Would you turn back to Romans
16, verse 25. Now unto him that is of power
to establish you according to my gospel. Now in this doxology of the book
of Romans, I'd like to preach five, six, seven messages out
of it. But what I want us to consider tonight is what he said
now to him that is of power to establish you according to my
gospel. I've entitled this message, Established. Look in Romans 1 verse 11. For I long to see you that I
may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end that you may
be established. Now Paul tells us that's his
reading reason for writing. That's his reason for wanting
to be among them to this end that you may be established. That word has three meanings. I want to give you some different
ways the Bible uses this so we can get some idea as to what
Paul is saying that the Lord has the power to establish them.
First, that word means to make you unmovable, fixed, set. grounded to where you cannot
be moved. Abraham said to the rich man
in hell between us and you there is a great gulf fixed that cannot
be moved. That's the word fixed to be made
unmovable. Don't you want the Lord to make
you that way. Only the Lord can do it. And he is of power to
do it, but to be fixed. Now, the next way the word is
used in the New Testament is to turn resolutely in a certain
direction. And here's the scripture. Regarding
the Lord, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. He knew he was going there to
die. That's why he came. He came to go to Jerusalem to
die on a cross and the scripture says he steadfastly set his face. He would not be moved from this. Wouldn't you love it if the Lord made you steadfastly set in looking
to Christ. That's the direction you're looking
and you are resolved to look nowhere else and you're even
defiant of anything else. You want to look to Christ only. Steadfastly set. And the word means to confirm
and strengthen. But the God of all grace who
hath called us unto eternal glory, after that you suffered for a
while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. Oh, to be strengthened, to look
nowhere but Christ. To be strengthened, to be fixed,
settled. Now only the Lord can do this,
don't you know that so? Now unto him that is of power
to establish you according to my gospel." We're going to consider
that next week but this is always in accordance to the gospel.
Paul called it my gospel. I want to be able to call it
my gospel, don't you? The gospel that saved me, the
gospel that I believe. Now he's of power to establish
me and you. according to the gospel. Now, like I said, this is God's
work. It takes omnipotence to establish me. It takes omnipotence
to settle me to where I'm fixed and I can't be moved. It takes
omnipotence to cause me to look to Christ and nowhere else. It
takes omnipotence to strengthen me to do that. Now, unto him
that's of power, that's talking about God's omnipotence to do
this. for me and for you. I think of the scriptures about
the power of God. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. That word is power. How's the
only way you'll be kept from falling? If he keeps you from
falling. You know that don't you? Now
unto him that's able to keep you from falling and to present
you faultless before the presence of his glory. with exceeding
joy. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed and persuaded. He is able. He's able to keep
that which I've committed to him. He's able to establish,
strengthen, and settle me. And that's why we ought to always
be encouraged regarding this thing of being strengthened Made
to look only to Christ, settled upon the rock where I cannot
be moved." Now this is desirable to every believer. We want this. Now I want us to look at the
scriptures where Paul used this word with regard to settling,
establishing his people. Would you turn with me to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 3? Verse 1, wherefore when we could
no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens
alone. Now what he's talking about is
what happened in Acts chapter 17. You can read that chapter. This is when the church at Thessalonica
was founded. Now Paul preached the gospel
to these people, and he got ran out of town. And he's actually
writing this epistle just about three weeks later, and he was
Worried? That's not the right word, I
don't guess, but he was saying we feared that you wouldn't continue. We didn't know whether this was
real. So we sent, I was here at Athens with Timothy, and I
sent Timothy to you to find this out. Verse three, I sent Timotheus,
our brother and minister of God in our feral labor in the gospel
of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your
Now, the first thing I want to talk about is being established
concerning your faith, the faith that you possess. If you're a
believer, you have faith, and you and I need to be established
in faith. Now, what is faith? Faith, according
to Hebrews 11 1, and listen to this real carefully, what I'm
going to say is very important. I hope everything I say is very
important. You know, it better be. If I ever say something that's
not important, I'm not saying anything that is worth saying.
