Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Neiberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. When David was going out to fight
the giant Goliath, Saul gave him his armor to fight Goliath. And David didn't have any confidence
in Saul's armor. You see, human protection, means
and device could not help him in this battle. So we read where
he picked out five smooth stones out of a creek. I've entitled
this message, The Five Stones of David. Now, why did he pick
out five stones? He could have picked out four.
He could have picked out six. Why five stones? Did David understand
that there would be some typical significance of this? I don't
think so. He just picked out five stones
to fight the Lord's battle. And the reason he was using these
stones instead of human armor is to teach, beginning in verse
45, then said David to the Philistines, this is when he comes at him
with these stones, Then said David to the Philistine, Thou
comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield,
but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God
of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will
the Lord deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee, and I will give the carcass of
the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air,
and to the wild beets of the earth, that all the earth may
know that there is a God in Israel, and all the assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear. For the battle
is the Lord, and He will give you into our hands." See, the
point behind these stones was to show that salvation was totally
a work of the Lord. It's his battle. David was going
to beat Goliath, but it wasn't through David's ability. It was
through the ability of the Lord God. Now in Romans chapter 8,
verses 28 through 30, we are given the five stones of salvation. They form a five link. golden
chain and every link is rock solid. It cannot be broken. You know a chain is only as strong
as its weakest link and there are no weak links in this chain.
And after that we're given five rock solid conclusions that we
can draw. from the five stones of salvation. Now, do the five stones of David
point to these? I believe they do. These are
what gave David the victory, and these are what gives the
believer the victory, because when Paul concludes, he says
that we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And if there is no connection
between David's five stones and the five stones of salvation,
that still doesn't take away from the truthfulness of what
I'm going to say regarding the five stones of salvation. Now, in Romans chapter 8, verse
31, we read this statement. This is such a blessed verse
of Scripture. Paul says, what shall we then
say to these things? And he's talking about those
five stones of which he had just written of. What shall we say
then to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Now, if is a very important word
here. if God be for us. If lets us know that he is not
for everybody. Now, if he is for us, who can
be against us? But if he is against us, who
can be for us? Now understand, God has enemies. Now, thank God they're not able
to do what they want to do because He's God. He's all-powerful.
But God has enemies, and the proof of that is hell. Hell is where God places all
of His enemies for eternity. That's a hard thing to think
about, but it's true. God has enemies and He is not
for those people in hell in any sense of the word. Deep down
you know that God is just and there's a place where He's going
to send people who are His enemies. Now, who's He for? If God be for us Who can be against
us? Who is the us? Am I included
in that group of people that he's for? In verse 28 of this
same passage of scripture, he gives us two identifying marks
of the people that God is for. Now, let's read this verse together,
Romans 8, 28. Remember, we're not talking about what man thinks,
but what God says in his word. Oh, would to God that we could
hear what he says. In verse 28 Romans chapter 8
Paul says, and we know, we know, we're certain of this, this is
not an issue, we know. We know, who's the we? Everybody who knows it. We know
that all things work together for good to them that love God
to them who are thee called according to his purpose. In that verse
of scripture, two identifying marks are given to identify those
for whom God is for. First, they are the people who
love God. Not simply that they say they
love God, because pretty much everybody says that, but they
actually love God. They love Him as He's revealed
in His Word. They love His sovereignty. They
love that He's the first cause behind everything. They love
His power, the fact that He has the power to do whatever He wills
to do. They love His justice, that He
will not let sin go unpunished. They love His holiness, His hatred
of sin. They love His omnipresence, the
fact that He's everywhere at once. They love His immutability,
the fact that He never changes. They love His wisdom, that He's
made a way to save. They love His grace. They love
His love. They love everything about God
that He's revealed in His Word. There isn't one thing about God
they don't love. And they would not change Him
if it were in their power. They love God as He is. Now, these people who love God,
secondly, they're identified as them that are thee called
according to His purpose. Romans 9 and 11 says, the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose, the purpose of God according to election might stand, not
of works. but of him that calleth." II
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 were given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. But preacher, doesn't God give
everybody a chance? Salvation's not by chance. It's
by the purpose of God Almighty. Them that are the called according
to His purpose. Now these are the people that
God is for. Those who love Him, those who
are the called according to His purpose. Now think of this. If
