While you're turning there, I
was glad Rich read that passage of scripture. That was Mary. Remember Mary and Martha and
Lazarus. That was Mary that broke that
alabaster box of ointment upon the Lord. And tonight I'm going
to be speaking from Luke chapter 10, where the Lord said to Martha,
Martha, Martha, there's one thing needful and Mary hath chosen
that good part, which shall not be taken from her. And we're
going to consider Mary's choice. Now in verse 17, let me read
it once again of Romans chapter four, we have five fundamentals
of faith. And if you have faith, if I have
faith, we can read this passage of scripture and see what faith
is made of, what the fundamentals of faith are. Five fundamentals
of faith. As it is written. There's the first fundamental.
As it is written. Here's the second one. I have
made thee a father of many nations. It's what God has done. That's
who and what we're relying on, what God has done, what God has
made, not what we do, what he has done. Here's the third one. Before him whom he believed,
Even God. Look at that even, it's in italics,
not there in the original. Before him whom he believed,
God. That's a quotation from Genesis
chapter 15, verse 6. Here's the next fundamental faith. We believe what God said. Isn't
that simple? We believe what God has said. And here's the fourth fundamental
of the faith. We believe the God who gives
life quickens the dead. That's a fundamental of faith.
We believe the God who gives life to the dead. And here's
the fifth thing. The God who calls those things
which be not as though they were. Literally, we believe that God
who calls those things not being, as being. The fundamentals, the
five fundamentals of faith. Now, you can examine your faith
in light of these five fundamentals. I dislike the thought of fundamentalism
as we think of it. You know, a religious fundamentalist,
and you know what I'm talking about when I talk about a religious
fundamentalist, someone who has, well, I don't want to get into
it, but that being said, we truly are fundamentalists in the true
definition of the word. Every believer is a fundamentalist,
and by fundamentals, I mean the groundwork, the roots The basics. The bottom line. The foundation. The meat and potatoes. The primaries. The radicals. The primordials. The fundamentals of faith. This is what faith is actually
made of. And oh, that God would cause
his gospel to be preached in simplicity and power. And we
can leave this place knowing we believe. And if we've never
believed before, we'll believe today. Wouldn't that be a blessing
of God? The fundamentals of faith. Without
further ado, here's the first. as it is written. The Bible is fundamental to faith. The scriptures are central in
our worship, aren't they? Central. We believe all scripture
is given by inspiration of God. That's what the Bible claims
for itself. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. and everything we believe must
be from the scriptures or it is false. The Bible is the authoritative
word of God and we're here to preach the word and we're here
to hear the word. Isn't that what you want to hear?
You want to hear the word of God. You don't want to hear the
word of Todd. You don't want to hear the word of some man,
some man's opinion or thoughts. You don't want to hear any denominational
distinctives and human religion. You want to hear the word of
God. Is that what you want to hear?
Oh, the Bible is central to our worship. We believe that God
is as the Bible says he is. For instance, how would you know
that God is one God in three distinct persons, God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? How would you know that
without the Bible? Well, we wouldn't have a clue. We'd never come
up with anything like that. That's so mysterious, that's
so glorious, that's so God-honoring and God-exalting, and we hear
something like that, we can't begin to understand it, but we
believe. God is one God. Here, O Israel,
the Lord thy God is one Lord, one God, in three distinct persons. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. And we believe God is as the
Bible says He is. Don't we? We believe He's immutable
and cannot change. We believe he's holy. We believe
he's sovereign. We believe he's absolutely just. We believe he's altogether righteous. We believe he's all powerful.
We believe he's omnipresent everywhere at once. We believe he's omniscient. The word of God reveals regarding
him. And we believe what the Bible
says regarding him, don't we? And we believe, we really believe
that man is as the Bible presents him to be. You know what that
means? It means I believe, we believe
that me and you were born into this world evil. You believe that about yourself?
You were born into this world evil, dead. in trespasses and
sins without the ability to save yourself. You were born a sinner.
