Good morning. Turn with me, if you would, to
Acts, the second chapter. Acts, chapter 2. And while you're
turning, Frank and Janet are spending some time with family
in North Carolina, you'll see in your bulletin. Ethel has had
some health issues. And they're down there with Janet's
mom, Ethel. Today, we welcome our brother,
Paul Pendleton, who preached the Sunday School message this
morning. We'll bring the message this morning as well. He's from
Sovereign Grace Chapel in Beaver, West Virginia. Paul, again, we
thank you for being here with us, your time, your dedication
to the gospel, and your dedication to your family, God's children. We're glad that you're here with
us. Thank you. Acts the second chapter. And when the day of Pentecost
was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it
sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the
spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem,
Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Now, when
this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded
because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
They were all amazed and marveled saying one to another, behold,
are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in
our own tongue wherein we were born? Perthians and Medes, Elamites
and the dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea, in Cappadocia,
in Pontus and Asia, Phygia, Pamphia, Egypt, and all the parts
of Libya. about Cyrene, strangers of Rome,
Jews, proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians, we do hear them speak
in our tongues the wonderful works of God. They were all amazed
and were in doubt, saying one to another, what meaneth this?
Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine. But Peter,
standing up with the 11, lifted up his voice and said unto them,
ye men of Judea, all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto
you, and hearken to my words. For these are not drunken, as
ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. It came
to pass, and in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my
spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions. Your old
men shall dream dreams. On my servants and on my handmaidens
will I pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall
prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven
above and signs in earth beneath. Blood and fire and vapor and
smoke, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into
blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come. And it
shall come to pass, and it shall come to pass, that whoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. We'll end our
reading there. Sean will lead us in this morning's
call to worship, if you'd stand together, please. In thy name, O Lord, assembling,
we thy people now draw near. Teach us to rejoice with reverence,
speak, and may thy servants hear. Let thy word be food to nourish
those whom thou hast called thine own. May thy people's graces
flourish, all our trust in thee alone. Now with joy we come before
thee, seek thy face, thy mercy's own. Lord of life, of light and
glory, bless this church before thy throne. While our days on
earth are lengthened, may we live them, Lord, in Thee. Cheered by hope and daily strengthened,
till Thy glory there we see. Okay, if you would, turn in your
hymnals to song number 337, Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord. 337. Teach me thy way, O Lord, teach
me thy way. Thy guiding grace, O Lord, teach
me thy way. Help me to walk aright, More
by faith, less by sight. Lead me with heavenly light,
Teach me thy way. When I am sad at heart, Teach
me thy way. When earthly joys depart, teach
me thy way. In hours of loneliness, in times
of dire distress, In failure or success, teach me thy way. When doubts and fears arise,
teach me thy way. When storms o'erspread the skies,
teach me thy way. Shine through the cloud and rain,
through sorrow, toil, and pain. Make thou my pathway plain. Teach me thy way. Long as my life shall last, teach
me thy way. Where'er my lot be cast, teach
me thy way. Until the race is run, until
the journey's done, until the crown is won, teach me thy way. For our morning reading, Paul
has asked us to turn together to John chapter 8. John chapter 8, we'll start in
verse 28. Then said Jesus unto them, when
you have lifted up the son of man, then shall you know that
I am, I am he that I do nothing of myself, but as my father had
taught me, I speak these things and he that sent me is with me. The father hath not left me alone
for I do always those things that please him. As he spake
these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those
Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be
Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest
thou, ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, verily,
verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committed sin is the servant
of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house forever, but
the son abideth forever. If the son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's
seed, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place
in you. I speak that which I have seen with my father, and ye do
that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and
said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,
if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.
But now you seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the
truth, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, we be not born of fornication. We have
one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God
were your father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and
came from God. Neither came I of myself, but
he but he sent me. Why do you not understand my
speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. Year of your father,
the devil. And less of your father you will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the
truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own. For he is a liar, and the father
of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.
