It's a good day when you learn
that the religious world around you is giving you one message and telling you what they want
God's word to say. It's something altogether different
to shut out everything and everybody and get alone with God in this
book. It's altogether different when you're able to read out
of it without reading into it. And of course, only the Holy
Spirit can help you to do that. And I'm thankful that he does.
In this chapter, read in our hearing this morning, Paul the
Apostle addresses this church at Thessalonica as being in a
threefold dwelling. He says here in verse 1 that
they're in the city of Thessalonica, it's the church of Thessalonians,
and then secondly they're in God the Father, and thirdly they're
in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a blessed thing to God's
people that wherever we are in this world, that's not the big
thing. but to be in God and in Christ. As Paul said in Colossians 3,
that our life is hid with Christ in God. This particular church
is special to Paul throughout the course of the two epistles,
1st and 2nd Thessalonians. He gives thanks to God for them
five times. Five times he says, so thankful
to God for you. And as he writes to this church,
he makes this emphatic statement in verse four, knowing brethren
beloved your election of God. You say, well, you're not going
to talk about that again, are you? Yeah. Everybody else is talking about
my electing him. I want to talk about what the
Bible talks about. His electing us. And Paul says
to these believers, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election
of God. What a foolish thing to say if
a man didn't know. But Paul is not a foolish man.
He is not just talking to be talking. And he says here knowing,
in all sincerity and seriousness, he makes this statement concerning
this people. Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God. Would you like to know your election
of God? We're going to talk about it.
We're going to talk about it for a little bit. And our subject is this, knowing
your election of God. A lot of people, a lot of preachers
are scared to death of this word election. It's nothing to be
afraid of. It's in the New Testament 23
times, elect, elected, election, 23 times. First, God's Son is his elect. He is that precious stone, elect. And then his people are elect
in Christ. And what this term means is simply
that God chose His people to be His people a long time before
His people chose Him to be their God. It's that simple. That He chose us before we chose
Him. To be specific, Ephesians 1-4
clearly says it. We were chosen in Christ. before
the foundation of the world. An election was held. I kind of don't like election
days in this world. It's just, I don't know. I don't
need to get off on that. Lie, lie, lie, lie, crooked politicians. Everybody's going to do this,
and when it's all done, nobody does anything except the opposite
of what they said. But in eternity, An election
was held. The polls were opened. And there were only three registered
voters. The devil couldn't vote. The fallen angels couldn't vote.
The holy angels couldn't vote. Just three registered voters. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Ghost. The vote was unanimous. There
was perfect agreement and perfect unity in the Godhead. The Holy Trinity purposed to
redeem a definite number of Adam's fallen race, and it was purposed
before Adam's race fell or were even created. And so, since Adam's race was
alienated from God by sin, don't fall out with the Lord for purposing
to redeem some. Apart from election, there'd
be none. Apart from God's choice, there'd be none. If he purposed to redeem all,
he'd redeem all. But those he purposed to redeem,
he did redeem and calls his elect. Why? Because he elected them. Somebody asked Mr. Spurgeon one
time in the 1800s, who was very strong on this doctrine, he was
asked, why don't you just preach to the elect? Well, Spurgeon
said, if I knew, as God knows, who they are, that's exactly
what I'd do. But we don't know. So we're instructed
to preach the gospel to every creature. But God knows, see? Christ did say in Matthew 7,
give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls
before swine. when people scoff at the holy
things of God and these precious pearls. And I'm not talking about
the secular world and those lying in the gutter and those ungodly
crowd out there. I'm talking about the ungodly
religious crowd. When people scoff at holy things
and reject these precious pearls, and insists that God's at our
mercy instead of us at His mercy. They've got a fleshly religion
that's going to bail Him out instead of Him bailing us out. Christ said don't fool with them
lest they take your precious pearls and trample them underfoot
like a hog in the mud and turn again and rend you. I want to
say this morning, God's children love this precious truth that
God chose us because we know in our hearts, had He not chosen
us and sent His Son to die for us and sent His Spirit to convict
us and regenerate us, call us, we never would have chosen Him. Somebody said to me, well, I
believe God knows who will be saved. Well, since He's got to
do the saving, I'd say He does. Somebody else said, I'm glad
I got saved what I did. Like the ball was in their court.
