Our Sister, Our Service, Our Savior

Q: What does the Bible say about eternal election?

The Bible teaches that God's people are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Eternal election is a foundational doctrine in Scripture where God chooses certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4-5 emphasizes this truth, stating that we were chosen in Christ for adoption as sons. This divine selection showcases God's sovereignty and grace, displaying that salvation is not based on our merit but solely on His eternal purpose and love for His people. Consequently, believers can find comfort in knowing that their redemption and acceptance with God was secured long before they came to faith.

Q: How do we know salvation is entirely God's work?

Scripture affirms that salvation is God's ultimate work, not dependent on human efforts. The doctrine of salvation as God's work is vividly encapsulated in the biblical narrative that highlights God's initiative in redeeming humanity. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.' This indicates that our salvation stems exclusively from God’s grace and is not a result of our own actions. Furthermore, John 6:44 affirms that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him, illustrating that God's calling precedes our response, reaffirming His sovereign role in salvation. Thus, believers can rejoice, knowing their salvation rests entirely in God's faithful power and grace.

Q: Why is being a part of the church important for Christians?

Being part of the church enables Christians to grow in faith and fulfill their responsibilities to God and each other. The church serves as the body of Christ, allowing believers to gather, worship, and grow together in faith. Ephesians 4:11-12 highlights that God has given gifts to the church for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. In this communal setting, Christians encourage one another and hold each other accountable, fostering spiritual growth and unity. Moreover, Hebrews 10:24-25 urges believers not to neglect meeting together, emphasizing the importance of fellowship and mutual support. Each member operates as a part of the whole, serving and promoting the growth of the church, which reflects God's glory and advances His kingdom.

Q: What role does prayer play in a Christian's life?

Prayer is essential for communication with God and seeking His guidance in our lives. Prayer plays a crucial role in the life of a Christian, serving as a primary means of communication with God. Believers are encouraged to pray consistently, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which instructs to 'pray without ceasing.' This constant dialogue allows Christians to express their hearts, seek divine guidance, and find strength in times of need. James 5:16 underscores the power of prayer, stating that 'the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective,' indicating that God responds to the prayers of His people. Prayer not only nurtures a personal relationship with God but also aligns our hearts with His will, enabling us to live faithfully in obedience to His Word.