Which of you convinceth me of sin? If I say the truth, why
do you not believe me? He that is of God, heareth God's
words. Ye, therefore, hear them not,
because you are not of God. We'll end our reading there.
Let's pray together. Our Holy Heavenly Father, we
we pray that your name be glorified in this place this morning that
we worship in spirit and in truth that that you send your spirit
to be with us so that we meet not in vain, but but rather we
we meet us as Children together coming to glorify your name and
and to meet at the feet of our precious Savior Christ. I pray
that that you send your spirit, that Christ be lifted up in this
place this morning amongst your people, and that we truly have
an hour and time of worship. I thank you for drawing us here
and making it so that we're here together this morning to worship.
I ask that you bless our brother Paul and give him clear utterance
of your message. I pray that you'd be with him
strengthen him, leave him not alone in this place, but be with
him in a mighty way. Father, you know our need. Our
needs are many. We pray for those that are suffering,
those of our number that are suffering. We think of those
that are struggling health-wise, and Father, there are many. We
think of Gary, Pray that you bring him back to us according
to your will and in your time. Heal and bring him back that
we can worship together again. We think of Novi and the Sparks
family, that you continue to keep your hand on them according
to your will. And Father, there's others. Our
needs are plenty. We think of our pastor and Janet. We think of Ethel. Pray that
you be with them and bring Frankie Janet home to us safely in your
according to your good, good pleasure and others. Father, we're so
thankful that you know the needs, that we have a high priest that
can be touched with these feelings of our infirmities. We ask that
you be with us. Father, most of all, we pray
for our need. We think of ourselves, we think of our Children, our
loved ones, Our need, our need of Christ. I pray that. That according to your will that
that you fill our our need and we're thankful for this time
this morning. What we pray for ourselves. We pray for other
congregations that are there meeting even now. That you bless
your word as it go forth. And we pray. All of this as a
as a needy and thankful people coming before your throne. We
we pray it in Christ's name and for his sake. Okay brother, thank you. Good morning. I'm glad to be here. I hate to
hear what's going on as to why I'm here, but I would like to
see Frank here as well. I was told by Paul to tell everyone
here hello, and I have to explain exactly why she's not here. That's recording, right? I need
proof of this. Now, we have, as I told you before,
we have two big Bernice Mountain Dogs, 120 and 130 pounds, and
we had no one to wash them again this time. Well, last time I
think one was having surgery or something like that. But anyway,
she had to stay. She couldn't leave him too long.
She goes to church there. Anyway, she said to make sure
you all knew that or she would be here with me. And I send greetings
from Sovereign Grace Chapel, and thank you for having me.
I appreciate it. So if you would, you can turn
back over to John A. You should already be there.
And thank you, brother, for reading that for me. I appreciate that. There's two words I really like
in this passage. Free indeed. We read here of
a group of people that it says believed on him. And they did,
they believed on him. The scripture's true, that's
what it says. They believed on him. That's the key word, believed
on him. But then, what is conversed between
Jesus Christ and these Jews here in this passage is a little concerning. We read in James, we read this,
James 2, 17 through 19. Even so, faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, thou hast
faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy
works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest
that there is one God, thou doest well. The devil's also. believe in truth. I want to say
right off, I want everyone here to believe on Jesus Christ. But more than that, I want everyone
here to believe Jesus Christ and what he has done. And that
believing won't come from me. I'm not going to preach that
into you. God must reveal that to you, you know, himself. I
want to tell you of Jesus Christ, poor adventurer, that all those
who hear these words will believe him, not just believe on him. There are many that believe on
him, but they do not believe him. It is with them as it was
with these Jews. His word has no place in them. He is speaking here of that hour,
Jesus Christ is, which He would be lifted up. And it would be
Him that lifts Him up. It would be them that lifts Him
up. He even says that. But also God lifting Him up by
His ordination. They meant it for evil. God meant
it for good. And it was both at the same time. Evil for them to slay Jesus Christ,
but good for a people that God slayed his son. When he said
these things here to them, it says, many believed on him. Considering everything that transpires,
that's a little bit sobering to me. There are many in this
world who today will say the name of Jesus Christ. Many who
no doubt are in places that look similar to this place, where
we're at here, and doing some of the same things that we're
doing. And they're serious about what they're doing. And they
mean it. But they merely believe, as James
puts it, that there is one God. They do not believe God and the
record God gave of His Son. Nor do they believe what Jesus
Christ tells them about themselves. Jesus Christ then begins to speak
to them about being made free by the truth. Then lies begin
to spew forth from their lips. Verse 31 through 33. I guess
I need to get to the right passage. Verse 31 through 33. Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are
ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham's
seed and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou ye
shall be made free? He is speaking to them about
deliverance. And all they can do, as it is
with anyone with this flesh, all they can do is they start
speaking lies. The tongue is an unruly thing.
