And we're turning this morning
to the book of Psalms as our reading passage, Psalm
115. We'll be looking this morning
at some truths that are found all
over the scriptures that in all honesty cannot be argued against
with any degree of truth whatsoever. And I thought this Psalm might
serve as a good passage to lead us into that study. Psalm 115
verse one. Not unto us. Not unto us. Oh
Lord, not unto us. but unto your name give glory
for your mercy and for your truth's sake. Not only for mercy's sake,
but for truth's sake. Until we find out who God is,
Our God can bend rules and change His mind and do just, you know,
all kinds of things that people do every day. But that's not
so. God is unchangeable and unchanging. He cannot know improvement. Either He's God now and loses
His Godhead if He changes, or he's not God now and he becomes
so when he makes certain changes. That makes no sense whatsoever. It's like pure idiocy. It just cannot be calculated
in the mind that this can be anything to be said of God. God
is who he declares himself to be. So the psalmist raises this
question and is struggling with this issue in the bringing before
us of the first verse. Why should the heathen, the unbelieving, say where is
now their God? Perhaps trouble has come, some
great trial, some tragedy. Why should the unbelieving say,
where is now their God? Because in the unbeliever's sight,
if God does not protect his people from these undesirable things,
then he can't be God in their view. And the believer responds
with this declaration in verse three. Some of you know something about
this statement in personal experience. But our God, our God is in the
heavens. What does he do in the heavens?
He has done whatsoever he is pleased. Well, when does he behave like
this? All the time. He ever has been and ever will
be the God that does whatsoever
He has pleased. And then a big contrast in verse
4. I presume, and it may only be
presumption, that this has something to do with the question that
was asked in verse 2. that it is the idolaters of the
psalmist's day who are asking that question, where is now their
God? And I suppose it's easy to account
for because whoever worships an idol worships a God that ain't
no God at all. He couldn't help you if you had
a million of them. It just cannot do anything for
you. And here we read these words
concerning these idols. So when they see the true God
of heaven and earth, Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
men cannot fathom a God with such attributes. It cannot be. The God that I believe in, We're
all born believing in, is the God who needs my help. So here it is, verse four. Their idols are silver and gold. Now I presume the psalmist is
talking about they made them out of silver and gold, but you
may also in our generation at least, Take this to mean that
people make an idol out of money. Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. You mean a human being is so blind and so
dumb and so stupid. that he takes these precious
medals to somebody that is in that trade, a goldsmith, whatever
you call them, and has these idols fashioned for them. They
pay the guy to do this for them. They pick them up and go put
them in their house of worship and begin to worship this idol. Now, I know we're more subtle. better educated and all this
stuff. When it comes to God, if you don't know this, you should
by now. If you don't know this, you're
in poor shape. And that is that this world,
as far as God is concerned, is blinder than it's ever been before. We haven't improved. Oh, we have
in so many areas, but not in this one. You look at the woes
of our country and you can trace its cause to the pulpits of this
land. Men and women here of a God who
is not God, and they lived jolly well any way they please because
they have no fear of today's God. So let's read about these idols,
verse five. They have mouths, but they speak
not. Eyes have they, but they see
not. They have ears, but they hear
not. Noses have they, but they smell
not. They have hands, but they handle
not. feet have they, but they walk
not, neither speak they through their throat. They that make
them are like them, like unto them. So is everyone that trust
in them. Oh, Israel, trust you in the
Lord. He is their help and their shield. Verse 10, O house of Aaron, trust
in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. You that fear the Lord, trust
in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. The Lord has been mindful of
us. He will bless us. He will bless
the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear
the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall increase you more
and more, you and your children. You are blessed of the Lord,
which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens
are the Lord's. but the earth has he given to
the children of men. The dead praise not the Lord,
neither any that go down into silence, but we will bless the
Lord from this time forth and for how long? Forevermore, praise
the Lord. Now, lest you miss the significance
of this, every human being who's ever
been born is born an idolater. Yep. And the only way that can change is for God to regenerate us from
our spiritually dead and lost condition. So I want to talk to you about
that subject in just a bit. Now let's take our Bibles and
take a look at this glorious and wonderful truths
concerning our God that are found in so many places in our Bibles. I think the first place we'll
need to be this morning is Romans chapter nine. So if you'd kindly
turn to that part of your Bible if you're going to follow with
us. And if you're not, it's all right. We'll talk about you when you're
not here, but it'll be all right. Romans chapter 9. Every little while we have to
come back to some things that need to be stated as plainly
as the Lord will give us language to do so. The first of these
glorious truths in this present world in which
we live Truth that is so hated by the natural man, particularly
the natural, unborn-again religious man, is that God is absolutely
sovereign in all things, and if He isn't, then He can be sovereign
in nothing, not even one thing. Do you understand? that sovereignty requires it
all or nothing. There is nothing in between. And the scriptures are so explicit. I mean, in every part of our
Bible. I'm constantly amazed, particularly
as we have our Bible class on Sunday morning, and you can find
it in Jeremiah, you can find it in the Song of Solomon, Whatever,
I forget where Doug is at the moment, but it's everywhere. It's everywhere. Now, just two
little verses of scripture in Romans chapter nine should be
sufficient to testify and settle the matter, now listen carefully,
in the mind of any truly honest person. And those are the people
who've been made honest by the power of God's saving grace.