If you and I are born of God's
spirit, if we are true believers, we trust the Lord Jesus Christ,
as our only righteousness, our only redemption, our only acceptance
with God. If indeed that is the case, then
we are God's children. We have been from everlasting
to everlasting chosen of God in eternal election. adopted
from eternity into the family of God, accepted in Jesus Christ
the beloved before the world began, and claimed by God himself
as his own. We are now redeemed. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
by his precious blood, has fully expunged our sins from the record
of heaven forever. He put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. He has robed us in his spotless
garments of righteousness and salvation so that we stand before
God. I keep preaching this and I keep
trying my best to preach it so you can get a little bit of a
handle on it. It's too big for us, but we now
stand before God without sin, perfectly righteous, in Christ
the Savior, just as he is, without sin, and perfectly righteous. What a statement. What grace,
what a marvel of grace. Not only that, but we have been
sanctified by God's spirit, given a new nature, a holy nature.
One of these days, we're going to drop this body of flesh. The
old man's going back to the dust. He's going to die. But that new
nature, that new man lives on forever in Christ Jesus the Lord.
We are heirs of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ
so that all the glory of heaven, whatever it is, is our present
possession held in reserve for us by Jesus Christ himself, our
forerunner, sealed to us, in us, and for us by the earnest,
the pledge, and the seal who is God, the Holy Spirit, who's
given us to be partakers of the divine nature by God's grace.
We are, the Apostle Paul says for Colossians chapter 1 verse
12, right now, not tomorrow, not after we die, but right now,
we're right now, meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light. Now, having said that, this question
comes to my mind. Why then are we still here? Why are we left on this earth?
Why did God leave us for a time to dwell in this sin-cursed earth,
to dwell here in such sorrow and pain? Why has he not already
taken us to glory? Now, for most folks, the answer
is very simple. They say, well, God's not done
with us yet. He's got some patch-up work to do. Actually, grace is
just sort of a start. And if you stay in the world
long enough, you'll make yourself more and more good and gooder
and gooder and gooder and holier and holier and holier until at
last you're just too holy to be any fit for this earth and
God'll take you home when you've done enough. But that blasphemy
we don't believe. We are right now meek to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light. All that heaven is,
is now ours right now. It's already ours, Bobby. But
why did he leave us here? Our text this evening gives us
the answer to that question, at least in part. It's the Song
of Solomon, chapter eight, verses eight through 14. Now throughout
this song of love, Christ and his church have confirmed their
love for one another. Both have agreed that they love
one another and that their love for one another is as strong
as death. His love for us is eternal and
immutable. And though our love for him is
not in any way such as it ought to be and shall be, yet it is
true. And if our love for him is true,
it cannot be destroyed. Because if our love for him,
Merle, is true, it's his work in us. He caused us to love him.
And it can no more be destroyed than his love for us can. This
is his work. This is his work. Now then, in
these last verses of the Song of Solomon, We see Christ and
his church, his beloved bride, like a loving husband and wife,
consulting one another, consulting one another about their affairs,
considering what they are to do. Having laid their hearts
together, now they put their heads together, making plans
with regard to their relations and their property. Does that
make sense to you? My wife and I don't have anything.
We just got one child, but we do that. We put our heads together,
but when faith was just a baby, it decided to the best we could
what our responsibilities are with regard to her future. And
this is what we have pictured for us here in the Song of Solomon
in this last paragraph. In these last verses of the Song
of Love, the conclusion of this song is given, showing us some
special practical instruction about our responsibilities in
this world in three directions. First, with regard to our sister,
secondly, with regard to our service, and thirdly, with regard
to our Savior. First, in verses eight through
10, the Lord Jesus gives us instruction concerning our responsibility
toward our sister. Read it with me. We have a little
sister, the bride speaks. She hath no breast. What shall
we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
And the Lord Jesus answers. If she be a wall, we will build
upon her a palace of silver. And if she be a door, we will
enclose her with boards of cedar. And here the bride speaks again.
Oh yes, I remember, I am a wall. And my breast are like towers.
Then was I in his eyes as one that found favor. Now, the passage
begins with a question of compassion and concern in verse eight. The
bride, the Church of Christ, raises a question about her young
little sister. What shall we do for our sister?
She's saying, how can I help my little sister? Well, who is
this little sister? This is the first mention we've
had of her here in the Song of Solomon. Who is this little sister
about whom there's so much concern? Prophetically, I want you to
look at three texts with me. Turn first to Isaiah 55. Isaiah
54, I'm sorry. Prophetically, the passage is
speaking about the church of God. The church of God scattered
among the Gentiles, the heathen nations of the world. Now, in
the Old Testament, you know, the gospel was revealed only
to the nation of Israel under the types and shadows of the
law in the Mosaic economy. It was revealed in types and
shadows in prophecy under the Mosaic economy. It was not revealed
in its clarity and fullness as it is today in the New Testament
with the completion of Holy Scripture, but it was certainly revealed
so that those men who walked with God in days gone by knew