But what is faith? The writer of the Hebrews said
in Hebrews 11, verse 1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. And when we talk about
faith, we're talking about the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things not seen. Now, I've got some things I hope
right now. I have a hope that I'm justified. Sinless is what that means. A
state of sinlessness before God that when God sees me, he doesn't
see me as a sinner who he intends to save, but he sees me as someone
without sin. perfect in his sight. That's
what justification means. I have a hope that all my sins
have been paid for, redeemed, washed away, and that I actually
have no sin before God. I have a hope that I right now
while I'm talking to you have a holy nature, a nature that
will not be any holier than than it is when I'm in heaven because
I've been made a partaker of the divine nature and I've been
given this new nature, being born of God, being born of the
Spirit. I have a hope that I have a new
nature. I have a hope that I'm glorified
right now. That's how sure I am for heaven.
Scripture says, whom he justified, them he also glorified. I have
a hope that right now I'm glorified, fit for heaven. I have a hope
that God is preserving me. Now, faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Now, can
I see my justification? No. Can I see that all my sins have
been washed away? No. Can I see that I have a holy
nature that doesn't sin? No. I can't see any of those
things. Faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Now, what is the evidence
that you're a child of God? There's only two ways that that
can be answered. What is the evidence that God
has done something for you? I need some evidence. What is
the evidence that God has actually done something for me? Now, there's
two ways you can answer that. One of them's wrong. One is,
well, the evidence is my life, a changed life, my character. my victory over sin, my efforts
at being holy. Surely I'm saved when I look
at my life. I'm so changed. I'm so different.
I'm not the person I was. Surely I'm saved because of how
holy I am. Now, if you can look at your life
and conclude you're saved, You're not looking at your life. Amen. That's the truth. If you can
look at your life and say, I must be saved, look how I am. That's
one way. Well, my evidence is my life.
And the other evidence is faith. Faith or works. One of those
two. Faith or works. Faith. is the evidence of things
not seen. What is the evidence that God
has done something for you? One evidence. I believe the gospel. I really am relying on Jesus
Christ as my righteousness before God. Oh, I want to be established
in the faith, don't you? Established in faith to look
to Christ only and to look nowhere else. To not look to my life
and my conduct, but to look to Christ Now that's what it is
to be established in faith. It's to look to Christ only,
to look nowhere else, to have him as the only ground of your
confidence that God's done something for you. Now turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
3. You're in that chapter. Look
in verse 12. And the Lord, 1 Thessalonians
chapter 3 verse 12, and the Lord make you to increase and abound
in love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do
toward you, to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable
in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints." Now listen carefully, when you
have faith alone and only when you have faith alone, it's never
alone. Now is this contrary what you
just now said? No, it's not. when you have faith
alone and only when you have faith alone because if you don't
have faith alone, you don't have faith period. Faith is always alone. When you have faith alone and
only when you have faith alone looking to Christ only, it is
never alone. There's something that comes
out of it, it's called love. Galatians chapter 5 verse 6,
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. By this we know that we pass
from death to life because we love the brethren. This is his
commandment that we should believe on the name of his son and love
one another as God gave us commandment. It's only those people whose
hearts will be established that love the brethren. That's what
he's talking about in this context when he says, I want you to be
established. How is this seen? It's seen in this thing of love.
Look again. And the Lord make you to agree
and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even
as we do toward you to this end, that he may establish your hearts
unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father at the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, once again, this is something
only He can do. He's the one who establishes
our hearts blameless in holiness at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And this thing of having your heart established blameless,
well, what is blamelessness? It's justification, isn't it?
What is holiness? It's the new nature He gives
you. Now, only He can do this. Establish
your heart blameless, believing the gospel, holiness, the new
nature that loves the brethren. This is His work. And wherever
you have someone who looks to Christ alone, they're going to
be established to love, to love the brethren and to love all
men, to love them enough to want to preach the gospel to them.
Look in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, Verse 6. I mean, I'm sorry, verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting,
eternal consolation, and a good hope through grace. Comfort your
hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Now here's the third thing I
want to be established. I want to be established in faith. I
want to be established in love. I want to be established in every
good word and every good work. Now once again only the Lord
can do this but You know, the gospel is made of words, isn't
it? You can't preach the gospel without preaching certain words.