They could have chosen to be saved sooner or waited till later. No, if you're God's child, you
were already born, looking around the maternity
room before you knew anything about
it, and you started crying to the Lord. Dead people don't cry
to the Lord. The regenerating work of God
is first. You see, a baby don't cry to
be born. It cries after it's born. And if you've truly cried out
to God, it's because He has quickened you to life. His work. Now, don't think that
God sends down an angel with a note on a silver platter that
says to you, you're one of the elect. He don't do that. That's
not how Paul knew these people are elected. Then how does he
know? He says he does, knowing, brethren
beloved, verse 4, knowing your election of God. In this entire
chapter, read in our hearing this morning, There are three
things I would call our attention to, things wherein Paul could
say emphatically, I know you're God's children. And the
first one is this, the evidence of their conversion. Is there evidence? Absolutely. Paul mentions some things that
go far beyond walking down the aisle and saying, I accept Jesus. He says some tremendous things
here. In verse 3, he says, remembering
without ceasing. I remember some things about
you folks I can't forget. I keep on remembering. I remember
without ceasing. I've met so many religious folks
in my journey, I don't remember half of them. But there is a few that this
churchgoing business is not just out of habit. And their religion is something
more than a game. There are some who really do
love the Lord. Do you love Him? Paul said, remembering
without ceasing your work of faith. He's not talking about
their religious works. He's talking about the work of
faith in their hearts. Remember there was a crowd in
John chapter 6. asked the Lord Jesus, what shall we do that
we might work the works of God? They were saying what so many
say today. We're doing so much already. What else is there that the Lord
needs done that we can do for Him? And Jesus said to him, this
is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom God hath
sent. Believe. You want to do something
for God? Believe His Son. Believe in Him. Believe His words. And that's
what faith brings God's elect to do, is believe Him. That's the work of faith. Do you believe Him? This is very simple. If you stick
your hand in a flame of fire, You don't believe the truth about
fire. If you ignore the laws of electricity
and go to handling a bunch of live wires at the same time,
you don't believe the laws of electricity. And if you ignore the Word of
God and religion is just a game with you, And the laws of this book are
nothing more to you than any other book and have no effect
on you. You're an unbeliever. Bottom
line, bottom line. But Paul says to these people,
you believe God. It's the work of faith. Not all
men believe God. In the second epistle, 2 Thessalonians
chapter 3 and verse 2, he says that all men have not faith. Uh-oh. The religious world today
don't talk like that. They say everybody's got faith.
And all these big timers, release your faith. You know, apply your
faith. Exercise your faith. No, this
book said, 2 Thessalonians 3.2, that all men have not faith. You can't believe God without
it. Not all men have it. John 10.26,
Christ said to some folks, you believe not, Because you are
not of my sheep. You're not among my elect. That's
why you don't believe. That's why you can't believe.
But these people believe. Your work of faith. Then Paul
said, I remember something else about you. Here in verse three,
your labor of love. when a congregation does not
exhibit love one for another, and when folks are not anxious
to assemble and worship God together in unity, and when this love does not extend
beyond the four walls of the church, there's something wrong. Christ told His Disciples in
the upper room, John 13, by this shall all men know that you're
my disciples. Of course, that don't mean all
without exception. It means all without distinction.
All kind of men will see and know that you're my disciples
if you have love one to another. That's the measuring stick. He
said in 1 John 3, 14, we know that we have passed from death
unto life because we love the brethren. Paul says, I can, I can remember
this so well. I saw it. I sensed it when I
was with you, how you labored together in love and you love
the labor. It's for your Lord. There's no
whining. There's no regret. Our Lord is
worthy. The time is not the issue. The
expense is not the issue. It's in love that you serve Christ.
