Okay. Tonight, we are going to read about the God of all, the God of all, and what that means. It's unfortunate, but a worrying number of people do not know who God truly is. They've heard from untruthful preachers, or they have imagined, made up some God, and it's a God who does not or cannot see their hearts. He won't look there. He's a God who pleads for attention, and a God who's Desire and will are subservient to man's desire and will and in short Their God is at best a nicely clothed man standing on a street corner just shouting at anyone and everyone That heaven is is available to them if they agree to follow him but Of course, they won't listen to him until they're ready. Until they're ready.

That's a God of limits. Not a God of all. And that's not the true God. That's more like a salesman trying to peddle something. And when a salesman tries to sell you something, that means that you need convinced. that you need to be convinced to have it. Now that one couldn't possibly be the one spoken of in the Bible. And this is not merely a lesson in false doctrine. It's not what this is about.

This is about need and it's about desire. Need and desire. Those who have a very specific need do not even recognize the God that the world believes in. That's a specific need. Their needs, the people who have this very specific need, they need a relationship with God. They need His grace and His mercy and they need His comfort, His consolation. But He is not just a God of those things. He is a God of all things.

Look at our first verse in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 32. Turn there if you would, Jeremiah 32. And we'll be in verse 27. And just this first part of it, Jeremiah chapter 32, verse 27, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Or I think the NIV says it best here, the God of all mankind, the God of all mankind. And while many creatures, they have what we call flesh, and God is over all His creation, the Bible uses the word flesh often to describe mankind, people.

And that difference is important because people are the only creatures that He made in His image and that He granted a soul. Hamsters and horses, they have flesh, but they don't have a soul. Even so, people are still under God's authority and sovereign reign. Now, His right to rule does not extend to the ends of the universe, but then stop at mankind. He's not the God of just the stars and the planets.

He may do whatever he purposes with anything and with all people. I'm aware that this concept or people find this concept a little offensive or unbelievable. It's not that they don't understand the concept. If a person can understand what all means, he can understand what all mankind means. Everyone can understand the concept.

They just don't like it. But strip away God's sovereignty and you don't have a God. As Tim James has said, if God is not sovereign, why pray to him? Why do you pray to him? Now, if God is the God of all mankind, does it mean, as some of the Jews believe, that God is the God of all the Jews only? Just the Jews?

No. He is the God of all mankind, Jew and Gentile, as Paul writes in Romans 3, Verse 29, is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, the Gentiles also. Some translations it says heathen, others the nations. It was basically if you were not a Jew. God has not withdrawn his own right to rule based on the ethnicity of a person. Descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob separated themselves from non-jews with the words like Gentile like nations and heathens But God did not do that He was and still is the God of all mankind now we must be careful When we're reading our Bibles All words must be read in context, especially when all, the word all, could mean different things, such as everything, everyone, or just everyone within a group, or all types, and so forth. And in this verse, however, we know that the word all refers to mankind and not just all Jews, because he will give Jerusalem, it says in verse 27. No, sorry, I wrote down the wrong verse. It's the next verse, verse 28. He said, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall take it. Who's he giving it to?

A Gentile. Showing that his lordship extends not to Jews only, but to every man, woman, girl, and boy on the earth. All. Now you might ask, what kind of relationship is it between God and mankind? God and mankind. I like to think of it as an author to his characters. God of all mankind doesn't describe much of a relationship, just as an author puts characters into his book to tell a story. That's their use. And the characters do what the author has written. And without the author, they would not exist. And without the author, they would not act or think.

So listen carefully, if God knows you, if God knows you simply as a member of a group called mankind, then you should be worried. You do not want to be known as just that because you are destined to be used for His glory even if it means that you will ultimately suffer eternal punishment if it's just mankind. Matthew 3 verse 10, John the Baptist says, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. You do not want to be known as just a member of that group.

So we move on into another relationship. Turn just a little bit back to Jeremiah 31 in verse one. Jeremiah 31 verse 1, it says, God is not only the God of all mankind, but also the God of all the families of Israel. Now this is a big change. This is a big change. We've gone from the God of all mankind to a God of the Israelite families.

So what is that change? God didn't change. He doesn't change. And his sovereignty over mankind and this group of people that he has just identified, that hasn't changed. What changed is how God views them. The God who is the God of all mankind rules over them only for His purpose. But the God of all the families of Israel has chosen a group from all mankind to be their God and more.

It's special. Let's read verses two and three. It says, thus says the Lord, the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness. Israel when I went to give him rest. And the Lord has appeared of old to me saying, yes, I have loved you, you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. He has promised to love them with an everlasting love.

