If God will enable me, I want
to speak to you this morning about things which are most surely
believed among us. You'll find my text in Luke chapter
1 and verse 1. In this verse of scripture, in
the very opening words of Luke's gospel, The Holy Spirit plainly
asserts that there are some things most surely believed among all
those who believe. Now in this day of religious
chaos, spiritual darkness, ignorance and confusion, that seems to
be an astounding statement. I want to show you some things
plainly taught in this book Things which are and must be believed
by all who believe God. Those who do not believe these
things do not believe God. I know that salvation is not
in things. Salvation is in Christ. Salvation
is not obtained by believing things either doctrinal or historical. Salvation is obtained by believing
on the Son of God. But there is no believing on
the Son of God if you do not believe the doctrine of the Son
of God and the historic context and revelation of the gospel
of the Son of God. Therefore, I've come here today
to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most
surely believed among us. Luke chapter 1, verse 1. For
as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a
declaration of those things which are most surely believed among
us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to
me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first. to write unto thee in order most
excellent Theophilus I don't really know much about this fella
but I love his name lover of God Luke says I have taken in
hand to do what Matthew and Mark have done before me. I've taken
in hand to do what the apostles before have done, to set in order
things most surely believed among us, and I've done so because
God has given me a thorough understanding of those things from above. And
I speak these things now to you, O lover of God, that thou mightest
know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.
Now the Holy Spirit never wastes words. We need to learn that. We should always remember, as
we read the scriptures, every word is given by inspiration
of God, and is designed and intended of God to give us instruction
in the way of life. These opening words of Luke's
gospel are things written for us to learn, and by which we
are to learn the things of God. Now there are several things
obvious here. First, we see the fact that God's servants tell
what they know from first-hand experience. God's servants. I'm not talking about preachers
down the road. I'm not talking about preachers related to you
or other people. I'm not talking about preachers
that live next door to you. I recognize that most preachers
are just hirelings, nothing else. But God's servants. Now you can
mark it down. God's servants. tell what they
know from first-hand experience, by direct experience, by divine
revelation, as those who are taught of God. Luke describes
the apostles as those men who were eyewitnesses of his majesty
and ministers of the word. Now, I recognize that there are
no apostles in the official sense of the word today. We understand
that. The apostles died, and that was
the end of the apostolic era. But God's servants, like the
apostles, are messengers of God. They are men sent with a message
and they are eyewitnesses of the majesty of God Almighty in
the gospel. All true gospel preachers are
described by those words, eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. Turn
to 1 John chapter 1 for a moment. I often get letters from young
men, sometimes older, wanting to know what Bible college I'd
recommend, and I say none. And they seem shocked by that.
The worst place on this earth for a man to go if he's inclined
to preach is Bible college. Worst place on this earth. They
make good parrots, Ron, they don't make preachers. Parrots
are trained to repeat what they hear, and that's what most preachers
do. They don't study, they don't prepare, they don't seek a message
from God, they just repeat what they've been told. Faithful men
don't deal in second-hand goods. They don't debate about matters
of doubtful disputation. We tell what we know, we report
what we've seen, we teach what we've been taught of God. Therefore,
we speak with authority. Look at 1 John 1. That which
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled. That sounds like first-hand experience,
doesn't it? We've seen, we've heard, we've handled the word
of life. For the life was manifested and
we've seen it. And bear witness and show to
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested
to us. That which we've seen and heard
declare we unto you. Do you see that? God's servants
deal in first-hand information. They deal with things they've
experienced. They deal with things they've
been taught of God. I take no license with the scriptures
when I tell you that what Luke says in these verses concerning
the apostles is applicable to every true gospel preacher. Gospel
preachers are men who preach what they know. We preach that
which we've experienced by grace as eyewitnesses. I quit a long time ago. coming
to this place trying to impress you with what I've learned in
my study the previous week. I quit a long time ago coming
here to study things. I don't come to this pulpit to
study things and decide whether or not they're so. Bobby, I come
here with a message that I know is so, because God's taught it.