Him as we know Him and walked with Him as we walk with Him,
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as we believe on Him. But the
gospel was hidden to the Gentile world. Satan went about blinding
the nations of the world, the Gentiles, with all the pagan,
foolish nonsense that so long pervaded in Gentile society. That same pagan, foolish nonsense
that's now being called New Age philosophy and New Age religion. You know, we got so smart we're
going back to being barbarians. But this same Gentile world is
the world out of which you and I have been born. And it was
always God's purpose, not just to have a people for himself
among the Israelites physically, but to save an Israel of God,
a spiritual nation, a holy nation out of all the nations of the
world, both Jew and Gentile. Now let me show you this from
the scriptures here in Isaiah 54 and verse 1. We have a plain prophecy given
concerning the barren and desolate Gentiles being united to Christ
as a bride and telling us that the church of the Gentiles made
up of Jews and Gentiles will be far more fruitful than the
Jewish nation could ever have imagined. Sing, O barren, thou
that didst not bear. Break forth into singing and
cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child. For more
are the children of the desolate. The Gentile world at this time
was desolate, having never heard or received the knowledge of
God's grace. For more are the children of the desolate than
of the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Now then
look at Hosea chapter 1. Hosea chapter 1. And verse 10, the number of the children of
Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured
nor numbered. Now that's not talking about
the people Hitler tried to kill. That's not talking about the
physical seed of Abraham. Nothing in scripture will allow
that kind of interpretation of scripture. Well, it's not talking
about the physical seed of Abraham. Who on earth is it talking about?
His spiritual seed. And that's so abundantly, plainly
revealed in scripture. Listen to what it says. They
shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor
numbered. 10,000 times 10,000 we see in
Revelation. And it shall come to pass that
in that place where it was said to them, you are not my people. Where? Over in Africa? Over in England? down Mexico,
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, America, all through the Gentile
world where folks worship stumps and worship their own bellies.
It shall be said where they were called, not my people, you're
the people of the living God. Now, pastor, how do you know
that? Because Paul said so in Romans chapter nine. I want you
to turn there for just a moment. Romans chapter nine. Verse 25,
the Apostle Paul is now writing to the Roman Gentile believers,
and he is assuring the Roman Gentile believers, that's you
and me, that's Bobby Estes and Don Ford. He's saying now, this
is you of whom God spoke to Hosea back in Hosea chapter one. This
is you of whom God spoke in Isaiah 54. As he saith also in Hosea,
I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved,
which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass that
in that place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people,
there shall they be called the children of the living God. How come? Because God said, Jacob
have I loved, but he saw have I hated. And that's the basis
of Paul's whole explanation of what took place with the Jews
when God cast them off. He says God from eternity has
purposed to save a people here in our text described by the
believing bride as my little sister who has not yet been called. Here the church of God among
the Gentiles is called my little sister for these reasons. First,
because the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers are
all children of the same family. They are called little because
they had not yet been honored with the revelation of God in
Jesus Christ. The gospel had not yet been preached
among the Gentiles. During the Old Testament age,
the Gentiles had no breast. And remember the scriptures were
told to desire the sincere milk of the word. Because the Scriptures
are the breast by which the Church of God feeds. These breasts of
the Old and New Testament, the two breasts of Holy Scripture.
The Gentiles had no prophets. They had no word from God. They
had no revelation from God. No one came and brought the Gentiles
a word of God. As a matter of fact, when God
commanded Moses to tell the children of Israel to slay the Paschal
Lamb, he said, you whisper it into the ears of the Israelites.
Don't tell Gentiles anything about it. Don't tell the Egyptians
about this. This is not for them. Because in the Old Testament,
the Gentiles had no covenant, no promise, no ordinance, no
instruction, no breast of consolation, no chosen of God. Their election
was not yet manifest and revealed. But now, Paul says in Ephesians
chapter 2, God's taken down the middle wall of partition that
separated us. He's taken that away which divided Jew and Gentile.
He's taken that away which divides men socially and racially. He's
taken that away which sets men apart from one another and he's
brought us together in Jesus Christ and made us to dwell together
in peace in him. But taking the text in its wider
range, and certainly we must, it is to be applied to all those
who belong to Christ all those who are numbered in what the
scriptures describe as that remnant according to the election of
grace, who have not yet been called to life and faith in Christ,
who have not yet been given the gifts of God's grace. You see,
all of God's elect belong to Christ already. They're already
His. They don't know it yet, but they're
already His. A lot of them maybe have never even been born yet,
but they're already His. Our Lord said, other sheep I
have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. You remember
when Paul was at Corinth and he was persecuted, he was about
to leave town. The Lord God came to him and
He said, Paul, you stay right here, for I have much people
in this city. Not I shall have, he says, I
have them, they're mine already. I chose them, I redeemed them,
they're mine. And the time has come for me