We believe what the Bible says about man that he can't be saved
by his works. We believe that. And we believe
that salvation is as the Bible says it is. We believe salvation
is of the Lord. We really believe that we we
believe salvation is of the father in eternal election. Salvation
is of the son in successful redemption and salvation is of God, the
Holy Spirit in his invincible grace, regenerating us and giving
us life. We believe that God is. As he says, he is that man is,
as he says, he is, and that salvation is as the Bible says it is. Now how did the Lord himself
combat the temptations of Satan in the wilderness? Now you think
of the devil coming to the Lord and tempting him. You know what? You think what the Lord could
have done. The Lord could have just destroyed him. There's all kinds
of things he could have done. But how did the Lord deal with
the temptations of Satan? When he said, command that these
stones be made bread, the lust of the flesh. Or jump off the
pinnacle of the temple and prove to everybody who you are. There's
the lust of the eyes. Give us something we can see.
Or all these kingdoms will I give unto you if you'll bow down and
worship me. That's the pride of life. All this I'll give to
you. How did our Lord, how did the Lord Jesus Christ deal with
Satan's temptations? Every, all three times, he began
with this. It is written. It is written. It is written as foundational
to faith. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And we dare not use the scriptures
to prove what we believe. That's such an irreverent use
of the scriptures. We dare not use the scriptures
to prove what we believe. We go to the scriptures to find
out what to believe. The Holy Word of God. So the first foundation, the
first fundamental of faith is it is written. Aren't you thankful for the Bible? I'm so thankful that God has
given us a written revelation of himself. I'm so thankful that
the Lord gave me the grace to read. I can read and see what
it says, but you know, I couldn't see any of it unless God gave
me his spirit to understand what's being said. It is written. Now here's the next fundamental
of faith. Look in verse 17, as it's written,
I have made thee a father of many nations. That is a quotation
from Genesis chapter 17. And Isaac had not yet been born. And yet God says, I have made
thee a father of many nations. Spoken of in the past tense.
I have. made thee a father of many nations. Now that is what the Lord did. My hope is wholly, 100% in what he did. And I love the
way the Lord says this. He says, I've done it. Not about
what he will do. I've had people say, what's God
doing in your life? I don't know. I'm not real sure what's going
on, but I know this. I know what he's done. And that
is who I'm resting in, what he has done, what he has made. Now, this word made is also translated
appointed, ordained and purposed. It could be read. I have ordained thee. I have
appointed thee. I have purposed thee a father.
of many nations, and this speaks of the absolute sovereignty of
God. I love the sovereignty of God. I love it because that's who
he is. Everything he does, he appointed before time began. He has a purpose, he has the
power to make his purpose come to pass, and he always makes
his purpose come to pass with no exceptions to that rule. That is why Romans 8, 28 is true. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. I have purpose thee. And what
I think is very glorious about this passage of scripture is
that what God purpose becomes something that has already happened
even before it takes place. I have made thee a father of
many nations. This is such a perfect word to
describe what God does, what God appoints, God does, what
he ordains becomes past tense before it even takes place. I
have made thee a father of many nations. Now, all of our faith
relies on what he has done, what he has made. It's everything. Turn with me to John chapter
2. In verse 11, it says this beginning
of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth
his glory. Now that word beginning doesn't
simply mean the first miracle, but it means the most important
miracle. This is called the most important miracle of our Lord. Now, What is it? I mean, I would
think raising the dead or some of the controlling the weather
would be just as important. And I guess in some respects
they are, but this is what the scripture says is the most important
of the Lord's miracles. So that ought to really get our
attention as we read about this miracle in John chapter two,
verse one. And the third day, there was
a marriage in Cana of Galilee. And the mother of Jesus was there.
And both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him,
they have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, woman,
what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Why the Lord speak to her like
that? because she was speaking to him
as her son and not as the son of God. And his mother saith, verse five,
unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six
water pots of stone, six being the number of man, after the
manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three
firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, fill the
water pots with water. And they filled them up to the
brim. And he said unto them, draw out
now and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bear it. When the ruler of the feast had
tasted the water that was made wine. It didn't taste like wine. It
didn't smell like wine. It was wine. It was made to be what it was
not. Abraham was not the father of
anybody. Sarah had already gone through
the menopause, was unable to bear children. Abraham was 100
years old. But yet God said, I have made
thee a father of many nations. That wine was wine. It wasn't water that smelled
like wine. It wasn't water that looked like
wine, that didn't have the consistency of wine. It was wine. Now, here's what I'm relying
on. I'm relying on what God has done.
