The Glory of God's Church

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

The Bible describes God's Church as a glorious, established entity, built upon Christ and designed to bring together His elect from all nations. God's Church is emphasized throughout Scripture as a magnificent establishment, often referred to as Zion. According to Micah 4:1-5, it is exalted above all hills and signifies a permanent dwelling for God's people, where His grace is revealed. The Church's significance originates from its foundation in Jesus Christ, who fulfills all that the Old Testament foreshadowed. This Church, or spiritual kingdom, is a living body made of believers -- the living stones -- united under Christ as the chief cornerstone. The scriptures reveal that God's intent was always for a universal church, encompassing all nations and peoples, thereby displaying the grandeur of His grace.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

The doctrine of election is grounded in Scripture, illustrating God's sovereign choice in salvation, as He gathers His elect from all nations. The truth of the doctrine of election stands firmly on the foundation of Scripture, as seen in passages like Micah 4 and Isaiah 54. God's sovereignty in salvation is affirmed through His promise that many nations will flow into His Church, demonstrating that His chosen people would come from all corners of the earth. The process of salvation reflects God's initiative and grace rather than human merit. For instance, Ephesians 1:4 confirms that believers are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, underpinning the certainty of this doctrine. The election of sinners by God's grace showcases His sovereignty and the grandeur of His redemptive plan.

Q: Why is the concept of a united church important for Christians?

A united church demonstrates the power of the gospel to reconcile believers across different backgrounds, fostering community and mutual support. The importance of a united church lies in its function as a living testimony of Christ's reconciling work through the gospel. Micah 4:2 highlights that many nations will come together, seeking to walk in the paths established by God. This unity is essential as it reflects the nature of the Church as the body of Christ, where diversity in background, culture, and status is transformed into a harmonious community under one Lord. Furthermore, the gospel empowers believers to reach out to others, inviting them to the household of faith, thus expanding the Church's influence. A united church brings hope and exemplifies love, which is vital for the witness to Christ in a divided world.

Q: What is the significance of the phrase 'last days' in the Bible?

The 'last days' signify the gospel age that began with Christ's first coming and extends until His second coming. In biblical prophecy, the term 'last days' refers to the gospel age initiated by the advent of Jesus Christ. This concept is crucial for understanding the timeline of God's redemptive plan. According to Micah 4:1, these last days mark a period when God's Church, His spiritual kingdom, becomes established above all others. The prophets of the Old Testament, including Micah and Isaiah, recognize a time coming that would surpass previous covenants and rituals. It signifies that the final dispensations of God's grace are unfolding, culminating in Christ's return. This age is characterized by the unencumbered access to God through Christ, allowing sinners to draw near by faith during this privileged time of grace.