You cannot be honest in, I'm talking about, you can be honest
with your neighbor, with the store, with whatever you do in
business. You can make it a principle and
not cheat a person out of one single coin, not even a penny. But when it comes to the truth
of God. We have no such control of ourselves. Therefore, when
we hear this glorious sovereignty that belongs to God in all things,
in creation, in providence, but most especially in salvation,
in grace. All right, Romans chapter nine,
two verses, 15 and 16. Now, it'd be nice to read the
whole chapter or at least a portion of it, but if we're going to
get through these six things, we'll have to be more sparing
in the amount of Scripture that we can consider. All right, verse
15, Romans chapter 9. Is God sovereign or is He not?
That's the only alternatives, one or the other. For God said
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Now, is that true or ain't it?
That's the question. If that statement is true, God
is universally sovereign. And he goes on to say, and I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. It doesn't say on whomever is
willing. No, the willingness is talking about God's willingness. Verse 16, so then, those words
mean that this is what we are to conclude from what we've just
read as well as what has already preceded in other verses. Verse
16, so then, It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs,
but of God that shows mercy. So salvation, and by the way,
the word it in that verse is talking about salvation. Salvation
is not tied to the human will. Oh no. It's tied to the divine
will. So then it is not of him that
wills nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy,
mercy, mercy, mercy. The second despised truth that
by nature men cannot endure. If you'd kindly turn to Ephesians
chapter 2, just over to your right, just a short distance. Let's see, it's what, Ephesians
and, oh, Galatians, Ephesians, and
then that'll be where we need to be. Ephesians chapter 2, chapter
2. Here's the second truth that
is so difficult to all men by nature to accept. We hate this
as much as we do sovereignty. And this is even more personal.
This is talking about us. Sovereignty is speaking about
God. Man is completely fallen and totally depraved in Adam. That renders every man and woman
who is born on this globe, renders every one of us dead in trespasses
and in sins. And if that is not so, then there
is no such thing as sin. Either that is true or the Bible
is completely wrong. And I mean in dozens of instances. I don't mean just one text or
one verse. But here's the issue when it
comes to Scripture. If it's wrong in one place, it
may as well be wrong in all of them. You can't trust it, can you,
if it's not correct? If it's not accurate, this book
is true all the way through or it doesn't matter. It's, it's gone. It's gone. Do you, do you see what I mean? Why it has to be, it's the whole
book or no book. All right. Ephesians chapter
two. Here's total depravity. Now, Paul is writing these words
to the believers in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor. So,
in a special sense, these statements refer only to them. But in a
general sense, they refer to all of us, especially to all
believers. Okay, you has he, God, quickened,
that is, made spiritually alive. Who are these people that God
is said to have quickened? Without exception, they are all
said to be persons, I read it carefully, who were dead, who
were dead, in trespasses and sin. I mean not half dead. I don't mean sick or injured. I mean dead. Dead. Physically alive and spiritually
dead. That deadness is described for
us in a couple of three verses here that are especially important. Wherein in times past you walked
according to the course of this world. This is what it means
to be spiritually dead. To walk according to the course
of this world. Secondly, according to the prince
of the power of the air. I mean the devil. Well, preacher,
I'll have you to know I was a very moral person all of my life.
Hey, the devil loves moral people as long as they don't find Christ. He doesn't care what your religion
is as long as he can keep you from Christ. This description continues, walking
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now, that is, still
works in the children of disobedience, among whom, verse 3, please look
at it if you have it open, among whom also we all had our conversation,
our manner of life in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, just like everybody else, even as others."
And then this glorious statement, but God, who is rich in mercy,
For his great love wherewith he loved us. God saves us in
Christ, regenerates us in Christ, but it all begins with that little,
I guess it's still called a conjunction, the word, but the beginning word
in verse four. Somebody said it means God buts
in. Uninvited and unasked for. Because if he doesn't, we ain't
never going to ask him. Okay, I've got a question for
you. Not just do we believe in total
depravity, but do we believe that we are totally depraved
in ourselves and only God in the infinite power of his grace
can deliver us from such a state. This is the glorious truth. So man is either spiritually
dead or he isn't. This book says not only in Ephesians
2, but all over its pages that this is who and what we are.