I'm relying on what God has made me to be. Because of what Christ did for
me, I listen real carefully. I don't look righteous. I don't
act like I'm righteous. I am righteous in Christ. I am righteous. I'm relying on what God has done. He's made me righteous. Because He was made sin, He's made me righteous. 1 Corinthians 1.30 says, For
He, for God, hath made Him to be for us. Of Him are you in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us. There's that word. Wisdom. Righteousness. Sanctification. Holiness. And redemption. This is the heritage of every
believer. This is what we're relying on. This is who we're
relying on. God, what he did to make us what we are. Just
like that wine, it used to be water, but now it's wine. It's not water any longer. Every
believer is made the very righteousness of God in him. Back to Romans chapter four. Now I'm asking you with regard
to your faith. Nobody believes for you. You
must believe. I must believe. I'm asking you this question
with regard to your faith. Is your faith founded in the word
of God. Can you go to the scriptures
to say, this is what I believe. This is who I believe. Can you
go to the scriptures? And secondly, is your faith founded? Is this one of the fundamentals
of your faith? It's what he did. What he did. Not what you've done. It's utterly
and completely what he did. Here's the third fundamental.
It says in Romans chapter four, verse 17, before him whom he
believed, even God, we believe God. And this is a quotation
from Genesis chapter 15, verse six, when Abraham believed the
Lord and it was counted to him for righteousness. That's the
first time belief is mentioned in the scriptures. Remember God
said to Abraham, it's so simple. Abraham was an old man. He didn't
have any children. God said, look at the stars,
Abraham. Can you count them? He said, no. He said, so shall
your seed be. Now, Abraham didn't have any
physical evidence that that would take place other than the naked
word of God. And he believed God. Look on in Romans chapter four,
verse 18, who against hope, There wasn't
any hope physically that he would have children. believed in hope,
because God said it, that he might become the father of many
nations according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed
be. And being not weak in faith,
he considered not his own body, now dead when he was about a
hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now this is fundamental to faith. You and I personally believing
what God has said and believing he is able to perform whatever
it is he said. Paul put it this way in 2 Timothy
1.12 I know whom I have believed. Notice he didn't say, I know
what I believe. Somebody says, I know what I believe. Well, that's who you believe.
I know who I believe and I am persuaded. I'm convinced that
he's able to keep that which I've committed to him. What have you committed to him,
Paul? Same thing I do. I've committed the entire salvation
of my soul to Him. I'm not looking for a thing out
of myself. I'm looking wholly to Him. And
He says I'm persuaded that He is able. Do you believe He's
able? Do you believe He's able to save you? I do. He's able to keep that
which I've committed to Him against that day, we believe God. And the thing about the Lord
Jesus Christ, what's so glorious about him is he has all power
and he is able. He's able, he's able to save
me. I love it when those blind men
come groping into that house. They followed the voice of the
Lord and they wanted their sight. And he said, do you believe that
I am able you? I love their answer. It's
very simple. Yay, Lord. Yay, Lord. We believe God. He's able to keep that which
I've committed to him against that day. Now, in this 17th verse,
there are two things regarding God that are fundamental to faith. The first fundamental It's written,
the second fundamental, we trust what he has done. I've made thee
a father of many nations. The third fundamental of faith
is we actually believe what God says. We believe what he says.
We're persuaded that he's able to keep that which we've committed
to him against that day. We, like Abraham, are fully persuaded
that whatever God promises, he's able also to perform. But here's
the fourth thing. We believe God who quickens the
dead. God gives life to the dead and
he calls those things which be not as though they were. Things not being as being. God quickens, gives life to the
dead. Now this is fundamental to faith. God quickens, God gives life
to the dead. Now there are three resurrections
from the dead the scripture speaks of. First, there's the physical
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ when he was raised from
the dead. And then there's the spiritual resurrection when he
quickens us and gives us life and we're dead in sins. And he
says, live and we live. We're raised from the dead spiritually. And then there's that physical
resurrection that we look forward to. If we're believers, we look
forward to it and we'll be raised incorruptible. I wouldn't look
forward to it if I was an unbeliever because I'd be raised to the
resurrection of damnation. But for the believer is the resurrection
of life. Now let's consider all three
of these resurrections briefly. First, the physical resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, if thou shalt confess
the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. Now you can't believe that he
was raised from the dead unless you believe he actually died. Now this is one of the many mysterious
things we believe about the gospel. He who is life, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the brightness of God's glory and express image
of his person, the word that was made flesh, God the Son. We believe that God the Son died. When they took him down from
the cross, they took him down dead. Now that's so mysterious. I don't understand how the God
man could die. I remember somebody called me once and they said,
you said that on the cross, God died. Well, the scripture does
say, feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own
blood. The scripture does say that, doesn't it? Feed the church
of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Now, he said,
how can you say God died? He said the man part of him died,
but the God part didn't. How can you make a distinction
like that? He's the God-man. You don't separate
him in that sense. He is the God-man and the God-man
died. Now why did he die? There is
only one reason for death. The only reason is what? Sin. There is no other reason
for death. People don't die because they
get cancer, because they get old. They die because of sin. Now,
sin is what brought all that on. The wages of sin is death. By one man, sin entered the world
and death by sin. So death passed upon all men
in that all have sinned. There's only one reason for death.