God's Church, the glory of God's Church. Our text will be Micah chapter
4, verses 1 through 5. David saying concerning God's
Church, thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the
time to favor her, yea, the set time has come. Then he's saying,
when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his
glory. There is a set time to favor
God's church. And when the Lord builds his
church, he appears in his glory. The Lord God, as he favors his
church, with his grace, gathering his elect from the four corners
of the earth, saving them by his grace, reveals the glory
of his grace in Jesus Christ, our Lord. And let's look together
at what Micah tells us about this set time in which God Almighty
favors his church. Micah chapter four, verse one. But in the last days, it shall
come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall
be established in the top of the mountains. That is, this
mountain shall be fixed above all mountains, this mountain
exalted above all hills, and it shall be exalted above the
hills, and people shall flow unto it. Verse two, and many
nations shall come and say, come, Let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will
teach us of his ways. And we will walk in his paths,
for the law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many
people and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But they
shall set every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
and none shall make them afraid. For the mouth of the Lord of
hosts has spoken it. For all people will walk everyone
in the name of his God. And we will walk in the name
of the Lord our God forever and ever. Now this prophecy concerning
the glory of God's church is so important. so significant
that it is given to us in almost exactly the same words by God's
prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 2 verses 1 through 5. I encourage
you to read the two together. It's almost exactly the same
words used by Isaiah. John Newton wrote a hymn, perhaps
among his very best, if not his best hymns. He wrote concerning
this great glory of God's church. Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God. He whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode. On the rock of ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose? With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may smile at all thy foes. God's glory The glory of God
in the saving of his people, the glory of God in redemption
and grace is revealed in the people he saves, in the church
he has wed to himself, the people married to Jesus Christ by his
grace. Our text is a prophecy of this
gospel age in which we now live. of the great glory, excellence,
and benefit of the gospel church, which is Zion, the spiritual
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I remind you again of how
you understand the scriptures when you come to read about these
last days. Whenever you read in the Old
Testament about the last days or the latter days, Understand,
the prophets are talking about this gospel age in which we live. I stress this over and over and
over again because I know that our minds are permeated with
the dispensational premillennial nonsense that's promoted everywhere
amongst folks with regard to prophecy. And every time something
happens in Israel, this is it, this is it. Every time there's
some change in power, watch out, this is it. Nothing of the kind
is found in this book. Nothing of the kind. The last
days began with the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, first
advent. He is coming into this world.
And these last days continue until the second coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ. And there are no signs of his
coming for which we are to look. were to look continually for
Christ himself, living continually on the tiptoe of faith, looking
for Christ to come. These last days began with the
coming of our Lord Jesus and the complete dissolution of Judaism
and the Mosaic economy. When Christ came and fulfilled
all that the prophets said concerning the Messiah, when he had put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. When he cried, it's
finished, and the veil in the temple rent from top to bottom,
and God opened up the way into the holy place. Symbolically,
he opened up the way into the holy place literally, so that
now by the blood of Christ, we who are far off from God may
draw nigh with full assurance of faith, believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus came and destroyed
everything of the typical, symbolic, mosaic age forever. Be sure you get what I'm saying.
He destroyed everything of that typical, symbolic, legal, mosaic
age forever. He did away with the priesthood,
never to go back to it. He destroyed the temple, never
to go back to it. He destroyed all the ceremonies
of the law, fulfilling them, never to go back to them. He
fulfilled all the commandments of the law, satisfying the law,
and thereby brought an end to the law, never going back to
it. All carnal worship was done away, and we worship God in spirit
and in truth. God hath in these last days spoken
to us by his Son, whom hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds. There is no future day of grace
to come, no future tribulation period in which folks are going
to get a second chance to come to God. No millennial age in
which God's going to set up a kingdom in Palestine, in which men by
their works may return through Jewish worship to God Almighty.
There is no day of grace but this day. This is the last day. In these last days, God builds
