Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nybert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I want to speak to you on this
subject before there was time. Now, somebody may be thinking,
what in the world are you trying to deal with something you have
no idea about? You weren't around before there
was time. So how would you know anything
about what took place before there was time? Well, I'm preaching
from the word of God. And the Word of God tells us
what took place before there was time. Now, there's not always
been time. It came about at the creation,
when God made days and nights, 24-hour periods. But before the
creation, there was no time. There was no space. There was
no matter. All there was was God in the
Trinity of His sacred persons. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. Now, we would not know that Did
not the Bible make it known? And the first time God's name
is mentioned in Genesis 1-1, when it says, in the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth, God is in the plural. It's a reference to the one God
in three distinct persons. God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit. You'll remember God said, let
us make man in our own image. So, there is something called
eternity. Time is a created thing. Eternity is eternal. God is called the eternal God. Now, in Hebrews 4, verse 3, the
writer to the Hebrews says, For we which have believed do enter
into rest. Faith is resting. We read in verse nine of this
same chapter, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people
of God. For he that's entered into his
rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from
his. Faith is resting in what Jesus
Christ did. You don't believe in salvation
by your works, you believe in salvation 100% by His works. And His work is finished and
you rest. Have you ever ceased from your
own works and rested in His? For we which have believed, the
writer says, do enter into rest. As he said, as I've sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, and that could
just as easily read, and it reads this way in other places, as
I've sworn in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. If I don't rest, If I don't believe
the gospel, if I don't have saving faith, I will not enter into
that heavenly rest. And then the writer makes this
very remarkable statement in verse three. He says, although
the works were finished from the foundation of the world,
Now that phrase, from the foundation of the world, means before there
was time. The works were finished before
there was time. The works were accomplished.
They were all done. Everything God does in time,
He completed. before time. They were already
done. You see, God's a turtle. With
God, there is no yesterday and there's no tomorrow. All things
are in the present. All things are naked and open
with the eyes of him with whom we have to do. God is eternal. He doesn't see something that
happened yesterday or something that will happen tomorrow. It's
all in the eternal present. And all the works were finished
before there was time. Now, this is not some obscure
scripture. although there are no obscure
scriptures. If it's in the Bible, it's of
critical importance, whatever it is. It's not obscure, but
listen to these scriptures. Acts 15, verse 18 says, known
unto God are all his works from the beginning. All of his works
of creation all of his works of providence, everything that
takes place in time, all of his works of salvation, he knew from
the beginning because they were accomplished in the beginning. Time is temporary. John said
in Revelation 10.6 that there should be time no longer. Time began in creation, the creation
of time and space and matter. But before creation, there was
no time. All there was, was God. Now all you and I know by way
of experience is time. We were born on a certain day.
We were conceived on a certain day, and here's a phrase we have
some familiarity with, how do you spend your time? We all have
a certain amount of time to live here on this planet, and the
day of our death has already been fixed. Now, I don't care
how well you take care of yourself, it's not going to change the
day of your death. Now, I'm not promoting not taking
care of ourselves. We should, but it's not going
to lengthen our lives. The day of our death has already
been appointed by God, and we live in Seconds, minutes, hours,
days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, millenniums. We are
creatures of time and we live out our lives in this thing called
time. And David said this in Psalm
31 15. And I love this verse of scripture.
He said, my times are in thy hands. That's such a wonderful
thing to think about. My times, all my time is in the
very hand of God. Now, my time here on earth is
very important. In time, I want to enter into
his rest. I want to know what it is. I
want to experience resting in Christ. In my time here on earth,
I want to know the joy and the peace of believing. In my time
here on earth, I want to be saved. I want the Lord to save me. I
don't want to be left to myself. I want the Lord to reach down
in His mercy and grace and save me by His grace. A term that
I so much dislike is when people talk about salvation, they say,
I got saved. That is a completely wrong way
to speak of this glorious, great salvation. I got saved. No, the
Lord saved me. And here in time, I want to know
his salvation. I want to believe I want to be
a real believer. I want to believe the gospel
in this time. I want to be a preacher of the
gospel in this time. I want to actually preach God's
gospel, not my thoughts or my opinions, but the very gospel
of God. I want to live a life by His
grace in this time that would be an example. that anyone could
follow. I realize that I've fallen so
far short. I say that with shame, but still
this is what I want. I want in this time, my time
here on earth, I want to be an example that other people could
follow. I want to be a good husband.
I want to be a good parent in this time. I want to be a pastor
after God's own heart in this time. I want to be a true friend
to those who are my friends in this time. I want to be that
friend that loveth at all times and that sticks closer than a
brother. I want my friends to be glad that I'm their friend
during this time. That's very important to me.