Good words. Good words. Faith's a good word,
isn't it? Repentance toward God is a good word. Election's a good word. Grace
is a good word. Redemption's a good word. Justification
is a good word. The gospel is made of words which
make the word. Paul said to Timothy, preach
the word. And I don't ever want to go back
on any of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to preach
this gospel as it's presented in the scripture, the word. And
I don't want to be ashamed of any word. Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Preach
the word. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. It's the power of God unto salvation. I want to
be established in all these good words. I never want to hold back
on any of these good words. I love what Paul said to Timothy.
If any man consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine, which is according to godliness,
he's proud knowing nothing. I want to be established in the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to be established
in every good work. Now, what's a good work? That's really pretty
easy to answer. Anything done out of love to
Christ. That's a good work. Anything
done out of love to Christ. The scripture I thought of was
there in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 where Paul was speaking of
giving and he said, you see that you abound in this grace also
to prove the sincerity of your love. That's an example where
I want to abound in giving. I want to abound in anything
that demonstrates love for the Lord Jesus Christ and so does
every other believer. I mean, when we talk about wanting
to have faith alone, does that mean we don't want to love Christ
and honor Him? Of course it doesn't mean that.
We want to abound in every good word and every good work. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse
3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you. Now this is a promise to every
believer. The Lord is faithful. And this is why you're going
to be established. The Lord determined to do it. And the Lord always
does what he says he's determined to do. The Lord is faithful. Great is thy faithfulness. He's determined to make me established.
So I will be established. And I say with David, Lord, do
what you said. You said you're faithful to establish us. Do
what you said. I didn't say it, you said it.
Do what you said. Make me to be established. Established. And being established, look what
he says in verse three. But the Lord is faithful who
shall establish you, and in establishing you, he keeps you from evil.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff
They comfort me. Now, everybody in this room has
reason to be encouraged because of His utter faithfulness. It's of the Lord's mercies that
we're not consumed. Great is thy faithfulness. Now, He is faithful. to cause
me and to cause you to be established. I think of that song we just
heard, Come my soul, thy suit prepare. Jesus loves to answer
prayer. He himself has bid thee pray
and there will not say thee nay. Thou art coming to a king. Large
petitions with thee bring. For His grace and power are such,
none can ever ask too much. Well, Lord, you said you're faithful
to establish me. I'm asking you to do what you
said. Now that's the greatest argument
in prayer. Lord, you said this. You said
this. Do as thou has said. That's what
David said. Do as thou has said. The Lord
is faithful to establish us. Now turn to second Peter. Chapter 1 verse 12, 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 12, Wherefore,
I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of
these things, though you know them. That's talking about the
repetition of the gospel. You already know what I'm saying,
but I'm repeating it again, and you need to hear it again, and
I need to hear it again. And be established in This is an
unusual thing to say. It's the word, established, established,
same word, to be established in the present truth. The present truth. Why didn't
he just say that you'd be established in the truth, but he said the
present truth. And the truth he's talking about
is the truth of the gospel. And here's the point. Listen
to this real carefully. I can't live off yesterday's
faith. I can't live off yesterday's
experience. I can't live off tomorrow's intentions. They won't do me any good. I
want to be smoked out of the past and I want to be smoked
out of the future. I want the present truth. I don't
want to look to the way I was five years ago, or last year,
or yesterday. I want to look to Christ right
now. I don't want to intend to do
something tomorrow. I want to look to Christ right
now. Now, when you're looking to the past, you know what you're
looking to? Some kind of work you performed, something you've
done. If you're looking to the future, you're looking to some
kind of work you intend to do. It's work, that's all it is.
