Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyvert. 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 Nyvert. Our text for this morning is
found in Ephesians 1. I want to speak upon this subject,
the good pleasure of His will. In Ephesians 1, verse 5, we read,
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will. verse 9 of the same chapter,
having made known unto us the mystery of His will. according
to his good pleasure. And then we read in verse 11,
in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. Now listen to this statement
carefully. The salvation of the sinner is
rooted in the will of God. God's will is so supreme that
if He wills my salvation, I've been saved. I'm being saved. I will be saved. My salvation
is an absolute must if God has willed my salvation. Now, God
is a person. He's not a force. He's not an
influence. He's a person. And as a person,
he has a will. He has a desire. He has a purpose. God is a God of purpose. Now,
the difference between God's will and man's will is this. God has the power to make his
will come to pass. No man has the power to make
his will come to pass. That's why we're taught to say,
with regard to anything we do, we'll do this Lord willing, Lord
willing. I recently heard someone talk
about the five most powerful men in the United States, and
I had to chuckle. A powerful man? There's no powerful
man. God is all-powerful, and He controls
everything and everybody. And to speak of a man being powerful,
power belongeth unto the Lord. He is sovereign. His will is always done. Man proposes. God disposes. His will is always
done. He's God. This is who God is.
God is not running for God. He doesn't need your vote. God
is God, and His will is always done. This is what is known as
the sovereignty of God. God has a will. God has the power. to make His will done, because
He's all-powerful. He's omnipotent. God has the
right to make His will come to pass. Nobody has the right to
object, why are you doing this? No, His will is always done,
and everything that happens is His will being done. He's in absolute sovereign control. Now listen to this statement.
God is completely sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions
of men. Now, men do what they want to
do. When you sin, it's because you wanted to sin. Men act freely. We do what we want to do. and God is completely sovereign
over all that, it's always His will being done. Now let me show you this from
the Scriptures. I'm not just given philosophy. I want to show
you this from the Scriptures. Proverbs 16, verse 1, the preparations
or the inclinations of the heart in man, your inclinations, your
disposings, and the answer of the tongue, how you respond to
something, is from the Lord. He's the first cause behind everything. People talk about Him allowing
things to happen. I think that's weak language.
He's the first cause behind everything. And let me say this. God brings
good out of evil. I mean, you can't do that, but
he does. He brings good out of evil. Listen
to this, verse 9 of Proverbs 16. A man's heart diviseth his
way. He makes all kinds of plans,
but the Lord directeth his steps. Verse 33 of the same chapter,
the lot is cast into the lap. That's supposed to be luck, happenstance. The lot is cast into the lap,
but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 19,
verse 21, there are many devices in a man's heart, many plans,
many purposes, some with ill will, some with good will, but
there are many devices in the heart of a man. Nevertheless,
the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand always. Proverbs 21, verse 1, the king's
heart, is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth
it, whithersoever he will. Now, the greatest example of
this is the cross. We read in Acts chapter 4 where
the early church said 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. determined before to be done. When they drove the nails in
the hands and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's because it
was determined by God before to be done. God is God. Now, I realize that men will
object to this and say, well, this makes men mere puppets,
and it makes God the author of evil. Now, what I said is so. What I said is so. God is God. He reigns. He rules. He controls
everything and everybody. That's who God is. And if you
have problems with that, you have problems with who God is.
You see? You have problems with who God
is. That means you have a problem with God, and that means there's
a real problem with you. You should rejoice in this. You
should rejoice that God controls all things. God's good. Whatever
He does is good. Whatever He does is right. I
might not understand it, but I know it's right because He
does it. God is good. Now, in this passage of Scripture,
Ephesians chapter 1, we read, beginning in verse 3, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. Now, who is the us that he blessed? Well, everybody he blessed. All
men do not have God's blessing. Some men are under his curse. Everyone who he has blessed,
and they're identified in this passage of Scripture as his elect,
those he chose before the foundation of the world. But he hath blessed
every believer with all spiritual blessings. You know, material
blessings, I want to be able to pay my bills, don't get me
wrong, but material, supposed material blessings can be a curse.
You can put more emphasis on how much you have in the bank
instead of trusting God. You can be more taken up with
the things of this world and the things money can buy than
knowing the living God. I would rather be healthy than
sick, but sickness is a great blessing. It makes you seek the
Lord. So the blessings he's talking about are not material, physical
blessings, but spiritual blessings. And every believer has them all
because of the will of God. God willed this to take place. Go on reading in verse four,
according as he hath chosen us. That's God's will in action.
before the foundation of the world. That's talking about His
electing will. He chose who would be saved. Now, that's who God is. And let
me remind you, if that's not the God you worship, the God
you worship is a non-existent God, because this is who God
is, the one who controls everything. And He chose us that we should
be holy. If it's God's will for me or
you to be holy, you know what? We're holy. Holy in Christ. and without blame before Him.