his church and his kingdom. Now notice Micah's prophecy here
begins with this word, but. But in the last days. But in the last days. He's drawing
our attention to a stark contrast. A stark contrast. Chapter three
concludes with Zion, God's church, as a plowed field. With Jerusalem,
the city of God, in heaps. With the mountain of the Lord
as a dark, dark forest in some idolatrous place. But the Lord
God promised to visit his people in the latter day. He promises
that in these last days, he will build again Zion, build again
his church, and he will make it more glorious than you ever
imagined during the days of the Old Testament prophets. So that
the children of Israel were continually told, continually told there's
a day coming that exceeds this day. There's a house of God coming
that exceeds this material temple or that material tabernacle.
It is the church, the temple of the living God, which God's
people make up from all the four corners of the earth. Turn back
to Isaiah chapter 54. Isaiah chapter 54. Hold your
hands here, Michael, just turn back to Isaiah 54. This is the
result of Christ's finished work. This is the result of Christ's
accomplished redemption. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
Here the Lord God speaks of that which is the sure result of Christ's
finished work. God's got a people whom he will
save in the four corners of the earth. Look at verse 1, Isaiah
54. Sing, O barren. He's talking
now to his church among the Gentiles. Sing, O barren, thou that didst
not bear. Break forth into singing and
cry aloud, thou that didst not prevail with child. Now watch
this. For more are the children of
the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the
Lord. Now watch what he tells us to
do. Watch what he tells us. Brother Larry's with us tonight.
This this is God's Word to Larry Chris and Fairmont Grace Church,
Silicon Silicon, Alabama This is God's Word to Don Fortner
and Grace Church in Danville, Kentucky. Listen now Enlarge
the place of your tent Add on to the house. You don't have
enough room Enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch
forth the curtains of thine inheritance. Spare not, lengthen thy cords. Don't stop anywhere and strengthen
thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on
the right hand and on the left and thy seed shall inherit the
Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Now don't
be afraid. For thou shalt not be ashamed,
neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame,
for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember
the reproach of thy widowhood anymore. For thy maker is thine
husband, the Lord of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the
Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth, shall he be
called. All right, now let's look at
the glorious distinctives given of God's church in Micah's prophecy.
Micah chapter four. In these five verses, Micah shows
us the great glory of God's church in this gospel age, his spiritual
kingdom, the glory of Zion by pointing out seven things which
characterize God's church. Seven distinctives of God's church. Here's the first one. It is an
established church. As I told you a moment ago, in
the Old Testament, everything was temporal, and God showed
it to be temporal in every ordinance given. The tabernacle was a temporary
dwelling place to be put up and taken down easily, to be put
up and carried through the wilderness easily, a temporary dwelling
place. And the children of Israel wanted
a permanent place, so God permitted them to build a temple. And the
temple was itself a temporary structure. And the Lord Jesus,
when he came, said, this temple, not one stone shall be left. Not one stone left upon another.
I'm going to destroy this temple. And he's talking there about
that material temple. He's going to destroy that temple
with the coming of Titus in 70 AD. Everything about it was temporary. With regard to the things of
God in this gospel age, everything is permanent. Everything is established. The church of God in this age
is God's established house. It's an established church. The
mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in
the top of the mountains. What does that mean? Well, the
church is God's house. Paul writes to Timothy and tells
him, I'm writing to you so that you'll know how to behave in
the house of God, the house of God. You men and women have your houses,
your homes. I have a very good many friends
who spend their lives in construction business. One of the earliest
I met said to me, he said, four walls a home will never make. You can't build a house. You
can't build a home out of brick and mortar. A home is built with
people. It's built with a man and a woman
and children and love and struggle, welding them together. I have
a household. I have a household. It's broader
than it used to be and smaller than it used to be. Shelby and
I live together by ourselves over here. And the house we live
in, the structure we live in, is not the household. It's not
the household. The household is the lives welded
together in God's good providence, melted together in the experience
of life together. The household includes the son-in-law
and the daughter and the grandchildren and any others God may add to
it. But the household is that which is living. Understand this,
God's people are God's household. The house of God, God dwells
with us. There is a distinct way. I can't
begin to explain it mysterious and glorious and distinct in
which as we come together in the house of God as the house
of God God comes with us Where two or three are gathered together