When I talk about eternity, I'm not discounting the importance
of time. Here in this time, I want to
illustrate the Beatitudes. I want to be somebody who truly
is poor in spirit, that has nothing Poor, all I have is Christ, which
makes me rich. I want to mourn over my sin.
I don't want to be indifferent about sin. I want to be meek
before God. Everything He sends my way is
right. I want to hunger and thirst after
His righteousness, knowing I have no personal righteousness. I
want to be pure in heart. And that's what happens when
someone's born from above, born again. They're given a new heart,
a clean heart. I want to be a merciful person in time. I want to be
a peacemaker. I want to have the blessed privilege
of being persecuted for His righteousness sake. Preaching His righteousness
is the only righteousness to the point that people want to
persecute me because they don't like the message. I want to preach
His message in time. Ecclesiastes chapter three, verse
one, the wise man said to everything, there's a season and a time to
every purpose under heaven. God is the God of time. He's
also the God outside of time. And he's the God who purposes
everything that takes place in time. Time. There is no, in time, there is
no good luck, Somebody says, I was lucky. There's no such
thing. There is no bad luck. Oh, I had bad luck. No, there's
no such thing. All there is, is God's purpose. There is no chance. There are
no random events. The wise man said in Proverbs
16, 33, the lot is cast into the lap. And when we think of the casting
of the lock, we think of the lucky draw, but the scripture
says the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. God is in absolute,
complete control, and that is why we can say, and we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to His purpose. The Lord said,
there's not a sparrow that falls to the ground without your heavenly
Father. Talking about something that
would seem insignificant in some other country on the other side
of the world, a sparrow falling down, and our Lord tells us it
doesn't happen without your heavenly Father. Now, most people, I've
heard this from so many people, when something happens, they'll
say, well, I believe there's a reason for everything. They have some
kind of vague notion. They can't tell why there's a
reason for everything, but they will say, with regard to what
happened, I think there was a purpose in that. I think there's a reason.
And then there are those who are fatalists. They believe blind
fate controls everything. Everything is fixed by something
called fate. They don't really believe in
a personal God controlling everything, but they believe in fate. And
then there are those who have a belief in determinism with
regard to what happens in time. All things that happen are determined
because of our DNA. It's all written in us. It's
encoded in us. And we only do what was already
encoded in us to do. There's no will involved in what
we do. I don't, nor does the Bible teach
the notion of free will. Our wills are controlled by our
natures. A tiger, I suppose if he wanted
to eat grass, he could. Are you going to stop him? But
it's against his nature. Our wills are controlled by our
nature. We have sinful natures that control our wills, but we
do what we want to do. And we do not do what we do not
want to do. There is will involved. And God is completely sovereign
over the free and uncoerced actions of men. And it's not difficult
for Him. Yes, I do what I want to, but
God is completely sovereign over that. Let me read you some scriptures
that demonstrate that. In Acts 4, verse 27, we read for of a truth, Against
thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were
gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determine
before to be done." When those soldiers drove the nails in the
hands and feet of the Lord. when they pressed the crown of
thorns on the Lord's head, when they sought to brutally torture
and murder Him, they were doing what they wanted to do. They
did so willfully and wickedly, but they did nothing more nor
less than what God determined before for them to do. Peter said on the day of Pentecost,
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and with wicked hands have crucified and
slain." Now, the reason that Jesus Christ was nailed to a
cross was because it was God's determinate counsel. But that
doesn't let you off the hook, Peter says. You did so freely
with wicked hands, you crucified Him. Now, like I said, this is
not obscure. This is so clear in the Scriptures. Listen to this Scripture. I am
God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like
me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand
and I will do all my pleasure. I have purposed it, I will do
it. Now these are the words of God
himself. Daniel chapter 4 verse 35 says,
"...he doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" This is who God
is, and a God that is not like this is a false God. God, a non-existent
God, the figment of man's depraved imagination. God is the God of
eternity. I love what Moses said in Psalm
90 with regard to God. Before the mountains were brought
forth, wherever thou hadst found the earth and the world, Even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest men
to destruction and sayest, return ye children of men for a thousand
years in thy sight, or but as yesterday, when it's past, and
as a watch in the night. He is eternal God. And we read in this book of Hebrews
of an eternal throne. Thy throne, O God, is forever. And this throne is not talking
about a physical material throne. It's symbolic of God's absolute
reign and rule and sovereignty. He's always been in absolute
control. It's a throne of justice, the
scripture says. Justice and judgment are the
habitation of thy throne. And thank God it's a throne of
grace. That means I can approach this
throne and be accepted through Christ. But it's an eternal throne. We read of eternal judgment.