This is something else He willed, that every believer would be
blameless, justified, standing before God without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, perfectly righteous. Verse 5, here's the
will of God in action. Having predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will. You see, these things are God's
will in action. Now, whatever he wills. is Him
doing His good pleasure. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did He, in earth, heaven, sea, and all deep places. The Lord hath done whatsoever
He hath pleased." Listen to this scripture. This is the Lord Jesus
Christ speaking, and I have no question that He always rejoiced
before His Father, but did you know there's only one place in
the New Testament where it's recorded that He rejoiced? Here
it is in Luke chapter 10. At that time, Jesus rejoiced
in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent
and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. NOW, WHATEVER IS GOOD IN THE
LORD'S SIGHT IS GOOD. HE'S GOD. WHATEVER HE DOES IS
GOOD. HE ONLY DOES GOOD ALL THE TIME,
AND IT'S GOOD BECAUSE HE DOES IT. IF HE HIDES THESE THINGS
FROM THE WISE AND PRUDENT, IT'S GOOD. If He reveals these things
to babes, the things of salvation, it's good. He does whatsoever
is good in His sight. And you know, whatever He does,
it's good in my sight too. You see, I trust Him. I trust
Him. I don't understand what He's
doing. Don't claim to. But He knows what He's doing.
And I trust Him. I trust everything that He does. You see, the gospel brings glory
to Him. Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will, God's good will, God's good pleasure
toward men. God's will is what Paul calls
in Romans chapter 12, verse 2, that good and perfect and acceptable
will of God. And we're taught to pray, thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, here's something
we know God's will will be done. And here's something we desire.
God's will being done. We know what will take place,
and we desire. Our prayer is not my will. Our
Lord prayed this in the garden, and every believer prays this.
This is the true desire of their heart. Not my will, but thine
be done. Deliver me from my own will,
and cause your will to be done. You know, really, that's the
difference between a sheep and a goat. Sheep want His will done. Goats could care less. And every
believer understands that their salvation is entirely dependent
upon the will of God. In Matthew chapter 8, we read
of a leper who came to Christ. Leprosy, Luke's account says
full of leprosy. Leprosy represents sin in the
scripture. Now this leper, came to Christ,
and he worshiped him. Now, you only worship a sovereign,
one in whose hands you are. If you can manipulate him, if
you can control him, there's no worship there. But this leper
came and worshiped him, saying, Lord. He acknowledged the absolute
lordship of Christ. Lord, if you will, This is totally
up to you. I can't will this. I can't cause
it to happen. If you will, you can make me
clean. Now, I want you to think of what
daring presumption it would be for that man to say, I will,
that you make me clean. You don't talk to the Lord of
glory like that. You say, if you will, you can make me clean. Now, notice in verse nine of
our text, it says, having made known unto us, the mystery of
His will. Now somebody may be thinking,
what can a sinful, stupid man know about the transcendent,
incomprehensible God. What can they know about His
will? For somebody to say, well, I know His will. Well, the reason we can say we
know His will is because He has made it known, having made known
to us the mystery of His will. Now, a mystery is that which
would never have been known had not God been pleased to make
it known. There are so many mysteries in
the Scripture, things that are true, but we would have never
known it had not God made it known. For instance, who would
ever know that God is one God in three distinct persons? God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Who would
have ever guessed anything like that had not God made it known
in His Word? Who would know that Salvation
is all of grace, that it's in Christ, had not God made this
known in His Word, having made known the mystery of His will. Now, here's a scripture that
I love. Our Lord made this statement in John chapter 4, verse 34,
my meat and my drink is to do the will of Him that
sent me and finish His work. Oh, how the Son delighted to
do the will of the Father. Now, there's a passage in Hebrews
chapter 10 that's a quotation from Psalm 40, and I want to
read this to you in Hebrews chapter 10 that lets us know about the
supremacy of His will in salvation. In Hebrews chapter 10, beginning
in verse Seven, we read, then said I. This is his quotation
from Psalm 40. Lo, I come in the volume of the
book it's written of me. And he's not talking about the
scriptures. He's talking about that book we read of in Revelation
chapter 5, the book of God's decrees sealed with seven seals
that no man was able to open up. Only the Lamb, the Lion of
the tribe of Judah could open this book. That's the book he's
speaking of. Lo, I come, in the volume of the book, it's written
of me, to do thy will, O God. Now, in verse 9, then said he,
Lo, I come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. By the which will? By that will
that he came to do. By the which will, we, every
believer, are sanctified once for all. through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ. Now, so supreme is God's will
that through the death of Christ, every believer has been sanctified,
declared by God to be utterly holy through the death of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, think of this scripture. God is not slack. God is not slack concerning His
promise to usward, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. And if God is not willing for
someone to perish, they will not perish. They will come to
this thing of repentance, a complete change of mind concerning God,
themselves, and salvation. Oh, God's will is supreme. Now, in John chapter 6, there's
a very important passage of Scripture. where the Lord identifies His
reason for coming. Remember, we're talking about
the will of God, and He says, beginning in verse 38 of John
chapter 6, for I came down from heaven. I can't help but wonder
how those people responded when He said, I came down from heaven.
