Okay now back to our study through
the book of Acts and we come to Acts chapter 17 And I want
to take a brief look at a well-known verse found in verse 11 these
found in Berea and Paul went to the synagogue of the Jews
there in Berea having left Thessalonica because of much persecution It
says of them they received the word of with all readiness of
mind. Now, I trust that we desire that
for ourselves this morning, to desire the sincere milk of the
word that we might grow thereby. They receive the word with readiness. Willingness of mind and because
of that they searched the scriptures every day They searched the Word
of God to see if what Paul said to them was so Whether these
things were so So the title of the message being they received
the word with readiness of mind This only happens BY THE WILL,
PURPOSE, AND GRACE OF ALMIGHTY GOD, WORKING IN OUR HEARTS. GOD, WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK
IN YOU, HE WILL GET IT DONE. WORKING IN OUR HEARTS, PREPARING
THE GROUND OF OUR HEARTS THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE WORD OF
TRUTH, NOT ONLY TO RECEIVE IT, BUT TO BELIEVE IT AND LOVE IT
IN OUR HEARTS. THE GOOD GROUND THAT GOD DOES
PREPARE IN THE HEARTS OF HIS PEOPLE BY HIS GRACE. THY PEOPLE SHALL BE WILLING IN
THE DAY OF HIS POWER. REMEMBER BACK IN ACTS CHAPTER
10. TURN OVER THERE. Acts chapter 10. I love what
it says here how Cornelius in his house were prepared when
Peter was sent there to preach the gospel. Remember in Acts
chapter 10 verse 33, immediately therefore I sent to thee and
thou hast well done that thou art come now therefore are we
all here present before God. Why are we here? To hear. TO
HEAR WITH THE EAR ALL THINGS THAT ARE COMMANDED THEE OF GOD. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO
HEAR FROM THE LORD. NOW IT'S MOST INTERESTING AS
WE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS TO SEE HOW THE LORD MOVES
THE APOSTLE PAUL FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER TO BRING THE GOSPEL
TO HIS ELECT. HE WAS FORCED OUT OF THESSALONICA
AND HE LEFT THERE AND WENT RIGHT TO BEREA AND WENT BACK PREACHING
THE WORD OF THE LORD. Our Lord does move the apostle
Paul as we studied in the book of Acts many times by persecution
and by opposition by evil wicked men who hated God and hated the
gospel and persecuted Paul, whipped him, beat him, put him in prison,
and he left that city and he went right back preaching the
gospel in another city. The Lord even uses the wickedness
of the most vile and ungodly men to accomplish His sovereign
purpose. Now think about that. We're going
to study the Lord willing Wednesday evening Psalm 76. And this verse
10 says this, Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and
the remainder of wrath SHALL GOD RESTRAIN. YOU REMEMBER WICKED
MEN DID TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST SUCH VILE AND WICKED THINGS,
BUT WE STUDIED IN THAT CHAPTER 4, THEY ONLY DID WHAT GOD DETERMINED
BEFORE TO BE DONE. AND CERTAINLY THAT IS THE CASE
WITH THE APOSTLE. PAUL WENT TO PHILIPPI TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL TO THE ELECT, HAVING RECEIVED THAT SPECIAL VISION
TO COME OVER MACEDONIA AND HELP US, AND GOD THROUGH THE PREACHING
OF PAUL opened the heart of Lydia. He was beaten and put in jail,
and there he preached to a jailer, and God, by his grace, saved
the jailer and his house. Paul was so persecuted and mistreated
for the gospel, but he never stopped preaching Christ. God
overruled the evil of man to bring the gospel of God's grace
to the elect of God wherever he went. God had a people that
must hear the gospel. Paul was persecuted as he preached
the gospel there in Thessalonica. And when they assaulted him,
he left town. Notice verse 10, and the brethren
immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who
coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews. And what did they
do? right back preaching the word of the Lord. Look down to
verse 11, excuse me, verse 13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica
had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea,
they came there also and stirred up the people against the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul, as he preached there
in Berea, was persecuted again, and he ended up, as it says down
in verse 15, they conducted Paul and brought him to Athens, that
great, great city, and there he preached that marvelous message
on Mars Hill. Look right across the page of
Acts 17 verse 22. And Paul stood in the midst of
Mars Hill among all those elite educated men and said, Ye men
of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious.