Just contrast these actions with those from the God of all mankind. To the Israelites, he will give rest. Not so with all mankind. He hasn't promised them that. To the Israelites, he will love with an everlasting love. Not so with all mankind. Some of whom he hated. He will draw the Israelites to himself with loving kindness, not so with all mankind.

Some of whose names he doesn't know. Depart from me. Depart from me, I do not know you. Now, why does he hate some and not draw them to himself? Well, David tells us in Psalm 143, I'll just read it to you. Do not enter into judgment with your servant for in your sight, no one living is righteous. Now, if that is true, we would not dare go before God, before the God of all mankind.

We want the God who we may call Father. Because our Father will deal with us like David says in verse one of the same Psalm. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Give ear to my supplications. And here's where it is. In your faithfulness, answer me. And in your righteousness, What do these actions and affections say to us?

He is not just a sovereign ruler. He is a caring, merciful, faithful ruler to his chosen people. It says in 2 Peter 3, the Lord is not slack, or that word means slow. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise as some count slowness, but instead is long-suffering, patient toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now there's that word again, all, all. And this passage in 2 Peter 3 answers three questions, and their answers are a true blessing.

First, who has God made the promise to? The people that Peter refers to as you, who were the believers that Peter was writing to, those were who? Peter was not writing to all people everywhere. but to God's group. And if you are a part of the group that God knows, this is for you. Second, what is a major characteristic of God that He does not show everyone? Characteristic He does not show everyone. That would be patience. Specifically, a patient dealing with that blessed you. You.

God is not patient with all mankind. And I think I referenced this circumstance last time I was up here, but in Exodus 32, the Israelites had worshiped a golden calf. And immediately when, or Moses was up there with God, God said to him, now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. Now this tells us that God does not need to be patient, doesn't need to be patient.

There's nothing preventing him from being aggressive, from being impatient, And he does not want to be patient in the face of iniquity, if I may use those words. We see how he wants, and I'm using air quotes here, how he wants to react to iniquity when he sees it. And he would rather consume it right there and right now. But he is patient with some, despite their iniquity.

That is the God of you, all of you. And third, who does God want to repent? Again, all of you, if you are part of that group. All who are part of the spiritual Israel, as it says in Romans. And that spiritual Israel spans generations and geographies. This is not for the nation of Israel as it has been defined throughout time, but for the people who are His chosen. They're set apart, they're sanctified from all mankind. And they are the ones who are truly blessed. So what does God have in store for those that he calls by name. He's got two things, probably more, but then we would be here all night. But two things I found. And then the first one is in 2 Corinthians 1. 2 Corinthians 1. And we are still talking about all. 2 Corinthians 1 verse 3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. God of all comfort. Now, what does that mean to be the God of all comfort? It means that He is your comfort in all your tribulation or troubles. And not only are His words to you a comfort, or His promises to you, or His blessings, but He Himself. He Himself is your comfort. He's like a great mountain. He is your comfort because He's everlasting. He is the living God. He is ever-present, ever-present.

Something to lean on, to hold you up, a true mainstay. You can try and depend on whatever you want, but if it is not God, then it will fall to nothing. And as you come to know the Lord, He will show you that you need to depend on Him. He will take away the other dependencies. You will not depend on Him anymore.

True and lasting comfort comes from the God of all comfort. And by way of that comfort, we get to comfort others. We're taught how to. We're just passing along the same comfort that we ourselves have received from God. And you won't find any better comfort compared to the comfort of God and His people. It's like a salve. And it comes wrapped in the love of Jesus Christ, and there's just nothing like it. Nothing like it.

The second thing God has in store for those He calls by name is found in 1 Peter. 1 Peter. He's not only the God of all comfort, but in 1 Peter 5 and verse 10, Just the first part. May the God of all grace. The God of all grace. That God, or the God of all grace, is not passive and is not still. Look what he says.

Who called us, that's his action, To his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after you have suffered a while, perfect, that's him doing it, establish, strengthen, and settle you. He is active in every one of his chosen people's lives. And you might think this list is short, but it is full of purpose.

He will perfect you. He will establish, or the word means confirm you. He will strengthen you. And he will settle you. And I looked that up because some translations said establish again. And those are two different words. This one means to lay a foundation. He will be your foundation.

Now, do you want to know, just think about this, how settled and established we are in God's grace. Unlike mankind, we gladly say amen to what's in verse 11. Peter writes, to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. We do not want the glory. We do not want the glory. Give it to Him. We do not want the dominion. Let Him have it. Let that be His. Be comforted and settled in the grace of God Most High. So who is God to you? If he is the impassive God of all mankind to you, you are in danger. But don't give up hope. Because if he is instead to you, the God of all comfort and the God of all grace, you are truly blessed. Truly blessed. Bruce, would you close this please?