placed in Christ, chosen in Christ, That's what the Father did.

He chose in Christ. He predestinated in Christ. He adopted in Christ. He redeemed in Christ. He forgave in Christ. He abounded toward in Christ. He revealed himself in his will to them in Christ. He gathered them in Christ. And he gave an inheritance to them in Christ. Verse 11 says, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

This is the God that the us love. Do you, let me ask those of you who are the us, do you love a God who is really trying as hard as he can, but there's just no guarantees. You love that God. You love that God who changes his mind a lot. If things are going well, okay. And if not, let's try a new path. Mm. The us love of God who works all things after the counsel of his own will. Ordered, sure, said, done. God. I mean, God. He works all things after the counsel of his own will. Verse 12, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ.

Now it's time to close. And I can't yet. So I'm going to be right to the point on this. There is an us. God has an us. God selected who the us would be. That is what applies to the us. They were chosen, they were adopted, they were redeemed, they were this. Now, closing remarks. Who are they? Who are those people? Who did God choose? Who did God predestinate? Who did God adopt? Who? Who is it?

Look right here at Ephesians 2. Verse one, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world. And that doesn't just mean you cursed a little bit and you stole a little bit. What that means is you walked according to the religion of this world, man. You thought man could work his way to God, you thought man could make his own decision to go to heaven. Verse two, wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, that was his religion.

I will. The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, not not faith, not believing God, not believing God's word. among whom also we all had our conversation in times past. It takes God revealing this to every soul, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, By grace you are saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

That's who the us are, it's sinners. It's sinners, it's rebellious sinners in the flesh against God. It's men and women who just cannot stop sinning no matter how hard they try. It's men and women who are overwhelmingly compelled to love God because they realize the fact that he loved them and gave his own life to save them in spite of the fact that they were such rebellious sinners against him. sinners in need of mercy. That's the us. And if that describes you, if you are a sinner in need of mercy, you're one of the us. Oh no, I'm not a sinner. Don't call me a sinner.

The scripture has another word, they. But if you are a sinner against God, in need of mercy and forgiveness with no other option but pleading the blood of Jesus Christ, you're an us. And if you're one of the us, then the word of promise is, and I was gonna have you turn to 2 Peter 3, 9, we're not. God is long-suffering, not willing that any of the usward should perish. but that all should come to repentance. This changed mind of the true God. I pray that's us. Okay.