And that is sin. And Jesus Christ, the Lord, never
sinned. He wasn't capable of sinning. He wasn't capable of giving in
to the temptations of Satan. He's God. So how did he die? My sin became his sin. so that he actually became guilty
of my sin. And it was the justice and the
wrath of God that put him to death. That's why he died. He was made sin and guilty and
had to die. The very justice of God demanded
his death. That's the only reason for death.
And God raised him from the dead. Why? Because in his death, He
paid the wages of sin, he put the sin away, and he justified
everybody he died for. He was raised again for our justification. Oh, don't you love to think of
the resurrection of Christ? Turn with me to Romans 8. Verses 33 and 34. Paul says,
who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who can
bring any accusation against it? It's God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Who can bring any accusation
against God's elect? Who can lay anything to their
charge? Paul issues a challenge. Now, what if Satan brought an
accusation to God against you? Satan means accuser. He's called the accuser of the
brethren. What if he accused you of doing
certain things, of thinking certain things, of acting out certain
things that were evil and wicked? What if he accused you before
God? Would any of those accusations
be untrue? Whatever he accused you before
of God, would any of those accusers, your conscience knows. How many
times have you, you? Do you really believe you're
a Christian? With the things that you do? With the things
that you repeat? With the things that you think?
Although you're a hypocrite, yeah, but a Christian, how can
you be a Christian? And I'm sure Satan can bring
all those accusations up before God about me and about you that
are true. And what does Paul say? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Well, none of it's true. You
see, God's justified and they stand before God without guilt. Who is he that can condemn? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also brings, makes
intercession for us. Now, Satan brings those charges
up to God and God answers. Your charges are not true. I
justified them. Who can condemn them? Christ
died for them and is risen again, having paid all their debts. We believe in him who raises
the dead, don't we? And you know this thing of spiritual
quickening. And you have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins. Now, if you're quickened, you
know that there was a time when you were dead in trespasses and
sins, dead, unable to do anything spiritually, dead. And you know,
if you have life, it's because he gave you that life. And you
hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. We believe
on him that quickens the dead in the new birth, and we believe
just like Job that these bodies will die and be eaten of worms,
and then they'll be raised from the dead incorruptible. Now, and all this thing of resurrection
from the dead, whether we're talking about the Lord's resurrection
from the dead, our spiritual resurrection, or the final physical
resurrection. We know this, this is the work
of God. We can't do anything to raise
ourselves from the dead, but we really believe this is the
work of God. And look what he says back in
our text in Romans chapter four. Here's the final thing. This is fundamental to the faith.
It is written. Secondly, it's what God has done.
I've made thee a father of many nations. Thirdly, it's believing
God before him whom he believed. Fourth, it's believing the God
who quickens the dead. And here's the last thing. It's
believing the God who calleth those things which be not as
though they were. And here's a better translation
because You know, if he calls those things that be not as though
they were, that's not good enough. If it's as though they were,
it's better than it's as though they were. And it reads literally,
he calleth those things not being as being. He calleth those things
not being as being. Now, This is God creating something
from nothing. When God created the universe,
he didn't have anything to work with, did he? There wasn't anything
he could use. It was simply an act of his glorious
sovereign power and will. He created something from nothing. There was nothing. He said, like
me. And light was. That's the creative
act of God. There wasn't anything there.