All right, the third thing. Let's see, let's go to Acts 13. Back to your left. Acts chapter 13. Any honest person, whether they
believe what they read or not, any genuinely honest person must
say that the Bible does teach the doctrine of election. Anyone who says that predestination
is not in the Bible is simply confused or blind or hates the
truth so much that they just declare it not to be there. But
it is there. God either elected a people to
salvation or he did not. Those are the choices. One is
the truth and the other is a lie. Let's take this one statement
in Acts chapter 13. Let's see, I forget now who Paul
was preaching to. If I remember correctly, you
have to go all the way back to verse 14 in this chapter to find
out where he is. and it's in Antioch of Pisidia. He left Perga and came to Antioch
in Pisidia in verse 14. That's not so important, but
it is important to let us know that these events that are being
described are taking place in an actual place just like we're
in this morning in Asia Minor in a Jewish synagogue nonetheless,
and there are Gentile proselytes who are present, and Paul has
come to preach the gospel of Christ, and though he has met
with great opposition and great physical harm, he just never
seems to learn any better. He thinks this is the way God
would have him to operate, and he did, and I believe he must
have been right. So he goes straight to the synagogue,
and on the Sabbath day, he begins to speak to these persons. I
cannot cover what all he has here, but if you look at verse
46, I'll add just a verse or two to the one that we want to
read. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold because of the unbelief
and hatred of the Jews. He said it was necessary that
the word of God could should first have been spoken to you,
speaking to the Jews, but seeing you put it from you and judge
yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. And those are strong terms. A man actually judges himself
unworthy of everlasting life. Well, everybody's unworthy of
everlasting life. Yeah, but this man hates this
so badly. that it causes him to do so,
do damage to his soul, condemn his soul. Judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life. So the apostle declares, lo,
we turn to the Gentiles. For so has the Lord commanded
us saying, I have set you to be a light of the Gentiles. Speaking of Paul and Barnabas.
And that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, that this message would now be
proclaimed to them, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord. And here's the statement. And
as many. as were ordained to eternal life
believed." Well, what's so tough about that statement? It's where the word believed
is located. Let me show you. Suppose it were
to read And many believed and therefore
were ordained to eternal life. No, you make man the author of
his own belief. When faith everywhere is spoken
of in the scriptures as the gift of God, not of works lest any
man should boast. Let me read it again. And as
many. as were ordained, predestined
to eternal life, believed. What do you think of that? I
know one thing. It's either true or it ain't.
Which is it? Just which is it? If the God
of the Bible is who He says He is, that's exactly how it is.
He is the God of predestinating grace. And poor sinners who cannot
find salvation any place else except in Christ and in grace
are tickled to death. And the rest of this religious
world just go on to hell day by day, hating and despising
these glories of the power and grace of God, the triune God. So let me ask you three questions.
I borrowed these a long, long, long time ago from Brother Mahan.
Here's the first one. Did you choose God or did God
choose you? Now that puts it right down where
the rubber meets the road. Did you choose God Or did God
choose you? He says He chooses us and then
we choose Him. You can look this up later. Psalm
65 verse 4. Blessed is the man whom God chooses and causes to approach unto himself. That's how it is. And if your
religion doesn't jive with that, you got a real problem. A real
problem. Second question. Well, if just
supposing God did choose you, when did he do this choosing? Oh, a preacher, he just waits
till we come into this world and get a certain age and, you
know, looks down and see the people that are doing good and
he chooses those people. But that ain't what the book
says. That's the problem with that. The Bible says that the
election of grace. took place in old eternity in
a covenant of grace between the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. No, the devil was not invited.
He did not have a vote. You and I were not even there.
We had no vote. It was all between the divine
three. And it is a glorious, glorious
truth that God has elected a people to salvation. Third question.
Why did God choose you? Well, he saw that I would be
the best person. Oh, no. No, sir. The Pharisees
subscribe to that religion. Look at me. The gospel is look
at Christ. But when our Lord did something
offensive to the Jews of his day, I'm trying to be polite, they got upset. You know what
he was doing? He was eating with tax collectors
and sinners. They didn't dare say this to
his face, they said it to his disciples, but he heard it. So he answered it. He said, I
came not to save the righteous, but sinners, sinners. Today's religion, I'm talking
about popular United States brand professing Christianity. Today's
Christians believe that God saves them on the basis of seeing that
they're better than others. and cannot see just as you and
I could not see for so many years. Right just in the pages of the
four gospels, my picture was on every page and I couldn't
even see it because I thought I was righteous and come to find out I was nothing
but a poor sinner. And my friend, that's quite a
revelation. Quite a revelation. All right, the fourth matter.