God's taught it to me. It's been inscribed on my heart.
This is not up for debate. This is not something where,
well, let's discuss it and see if it's so or not. This is what's
written in the book. God's preachers are ministers,
servants of the Word. Servants of the Word of God.
Paul said, we preach not ourselves. We don't preach about ourselves,
and we don't preach our own opinions, and we don't preach for ourselves,
but rather, we preach Christ Jesus the Lord. Servants of the
Word. We have this treasure. This treasure
of the Gospel in earthen vessels. God has given us this treasure,
and we're determined to serve it, and serve it faithfully.
When Luke says that he had a perfect understanding of all things,
he's telling us that God's servants are men who have a complete understanding
of the Word of God. The word perfect is really not
the best translation. It would be better translated
complete. We don't understand everything in the Word. I don't
know any preacher anywhere who would make any claim as such.
No, we don't understand everything in the word. We don't understand
all the mysteries of the word. As a matter of fact, the more
I study this book, the more I recognize how little I understand of it.
But I tell you what a preacher does have, if he's called of
God, if he's taught of God, he understands what the book is
about. He understands the message of
the book. He has a complete understanding of the revelation of God and
he understands this book is written of God to reveal to sinners the
person and work of Christ for the saving of his people. These
things are written so that you might believe and believing that
you might have life through the name of God's dear son. God's
servants then are men who get their knowledge and their understanding
and their message from Christ himself. The words, the very
first in verse 3, we have a complete understanding from the very first,
would better be translated as they commonly are, we have this
understanding from above. We're born from above, we're
called from above, we're taught from above. Faithful men give
themselves to the study of the Word, and they study diligently. Faithful men devote themselves
to acquiring an understanding in the things of God. But we
recognize that we must be taught from above. I seek a message
from God for you. If God gives me a message, then
I've got something to say. I've got something to say. And
I've got something to say to you this morning that you will
do well to hear. There are some things you must
know. If you would be wise unto salvation,
there are some things which you must believe. All who believe
God, believe them. All who are taught of God are
taught them. All who understand the word of God, understand them.
Now Luke makes no bones about this. You read it yourself. Neither
should we. I recognize that men accuse us
of being narrow-minded, dogmatist. They accuse us of being bigots
out of step with the rest of the religious world. They heap
upon us whatever ugly names they choose because they cannot deny
the doctrine we teach. That's the easiest way to get
around what you can't deny. You take, well, those fellows
there, nobody believes what they do. They're out of step. They're divisive. They're mean. They teach this, they teach that.
They can't deny truth, so they just heap horrid names and characters
upon things. But the fact is, some things
are vital. Some things are vital. Some things
must be known. Some things must be believed.
And those who do not know them, and do not believe them, do not
know God, and do not believe God. Luke tells us that he wrote
his gospel to set forth in order those things which are most surely,
most assuredly believed among us. And all who, like Theophilus,
are lovers of God, love these things. Now I'm going to give
them to you in five very simple, plain, forthright, brief statements. Here are five things that you
must understand. Bill Raleigh. If ever you know
God, you must understand these things. If ever I know God, I
must believe these things. Number one, God is God. Now let it sink in. God is God. He's not a peanut. He's not a
pushover. He's not a wimp. He's not helpless. He's not frustrated. He's not
defeated. He's not a failure. He's God. He's God. And any notion of any
doctrine, of any religion that makes Him something less than
God is not of God. It's just it. Our God is in the
heavens. He's done whatsoever He hath
pleased. If your God doesn't, He's not God. Whatsoever the
Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, in earth, in the seas,
and in all deep places. If your God doesn't do what he
wants to, in heaven above, in earth beneath, in hell below
the earth, in all deep places, with all things, at all times,
your God is useless. No God at all. Our Lord declares,
I am God. I am. And then he says there's
none else. In other words, this is what God is. And there is
none else like me. I am God declaring the end from
the beginning. I told you how it was going to
turn out before it got started and then I started it. Declaring
the end from the beginning. And from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, listen now, my counsel shall
stand. I will do all my pleasure so
long as you cooperate with me. That's not what the book says,
is it? God says I will do all my pleasure, no matter what you
do. I will do all my pleasure, no
matter what the will of hell is. I will do all my pleasure,
no matter what sinners do. I will do all my pleasure, no
matter what your will is. My will prevails. Calling a ravenous
bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far
country. Folks say, well, you know that's
just to say that God always has his way, always does his will,
that God does this, that or the other thing, you've got to take
into consideration the nature of things. Oh, do we now? God
says, I'll take a raven. You try to train one to feed
you some meat. I'll take a raven and send him to feed my prophet.