A judgment that had no beginning. And Christ is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. I was accepted in eternity through
Christ. It's an eternal judgment. We
read of eternal redemption. We read of the eternal spirit. We read of the eternal inheritance
and the eternal covenant. David wrote of this right before
he died. He said, although my house be
not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and sure. And this is all my salvation
and all my desire, though He make it not to grow." Now, it's
true we could know nothing of eternity had not God made it
known in His Word. We would know that there's such
a thing as eternity. except God had made it known
in His Word. And Paul said this in 1 Corinthians
2, chapter 7, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. Even the hidden wisdom, which
God ordained before the world unto all our glory. Now, think
of this word, mystery. Mystery. A mystery is not the
way we use the word. Well, it's a mystery to me. I
don't understand. A mystery is something we would never have
known had not God made it known in His Word. It's not something
that we so much intellectually comprehend and grasp, but it's
something we most certainly believe. For instance, one God in three
distinct persons, I can't understand that, but I believe it with all
my heart. The eternal union of Christ with
His people. Paul said this is a great mystery,
but I speak regarding Christ and His church. They've always
been one. There's never been a time, even in eternity past,
when I was not one with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's true of
every believer. What a mystery! I believe it, I don't understand
it. Christ in you, the hope of glory, that great mystery. Oh,
the mysteries of Scripture. And Paul tells us they were ordained
before the foundation of the world unto our glory. Ephesians 3.11, we read of the
eternal purpose. which he purposed in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Now somebody says, is this even relevant to me,
talking about eternity? Yes, it's relevant. It's totally
relative, relevant. I am trusting that which was
accomplished in eternity. That means my works do not enter
in. And you can't really have your works not entering in unless
you had absolutely nothing to do with it. It was accomplished
before time. As I said, we read of the eternal
purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we
read of the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. Listen to this scripture, Romans
9, 11, for the children. neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might
stand not of works, but of him that calleth." That's God's eternal
purpose, that salvation might not be our work, but His work. John 17, verse 24, the Lord said,
Thou lovest Me, speaking to His Father in that great high priestly
prayer for His people, Thou lovest Me from the foundation of the
world. One of the most significant scriptures
with regard to this is Revelation 13, 8, where Christ is called
the Lamb slain. from the foundation of the world. Before the creation, before there
was time, space, or matter, Christ was the Lamb slain. And listen
to this, God made the universe so the Lamb slain in eternity
could be slain in time. But not only was he slain in
eternity, he was raised in eternity, and he's raised in time. And
before there was ever a sinner, There was a Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was ever a sin committed,
the payment had already been made by the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Listen to this scripture, Hebrews
7.21. We read that He is a priest forever,
eternally. He's always been the priest after
the order of Melchizedek. We read about him in Genesis
chapter 14 and once again in Psalm 110, and I have no doubt
that Melchizedek is Christ himself. Christ is not like the Levitical
priests who first had to offer up sacrifices for their own sins,
then for the sins of others. He had no sin. And he is the
priest eternally after the order of Melchizedek. In Ephesians
chapter 1, verse 4, we read this. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. Before there was
time that we should be holy and without blame before him. Second Timothy 1.9 says, he saved
us. The us is everybody he saved.
He saved us, and He called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
were given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Now, this eternal salvation lets
us know clearly that salvation is not us doing anything. It's
Him doing everything. It can't be something we did
in time because it's something He accomplished before time. Now, even on Judgment Day, When
the sheep are brought in, the Lord will say, come ye blessed
of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Now, salvation was accomplished
before time. It had to take place in time.
but it was accomplished before time by the eternal triune God. Now what that lets me know, number
one, is salvation by works is excluded. You can't believe this
and believe in salvation by your works in any way. It's not what
you do. It's what He did. And I'm trusting. This is the evidence that was
done for me. I'm trusting the finished work of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the work that I had nothing to do with. I'm relying completely
on what He did. And there's only one response
to this eternal salvation. You bow down and worship. And because it's eternal, it's
always new. There's no past, there's no future,
it's always now. Faith is in the present. That's
why the gospel is always new. Salvation accomplished in eternity. Thank God experienced in time. and brought to its fruition in
eternity. We have this message on DVD and
CD. If you call the church, write,
or email, we'll send you a copy, or you can get it off our website.
This is Todd Niebuhr, praying that God will be pleased to make
himself known to you. That's our prayer, amen. To receive
a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request
to todd.niebuhr at gmail.com, or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.