If you would, let's turn to 2 Peter. We'll do for that. Chapter 3, 2 Peter chapter 3. Let's come now to the subject
of redemption. The Lord Jesus effectually redeemed
all of His elect. That redemption is perfect and
complete or else He did not redeem anyone. Today's gospel says, that Christ
died to put men in a savable condition. We talked about this
just a few weeks ago. If that is all that he accomplished,
then his trip to the cross is a dismal failure. He went there to purchase salvation. for every last single one of
his people that God gave to him in the covenant of grace in old
eternity. Now that, my friend, is the truth. And if that ain't the truth,
then it doesn't matter who or what he did. Calvary makes no
difference if that be not true. If the Lord didn't purchase what
he paid the price to purchase, Don't understand that. It makes
no sense. It has no meaning. John Owen put it like this. Mr. Owen was a Puritan preacher back
in England in probably the 15, maybe early 1600s, somewhere
in that neck of the woods. I don't know in what form this
little tidbit first showed itself. If Christ died for all the sins
of all men, then every member of the human race must be saved. Number two, if he died for some
of the sins of all people, then nobody will be saved. None can
be saved, but If He died for all the sins of His people, every
last one of those people must be saved. For God is not just. They must be saved. Have to be. Have to be. Did you find 2 Peter? Alright, chapter 3 and verse
9. 2 Peter 3 and verse 9. Here's the favorite verse for
free willers who are trying to disprove sovereign grace. So I just go straight up to the
gun barrel and spike it with this one statement. Take their
own statement and prove that what they do is
not so. 2 Peter 3, 9, the Lord is not slack
concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is long
suffering to us word, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance. Now, we had this discussion in
this very room, oh, back about 1984 or 5, somewhere in there, it
seems like. The lady was sitting right over
there about where Tommy or Johnny 1 is sitting. I could tell you
her name, but I won't. I ain't that mean. And I had already had this conversation
with her on this verse of scripture. She just was really struggling
with it. But that morning, we had people just stand up right
where they were and just blurt out what they thought. You know,
it was sort of a rude time, you know, an impolite time. That
puts it mildly. But this is the verse. All right,
let's look at it now. Who's writing down these words?
The Apostle Peter. And these words are found in
a letter to the Jews that are scattered abroad because of the
dispersion. That is, the persecution that
was taking place in Jerusalem against Jewish believers in the
Lord Jesus Christ. And these people were run out
of town wherever they could go all over the world. The Lord
is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness. God is so not slack concerning
his promise that every soul that he gave to his son must indeed
be saved. None can be left, not a single
solitary one. If one could be left, you must
ask the question, well, why didn't he save that one? And ultimately,
you must get down to something like this. Well, he tried, but
he couldn't. And those are the dumbest words ever to fall from
our lips concerning the God of the Bible. There's no such thing
in his sight as trying. All right? The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward. Now who is that? In the strictest
sense of the word, it is the persons, the believers to whom
this letter is addressed. And you just go back to chapter
1 and 2 Peter and it'll tell you exactly to whom these words
were addressed. But man is so proud to finally
catch God in a bind where he can just in one single blow,
Put this whole thought out of commission. No, this is to the
usward, usward. Now that doesn't mean that you
can't be an usward, but it means that if you, that though you
know it not at this time, if you're an unbeliever, you cannot
know that you've been elected to salvation. I don't care who
your mom and daddy is. I don't care where you've been,
what you've studied, any of that kind of stuff. It has nothing
to do with it. You're automatically lost. No evidence at all that
down the road, a year, 10, 20, 30 years, whatever, God will save you. But I'm telling
you, if God gave you to Christ as one of his sheep, he will
have every last one of them. There cannot be a one missing,
none whatsoever. And then this phrase, last part
of verse nine, not willing that any should perish, any of whom,
any of the usward should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Now can't you see how that glorious truth just clears up the whole
thing? We don't have to be mistaken
concerning whom God will save. We have no clue who they are.
It's not our business to know who they are. Our business is
to preach the gospel to the ends of the world and it'll find out
who God's elect are. Okay, number five. The Holy Spirit effectually calls
all of God's elect, or else He doesn't, one or the other. Ecclesiastes
3.14 reads something like this. Whatsoever God does, it shall
be forever. Nothing can be put to it and
nothing can be taken from it. And this is done so that we might
fear him. Now that's not word for word
on that last phrase, but as close as I can do. James chapter one, verse 18 says,
of God's own will begat birthed he us with the word of truth. This book and our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Word of God, are the means by which God saves
His elect. Number six, finally, God's elect will all persevere
or none will. Here's a statement in, well,
we got time to do one statement, don't we? Philippians chapter
one, Philippians chapter one, verse six, being confident of this very
thing, that he which or who has begun
a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The day when he comes back. The
day when you no longer need divine aid and help to survive in this
world when it comes to the grace of God. But we'll see Christ
face to face. The day when faith is no longer
necessary. Because faith is to believe and
love what we can't see, but on that day we'll see him as he
is." All right, that's enough. Now, if you don't have a bulletin,
Mr. McDonald will get you