I will raise up a man. from the far country to come
who is a natural enemy of my people. And he'll come deliver
my people. He even called him by his name
and told him which way to go in. His name was Cyrus. He says,
yea, I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I purposed it. I will also do it. Now turn to
Daniel chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar thought he was
somebody. He was a strutting peacock. He looked out at great
Babylon. He said, look what I've done.
Oh, look at my kingdom. Look what a fine, fine spectacle
I have made of things. All the world is going to honor
me. And God said, I'm going to teach you who you are and who
I am. And it caused him to grow nails like birds' claws. He put him out in the field to
eat grass. Like a wild, wild beast, this
man lost his mind. And all of his family, everybody
else said, well, he's gone. He's gone. And then, verse 34,
at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven. And my understanding returned
unto me. And when your insane, sinful,
corrupt mind has understanding returned to it, then you'll understand
what Nebuchadnezzar understood. It's my understanding returned
to me, and I blessed the Most High. And I praised and honored
Him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. and his kingdom from generation
to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth that takes in you
and me and everybody else all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing nothing nothing oh boy that doesn't make
man feel too good about himself I hope you hear that nothing
nothing And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven. About everybody acknowledges
that. This is the part to hang up on. And among the inhabitants
of the earth. He does as he will where you
are. He does as he will with everybody. Well, I don't like that. Well,
it doesn't matter. None can stay his hand and say unto him, what
doest thou? And at the same time, my reason returned unto me, and
for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned
unto me, and my counselors and my Lord sought unto me, and I
was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added
unto me. I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and
extol and honor the King of heaven, that's our God, the King of heaven,
all his works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those
that walk in pride, he knows how to abase. Sooner or later
he will. Number two, God is God, that's
first thing. We're sinners. We're sinners. Merle Hart, from
the top of our heads to the soles of our feet, from one end of
the earth to the other, just sin. That's all Adam's race is. Sin. Sin. We are all by nature
fallen, sinful, depraved, corrupt, lost, condemned, cursed, doomed,
damned, dead, sinners. That's all. That's all. Spiritually
dead. Spiritually dead before God. I don't know how on earth I can
make this plainer than the scriptures state it. Dead. Dead. Now what do you expect from a
dead man? Rottenness. That's all. Corruption. That's
all. You know, I read the newspaper
and I see things and I'm just so shocked. And you know what's
even more shocking? The fact that I'm shocked by
what shocks me. Nothing will shock us. This is
what we expect from man. The thing that shocks, the thing
that makes man's evil shock us is because we really don't think
we are. Do you understand that? We're sinners. When Adam sinned
against God, we sinned in him. When he died, we died in him. When he went astray from God,
we went astray in him. And there is none that seeks
after God. Nobody. We're all born going
astray from our Father, speaking lies. And we'll continue to do
so unless God stops us in our mad rush to hell. We're lost. Our only hope Our only hope is
sovereign mercy. That's all. I don't beg and plead with men
and women. I don't beg and plead with people.