The scripture that they had, the scripture that they used
in the scrolls, the scripture they had spoke of them being
in bondage in Egypt and being delivered. God delivered the
whole nation from Egypt in glorious fashion. The waters were divided
and there was nothing but dry land for them to cross the Red
Sea. They made it safely to the other
side and then all of Pharaoh's army were drowned behind them.
They were in bondage then, not to mention Babylon and others. But even at this current time,
they were in bondage to the Romans. They were not in authority. The
Romans controlled things around town, so to speak. but they missed
the bondage that all of us have by nature. Unless and not until
God opens your eyes to it will you know it. That is the bondage
of sin, verse 34. Jesus answered them, barely,
barely, I say unto you, whosoever commit a sin is the servant of
sin. What do we read in John, John
1.8? If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. That is a bondage that every
son and daughter of Adam is a part of, and they cannot break free
from it, because it is a part of who they are, this flesh. Paul tells us in Romans 7, and
this is talking about a believer, Romans 7, 18. For I know that
in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. Then again in Philippians. three
and three. For we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. I don't want to talk to you about
what I can do or about what you can do. Doing that would be useless
because it cannot set us free. Marcus, strike that. It cannot
make us free, and that's important. Settin' free and makin' free,
it's two different things. What can dead men do? I cannot
break away from that which is a part of me, who I am by nature,
a dead alien sinner against God. I want to talk to you about the
truth this morning, because the truth will make you free, as
Jesus Christ tells us. And as I said, Not set you free,
it's like a transformation. You go from one state to another. So let's talk about our bondage,
the truth, and free indeed. It's quite clear from our passage
what our bondage is. So I'm not going to tell you
anything new here. I'm just going to remind you from scripture
what is told us about our bondage. Those who do not know their bondage
think they are doing things that bring them close to God, or that
they can keep God's law, and that makes them more sanctified,
that is, set apart to God. I know a great many places who
keep the Ten Commandments on their wall, and I think, at least
in the past, they used to have the Ten Commandments in all the
schools. Are the Ten Commandments true?