A lot of things are not profitable,
monetarily speaking, but it's a labor of love. I know my wife,
June, I know some of you other ladies have made quilts in your
time. And I've heard this a few times.
By the time you buy the material, and you buy the padding, and
you buy the trim, and you buy this, and you buy that, and you
buy the thread and all, and then the endless hours of cutting
Putting together and sewing, it's not a profitable thing,
money-wise. It's something you have to love
doing. It's a labor of love. Profit
is not the issue. Selfish reward or self-glory
is not the issue. You do it to give it to someone
you love. And Paul says to this people,
I see you zealous and I see you diligent in doing what you're
doing, a labor of love. You put the Lord's business ahead
of your own. And you do it from your heart.
It's very evident. Paul says then there's something
else I remember about you. Still in verse 3. Your patience
of hope. One time you were without God
and without hope, but not now. You're patient in hope. You don't mope around like a
crowd with no hope. You sorrow not as them which
have no hope. But you have hope. And he says
in verse 5, when I came and preached the gospel to you, it never went
in one ear and out the other. It took a hold in your heart.
And the Holy Ghost made it effectual and powerful in your heart and
life. You didn't walk away. with an attitude of disinterest
and a heart of complacency, a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. It's my choice. Oh, no, you didn't do that. He
says, I saw all kind of evidence that you've been converted by
the effect that the gospel of Jesus Christ has had on you. That's why I'm not afraid to
say I know your election of God. He's saying God has laid hold
on you because no other power would have had this kind of effect.
No other power. Wonder what Paul would say about
you. Wonder what he'd say about me. What effect as the glorious gospel
of Jesus Christ really had on us. And then there's a second thought,
not only the evidence of your conversion, but Paul says, I
see the example of your commitment. Verse 6 he says, and ye became
followers of us and of the Lord. John 10, 27, Christ said, My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Not they might follow Me or they
ought to follow Me, but they follow Me. They follow the shepherd, and
they follow the under-shepherd, the pastor, the God-appointed
preacher. You became followers of us and
of the Lord. Paul says you followed us as
we followed the Lord. And it's not all smooth sailing.
What a religious lie that is. Paul did jail time just about
everywhere he went. Read your New Testament. It's
not all smooth sailing. It's not all partying and picnicking. and praise in one another if
you stay with the truth. There's a lot of uphill, but it's the right way. It's
the right way. Paul says, you so submitted yourselves
first to the Lord, then to me whom the Lord sent. And you've
proved, verse 7, to be in sample or examples. You've been faithful in missionary support. Verse
8, For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in
Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith to
God is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak anything. Oh, your faith has reached out. Your testimony has sounded out the
Word of the Lord. Your dollars have sounded out
the gospel message. You've been faithful. Your example
has been such, verse 9 says, the latter part, it's so notable,
how you turned to God from idols. Note the order of that statement.