in my name there am I in the midst of them? I've said this
to you many times and I want you to understand it. I try to
I Sunday morning, stand out there on the front and greet you folks
as you come in. Not just because I want to greet
folks. That's what I thought I ought
to do. I've never been one to do just what I thought I ought
to do. But I do so because I keep praying that as you come, our
God and savior made by his spirit come with you and come with me
in his house and speak by his word. This is God's house. Not only is it true concerning
the local church, and certainly concerning the local church,
it is true concerning the whole body of God's elect. God's church,
God's family is God's people. The materials of this house are
living stones, true believers built upon Christ Jesus, the
foundation. Turn over to Ephesians chapter
2. Let me show you. Ephesians 2. Verse 19. Therefore, you're no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints of the household of God and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth into an holy temple in the Lord. in whom you also are
building together for an habitation of God through the spirit. The
church of God, his house built of living stones so that we are
brought together, not just with our names on a piece of paper,
not with just our names registered on a church roll book, but brought
together, James Jordan, our lives melted together. Our lives joined together in
Christ Jesus, the Lord, so that we're really part of one another. God's people are living stones,
fitly framed together by God's grace. And the only door of entrance
into this house is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He said, I'm the door. The only way you come in is coming
in through him. and believing on him, so that
except to man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. Can't see it. Brother Allen read
1 Corinthians chapter 2. It's a little good. That's just
what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 2. To a person born again, you
can't see the kingdom of God. You have no apprehension, no
understanding, no knowledge of anything spiritual. You can't
see the kingdom of God. You can't see it. No point in
talking to a blind man about things he can't see. No point
in arguing with a blind man about things he can't perceive. Except
you're born again. You cannot see the kingdom of
God and except you be born again. You can't enter the kingdom of
God Those who are born again See clearly and they enter in
by Christ Jesus the Lord the kingdom of Christ the gospel
of this kingdom is openly preached and professed the Church of God
is established were told here in Micah and Established, prepared,
and fixed in the top of the mountains in clear view. In clear view. I could spend
a little time here, but I'll just speak what I've got to say
so clearly and dogmatically you can't misunderstand me. Nothing about this church and
kingdom is secret. We don't have secret doctrines.
It's not a secret society with secret codes and secret passwords,
keywords, which we speak to folks in code. Oh, no, no, no. It's a city set on a hill for
everybody to see. It's a light held out for everybody
to see. This thing's established in the
tops of the hills. We come and proclaim the gospel
of God's free grace in Jesus Christ with no ambiguity, with
absolute clarity so that folks can't possibly misunderstand
or mistake what's being said. I'm sick to death of hearing
fellows preach and talk about believing the gospel and preach so as to deliberately,
cleverly hide what they say. for men lest they offend folks
by the word. I had a preacher say to me one
time when I was just a young man, hey, Brother Don, you can
preach these things in such a way folks don't know what you're
talking about. Can you imagine that? You can preach them in
such a way folks don't know what you're saying. Why bother? Why bother? I want you to understand
everything God reveals in his word about himself and about
you and about his salvation and grace in Christ Jesus. Our Lord
Jesus tells us that that which he did wasn't done in a corner.
The apostles said that which we preached wasn't preached in
a corner. We did these things openly. That which was everywhere
spoken against in the days of the apostles had to have been
everywhere spoken of or it would not have been spoken against.
The message we preach, the banner we lift up, the standard we have
is to be held high. It's not something to be hid.
Let the world hear and let the world know. Let every man hear
and understand the things clearly revealed to us by our God. He
tells us go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. Tell everybody you can about
Christ and his salvation. Michael is also telling us that
the church and kingdom of God is firmly fixed, immovable, sure. The gates of hell will never
prevail against it. It's built upon the rock Christ
Jesus and built by Christ himself. And Micah here declares that
the church and kingdom of God shall be exalted above all the
hills of the earth. Exalted above all that men set
up in competition against it. Exalted above Mount Sinai and
the earth of Jerusalem. Exalted above the religion of
Antichrist and all false doctrine. Exalted above heaven itself. Exalted in the esteem of chosen
redeemed sinners. And then Micah tells us something
else about this church. He tells us that it's a universal
church. A universal church. This church
is established and it's universal. Now there's much talk about the
Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church. Do you know there's no such thing? There is no such thing. You were