For I passed by and beheld your devotion. I found an altar with
this inscription, To the unknown God, whom you therefore ignorantly
worship, him declare unto you that God made the world and all
things therein, seeing he's Lord of heaven and earth, and he doesn't
dwell in temples made with hands. He's a true and living God who
is everywhere present. Now, by one means or another,
God is always going to bring the gospel message of the Lord
Jesus Christ to his elect, by one means or another, who will
hear that message of God's sovereign grace in Christ. God will send
forth the sower with the seed of the word, and God will prepare
that heart to receive that word. Paul said, we know you are the
elect of God because our gospel came unto you not in word only,
but in power, power of God the Holy Spirit. By one means or
another, God will send forth the sower with the seed of truth
that will find fertile prepared ground in the heart of that sinner
by the grace of God. And all this is ordained and
blessed of God to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. God always
brings the message of grace to the object of grace by his sovereign
purpose. Every sinner he saves, he saves
on purpose, right? No accidents with God. It pleased
God through the foolishness of preaching to call out his elect.
He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. And he will
send the gospel to them. Paul knew that he had the message
of the gospel. He was taught the message of
the gospel. And he was sent to preach the gospel. And then he
said, woe is unto me if I don't preach the gospel. NOW DO YOU
SUPPOSE THAT PAUL OR SILAS OR TIMOTHY EVER THOUGHT ABOUT CHANGING
THE MESSAGE SO TO REMOVE THE OFFENSE SO THEY WOULDN'T BE PERSECUTED? YOU RECKON PAUL SAID TO SILAS,
WHY DON'T WE JUST TONE THIS DOWN AND WE WON'T UPSET THOSE RELIGIOUS
PEOPLE SO MUCH AND WE'LL JUST CHANGE AND MODIFY OUR MESSAGE
SO IT'S NO LONGER AN OFFENSE no longer so offensive to the
flesh. Do you think they ever considered
compromise to get along? Never, never. Matter of fact,
the apostle writes this, though we were an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached,
let him be damned. So you can see he was determined
to preach Christ. He said, we preach not ourselves,
but Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and him crucified. Then he said, what will you done
to me if I don't preach the gospel? Now, verse 10 and verse 11, we
see the apostle Paul right back at it. And I love what it says
in verse 11. These Jews here in Berea, were more noble than those unbelieving
rebel Jews in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word of
God with all readiness of mind, and they searched the Scriptures
daily whether those things were really true. So, several things
here, three things we look at. First of all, they received the
Word. THEY RECEIVED THE WORD. THAT IS THE MESSAGE PAUL BROUGHT
FROM THE WORD OF THE LORD. REMEMBER RIGHT ACROSS THE PAGE
IN ACT 17, VERSE 3, WHEN PAUL WENT INTO THEIR SYNAGOGUE AND
REASONED WITH THEM OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES, THE LAST PART OF
VERSE 2, OPENING AND ALLEGING THAT CHRIST MUST NEED HAVE SUFFERED,
RISEN AGAIN FROM THE DEAD, THAT THIS JESUS WHOM I PREACHED UNTO
YOU, HE IS THE CHRIST OF GOD. the anointing of God in all of
his office. This is the right attitude that
every believer has about the whole record of scripture. They receive the word of the
Lord. Everything that God writes in
his word EVERY BELIEVER RECEIVES THAT AS IT IS IN TRUTH, THE WORD
OF GOD. NOW, IF YOU WANT TO TURN WITH
ME, YOU CAN, BUT FIND I THESSALONIANS, CHAPTER 2, VERSE 13. YOU SEE, ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN
OF GOD. WE READ IT AS SUCH, WE TREAT
IT AS SUCH, AND WE PREACH IT AS SUCH. IN I THESSALONIANS,
CHAPTER 2, LOOK AT VERSE 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of
God, which you heard of us, you receive it not as the word of
men, But as it is in truth, the Word of God. It's the Word of
God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. It's His Word that's the power
of God unto salvation. So they receive the Word. THE
WORD OF TRUTH, THE INCARNATE WORD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
AND THE WRITTEN WORD. AND THEN IT SAYS, SECONDLY, WITH
ALL READINESS OF MIND THERE WAS A WILLINGNESS OF THE MIND AND
THE HEART MADE WILLING IN THE DAY OF GOD'S POWER. THEY HAD
A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR THE WORDS OF LIFE WITH THE HEART BEING
PREPARED BY GOD. And then thirdly, it says this,
they search the scriptures whether these things be so. I'm not afraid
for you to take the word of God. and the message that I preached
to you and go home and take the scripture and compare scripture
with scripture to see if what I'm telling you is so. They searched
Paul's message out from the Word of God and they, I know, they
came to the conclusion what Paul preached is true. They searched
the scriptures daily whether these things were so. Now, We are told that babes desire
the sincere milk of the word that you might grow thereby.