Faith is always in the present and I want to be established
in this present truth. I'm looking to Christ right now. You know, I'm a sinner right
now. I'm not talking about the way I used to be, I'm talking
about right now and I need His grace right now more than I ever
have. I need to come to Christ right
now. I need to rest in Him right now. Oh, you think of the Scriptures
that use the word now. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear, we'll be like him. Being now justified
by his blood. Behold, now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live right
now in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son
of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I want to be
established in this present truth. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 5. Verse 10. But the God of all grace... I love this name of our God,
don't you? The God of all grace. The God of electing grace, justifying
grace, preserving grace, saving grace, electing grace, life-giving
grace, grace before grace. The God of all grace. What a
name. who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that you've suffered a while." Now, as long as we're sinners,
we're still going to have to suffer a while. That's just the
way it is living in this world. After you've suffered a while,
make you perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. I'm so thankful that it's continually
pointed out that this is God's work, but he establishes me so
that I'm set, so that I look only to Christ, and that I'm
strengthened to be set, looking only to Christ. James chapter
5. Verse 7, Be patient, therefore, brethren,
unto the coming of the Lord. And no matter how things are
right now, guess what? The Lord's coming. He's coming
back. No matter what you're going through,
remember this, He's coming back. And when He comes back, all your
troubles will be over. You'll be sinless. You'll be
perfectly conformed to his image. He's coming back. Now, whatever
you're going through, be patient. He's in control of it. He's coming
back. Behold, verse seven, the husbandman
waited for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience
for it until he received the early and latter rain. Be ye
also patient. Establish your hearts for the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh. He's coming. And it won't be
long. It won't be long anyway. You
look at it because even if His second advent doesn't happen
for another 10 million years, you're dying pretty soon. He's
coming for you. Now, what a blessed thought. Be patient. He's coming. And you'll be just like Him.
Revelation 3, this is the last one. To me, This may be scarier than
the passage regarding the church at Laodicea. But let's read these
verses. Chapter 3, Revelation. And I've
already touched on this. And unto the angel of the church
in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seven
spirits of God, and the seven stars, I know thy works, that
thou hast a name, that thou livest, You've got a reputation the way
you were looked upon way back when. You've got a name that
you live and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the
things which remain. Now that word strengthen is the
word establish. Be watchful and establish that
which remains. That's ready to die. For I have
not found thy works perfect before God. Now what the Lord is warning
us about is living in the past. How I was five years ago, how
I was yesterday, how I was 10 years ago. I've seen churches
do this. living in the past, living on
past blessing. Oh, the Lord has blessed us living
in the past. I've seen individuals do this.
They're looking at the past, the experiences they've had and
so on. He said, you've got a name. You've got a reputation that
you live, perhaps a good reputation. You're living in the past. You've
got a name that you're living and you're dead. And obviously
he's not talking about completely dead in sins. That's the unbeliever. You've got a name that you live
and you are dead. I've not found your works perfect
before God, but strengthened or established the things that
remain. Now what about that person who's
living in the past? All of us are in danger of this. Isn't that right? All of us are
in danger of this. What is that person to do? Establish
the things that remain. What remains? Christ is all. I believe that. That remains. Be established in that. Be settled
in that. Look nowhere else. What remains?
Well, I'll tell you something that remains. I'm still a sinner.
I'm still a sinner needing His mercy, needing His favor toward
me, needing Him to preserve me, needing Him to keep me, needing
Him to forgive me. needing him to come and take
me. I think of, you know, I don't know of a scripture that I love
more than when David said, I've gone astray like a lost sheep,
and there's nothing I can do about it. Seek thy servant. Come after me. I can't get to
you. You know that, and I know that. Seek thy servant, for I
do not forget thy word. That remains. That remains. What remains with you? Let it be established. My only
hope is grace. His grace to me, that remains.
Be established in that. That means be set. Be set there. Look only to Christ. be strengthened
to be set and established in the gospel and look nowhere to
Christ and that's the only thing that will prevent us from being
like the church of Sardis. I mean he gave them this instruction
didn't he? I'm thankful he gave them this
instruction. He said you've got a name that you're living, you're
living off past experiences, past blessings, get out of the
past. What remains? Be established
in that. Look to Christ only right now
like the first time you ever did it. Now unto him that's a power to
establish you according to my gospel. Let's pray.