raised in the Roman Catholic Church. It ain't no such thing.
The word Catholic means universal. It's not universal. It's not
universal. It does not include all nations.
It does not include all peoples. No, there's only one Catholic
Church only one Universal Church, and that's the Church of Jesus
Christ our Redeemer His church takes in all nations in all ages
at all times His church is universal does that mean that it takes
in all people of course not now I know that In this part of the country,
we've got a lot of big B Baptists. They're landmark fellows. They
think they're the only ones going to get in. You've got to be in
the right church and have the right baptism. They think the
rest of us are going to polish spit tunes while they spit. But
the fact is, they can't refute the doctrine. They'll say, well,
you folks, Fortner believes in a universal church. He believes
all the churches go together and make up one church. You never
heard anything like that out of my mouth. Oh, no. No, no. What we do believe is that all
God's elect make up one church. And all God's elect extend from
the garden from the fall when God called and revealed himself
to Adam and Eve to the very last of God's elect called in time.
So that God's church is this universal body of believers.
And it was always the intent of our savior, always the intent
of our God, that his church be made up of Jew and Gentile. Never
his intent to be made up of Jews only And Isaiah's prophecy speaking
of this he says all Nations shall flow into it Micah says many
nations. Oh What a contradiction? No,
not a contradiction at all. I believe That all is at least
many Wouldn't you All certainly would
be many. Many may not be all, but all
would be many. But frequently in scriptures,
many are used to represent all, and all is used to represent
many. And here, that's the case. All
nations, all nations, men and women of every nation in the
earth, chosen of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ, who must be
called. Our Savior said, before the end,
this gospel shall be preached among all nations. He will gather his elect from
all nations. You see, God has ordained not
only the salvation of chosen sinners, by the blood of Christ,
he's chosen also to save his people by the method of gospel
preaching. He's committed to our trust the
gospel of his grace. He tells us to go preach this
gospel. And he says, before time shall be no more,
this gospel that you hear, This gospel that was preached by that
little band of disciples while our Lord walked on this earth.
And a few folks here gathered in that upper room, what was
it, 120 of them? And then among other folks scattered
here and there, Paul and Barnabas going out preaching the gospel
to people in their homes. Imagine that. Paul the apostle. Take his companion, Barnabas,
and go preach in Bill Rollins' front room. Imagine that. Well,
why would you do that? Because that's the place where
God opened the door. Because that's the place where somebody
wanted to hear it. And from there, the gospel goes on into all the
world. And God Almighty will, by one
means or another, see to it that this gospel is preached everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. Oh, how
we ought to thank him for the privilege of carrying his word
anywhere. Anywhere. Our Lord Jesus came
to the tomb of Lazarus. He's about to raise a dead man
who'd been dead for four days. About to raise him from the dead.
And nobody there could raise Lazarus from the dead. And unlike
the folks in our day, they all knew it. They weren't fooled
to think somebody else could raise him from the dead. But
the Lord Jesus, God's darling son, came and the folks following
him knew that he's God and he could raise him from the dead.
And the master said to him, take away the stone. Why do you reckon
he did that? If he could raise Lazarus from
the dead, he could surely move that rock. Yeah, but I can move the rock. Oh, what a privilege to roll away the stone and hear
the master call, Lazarus, come forth. Oh, that's our privilege. We roll away the stone from before
the graves of chosen sinners in the preaching of the gospel
and watch the masterwork. This gospel is preached among
all nations and God gathers his elect out of all nations. And
in God's church and family, in his kingdom, there's neither
Greek nor Jew. Circumcision or uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all and in
all. The door to God's church is opened
on. All who will enter in, enter
in on the same grounds. Sinners in need of mercy. All who enter in by Christ Jesus,
the door. are equal before God. And all
who enter in are brothers and sisters in Christ. One body in
Christ Jesus. Doesn't matter what color your
skin is. Doesn't matter how much you know or don't know. Doesn't
matter how educated you are or uneducated you are. Doesn't matter
whether you're a man or a woman. Doesn't matter whether you're
a boy or a girl. Doesn't matter whether you're from or the bad
side of the tracks or the good side of the tracks. Doesn't matter
whether you come from poor folks or rich folks. Doesn't matter. All born of God are one family
of God. One family of God. Joined together
in Christ Jesus the Lord. Now watch this. People shall
flow unto it. Flow. Nobody coerced. Nobody forced
against their will. Nobody compelled. Nobody tricked. But rather, flowing by the tide
of the river of grace, running from the throne of God, they
flow into this house, gladly and delightfully made willing
in the day of God's power. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. We come to our blessed great