to call them. So God's elect belong to him already, though
they haven't been called by his grace. Oh, the thought just floods
my heart, maybe some of you here. Shall tonight be brought to the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, because
you're his and you'll be called now. But God's people are his
from eternity. They are our sisters, according
to the election of grace. They have no breast. And I'm
not pulling this out of my hat. This is exactly what the scriptures
teach over in Ezekiel chapter 16. You don't need to turn there,
but you remember when our Lord describes how his grace came,
we were naked and cast out. We had no breasts. And now he
says, I formed you. And he says, I have caused you
to multiply in blood, and thou hast increased in wax and great,
and it's come to excellent ornaments, and now thy breasts are fashioned,
and thy hair is grown whereas thou wast naked and bare. Those
who are not yet called, who have not yet been born of God's spirit,
have no breast of affection for Christ, no principle of grace
within them. They haven't yet been spoken
for. And our text here says, what shall I do for my sister
in the day when she shall be spoken for? The text is telling
us the day will come when they shall be spoken for, when the
chosen sinner shall be called. And this is the thing for which
we labor. By the spirit of God, through the preaching of the
gospel, at God's appointed time, I mean precisely at God's appointed
time, he's going to call every one of our little sisters to
life and faith in Christ. He's gonna do it, and he'll do
it in the method he has ordained for the glory of his name by
the preaching of the gospel. We were talking back in the office,
God's opened so many doors of opportunity for us around the
world. This new electronic age, much as it's abused by many,
and some will find it as an excuse to neglect their responsibilities,
but God's opened doors of utterance for the gospel around the world.
I mean literally around the world. And folks are hearing the gospel
being converted by God's free grace. You see, it's no difficulty
to God Almighty, no difficulty at all to God Almighty to cause
the chosen sinner at the time of love and grace to cross paths
with the preacher whom he sent with the message of grace. That's
no difficulty. My soul, we're talking about
God Almighty. He will raise up nations to save
a single sinner. You believe that? I flat do. And he'll destroy nations to
save a single sinner. He'll do it, that's his purpose,
and he will save his children. His love and grace will at the
appointed time of love prevail over their hearts, and thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. Now the question is
raised here, well, what shall I do for my little sister? The
apostle Paul puts it this way, I endure all things What'd he
say? For the elect's sake. What for? That they might obtain the salvation
that's in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. That's our business, Bob. That's our business. We're on
the trail of Christ's sheep. We're seeking the salvation of
God's elect. We're seeking the building up
of his kingdom. I know folks say, well, I believe what you
do. I just preach to the elect. I would, too, if you'd tell me who they
are. I'd just go find them and tell, you're one of God's. But
since nobody knows who they are, we preach the gospel to everybody.
But we preach it for the elect. There's a huge difference. What
are you doing? We're seeking the Lord's sheep. We're seeking his elect. We're
seeking our little sisters who shall be born in God's due time.
What do we do for them? Why we preach to them. We pray
for them. We persuade you. Oh, we persuade
you knowing the terror of the Lord to be reconciled to God.
But then in verse nine, our Lord Jesus quietens the hearts of
his troubled people. We all become a little uncomfortable.
We all become a little uneasy when we don't see things happening
the way we think they ought to, don't we? We get a little concerned
for our children when they grow up. You preach to them, you pray
for them. When they're little, they seem
to be so tender. so impressionable, and the whole
religious world says, now, you con those kids into making a
profession of faith while they're little, and you assure them they're
saved when they're lost as a goose in a snowstorm, and everything
will be all right. It might make you feel better for a little
while, but it won't do their souls any good. Well, pastor, surely we ought to do
something. Yes, sir. Pray for them. Preach to them. Press on them their responsibilities,
and listen to what the Savior says. The Lord Jesus assures
us of what he will do for his elect people. If she's a wall,
we. Now wait a minute, I thought
it was him speaking. He is. He is the revelation of
the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The embodiment of the
fullness of the Godhead. We, my Father, my Spirit, and
I, we will build upon her a palace of silver. If she's a door, We
will enclose her with boards of cedar. And this is what it
says. We will gather the elect ones
and we will save them. It is as though the Lord were
saying, now, you let me alone, I'll do everything. You let me
alone, I'll do everything necessary to be done for my own. Trust
me, I'll build my church. I'll perfect my people and I
will protect my people. Well, pastor, what are you saying?
We must faithfully, faithfully labor for the salvation of God's
elect. Labor for their salvation as
if everything depended on us, but never compromise one hair's
breadth, anything, nothing. Never bend not one inch the glory
of God and the truth of God, never. Just wait on God. Believe him, knowing that he
alone builds his church. He alone does. Well, what do
you do with your sons and daughters? What do we do with our children? We do the same thing, Larry Criss,
with our children that we do with everybody else's children.
We commit them to the all-wise, good, gracious hands of God Almighty,
knowing that he will always do what's right. He will. He will. Whether he sends you
to hell or saves you by his grace, God's going to do what's right.
He's going to do what's right. Then in verse 10, the bride acknowledges
his favor, his grace, and his faithfulness. She says, I'm a
wall. My breasts are like towers. Then