to get them to do things. I don't try to trick you into
doing something that you're not inclined to do. I don't try to
manipulate folks into religion and a profession of faith. I
beg of God that he'll have mercy on your soul. Because unless
God himself stops you, you're going to hell. Unless God himself
steps in your way, you're going to hell. The same is true of
all our sons and daughters, all of them, all of them. Well, I just, I don't like that. You'll like it if God ever stops
you. That's exactly right, that's
exactly right. Turn to Ephesians 1, or check
to 2 rather, Ephesians 2. You hath he quickened. Now that
doesn't mean he caused a little cool breeze to pass over you,
woke you up. That doesn't mean he kind of
stuck you with a needle and got your attention. You were dead. He made you alive. You hath he
made alive who were D-E-A-D, graveyard dead. Dead in trespasses
and in sins. You may never find out that sinners
are dead. They'll quit trying to get them
to do something. They're dead. You can tie strings
around them and manipulate them like puppets, but they're still
dead. Dead. Wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, no exceptions. Every one
of us, every one of us, walk according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation. All of us had our manner of life
in time past, look at it now, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind. So a preacher, you
can't say that because we're not all alike. I did say that,
God said that, and we are all alike. But we don't all act alike. No, I didn't say that. I didn't
say that. Some folks walking after the
lust of their flesh, man, they get them a good education, and
they live up on on snob-knob and they got them a ten-story
house, got 10,000 square feet in the house, got a bath for
every dog, and they said, oh man, they're good folks. They
don't drink too much, they don't cuss too much, they don't steal
too much. Folks look at them and they, boy, I'd like my daughter
to marry in that family. Oh, that's a fine family. They
live according to the lust of their flesh, getting what they
want. Others are drunks and dopeheads,
fornicators, adulterers, prostitutes, pimps, pushers. Exactly the same
kind of people doing exactly what they want to do without
regard to God Almighty. Same kind of people. Some of
them go to church three times a week, read their Bible every
day, say their prayers, go to mission field, living according
to the lust of their flesh, doing what they want to to make themselves
happy. Others murder and rape and pillage,
living according to the lust of their flesh. That's what the
book says. We were all by nature children
of wrath, living with our fists shoved in God's face. Oh, but
look at these next words. Sweetest two words I know in
any language. But God. But God. But God. But God stepped in. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us, hath quickened us
together with Christ. By grace are you saved. Alright, now here's the third
thing. God Almighty has mercy on whom
He will. God's God. We're saved. God has mercy on whom he will. Well, what does that mean? Can you explain that? Yeah. God
has mercy on whom he will. Explain that again, preacher.
God has mercy on whom he will. Jeremiah chapter 18, he said
to his prophet, go down to the potter's house and tell you something
about me and you. He said, I went to the potter's
house. And there was a potter, working his wheel, working his
clay. And the potter took the clay
and smashed it. It's his clay. Smash it if he
wants to. And he made it another vessel.