Only He could say that. I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will, which is sent me, that of all which He
hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day." Now there's God's will that everybody
He gave Christ be saved. In the Lord's great high priestly
prayer for his people, six times in the course of that prayer
in John chapter 17, he refers to those the Father gave him. Thou hast given him power over
all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
gavest him. And that's said five more times
in that chapter. Now, this is God's will. It's
God's will for all the elect to be saved. And if that's God's
will, it's gonna take place. But let's go on reading, verse
40. This thought is not over. And this is the will of Him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on
Him may have everlasting life. And I'll raise Him up at the
last day. How can I know if I'm one of the elect? Well, if you
are, you're somebody who sees the son and believes on him. Now, I have never seen the son
physically, but I've seen him in his word. I see who he is. I think maybe the best way to
illustrate this is the thief on the cross. He saw who Christ
really is. That's why he said, Lord, remember
me when you come into your kingdom. Nobody else at that time much
saw who he was. They were making fun of him,
laughing at him. But the thief looked at that one beside him,
hanging on a cross, and he said, Lord. Lord. He said to his buddy before this,
Don't you fear God, seeing you're in the same condemnation? He
believed that Jesus Christ is God. Don't you fear God, seeing
you're in the same condemnation? We indeed justly, for we receive
the due reward of our deeds. But this man hath done nothing
amiss. He knew of the perfection of
Christ, how he never sinned, how he worked out a perfect righteousness. He knew. And then he said, Lord,
you're the Lord. You're the absolute sovereign
of the universe. You're not going to stay dead.
You're going to come back as a mighty reigning king. Remember
me when you come into your kingdom. Now, that man saw the Lord. And you know what everybody does
who sees him? They believe on Him. They look to Him. They rest in
Him. Everybody without exception believes
on Him. You believe Christ is all, all
in the scriptures, all God is, all to God, all in salvation,
and all to me. Now, back in our text, in Ephesians
1, verse 11, we've looked at the first two, verses 5 and 9.
Now let's look at verse 11. We read of him who works all
things according to the purpose and the counsel of his own will. Verse 11, in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things. after the counsel of
His own will. electing people and Christ dying
for the elect. I've had people respond, well,
doesn't God give everybody a chance? My dear friend, salvation is
not my chance. Salvation is by the purpose of the living God. 2 Timothy 1.9 says, 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 was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Romans 9 and 11
says, For the children, being not yet born, 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. Now, His
purpose is working all things. There is nothing that is not
under His glorious purpose. And I think the greatest example
of this is the cross. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with
wicked hands have crucified and slain. That was all according
to His purpose. The cross is God's eternal purpose
to glorify Himself, and oh, what joy there is to know that the
cross is according to the will of God Almighty. Now, the completeness
and the security of our salvation is found in His will. Not in our will. It's not of
Him that willeth, nor of Him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. The Lord said, it's not the will
of your father that any of these little ones perish. He said,
my sheep shall never perish. Why? Where's their security?
In the sovereign will of God. And listen to this, child of
God, that means everything is for you. Everything is a blessing
of His grace. It's working together, according
to Romans 8, 28. Listen to this scripture. And we know that all
things work together for good. They don't work separately, they
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. Everything God brings your way,
every good thing, every quote bad thing is for you, working
together for your good and for His glory. And what a blessing
to think of this. We're called upon to work out
our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it's God that
worketh in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. Now, when the children of Israel
were in the Babylonian captivity, there was a man by the name of
Nebuchadnezzar that God had raised up to be king. And he turned
him into a beast so he might learn this. And here's what he
said after God taught him. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay his hand. None can correct him or stop
his will from being done or saying to him, what doest thou? You
see, God really is God. And the salvation of every believer
is rooted in the sovereign, invincible will of God. Now, we have this
message on DVD and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nyberg, amen. To
request a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your
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