A Heavenly Rehearsal

Q: What does the Bible say about God's election?

The Bible teaches that God's election occurs before the foundation of the world, securing His chosen people's salvation through Christ. Scripture reveals that God chooses His people according to His sovereign will, as outlined in Romans 9:13 where He states, 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.' This decision was made before either Jacob or Esau had done any good or evil, illustrating that God's election does not depend on human actions but on His grace and purpose. The doctrine of election emphasizes that God’s choices are righteous, highlighting that His purpose was established that 'the purpose of God according to election might stand' (Romans 9:11). Thus, God's election is foundational to the assurance of salvation for His people as it is predicated on the redemptive work of Christ.

Q: How do we know God's love for His elect is secure?

God's love for His elect is secure because it is grounded in His choice of them in Christ, which cannot be undone. The assurance of God's love for His elect is anchored in His will to secure them in Christ before the foundation of the world. As stated in Ephesians 1:4-5, He chose us in Him that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love. This love is not conditioned on human response but is a fixed, sovereign choice that guarantees all provisions necessary for their salvation. Romans 8:38-39 affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This underscores the truth that God’s love is consistent and immutable, rooted in His righteousness rather than fluctuating with our actions.

Q: Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

God's sovereignty assures Christians that He governs all things for their good and His glory. Understanding God's sovereignty is crucial for Christians as it provides comfort and security in the midst of life's uncertainties. Scripture teaches that God governs all creation and His purposes cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 46:10). This sovereignty ensures that every event, even suffering, works together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Acknowledging God's absolute authority helps believers trust that He has a divine plan, and that every aspect of their lives is under His control. God's sovereign rule over providence affirms that He actively works for our good and that we are not subject to chance or fate.

Q: What does the Bible teach about the preaching of the gospel?

The Bible teaches that the preaching of the gospel is vital for the salvation of God's elect, as it brings the power of God to effectual calling. According to Scripture, the preaching of the gospel is a means ordained by God to call His elect out of darkness into His marvelous light. Romans 10:14-15 states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. This emphasizes the importance of gospel proclamation as a conduit of divine power that transforms hearts. Just as Deborah’s message was empowered by God in Judges 5, so too today, God’s ordained ministers are used to convey His truths. It is essential, therefore, that the message preached aligns with the gospel of grace, for it is through this that God's elect are drawn to Him. The Spirit accompanies the preaching, making it effectual for salvation.

Q: How is eternal life defined in Christian theology?

In Christian theology, eternal life is defined as knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Eternal life, as explained in John 17:3, is fundamentally about a relationship with God, characterized by knowledge and intimacy with the Father and His Son. This understanding transcends mere duration of existence; rather it reflects a quality of life that begins in the present for believers. Through the redemptive work of Christ, those elected by God are granted this eternal life which is brought to light through faith in Him. Additionally, this eternal relationship assures believers of their standing before God, where they experience His love, mercy, and grace now and for all eternity.

Turn with me to Judges chapter 5. In our lesson last week, I did the best I could do to show you the picture that God the Spirit has drawn for us on the canvas of these ancient prophecies. It's a picture of the salvation of God's elect as God calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light.

We're saved in the purpose of God before the foundation of the world. We're saved when Christ came into this world and accomplished that salvation that God purposed way back then. And then we're saved as he calls us personally out of darkness, implies that salvation to our heart. So you can talk about being saved and it That's a broad term. It encompasses all of eternity. We shall yet be saved. There's coming a day when sin is going to be taken away completely. You're not going to have the thought of sin. A believer's not going to have any of these things. He's going to be just like Christ.

But this salvation that we're talking about here is a picture of God's pastor and that calling out of his sheep. This whole book is about that. Being called out of darkness into his marvelous light through the preaching of the gospel and the power of God applying his word to the hearts of men. They raised up this woman, Deborah.

She's no different than anybody else, and her words wouldn't have had any more effect than anybody else except the power of God who applied those words to the hearts of his children. And it's the same with a pastor. I've got no special effect on men unless God gives me that. If he don't give me the respect of those who hear me, my words just go out and fall on the ground.

But when he accompanies those words with the spirit, they take hold of a person. And he gives them an understanding. He gives them eyes to see and ears to hear. And that's what this whole book, it's a picture all the way through. And that process is time and again, time and again. A new generation rises up and so on and so forth. This is a picture of that work that he'll do in the very days that you and I are living in. And it's a work resting upon the accomplished redemption of Christ.

If Christ didn't accomplish our redemption, if he's not seated at the right hand of God, our preaching's vain. That's what he said. He said, if he be not raised from the dead, our preaching's vain. We have no gospel. We have no hope. And it's a work that he does in us, yet it's a work performed by men called of God to preach and teach that generation of the salvation of God's elect. And it goes on and on again and again with each generation. The judges will be used of God in this sense until God establishes his king, which begins with David. And David's a picture of Christ. Paul used him. Peter used him. They all used him. And his being king, being raised from the dead, seated at the right hand of God, they used him all through the book of Acts to show that.