Newborn babies, you mamas know this, newborn babies, when they
are put on the mama's chest, they want milk. They desire,
they have a desire to find that milk. And God puts that desire
in. And we're told as believers,
as newborn babe, to desire the sincere milk of the word. Newborn babies, they receive
mama's milk and they grow. And babes in Christ receive that
word of truth, the milk of the word. And you know what they
do? They grow thereby. They grow by that word. Now,
the things we preach, must be verified and validated by the
word of truth. Every doctrine that's taught
in the word of God must be received, and those things that are not
taught in the word of God must be rejected. Now, did you get
that? Those things that are taught in the word of God must be received,
the doctrine of God, the doctrine of the gospel. And those things
that are not taught in the word of God, they must be rejected,
right? Now, in the remainder of our
time this morning, I want to clearly and plainly as I can
give you the basic fundamental things we preach and teach here
concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Five things
that we hold to that we cannot and must not ever compromise. Five things we hold to. Now,
don't look right now, but on your bulletin, and in the bulletin
today, on the back side, I've included in the bulletin those
five things. Those five things. And if you
look at those five things, it'll spell out the word T-U-L-I-P. Total depravity, unconditional
election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance
of the saints. T-U-L-I-P. Tulip. Tulip. That's how you can easily remember
If anybody ever asks you, what do we preach down here at Zebulon
Grace Church that's different from what they preach down the
road, tell them tulip. And they'll look at you, huh?
Tulip. That's what we preach and that's
what we believe. Now, there is a article track
out there on the table and it's been out there for 25 years or
longer and The title of the track out there is is entitled just
in case you're interested pick up a copy out there and take
it home and read it. It's written by our dear pastor
friend, Don Fortner, probably 30, 35 years ago. And I found
it and picked it up and read it. And I thought when I came
here those many years ago, that would be a good gospel tract
to put out for people to have. So let's look at those five things. Those five things, the five fundamentals
of the gospel. Some call these the doctrines
of grace. I rather would like to call them
the gospel of the grace of God revealed in Christ. And these
five things are essential. Here's the first one is this,
total depravity. T stands for total, total depravity. Now, we can put that in language
WHICH WE CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
TOTAL DEPRAVITY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MEN BEING TOTALLY SINFUL
BY NATURE, BY BIRTH, GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY BEFORE GOD. AND WE CAN PUT IT THIS WAY AND
ASK IT IN A FORM OF A QUESTION, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GARDEN? WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GARDEN WHEN
ADAM SINNED AGAINST GOD? Now, I want to take the scriptures
and I'll just turn to one scripture. What does the word of God say
about it? Turn to Romans chapter five, total depravity or what
happened in the garden when Adam sinned against God. Adam stood
as a representative man. What he did, I did. When he sinned,
we sinned. And it finds all of us in a total
ruin, total depravity. The scriptures talk about us
being dead in sin. It all happened in Adam when
he sinned against God. Romans 5, verse 12. Wherefore,
as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin. so that or so death passed upon
all men for or in whom all have sinned." Now you would think
the scripture is so clear on this that men are totally depraved
and totally sinful so much so that God said back in Romans
3 Verse 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, no,
not one. There is none that understands. There is none that seek after
God. They're all gone out of the way. They're together become
unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. All men everywhere are born in
sin, shapen in iniquity. We call that total depravity. It's not a partial depravity,
it's totally. Our mind is darkened, our heart
is evil through and through. We are totally, totally dead
in sin, shaping in iniquity. That being so, the second thing,
if you understand something of ruin, YOU'LL THANK GOD FOR HIS
ELECTING GRACE. BECAUSE WE'RE SO DEAD, BECAUSE
WE'RE SO RUINED, NO MAN WILL EVER BELIEVE THE GOSPEL UNLESS
GOD DOES SOMETHING IN HIS HEART AND MAKES HIM A NEW CREATURE.