God is for you in all of His attributes, That means His justice
demands your salvation. His power causes your salvation. His sovereignty wills your salvation. His wisdom makes a way for you
to be saved. God the Father is for you. You're
His child. God the Son is for you. He's
your Savior. God the Spirit is for you. He's
given you life. He preserves you. Why? All the holy angels are for you. God's holy law is for you. Oh, if God be for us, who can
be against us? Now, let's examine these five
stones that secure the salvation of those whom God is for. In verse 29 of Romans chapter
eight, here's the first stone of salvation. for whom he did
foreknow, whom he did foreknow. God's foreknowledge is the first
stone of salvation. Now, God's foreknowledge is not
God's for knowledge of events that will take place before they
happen, although God certainly does know what will take place
before it takes place, because the scripture says He declares
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. Yes, God knows what's going to
take place tomorrow or in five minutes because it's His will
being done. He does have a perfect knowledge
of all events, but that's not what foreknowledge is. Notice
it says whom He did foreknow. Not what He foreknew, but whom
He did foreknow. whom he did know beforehand. Like he said to Jeremiah, before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. When Adam knew his wife
Eve, it was an intimate relationship of love. For knowledge is for
love. It's loving beforehand. Remember that crowd spoken of
in Matthew chapter 7 where the Lord says, depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. I never knew you. Now, he knew exactly who they
were. He knew exactly what they had
done. He knew their names, but he didn't
know them. He didn't love them. Depart from
me, ye that work iniquity, I never loved you. That's exactly what
that means. Now, this is the foundation of
salvation. It begins with His knowledge. 2 Timothy 2.19 says,
The foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord
knoweth them that are His. Now, if He ever knew you, if
He knows you, He'll never stop knowing you. He'll never stop
loving you. Whom He did foreknow. Now, how can this be? Union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, if God loves you, it's because you're in Christ and
you've always been in Christ. There's never been a time when
you were not in Christ. And if you're in Christ, there's
never going to be a time when you're out of Christ. And God
loves you eternally. Whom he did foreknow. There's the first stone of salvation. Now here's the second. For whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Now the second stone is predestination. You know, there are entire religious
assemblies who deny the truth of predestination. Well, if you
deny predestination, here's what you do. You deny God. You don't
believe in the God of the Bible. You believe in a weak, man-like
God, but not the God of the Bible, because the God of the Bible
is the God of predestination. And here's what predestination
is. Those he foreknew, he predetermined that they were going to be just
like Christ, perfectly conformed to His image. Now, how glorious
this is. Do you want to be just like the
Lord Jesus Christ? Is that the desire of your heart? Do you
want to be perfectly conformed to His image? Then you will be.
He's predestinated. Predestination doesn't keep people
from being saved who would have been. It saves people who would
have been damned. He predestinates all he foreknew
to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, did God know you'd
be listening to this message? Well, of course He did. Is there
any way then that you wouldn't have been? No. because He determined it. Now,
is there any way God's predestinating purpose can fail to come to pass? If He has predetermined that
you're going to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ, His will
cannot be thwarted. He said, I have spoken it, I
will bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I also will
do it. If God be for you in predestination,
Who can be against you? Now, here is the third stone
of salvation. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. Called. Now, this is a reference
to the effectual call of God's irresistible and invincible grace. Grace that will not take no for
an answer. Lazarus, our Lord said, Come
forth. Now remember, Lazarus had been
dead four days, and the process of decay had already began. Could Lazarus have rejected the
Lord's call when the Lord said, Lazarus, come forth? Could he
say no? No. He that was dead came forth. Now if God calls you invincibly
and irresistibly. Who can be against you? Here's
the fourth stone. Moreover, whom he called, then
he also justified. Now, justification means that
you've never done anything wrong. And you've always done that which
is right. You've never sinned. You're not
guilty. If you're justified, it doesn't
simply mean forgiven or pardoned. It means not guilty. Remember
the publican in the temple who beat on his breast, crying, God,
be merciful to me, the sinner, the worst man to ever live? You
know what Christ said about that man? He said, I say unto you
that that man went down to his house and he confessed he's sinful,
but he went down to his house justified. Justified rather than
the other. Somebody says, how can he do
that? He did it. He did it. God justified him. Now, the glorious truth of justification,
my sins became Christ's. and he was condemned, and his
righteousness becomes mine, and I'm justified, not guilty. Oh, what a glorious stone of
salvation. That's the fourth stone. Here's
the fifth. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. And notice it doesn't say, them
he will glorify. It says, them he glorified. I am already glorified. Now somebody says, you don't
look like you're already glorified. Well, that may be, but I am,
because if Christ is glorified, I am too, because I'm in Him.