That's what he's telling us. There's coming a time when he sits on the throne, and that time is now. But there's coming a time when that throne and all the other thrones will be done away with. There'll just be one throne. Not going to be any pastors, no judges, no prophets, no preachers. It'll just be Christ.

And what I want us to see this morning is that which is the result of what this inward work of grace is, and that's a heavenly rehearsal. It's the heart seeing the glory of God working among his people, and even in that pilgrim land, begin to sing praises to God. They're going to rehearse what they're going to do for all eternity. That's what we're doing here this morning. You might say this is a heavenly rehearsal. And the story is the story of every chosen sinner from the first day of spiritual Pentecost until the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And all through the book of Judges, the word of God is taught and then evidenced in the children to whom this word is sent.

It's evidenced. They don't just sit there. They get up and go to war. They get up and do whatever God's commanded them to do. And at the end, all the glory is given to God for what they did. He works that work in such a way as he has to get the glory, or no man going to stand up and take credit for it.

Now, there's 31 verses in chapter 5, much too long for me to read this morning and try to comment on. But I do encourage you to read it. Go home this afternoon, sit down, and read through this chapter. But what I want us to do this morning is look at one verse that I believe sums up the whole of the chapter, and that's verse 11. Judges chapter 5, verse 11.

They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of growing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel. Then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Now the gates are where all the righteous business was conducted. You remember in the book just before this, the book of Ruth, when Boaz was going to redeem Naomi's house and marry Ruth, he went to the gate to do the business.

And everything that he's doing is upright, and that's what they're saying. These people were doing evil. They were chasing after these other gods. But now, since the Lord did his work, now they go up to the gate. Now everything is above board. And they go there for God's judgment. They go there to conduct all their business. They go to the gates. He's just talking about a people whose lives have been changed. That's what the verse is talking about. Now here's the picture.

There was a fierce battle. Cicero was the the big general or captain or whatever title you want to give him for the old king. And he had 900 chariots. I don't know how many other soldiers were involved, but this is where the fear struck into men's hearts, was with those 900 chariots, those big knives sticking out from the wheels and the horses.

I can't imagine the sound. I hear her horse run up to the thing, and I can hear him from clearing the back pasture all the way forward. And you put two of them on a chariot, I think is what most of them had, or sometimes four, and you take that times 900. Can you imagine?

It must have sounded like thunder when them things rolled down that mountain road coming down into battle. And now they're out here in this battle, and there's 10,000 men out there with bows and arrows and swords. The only way you could fight a chariot would be with an arrow. Otherwise, the chariot would just run over you. And now they're delivered from the sound of the archers. The battle's over. All these fierce chariots now lay in a heap. The battle's over, and they all gather around the well.

And water's being drawn, and they're drinking from that cool, crisp water drawn from down in the depths. And they're sipping that water, and they're rehearsing the righteous acts of the Lord. The Lord sent us into this battle, and the Lord gave us the victory. And as they're sitting there and sipping on this water, being refreshed from the battle, the victory's theirs. Deborah the judge and Beric her captain began to sing this song. And what they're doing here, they began to sing and rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord. That's the gospel, isn't it? His righteous acts. That's the gospel.

Years ago, back in the 80s, Brother Marvin Stoniker pastoring a small Southern Baptist church in LeCount, Louisiana, just a little south of Alexandria, a little old place out there in the swamps. And he'd been up to our Bible conference and heard Henry speak. And he asked Henry to come down and hold a three-day meeting for him. And Henry said, Brother Marvin, I'd be glad to come down.

But he said, you have to know that if I come down and preach in a Southern Baptist church, they don't believe what I'm preaching here. And it'll more than likely result in you being fired as a pastor. Well, he was persuaded that they did believe. So he had Henry come in spite of the warning. And Henry came down and preached. Well, the first night, they had a song leader. And he got up. And he was singing songs contrary to what Henry was preaching. Well, you can't do that. We're not going to sing, I'll Fly Away. We're not going to sing all this junk. We're going to sing hymns that are in harmony with the gospel that I preach.

And so Henry took the song leading away from him on the second night, selected his own hymns, and led the people in singing. Well, by the end of the third night, they'd fired Marvin. And he and a portion of his church that did believe showed up at our church up in Ball, Louisiana and stayed there. for a long time. Some of them are still going there.

We sing that which is in harmony with what God has done and with what God's doing. Otherwise, what's the point? Why are we singing? We're just going through the motions, aren't we? And I think Brother Walter does a great job of selecting hymns for our meetings.