savior willingly with glad hearts because made willing by his grace. Here's the third glory of God's
church. It's a united church. Look at
verse two, Micah four. Many nations shall come and say,
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house
of the God of Jacob. He will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths. For the law shall go forth of
Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Here's evangelism at its best. Get your attention, I want you
to hear this. Here's evangelism at its best, at its best. Rather than wasting your time
arguing with folks on those stupid internet sites about religion,
Rather than wasting your time arguing with people about religion,
rather than wasting your time, and I mean wasting your time,
wasting your time, at the very best, wasting your time, arguing
with folks about whether the election's true or not, predestination's
true or not. What about this verse? What about
that verse? Don't you have any idea how that lowers the standard
of this book? Rather than wasting your time,
any time you can get somebody's ear, Try this. Come, let us go
to the house of God. You interested? I know where
you can find out something. You interested? I know where
you can hear. You're hungry? I know where there's
some good food. Come, let us go to the house
of our God. Not you go and I'll meet you
there. Come, let us go. I'll go with you to the house
of God. And here's the object. He will
teach us of his ways. Yes, God himself will be our
teacher. He will open his word, and by
the mouth of a man, he will teach us his ways of grace and his
ways of providence and his ways of obedience. He will teach us
of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. Lord, show me your way, and I'll
walk in it. We don't dare say that. David
did. Why can't I? David did. Why don't you? I wouldn't
dare be so presumptuous. That's not presumptuous. That's
confident faith. God, you teach me. and I'll walk
in your ways. You draw me and we'll run after
you. You call and we'll follow. Without
you calling, we can't follow. Without you drawing, we can't
run. Without you teaching, we can't walk in your ways. And then Micah describes that
which is the weapon, the great, great weapon of God's church,
distinctive from all others. It is not the sword as with the
Islamist, the Muslims. Now, I know folks get upset with
this, and I tend to upset them. Folks think it's not politically
correct, and it's intentionally not politically correct. Islam
is terrorism. Did you get that? It's not some
are. Islam is terrorism. That's like saying some Baptist
duck for baptism. If you're Baptist, you bury folks
in water. Islam is terrorism. God's church isn't. Well, I know
churches that practice torture and persecution. I know. Throughout
history, you find them. Not God's church. Not God's church.
We don't get anything done by the sword or a tip or even by
the ballot box. You folks remember when the moral
majority came along, it was the forerunner of today's Tea Party. And I don't get real excited
about religious politics. But don't you think we ought
to vote conservative folks by all means. But I'm not going
to join up with anybody in the name of their God and do anything.
Nobody. Nobody, I don't care who they
are. I'm not joining up with them and urge you not to. Politics
and the ballot box will not increase God's kingdom. Won't happen.
Our weapons of warfare, not history, the creed, scholasticism, learning. Well, what is it? Look at verse
three. The law shall go forth of Zion
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Back in Joel chapter 3, Joel
tells us to do just exactly the opposite of what Micah, we're
going to look at Micah here in just a moment, tells us to do.
Micah says beat your plowshares, or beat your swords into plowshares
and your spears into pruning hooks. Micah says beat your plowshares
into swords and your pruning hooks into spears, or Joel does,
Joel chapter 3. You see, there is a sense in
which this blessed gospel of peace is the weapon of our warfare
by which we bring every imagination of the mind of man in captivity
to Jesus Christ the Lord. The gospel is the power of God
to salvation. The gospel by God the spirit
speaking to your heart by his word gives life and faith in
Christ and gives you direction and compels you to walk in his
way. And then Micah tells us that
Christ is our head. He shall judge among many people
and rebuke strong nations afar off. Christ our head is head
over all things, Paul says, Ephesians chapter 1, to the church. He's
the head over all things, but he's our head. He's everybody's
master, but he's our master. He's ruler over all, but he's
our king, and he does everything for his church. so that he rules
over all the nations of the earth to give eternal life to as many
as the Lord God's given him in wisdom and justice. Our Lord
Jesus rules the affairs of this world for his church. He rebukes
and restrains everything and everyone that opposes his kingdom.
And by his spirit, he makes his enemies his servants, converting
them by his grace. Now look at Michael chapter 4
verses 3 and 4 and learn this. God's church is a church of peace. And they shall beat their swords
into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall
not lift up sword against nation, neither Shall they learn war
anymore? What? Micah, what? What are you talking about? What
kind of imagery is that? This is not some dreamy-eyed
prophecy of some utopian millennial age. Micah is talking about that
which is experienced right here, right now in the kingdom of God. The gospel of Christ makes peace
and slays enmity. Back 32, 33 years ago, I was