And the Lord God said, as the clay is in the potter's hand,
you're in my hand. And we read in Romans 9, he makes
one vessel to honor and another to dishonor, as it pleases him. And he says, so then, it's not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. You read it with your own eyes. He says, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. And he says plainly, and whom
he will, he hearteneth. The fact is, I know This idolatrous age of will-worshippers,
and that's what the religion of our day is, it's an age of
will-worshippers. Men who worship men, men who
extol men, men who honor men, men who make men to be the God
of God by their imaginary free wills. I know these things are
contrary to the opinions of the whole religious world. That's
the reason I'm setting them forth in order to you. So you can't
possibly misunderstand what the scriptures teach. There are some
men and women in this world whom God Almighty loved with an everlasting
love. I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. There are some men and women
in this world, loved of God from eternity, who were chosen unto
eternal salvation in Jesus Christ before the world began. Lynge
has been talking about it, teaching it so plainly and clearly the
last couple of weeks. Chosen. You've not chosen me, but I've
chosen you. Salvation is not by your choice,
it's by God's choice. Salvation is not by your will,
it's by God's will. Salvation is not by your decision,
it's by God's determination. Salvation is not by your preparation,
it's by God's purpose. Salvation is of the Lord. Do
you understand that? There are some who have from
eternity been predestinated as the sons of God unto everlasting
glory. Hallelujah. Predestinated. Boy, that's a
mysterious, mysterious doctrine. Who was it, one of you fellas
said the other night, said, talked to somebody, now you're getting
in deep stuff. Man, that's not too deep. All you got to do to
figure it out is divide the syllables up, pre-destinated. What it sounds like to me, that
means destiny determined beforehand. You got it. You got it! God did it! Before the world
was. Fourthly, the Lord Jesus Christ,
God's darling son, has redeemed his people. Has redeemed his people. Effectually redeemed them. The
Lord Jesus came here on an errand of mercy. He came here to save
his people from their sins. It is written, Thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now, either he did or he didn't. I don't know how things could
have been simpler than that. Either he saved them or he didn't.
If he came here to put away sin, either he put away sin or he
didn't put it away. If he came here to redeem somebody,
either he redeemed them or he didn't. If he came here to sanctify
people, either he sanctified them or he didn't. There's no
in-between ground. If he came here to make somebody
holy, he either made them holy or he didn't. Now if he did it,
he's the Christ of God. If he didn't, he's an idolatrous
figment of your imagination. Because God says concerning his
son, he shall not fail. Christ hath, what a blessed word,
redeemed us from the curse of the law. Now once in the end
of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Did he do it? Did he actually
put away sin? Did He actually? I mean, really? Really? Taking the sins of His
people upon Himself, being made sin for us, did He fully put
away our sins? Bless God, He did. When He had by Himself purged. What a word. Purged our sins. Purged them. Shelby makes the
best spaghetti in the world, and when I eat it, I can have
a towel wrapped around me from head to toe, and I'll get it
all over these white shirts. I don't know how it gets under
the towel, but it does. And I'll get those stains there, and she'll
take them downstairs, put them in the laundry, and I'll watch
her scrub and scrub and scrub. She'll scrub sometimes until
her hands are plum red. The stain's gone. And I'm telling
you that Jesus Christ, God's darling son, with his blood has
purged the black stain of my sin from the book and mind and
memory of God himself. It's gone. Behold yonder in glory the crucified
Christ and rejoice. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. God. Ron preached to you that
text a couple of weeks ago. What a blessed word of grace. What shall we say? If God be
for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. That
means, Bob Potter, that nobody in heaven, earth, or hell will
dare raise a word of accusation against his people forever. We've
been justified. Who is he that condemns? It's
Christ that died. Yea, he's risen again. He's even at the right hand of
the Father, who also makes intercession for us. I'll tell you one more
thing. The Lord God Almighty, the God
of glory who loved us from eternity. That God who chose and predestinated
his people to salvation in Christ. That God who covenanted with
his son to save his people. That one who sent his own darling
son and made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. To make atonement
for sin at Calvary. The Lord God Almighty will save
his people by his omnipotent grace. He'll search for them and find
them. He's the good shepherd who searches
for his sheep. And how long does he search?
What's the book say? Until he finds it. And when he
finds it, what does he do? He leans over the precipice,
sheep going down the hill and says, little sheep, little sheep,
won't you please make a decision for me? What stupidity! What blasphemy! Oh no! The good shepherd lays hold of
the sheep and picks it up. and puts it on his back and carries
it home, rejoicing, saying, I found my sheep. God regenerates and
calls his people by his spirit, by his word, by special revelation. And when the time of love has
come, when God the Holy Spirit comes fetching, then sinners
come running. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. Find me a place. Find me a place. Anywhere in this book. Anywhere
in this book. Where our Lord came and called
somebody to do something they didn't do it. Find me a place. Well, you've
got to take into consideration man's will. I do. I do. Yeah. I take it into consideration
under God's will. That makes man's will nothing.