And Deborah did. She penned this herself. And I'm not going to say she was divinely inspired, although the words are written and preserved in the book of God. So whoever wrote this was divinely inspired to copy her words. And so the words of this song was copied and preserved for us. But she loved God's people, gathered them all in that place for worship, and penned the words of this song. And not every song, but a lot of the hymns that we sing are written by faithful pastors. And she was a faithful judge, called herself a mother. The Lord hath raised up a mother. Israel. She loved God's people, cared for them, provided for them.

I want us to look at this verse as we gather here today as exactly what we're doing. It's exactly what we're doing. We're gathered here today to celebrate the victory given to us by our God and delivered or evidenced in our own hearts and experience in this world. And as we sip the word of God, the water of God, the water of his word, as we sip that, we want to sing from our hearts here in just a little bit and give praise unto the Lord for what we're hearing, what he's doing.

Eternal life is to know God, and we learn about God through his righteous acts. The Lord said, if you don't believe what I'm telling you, believe me for the very works sake. I tell you, know God. You know God through his righteous acts. And in this song, there's five righteous acts set forth by the eyes of faith and cause men to sing praise unto God. The first of these righteous acts of the Lord is to make Israel his people. That's what she begins to sing, Israel. This is the children of God. Is it a righteous act for God to choose Jacob and hate Esau? He said, Jacob, have I loved Esau? Have I hated him? He did it before either one was ever born or did any good or any evil.

And he did it that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand. Not of our works, but of him that called it. He's God. Is it a righteous act? He says it is. He made this statement in Romans 9, verse 13. Paul asked this question in the very next verse after talking about Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. And here's what he asked.

Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. That's what he said. God forbid. God said to Moses, when he revealed himself to him, he said, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I will have compassion. A little later on, he said, in whom I will I harden. It's a righteous act with God to choose out a people and to make provision for them. It's a righteous act.

You know, one of our biggest problems is we've never sat under a sovereign. We don't know anything about a sovereign. A sovereign dictates his rule. He does his will, and all who oppose it, they die in their rebellion. The difference? between our sovereigns and God as a sovereign is God is a righteous sovereign.

Everything he does is right. And when God chose his people, it was a righteous act because he chose us in his son. He didn't just choose us and then see how things would turn out. He made provision for us. And the election was just part of that provision. He chose us in his son that we should be holy. to be in perfect harmony with the whole character of God, including his justice and righteousness and goodness. And he tells us in Christ that we should be without blame. All of our sins were charged to our Savior, and he made full restitution for our sins. Scripture said, the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And then secondly, God is righteous, in his favor concerning Israel. Why didn't God fight for Jabin, the king of Canaan? Why didn't he fight for him instead of Israel? Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. Jabin was guilty of that too. So why did God fight for Israel? and not fight for David. How can God favor Israel?

Well, I'll tell you why. Because God secured his love for his people and his son. That's why way back yonder, at the dawn of, before the dawn of creation, God chose us in His Son, and when He did, He secured His love and favor for us in His Son. Nothing can take that away, nothing you do can take that away. All of God's elect, all His love for God's elect, He secured in His Son. And that secures everything, all the other provisions that's in His Son, that secures those, that ensures that those, the preaching of the gospel's gonna come and it's going to do its work in all God's elect. How do I know that? Because it's secured in His Son.

God would have to deny Himself, and that's what Paul said. Though you believe not, yet He abideth faithful. He cannot deny Himself. God's purposed these things in His Son. He chose us in Christ that we should be before Him in love, that is, being loved. In the last two verses of Romans chapter 8, Paul said, 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. His love is a righteous act of God, and God's love is not some emotional whim brought about by some sinner's repentance or change in mind or decision that he made. His love is secured in Christ, and it's behind all his provisions for his people.

He loved us and gave himself for us. Herein is love, John said, not that we love God, God's love doesn't stem from your love for him. Oh, this guy loves me now. He used to hate me, but now he loves me, so I'll change my mind. No, not how it works. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

He manifested his love for us, and while we get enemies, Christ died for us. And then thirdly, it's a righteous act for God to judge all men to condemnation and save his elect. God judged this world in Adam, making them to receive their father's nature and chose the place of their habitation.

And in Providence, according to his judgment, denied them certain things. Isn't there tribes and things in this world that have never heard the preaching of the gospel? Sure there is. There are people right here in the United States, grow up, go to church their whole life, never have heard the gospel and never will. God raised up thousands in Canaan, steeped in paganism and idolatry, And he cursed the whole population of the world, saved only eight souls.

He's just in this. He's righteous in this. God doesn't save his elect by overlooking their faults and excusing their transgressions. He chose them in Christ and sent them into this world, sent his son into this world to be a propitiation for their sins. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 10.