asked by a fellow I went to school with to come down and preach
for him, north of Winston-Salem. He had pastored this little church
since we were in college. I hadn't seen Heard from Ben
Ballantyne since I got out of college hadn't seen or heard
from and you know how many times I've seen or heard from him since
I was down there Not again. I've tried contacting me in vain
not seen him or heard from him again, but he asked me to come
down preach for him and I had some liberty to preach and I
ran across the fella in there. I couldn't believe it Couldn't
believe it fella named Charlie Kiger Charlie was in the church I used to work for Charlie, and
he hated everything about me. He hated everything about me.
Every time he'd get a chance, he'd give me a tough time. We
sold shoes together. He was store manager. He belittled
and poked fun and belittled and poked fun, and I wasn't real
nice to him. I'd get upset with him at times.
I wasn't quite as mature as I am now. I didn't know you couldn't
Flatten the fella, but I probably would have if he hadn't been
my boss. And then Charlie and I met up in the house of God. And you wouldn't believe how
things changed. Well, you'd have thought we were two best friends
ever walked around together. What happened? We'd been brought
to know one redeemer, one salvation, One blessed grace. And that buries
hatchets. That causes men not only to be
willing to get along, but to do what they have to to get along.
Michael says, beat your swords into plowshares. Beat your spears
into pruning hooks. Whatever it takes to get along
with God's people, you do it. You do it. I've got my pride. Time to lose it. Time to lose it. There's no reason.
No reason. There's no reason. There's no
reason for believers not to get along. There's no reason. And every reason why we should. The gospel of Christ reconciles
those who are natural enemies. I went down to Cherokee, North
Carolina, where Brother Tim James is pastor. Every year they had
their conference for 28 years, I went down and preached to them.
If there's any group of people in the world who have reason
to hate white men, it's Cherokee Indians. We've just about wiped
them out. We've just about wiped them out.
And y'all got some dear friends down there. Dear friends, eating
their homes. Sit down and talk with them,
just like I do with you. Dear friends, stay with them,
just like I stay with you. Oh, you wouldn't do that. They
wouldn't have you. Yeah. Not just had me, they want me.
How come? We're brethren. We're one in
Christ. The gospel of Christ makes men
peaceable. It softens their hearts. It sweetens
their spirits. Savior teaches his people to
love one another. And God's church is a confident
church. Look at this. Verse four, but
they shall sit every man under his vine. Sit. Sit. Bob, that's about as peaceful
a position as you get in. What you doing? Sitting here sipping
lemonade? Just sit. They'll sit under his
vine and under his fig. And none shall make them afraid. Oh, God, teach me so to sit,
resting in my Redeemer, that none make me afraid. Nothing causes alarm. Nothing
brings fear. Read on. None shall make them
afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.
What's that mean? The mouth of the Lord has said
nothing shall make them afraid. Maybe. Whatever it is that makes
other men afraid, God spoke it, so why should I be afraid? He
does everything for me. For all people, We'll walk everyone
in the name of his God. Everybody does. Everybody does. Watch them. Go to the hospital. Go to the funeral home. Watch
them. They all walk in the name of their God. And they act like
it. They act like it. Act like it. We We'll walk in the name of
the triune Jehovah, our God, forever and ever. We'll walk
like folks who believe God. We'll walk like folks who trust
God. We'll walk like folks whose God
is God. We'll walk like folks who have
confidence in God. Most of you are totally unaware
of this. The day of our daughter's wedding, the lady we had hired
to, the florist we had hired to take care of the flowers messed
everything up. I mean, messed everything up.
She was late, she didn't get the right flowers. Faith's bouquet
looked like you got it at Woolworth's dime store. If you don't know
what Woolworth's is, you're just too young. It looked like you
got it at Woolworth's. And my sister took care of that. She had a nice big bouquet and
all that. But Faith, it just got to her,
and she started to bawl. Oh, she started to bawl. She
was so upset. And I pulled her aside, and I
said, Faith, honey, I've raised you better than this. Flowers
don't make any difference. Now, dry up and act like you
know what I've taught you. And she did, took care of it. God give me grace to walk in
this world like one who walks in the name of him who is God
with peace and confidence. Glorious things of thee are spoken. Zion, city of our God. whose word cannot be broken,
formed you for his own abode. Amen.

The Glory of God's Church

What does the Bible say about God's Church?

How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

Why is the concept of a united church important for Christians?

What is the significance of the phrase 'last days' in the Bible?

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The Glory of God's Church

What does the Bible say about God's Church?

How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

Why is the concept of a united church important for Christians?

What is the significance of the phrase 'last days' in the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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