Yes. Paul actually says that the Ten
Commandments are holy, just, and good. But I am not. I am sold under sin. I'm carnal,
sold under sin. But what are we told in Scripture
in 1 John 3 and 4? Whosoever commit a sin, and all
have sinned, transgresseth also the law. For sin is the transgression
of the law. What have we already read in
John 1.8? If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. So for anyone to say, I keep
God's law, or I have not broken God's law, is to say what? I
have not sinned. I am not in bondage to sin. We are in bondage to no man,
as they say. And what is that? A lie. When we put up an idol on the
wall like the Ten Commandments, we are putting up the indictment
against us, because God tells us we have not kept his law. The law cannot, nor was it ever
meant to make anyone free. God did not send the law to die
for us, because it could not. It was written down on tablets
and also on paper, if you will. Paul says it this way in Romans
7, 6. But now are we delivered from
the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Delivered from the law? The law
had a hold on me in some way? Does it or did it have me in
bondage? I'm just reading to you what
the scripture says. That's what it says right there
in scripture. It says about the law as it relates to our flesh,
that being dead, that is, we were dead and the law held us
there. Are we or were we in bondage
by the law? Yes, because that's all the law
can do, in that it is weak through the flesh. The law cannot redeem,
all that it can do is kill. This flesh cannot and will not
keep God's law, and it was only given to this flesh. Galatians
is clear on this if you want to read that sometime. Paul also
tells us in 1 Timothy, verse 9, 1 Timothy 1 and 9, knowing
this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for
the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners,
for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers,
for manslayers, and it goes on. A righteous man does not do those
things, only those who sin. We have sinned. If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves. I don't want to be deceived,
do you? I don't want to sin, but I do. It is not an excuse. It's just the truth. It's just
me being honest about myself. What can I do? We can do nothing. If we could, we would not be
in bondage. We need to know the truth because
we are told by Jesus Christ himself, the truth shall make you free. So next we have the truth. We read here that Christ specifically,
it says, then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him. Then
we get down to verse 45 and he says, and because I tell you
the truth, ye believe me not. First of all, do you see that
difference? On and believe, just believe me. There were and are
those that believe on Jesus Christ, but they do not believe Jesus
Christ. These are very small words, but
words that make a big difference as it concerns the gospel of
Jesus Christ our Lord. What is it that they do not believe? They do not believe Jesus Christ
is God and what he was sent to do, nor do they believe him about
themselves. What Jesus Christ first started,
what did he first start talking to him about? Him being lifted
up. But he tells them, if ye continue
in my work. Now this can be mimicked, and
it can be mimicked for a long time. It is absolutely true that
they must continue in his word, else it shows they are not one
of his. Christ said so. But then Jesus
Christ tells them and us something here. Continuing in his word
will reveal you the truth. The truth shall make you free.
We know what that truth is, don't we? He's already told us. It is Jesus Christ and him crucified. He had already told him this
and now he's going to get specific. It is him and him alone that
will make you free. Christ tells us this himself.
What does he say? John 14, six. Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto
the father but by me. The sum and substance of the
gospel, the truth of God is salvation is of Jesus Christ and Jesus
Christ alone. It is he that shall make you
free if you are to be free at all. He owes us nothing. It's only if he is pleased to
do so. But this he tells us himself
here in this passage, verses 34 through 36. Jesus answered
them, verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commit a sin is
the servant of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house forever,
but the son abideth forever. If the son, therefore, shall
make you free, ye shall be free indeed. The son shall make you free.
The son is the only one that can make you free. This he did
first of all by being lifted up. And lifted up by the ones
he's talking to at this moment. That is what he said in this
verse, and they just kinda missed it, I think. It says in verse
28, then said Jesus unto them, when ye have lifted up the Son
of Man. Did they lift him up? Yeah, they
sure did. And they were even crying, crucify
him, crucify him. In my flesh, I did the same thing. This flesh still does that. Because
in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. It hates God. But we are
also told that even though men did this as an evil act, and
it was an evil act, but we are told that God ordained this and
he meant it for good. Thank God Almighty for his purpose
of sending the word, the truth to us, so that he might make
us free. You see, if you don't have Christ,
you don't have anything. If you have Christ and something
else, you have too much. If this is you, if this is me,
we are in bondage to sin, Steve. Either we reject Christ outright
or we try to add something to Christ. In either case, the truth
is not in us and we are in bondage. I don't want to be in bondage,
do you? This tells us the Son shall make you free indeed. And I want to know something
of this freeness which is indeed. The word means really, certainly,
or clean. So free indeed. What does it
mean to be free indeed? Well, we have to know something
of this bondage to know a little bit about being made free indeed. It's already been mentioned to
us in this passage, and we're not talking merely about a bondage
to another man or woman. We are in a bondage unto ourselves,
being dead in trespasses and in sin. We are in bondage under
sin. God has given us something in
those, I'm talking about those who are his, that lets us know
we are under this bondage. He gave us his law. And not all
know this. I want to be clear here. The
law is not what brings us to Jesus Christ. God, by grace,
sends us his law to us to cause us to see our bondage. And if that's all we ever see
is our bondage, then this was not done in grace. It's just
what the law tells us. There comes a time, just as it
was with Paul, that we, by the grace of God, start to see what
we are. Let's turn over to Romans 7 for
a minute. Romans 7. Romans 7, I want to read verses
7-12. This is the Apostle to the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul. Starting in
verse 7, Romans 7. What shall we say then? Is the
law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was
dead. For I was alive without the law
once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment which was
ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore, the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good. So what is wrong with the law?