was I in his eyes as one that found favor. Now this is the
summary of that. Let me just give it to you in
a nutshell. I remember. I was just as you
described. But you've been faithful and
gracious to me. And I know that what you've done
for me, you'll do for your own. You'll do for all your chosen. Let us acknowledge then that
salvation is altogether God's work. And let us trust God to
save his people. His purpose cannot be defeated.
Christ's blood was not shed in vain. God's grace will not be
frustrated. His power cannot be resisted.
His chosen can never perish. Now then, look briefly at verses
11 and 12. I'll just scan over this and
we'll come back to it in the coming weeks, the Lord willing.
The Lord tells us something here about our service for him. Solomon
had a vineyard in Baalhamin. He led out the vineyard unto
keepers, every one for the fruit thereof, who was to bring a thousand
pieces of silver. My vineyard, which is mine, is
before me, thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that
keep the fruit thereof, two hundred. Now here the bride consults with
Christ about their vineyard, the vineyard they had in the
country. Solomon had a vineyard in Bethlehem. Now Solomon, you
know, was a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in Matthew
21, our Lord Jesus compares himself to a husbandman who has a vineyard
that he's let out to his servants. Christ's church is his vineyard. The Lord has entrusted each of
us with his vineyard as keepers of his vineyard. And that's our
responsibility. It is primarily, of course, the
responsibility of gospel preachers. But it is equally the responsibility
of Bob Sally Potts in your place where he's put you. I write to
preachers frequently and I give a subtle reminder, give my greetings
to those immortal souls trusted to your hands. Here's this little band of folks
here. been trusted to my hands as your
pastor, as God's servant by God himself. I shudder. I shudder at the weight
of responsibility. But my friends, God has committed
his kingdom to you as well. He's trusted his vineyard to
your hands. What will you do for Christ? What will you do
for the increase of his kingdom? What will you do for the furtherance
of the gospel? You see, this business of Christianity
is not a spectator sport. Rex, God's people, every one
of them, are laborers in his venue. Every believer must endeavor
then to serve Christ, being motivated only by love for him and zeal
for his glory. And thus we enrich our own souls. Look at this. Those that keep
the fruit thereof, 200. The Lord's not at his vineyard
for the fruit of it, but those who keep the vineyard, they get
their reward too. Well, what is that talking about?
Matthew Henry put it this way. He said, those who work for Christ
are working for themselves and shall be unspeakable gainers
by it. Not materially, no, no, no, but
spiritually. And remember how Paul said, those
that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but
those that sow to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life
everlasting. Now what's he saying? Is you
take what God's put in your hands and you use it for pampering
the flesh. You use it to indulge your flesh. You use it for your pleasure
in this world. And all you get is corruption,
just corruption. But you take what God's put in
your hands, everything you put in your hands, your life, your
family, your wealth, your prosperity, your lands, everything, and you
sow to the Spirit. Use it as best you can for the
glory of God. Spread it bountifully for the
increase of His kingdom. and you stand back and watch,
and you will reap everlasting blessedness, everlasting blessedness,
as you see the Lord gathering in his harvest in his kingdom.
And then our Lord tells us that we have a responsibility toward
our Savior himself. Verse 13. Thou that dwellest
in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice. Listen to this. calls me to hear
it, calls me to hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be
thou like unto a roe or to a young heart upon the mountains of spices. The Lord Jesus and his bride
are here pictured as the time when Christ must part. He must
leave his church upon the earth. She must stay here below in the
gardens on the earth to work for him, but he must ascend up
to glory to intercede for her, to rule all things for the good
of his people. And our Lord lets us know that
he desires to hear from us and to hear from us often. He says,
Let me hear your voice, calls me to hear it. Other folks hear
you talk, let me hear your voice. You speak to other folks, speak
to me. Not only does our Lord hear and
answer prayer, he courts our prayers. He says, come now, come
on, let me hear your voice. Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. For her part, the bride, the
church, the believing heart, longs for Christ's speedy return.
Oh, it's good to be here, dwelling among the gardens of our Lord,
laboring for his glory in his vineyard. But to depart and be
with him is far better. Our Lord is coming again. It's
our business to work and live in anticipation of his speedy
return. And the comfort, satisfaction of communion with him that we
presently enjoy inspires in our hearts a longing for that day
when we shall have communion uninterrupted, when we shall
rejoice in his presence in perfection. And so our hearts cry and cry
continually to him, make haste, oh my beloved. Come on. Make haste. Hurry back for me. Hurry back
for me. The Lord Jesus says, surely I
come quickly. And we hear him, and we say,
even so come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Our Sister, Our Service, Our Savior

What does the Bible say about eternal election?

How do we know salvation is entirely God's work?

Why is being a part of the church important for Christians?

What role does prayer play in a Christian's life?

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Our Sister, Our Service, Our Savior

What does the Bible say about eternal election?

How do we know salvation is entirely God's work?

Why is being a part of the church important for Christians?

What role does prayer play in a Christian's life?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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