Well, you've got to consider what a man wants. Oh, I do. I
do. I take that into consideration
under what God wants. That makes what you want insignificant.
But now, you've got to take into consideration a man's rights.
Oh, I do. Under God's rights. And that
makes your rights nothing. Well, what are you saying? Just what you think I'm saying.
Salvations of the Lord. It's exactly what I'm saying.
Our Lord comes to the tomb of Lazarus. And he says, Lazarus, now I've
done all I can. I loved you. And I came to live
for you, and died for you, and rose again. But now Lazarus,
if you're going to come out of that tomb, I love you too much
to interfere with your free will. Lazarus, won't you please come
up? Make a decision for me. A preacher, you're being silly.
I am. Sadly silly. That's the language
of modern religion. The Son of God comes to the dead
sinner. He that's been dead so long that
he already stinks. And he speaks with a loud voice
to one man distinctly by the power of his grace and says,
Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth.
He comes to Zacchaeus and he says, Zacchaeus, come down. Come down. He didn't beg, plead. He didn't offer him a deal. He
just said, Zacchaeus, come down. For today I must abide at your
house. I must. I must today. Today! I must abide at your house. Our Lord met a man by the name
of Jacob. Old, tricky, cunning, conniving,
deceitful, rascal Jacob. But remember we read about him
earlier. He said, Jacob have I loved. And there wrestled a
man with Jacob. Now folks talk about that event
in Jacob's life and say you've got to wrestle with God in prayer.
Oh, you've got to wrestle with God in prayer. The book says
there wrestled a man with Jacob. Jacob wasn't one who tackled
God. God was one who tackled Jacob. And when he got done with
him, he broke his leg. And Jacob couldn't move. And
finally he confessed, my name is Jacob! Trickster! Deceiver! Liar! Cheat! Sin! That's me. And the Lord God said, I'll call
you Israel now. Prince with God. They'd better
leave him lay there. Jacob would not let him go. Except
he blessed him. And if God ever gets your leg
out of joint, you won't let him go either, except he bless you.
He says, I'm Jacob. He said, you're blessed. Those whom he saves, the Lord
God keeps in his grace. Well, what if they fall? Not much of an if there. Fall
a thousand times a day. What if they're sinned? There's
no if about that. Sin and everything they do. What
if they're weak? Find me one who says otherwise.
You see, our being kept is determined not by us, but by Him. Kept. Kept in the hand of His
grace. Kept in omnipotent mercy. He's not only going to keep us,
He's going to crown us, everyone, with glory. These things, God's people believe.
They just believe them. This is the testimony of every
child of God. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. You say, well Pastor, You say
this is the only message? This is the only gospel there
is? Everything else is a false gospel? How can you be so dogmatic? How can you be so sure? The scripture
tells us plainly there's just one gospel. How can you be sure
this is it? Number one is true to this book. I defy anybody
who hears this message any time between now and the time I draw
my last breath to show me anything contrary in this book to what
I say. It just ain't so. This is the message of this book.
Number two, I know it's so because it gives all glory to the triune
God. If this sinner is saved, God
has to do it. And if God does it, he gets the
praise for it. That's all. And I know it so
because, Lindsay, this is the only message there is that gives
hope to doomed, damned, dead, helpless sinners. If God saves
you, it will be His work, and you'll praise Him for it. As
Lindsay closed out his message this morning in the previous
hour, I said, well, Pastor, how do I know He saved me? If you hear His voice, follow
Him. Think all, believe. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest, and calls us to approach unto thee. You hear his voice? You hear it? Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden. Anybody laboring? Heavy laden? I'll give you rest. Are you thirsty? He says, come. Are you hungry? He says, come. Take my yoke upon
you. Learn in me. And you'll find
rest for your souls. Amen.