Nothing, if it's used for what it was intended. It slew me,
Paul says. The law kills. The law cannot
give life and it was never intended to give someone life. It's holy,
just and good. What does Paul go on to say there
in Romans in verses 13 and 14? Was then that which is good made
deaf unto me? God forbid, but sin, that it
might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good,
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful, for
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Some, just like these Jews, will
not recognize this. they will say, we are in bondage
to no man. When they are currently right
now in bondage to themselves under the law, dead in sins. No way to get to God, no way
to believe God, and they are not seeking God. But God be thanked. For some, we read the following
in scripture, Galatians 4, 4 and 5. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. The word there for redeem,
there means to rescue from loss. And what loss specifically? I
mean, we lost everything, but what is it that we lost that
is damnation to our soul? We lost communion with God. John
14, 6 says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man cometh to the Father but
by me. There's only one way to God.
There's only one truth about getting to God. There's only
one where life can be found and restored to God. That is Jesus
Christ and him crucified. These Jews here believed on Jesus
Christ, but they had not been freed by Jesus Christ. Therefore,
his word was not in them. They could quickly and easily
be turned away from Jesus Christ. I want to be free indeed. And
listen to me, not free to do whatever I want. We are not free
so that we can do whatever we want. We are free to come to
God and worship him in Jesus Christ. We do this by worshiping
Jesus Christ because he is the way, the truth, and the life,
and no man comes to the Father but by him. To be free indeed
is to be able to worship Jesus Christ. It is to be able to believe
Jesus Christ. I want his word to have a place
in me. He frees us to worship him. We do what we want. We do do
what we want. But by his grace may it be that
the works I do are those good works that he has ordained that
I walk in. If I do it and it gives glory
to God, then God has worked that in me, so I have nothing to boast
in. Because I can find no way in
this flesh to do something God honoring, it cannot be done.
But yet I know I do because he calls me to believe on him. If
I do those good works, it's because he calls me to do those things. It's not enough to believe on
Jesus Christ. The devils believe and tremble.
You must believe Jesus Christ. You must believe the record God
has given of his son. But we cannot do this on our
own. Jesus Christ told some, John 8 24, I said therefore unto
you that ye shall die in your sins, for if you believe not
that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. He who? The Messiah. The one that would
come and be lifted up, being made a curse and sin for us.
Thank God we can say now he has come and been lifted up. and
been made a cursing sin for us. He redeemed the people, and it
was done because he said so. He said, it is finished. I want to worship God, and the
only way I can do this is by and through Jesus Christ. We are told in scripture in Colossians
1, and turn over there with me, Colossians 1. Colossians 1 and verses 25 verse
25 Whereof I am made a minister
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me and
for you to fulfill the word of God, even the mystery which hath
been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his
saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man
and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every
man perfect in Jesus Christ. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Without Jesus Christ, I can do
nothing. No man can do anything. But there
are some who it says, the Son shall make them free. He first
accomplished this freeing on that tree. But he also comes
to us in times dwells in us and working in us to believe Him.
And what a comfort that is. I don't have to count on my believing.
I don't trust in my believing. I just believe Him. I trust Him. He does it all. If doubts assail
me, those doubts that come and sound something like this, do
I really believe? That's me looking to myself.
But God, be thanked by his spirit, he comes to me and then I can
see and hear what he has done and does. And it causes me just
to rest in what he has done. By faith, there is no doubt about
what he has done. He accomplished it. That by the
grace of God, I have no doubt in. And I do believe him by his grace.