Not from idols to God, but to God from idols. It has to be
that order. You don't turn from idols to
God. You don't clean up enough and
then turn to God. You turn to God And He'll do
the cleaning up. They didn't turn from idols to
God, they turned to God from idols. I've had so many people
tell me, I'm coming to church one day, I've just got to get
some things straightened out. I've just got to get my life
straightened out. They ain't made it. They hadn't
made it. You can't turn from idols to
God. You turn to God. from idols. To serve the living
and true God. You don't worship idols. Your
Sundays are not given to idol boats and idol motorcycles and
idol picnicking and idol sightseeing and idol visiting grandma. and
idle, lying in bed. Oh no! Paul says, you guys get
up and go to church and you're thrilled to death about being
there to worship the living God. Your commitment has been a good
example to all who know you. Wouldn't it be good for folk
to say, I'll tell you one thing about him, he won't quit. I'll tell you this much about
her, she won't quit. Come Sunday, I know where he'll
be. Come Sunday, I know where she'll be. You can count on it. Paul says the example of your
commitment, first to the Lord, then to me, makes me bold to
say this. Knowing, brethren, your election
of God. If you weren't God's young'uns,
you wouldn't act like this. You couldn't act like this. But
the way most religious folk I know and you know act, there's not
much evidence. Then he mentions a third thing
in verse 10. Your expectation of Christ's
coming. And to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come. His coming will be such a blessed
time for His people. Those He has delivered from the
wrath to come. and there is a wrath to come
on this God-hating world. The rest of humanity who are
not God's people, it'll be the day of His wrath. He'll separate
His elect from the rest of Adam's race. He said in Matthew 25,
as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. And he'll say
to his own, come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I've been working
on this a long time just for you. But to the rest, he'll say, depart
from me, you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels, or followers, or worshippers. So Paul says to these Thessalonians,
knowing your election of God, why you're waiting in anxious
anticipation for the Lord's coming. It's on your lips. It's in your
heart. The Lord's coming back. How many
people and how often do you hear any reference to that nowadays?
The Lord's coming. He's coming. Well, he's coming. He's coming. Second Peter 1 10, wherefore
the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election
sure. Now he's talking to brethren.
Wherefore the rather brethren. Doubting brethren, but brethren. This is not written to the world.
It's written to the brethren. Elect brethren. Make your calling
and election sure. And Peter is not saying make
it sure to God. He knows. But he's saying Make
it sure to you. It's you that needs to know. Well, how can I know? Well, this
chapter has told us. Is there evidence of your conversion? Is faith functioning in your
heart? Do you really believe God? Is
love laboring in your life? What are we committed to? Is
hope holding on? What about the evidence? Then what about example and commitment? Christ said, my sheep follow
me. He didn't say some of them do and some of them don't. No,
he said, my sheep follow me. Their main job description is to listen to me, watch for
me, look for me, fall in and follow me. My sheep are not looking at all
that's going on around them. They're not listening to every
voice that speaks. He said, she said, they said,
that you ought to do such and such. No, my sheep hear my voice
and they follow me. Is that you? Who he listened to. Let the weather
forecaster mention that word, snow. And in a matter of hours, The
grocery store looks like a cyclone hit it. There'll be no bread. There'll be no milk to be had. And there are so many
folks in churches all over this land that ignores what God says
year after year after year. But let the devil open his mouth. and they get in high gear. Well,
I heard this. There's something wrong with
that. How does God's Word affect you? That's the question. That's
the question. And then, what about the expectation
of Christ's coming? Does this world feel like home Not to me. I'm not anxious to
leave my wife. I'm not anxious to leave my family.
I'm not anxious to leave you, but I'm getting pretty anxious
for the Lord to come and all of this mess end and we leave here together. Your song when I was a child,
my heart was convicted so many times. Some glorious morning,
sorrows will cease. I'm still looking for that. Some glorious morning, all will
be peace. Heartaches all ended, school
days all done. Heaven will open, Jesus will
come. Some golden daybreak, Jesus will
come. Some golden daybreak, battles
all won. He'll shout the victory, break
through the blue. Some golden daybreak for me,
for you. Another old song in the old red
book. I want to love him more. I want to love him more. I want
to love him more. I do. I do. I do. I want to love
him more. I want to love him more. He has
done so much for me. Knowing Brethren beloved, your
election of God. Bless His holy name. Let's stand
together. the old pilgrim traveler, in
all the struggles, troubles, and disappointments of the way, was just close to not being able
to go any further. And his testimony was, I believe
I'll try to make it over that next hill. And after that one, he'd rest
a little while. I believe I'll just try to make
it over that next hill. And you might have heard that
song Christine used to sing over the next hill. We'll be home. So don't give up. Hang in there. Hang on. Let's pray one for another. Love one another. And like the
old king of Nineveh, Who can tell what God will do? He'll do more than we deserve.
I bless you. I promise you that.