1 John 4, 17 says, as He is, so are we in this world right
now. Well, how is He? He's glorified,
perfect before God, and so is every believer. Now these are
the five stones of salvation, the five stones of David, foreknowledge,
predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Now, if God
be for us in these things, if He be for me in foreknowledge,
if He foreknew me, if He be for me in predestination, if He is
predestined that I be just like Christ, if He is for me in calling,
He calls me by almighty grace, If he's for me in justification,
he justifies me. If he's for me in glorification,
I'm glorified in Christ, then who can be against me? Now, here's the first conclusion
of the five conclusions we're going to draw from these five
stones. Who can be against me? There's
absolutely nothing to be intimidated by. There's no intimidation. Circumstances can't be against
me. As a matter of fact, all the circumstances are working
together for my good. No matter how bad or dark they
may appear, everything, all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.
The law can't be against me. It's for me because I stand perfect
before it. Satan can't be against me because
I belong to the Lord, and Satan's God's devil. He can't move without
God's permission, and everything he does will end up being for
my good. Men can't be against me. Oh, they can try to be, but
as the writer of the Hebrew said, the Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man can do against me. Why? I can't even
be against myself. You know, if I could mess this
thing up, I'd do it. I know I would, but God's for me. There's absolutely
nothing to be intimidated by. Let's go on reading, verse 32.
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also? How shall he not? How shall he
not? What could possibly prevent him
from freely giving us all things? There's absolutely no prevention. What all does that mean? There's absolutely nothing that
can prevent God from freely giving me everything. But somebody may
think, but I'm so sinful, I'm so unworthy, I'm so unfaithful,
I'm so weak, I'm so foolish, I'm so easily led astray, and
yet I'm so proud and self-righteous and selfish. How can I be saved
like that? How can He? He that spared not
His own Son. but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not? There's nothing that can prevent
him from freely giving us all things. No prevention. Now look in verse 33. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. You can't prosecute somebody
when there is no guilt. God has justified all of his
people and there is no prosecution. There's nothing to be intimidated
by. There's nothing to prevent him from giving us all of his
salvation. And there's nothing to prosecute
us for. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Law, what do you got to say?
I've got nothing to say. He stands perfect. Satan, do
you have anything to bring to their charge? No, he can't because
God justified him. If God has justified me, I'm
justified. What about my own heart? My own
heart can't bring anything to my charge if Christ died for
me. I stand perfect before the law of God. There is no prosecution. And then he says in verse 34,
who is he that condemneth? There's no condemnation to those
that are in Christ Jesus. Paul said in Romans 8, 1 at the
beginning of this chapter is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Who is he that condemneth? Now,
Paul gives four reasons why the believer cannot be condemned,
that person that God is for. Remember, if God is for you,
who can be against you? Who is he that condemneth? You
could ask the law, you could ask the devil, you could ask
men who were witnesses to things that perhaps you've actually
done. Your own conscience might condemn you, but listen to this.
If you're a believer, if God's for you, who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. That's
all you need. It's Christ that died. Yea, rather,
that's risen. That means God accepted what
he did. Who's even at the right hand
of God, highly exalted, ruling and reigning, who also maketh
intercession for us. Now, no one can condemn you. There is no condemnation. You'll
never, never have to give an account for your sins. People
talk about believers as if they're one day going to be judged for
their sins. It's going to be the believer's
judgment. It won't be as bad as an unbeliever's judgment,
but you'll get a higher reward in heaven based upon how good
you were or how much you've not sinned. That's foolishness. That's
a judgment that a believer's never going to face. There is
no condemnation to them that are in Christ. You can't lay
anything to my charge. I've always done that which is
right, I've never done that which was wrong. No condemnation, because
Christ died, yea rather it's risen, who's even at the right
hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. So if God be for us,
who can be against us? There's nothing to be intimidated
by. There's nothing that can prevent Him from giving me all
of His blessings. There's nothing I can be prosecuted
for. There's nothing I can be condemned for, and there's nothing
that can separate me from Him. Look at verse 35. Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? It can't be done. You see, the
Lord said, as the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Can anything separate Christ
from the Father's love? No. nor can anything separate
the believer from Christ's love. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it's written, For thy sake we're killed all the day long.
We're accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we're more than conquerors through him that loved us. For
I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, and just in case I've left out anything, nor any other
creature, and that includes me, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, if God be for us in foreknowledge,
predestination, calling, justification, and glorification, that means
there's nothing to be intimidated by. There's nothing that can
prevent His grace. There's no prosecution, no condemnation,
and no separation. Thank God for the five stones
of David. Now, we have this message on
cassette, CD, and DVD. If you call the church or write,
we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Kniper praying God
will be pleased to make Himself known to you. That's our prayer. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard send your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com
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