God was all by himself. There wasn't anybody there with
him. There wasn't any universe at the time. I mean, that's hard
to conceive, but there was a time when all there was was God. Nothing
else. And God said, light be. And light
was. God created the universe. He took something that was nothing
and he He said, it is. And it was look in first Corinthians
chapter one. Now for me and you to be made
something for God to create us as something we're going to have
to be nothing, aren't we? Nothing. You won't be something unless
you're first. Nothing. That's the way God works. Now look here
in first Corinthians chapter one, verse 26, For you see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things
of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and
base things of the world and things which are despised hath
God chosen, yea, and things which are not." Nothing. Nothing. To bring to nothing
the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. Things that are nothing. Now let me tell you some things
that I am not. in and of myself. I'm not holy in and of myself. I'm not righteous. I'm not good. I'm not just. I'm not perfect. I'm not faithful. I'm not obedient. I'm not lovely
or lovable. I'm not without fault. I'm not
unblameable. I'm not unapprovable, unapprovable. I'm not without sin. I'm not
dead to sin. In and of myself, I'm not any
of these things. And that's the truth about me,
what I am in and of myself. Do you know that's the truth
about you? In and of yourself, you're not any of those things. Yet, He calls those things that
are not. He says, you are. Now listen
to this. I am holy. I'm good. I am righteous. I am just. I am perfect. I am obedient. I am faithful. I'm lovely and
lovable. God sees that which is in me,
which is lovely to himself. I am without fault. I'm unblameable. I'm unreprovable. I'm without
sin. I'm dead to sin. And I'm pleasing
to God. He calls those things which be
not. as though they were. He calls
those things not being as being. Now, how can that be? Well, is Christ holy? Is Christ altogether lovely to
God? Is Christ just? Is Christ unblameable? Is Christ unreprovable? Is Christ righteous? Is Christ
obedient? Is Christ without sin? Is Christ
dead to sin? Is Christ pleasing to God? And you answer, yes, he is. Now
turn to first John chapter four. Here in verse 17, herein is our
love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Now, can you imagine having boldness
standing before God and being judged with boldness? How can
that possibly be? Well, here it is. Herein is our
love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
because as he is, he's righteous. He's holy. He's
perfect. He's without fault. He's unblameable.
He's unreprovable. As he is, so are we in this world
right now. Now that's a fundamental of the
faith. As he is, so are we. He calls those things which be
not. Everything you could say, you're not. I love that statement. It was
a song. I don't know how it went, but
it went like this. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all. that Jesus Christ is my all in
all. Spurgeon tells the story of a
man that was Lord saved and he wanted to become a member of
a church and he got before some kind of board that was going
to decide whether or not he could be a member of that church. And
he said, well, tell me about your experience. And he said,
well, my experience is this. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all. Was that all you got to say?
No, Jesus Christ is my all in all. He takes those things which are
nothing and makes them to be who Christ is. Now those are
the fundamentals, five fundamentals of faith. And you can look at
yourself and see whether or not you have saving faith. Is your faith grounded, founded
in the word of God? Is your faith what he has done? Not what you do, but what he
has done. I've made thee a father of many nations. Do you believe
what he says? Whatever he says, do you believe
what he says? Before him whom he believed,
even God. Are you relying on him who quickens the dead? And you're relying on him that
cause those things which be not as though they were. Now that,
my dear, beloved friends, is saving faith. May God grant that
to all of us. Let's pray together. Well, before
we pray, I want to read one last scripture. Turn to Habakkuk.
I think this will make this passage of scripture real. what we've
just considered. Habakkuk, however you say it,
chapter three. It's right after Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk. Are you there? The prophet says in verse 17, although the fig tree shall not
blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the
vines. He's talking about things that
are not. The labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall
yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. If you look in the stalls, There
is nothing there yet. I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength,
and he'll make my feet like Heinz feet, and he'll make me to walk
upon mine high places to the chief singer on my stringed instruments. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. How we thank you for what your
son has done. How we thank you for the gift
of faith that has enabled us to believe you. How we thank
you that you quicken the dead that you quicken your son from
the dead. You quickened us when we were dead and Lord, we look
forward to that final quickening at final resurrection. And Lord,
how we thank you that you call those that are nothing in themselves. You call us righteous. And we
are righteous. Lord, how we thank you for the
power of your gospel. Bless this message for your glory
and for our good. Lord, unite our hearts together. in your gospel. In Christ's blessed
name, we pray. Amen. What do we got, Dwayne? $255. $255? Yeah. OK. Dan, I
don't know what that one is. Dan, sing. Blessed Assurance, $255.