Paul writes in Hebrews 10.4 that it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Then why were they offered? Why did God command Israel to do these things, offer these bulls and goats?

Well, he said in Hebrews 9, 9, they were a figure for the time then present. In verse 23 of chapter 9, he said they were patterns of things in the heavens. Verse 24, figures of the true. And then in Hebrews 10, 1, they were shadows of good things to come. Now watch this down in verse 5, Hebrews 10, 5.

Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he sayeth, sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In Isaiah 53, it states, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. And when God saw the agony of his soul, the travail of his soul, he was satisfied.

And in the days of Noah, God's judgment fell upon the whole earth, including Noah and the eight souls in the ark. But they weren't destroyed because they were in the ark. Judgment fell on them, but it didn't destroy them. They were safe in the ark. And judgment's falling on this race, but it didn't destroy us because we were in Christ.

And then fourthly, it's a righteous act for God to govern providence for our good and his glory. God's prejudiced toward his elect, isn't he? You'd have to be a liar to say you weren't prejudiced toward your own children. I know you are. You don't treat them the way you do everybody else. Don't you give them special benefit in what God does too? Our God is God. He's not a wannabe God.

He sits on the throne of absolute dominion, having power over all flesh, he said, to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him. And having such power, he tells us, The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. He turns it just like he does these rivers that flow down through here. He turns them, whether so ever he will. And yet, he turns the hearts of his children to a god.

He has power to do that. He has power to let that king, he said, for this purpose, for this very purpose have I raised you up, told Pharaoh. I raised you up from a child. I prevented your death several times. I raised you up. Not only did I give you health, I raised you up and put you in office as Pharaoh, a pretense of God. And I did it for one reason, to put you in the sea, to destroy you, to make my power known.

And many a sinner thumbed his chin at God's dominion over providence only to experience God's derision. They don't even know that God's doing it and make a public example out of it. What was that Pentecostal preacher? Him and Tammy, I can't even think of his name now, but anyway, yeah. And God made, he put him into reason, didn't he? He proved his whole ministry to be a shamble. And he does that.

In verse 20 of our text, it says, he fought from heaven The stars in their courses fought against Cicero. The river Caishon swept them away, cleaned up the site. Well, I tell you, it's a fearful thing, the scripture said, to fall into the hands of the living God. Those children of Israel down there with swords and bows, the Lord's not limited to swords and bows.

He can call for the hornets and chase the whole nation away, hiss for the flies, call the frogs in. God's righteous in his government over providence, and he works his providence in a special way toward his elect. Whoever his elect are, he's going to take them And this preacher, he's going to send this preacher, and he's going to rearrange their whole lives for this one thing. He's going to bring that person to cross this person's path. And he's going to give him the words to say. And the Spirit's going to attend those words and save that sinner. Explain that. I can't. I can't. But I don't need to explain it. He's God. I'm not God.

And then fifthly, he's righteous in the means and power of our salvation. Our God has from the beginning chosen a people to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. He'll exercise that power through his spirit. He does it in earthen vessels. He said that the excellency of power may be of God and not of man. He intervenes in the lives of his elect He crosses them with the means that he's ordained to be exercised, and he makes them effectual.

I'm telling you, I was sitting in a church when God enlightened my heart and called me by his grace. I was sitting in a church, and I don't think anybody in there, Brother Mayhem, he'd already had his stroke. He, like me, couldn't talk real clear, and he was preaching, but I tell you, the Lord Blessed my heart with that message.

I'm the prodigal son. And when he talked about that father hugging that child, I could feel God's arms around me hugging me. I can't explain that. Nobody else in there had that experience, but I did. And that's how it is. That's how it is. The whole world hears. Some of them walk away.

Some of them, like on Mars Hill, said, we'll hear you again someday when it's real convenient. We might have you back. God may not send him back. And he didn't, to Mars Hill. John saw the heavenly Israel with their father's name written in their foreheads, all of them having the mind of Christ.

And they sang, as it were, he said, a new song. A song that nobody else could sing. That's what it is. Nobody else could sing. They couldn't sing Deborah's song. Nobody else could, but Israel could. Those heathen inhabitants of the land weren't singing. But those ones that God called his children, his elect, they were all singing. I dare say they was in perfect harmony. May the Lord be with us this morning and help us to rehearse with this heavenly song and be that heavenly choir. Thank you.

A Heavenly Rehearsal

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's election?

How do we know God's love for His elect is secure?

Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does the Bible teach about the preaching of the gospel?

How is eternal life defined in Christian theology?

Sermon Transcript

About Darvin Pruitt

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A Heavenly Rehearsal

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's election?

How do we know God's love for His elect is secure?

Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does the Bible teach about the preaching of the gospel?

How is eternal life defined in Christian theology?

Sermon Transcript

About Darvin Pruitt

Comments

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