We have an example of this in scripture, though, of someone
being made free indeed. And I won't end with this, with
a few remarks, but turn with me to Mark 5. Mark 5. Mark 5 verses 1 through 5. I'm going to just read right
now. And they came over unto the other
side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he
was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs,
a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the
tombs. And no man could blind him, bind
him, No, not with chains, because that he had been often bound
with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder
by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Neither could any
man tame him. And always, night and day, he
was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself
with stones." It says of this man that they
tried to keep putting chains on him. They tried to control
him, they tried to chain him up. It did not work, nor will
it work for any son or daughter of Adam by putting the chains
of the law on him, and that's what this represents here. They
will always break those laws. But we are told where this man
dwelt, amongst the tombs. This one dwelt among the dead,
as we all do by nature. The law cannot tame us because
we love hanging around death. Because we are dead by nature.
What does that say? By looking at this passage. We're
crazy by nature. We are not in our right mind.
Every single one of us are like this, born from Adam. We are
naked by choice, and we have nothing that we can clothe ourself
in the presence of God. How are we to ever escape? Read
on in verses 13 through 15 of Mark 5. And forthwith Jesus gave
them leave, and the unclean spirits went out and entered into the
swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. They were about 2,000 and were
choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled
and toted in the city and in the country, and they went out
to see what it was that was done. and they can't come to Jesus
and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion
sitting and clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid. No one could tame this man, no
matter how many times that they put him in fetters or how many
fetters they put on him, it didn't matter. He could not get himself
out of this situation because the spirits that dwelled in him,
they caused him to dwell among the dead. He was a part of death. But what do we read once Christ
had done this work? Christ has, by his work on that
tree, set some free. For whom did he did this for? for those he did this for. But
as we are born from Adam, we do not know this, and are in
fact crazy. It takes Jesus Christ himself
coming to us to free us, to serve him and to worship him. When
he does, and only when he does this, will I be able to do that.
But we will sit with Jesus, we'll be clothed in his righteousness,
and in our right mind. Believing him about myself meaning
I take sides with God against myself And I believe him and
what he has done. I Believe he saved me because
he did I Don't want to be crazy. I don't want to go crazy. I just
want to believe Jesus Christ. Don't you? May he, by his grace,
through Jesus Christ's crosswork and by his Spirit, come to me
and make me free to worship the Son of God. If the Son, therefore,
shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you for
allowing me to come here to this place, dear Lord. Cause us all, dear Lord, to open
our hearts, mind, soul, our eyes, our ears, dear Lord, just to
take in Everything that's of you, we know very little of the
Lord, but when you allow us to see those things, it gives us
the comfort that nothing else can cause us to, allow us to,
make it possible for us to go wherever the gospel is being
proclaimed to, to hear words of you. All these things we ask
in Christ's name, amen. Thank you all for having. Paul, thank you for being here.
Y'all indulge me for a minute. I know I repeat myself a lot,
but I think frequently when a man stands here and speaks on God's
behalf and. One sinful man. Declaring spiritual
things to other sinful people. I think about what an amazing
thing it must have been to stand there and watch the Red Sea part,
right? I mean, can you imagine watching the Red Sea part? What
a miracle that is. When we're here and observe a
day like today, when one man speaks to other sinners of Christ
and of spiritual things, that's a greater miracle than watching
the Red Sea part. And we're blessed this morning. Thank you, brother.
Okay, Sean. If you would turn in your hymnals
to song number 296 and stand as we sing all the way my savior
leads me. 296 All the way my Savior leads me,
what have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy,
who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest
comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell. For I know what e'er
befall me, Jesus doeth all things well. For I know what e'er befall
me, Jesus doeth all things well. All the way my Savior leads me,
cheers each winding path I tread. Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread. Though my weary steps may falter,
and my soul a thirst may be, gushing from the rock before
me, lo, a spring of joy I see. Gushing from the rock before
me, lo, a spring of joy I see. All the way my Savior leads me,
O the fullness of His love. Perfect rest to me is promised
in my Father's house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day, This my song through endless
ages Jesus led me all the way. This my song through endless
ages, Jesus led me all the way.