SO WE COME TO THE SECOND UNDENIABLE TRUTH, UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION. OR WE
CAN PUT IT IN A QUESTION THIS WAY, WHAT DID GOD DO IN ETERNITY? What did God do from eternity? Well, the scripture is not silent
about that. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
The scripture is not silent on that issue. Total depravity,
what happened in Adam, what happened in the garden, AND THEN WHAT
DID GOD DO IN ETERNITY? WELL, HERE'S WHAT GOD DID. HE
UNCONDITIONALLY CHOSE THE PEOPLE UNTO SALVATION. EPHESIANS, CHAPTER
1, VERSE 3, BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST, WHO BLESSED US WITH ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY
PLACES IN CHRIST, ACCORDING AS HE HAS CHOSEN US IN HIM. NOW, WHO DID THE CHOOSING? He
chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He made us accepted in the Beloved. You
see, we're chosen in Christ. Now, why is that important? Because
the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the elect. we are chosen in him
our lord said to his apostle you didn't choose me i chose
you and ordained you to eternal life so it's god it's god who
has chosen us unto salvation now you can turn with me if you
want to but here's another scripture on that so they search the scriptures
whether these things be so so find second thesalonians Chapter
2 verse 13 second Thessalonians this time chapter 2 verse 13
Now you who have been here with me for a long time know that
these things Are things that we have preached since this ministry
started here But we are bound to give thanks second Thessalonians
2 13. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God has from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
spirit that's the new birth and It leads to belief of the truth
as many as will ordain to eternal life believe 2nd Thessalonians
2 verse 14 where unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ So there you have total
depravity and there you have God's unconditional Electing
love electing grace. He chose us in love in Christ
and he did so from eternity. So what's the third one? The
third one starts with L, limited atonement, or we can put it in
a question this way, what happened at Calvary? What did the Lord
Jesus Christ accomplish when he died? What did he accomplish
when he shed his blood and and obtained eternal redemption for
his people. That's exactly what he did. He
obtained eternal redemption for his covenant people. Now let's
find the scriptures. Search the scriptures whether
these things be so. Turn to John chapter 10. For
whom did the Lord Jesus Christ die? Now many people in religion
say that he died for all the sins of all men. That's not what
the scriptures teach. The scriptures teach that he
shall save his people from their sin. Now, John 10, verse 14,
he said, I'm the good shepherd. I know my sheep and am known
of mine. As a father knoweth me, even
so I know the father. I lay down my life for the sheep. Other sheep I have which are
not of this fold, them also I must bring. They shall hear my voice. There shall be one fold and one
shepherd. Therefore does my father love
me because I lay my life down that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me. I lay it down on myself. I have
power to take it again. I have power to take it again. I have power, excuse me, I have
power to lay it down. I have power to take it again,
take it up again. This commandment have I received
of my father. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHEN HE
DIED, DIDN'T PUT ALL MEN EVERYWHERE IN A SAVABLE STATE, OR HE DID
NOT DIE TO MAKE SALVATION A POSSIBILITY. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DIED A
DEFINITE, PARTICULAR REDEMPTION FOR HIS COVENANT PEOPLE. HE PUT
AWAY THEIR SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF, SO WE CAN SAY THAT
HE DIED FOR THE SHEEP, HIS PEOPLE, HE DIED FOR THOSE CHOSEN IN THAT
ELECTING LOVE. THAT'S FOR WHOM HE DIED. Now,
is He going to save all of them? He's going to save every one
of them by His grace. IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. GOD
MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN, THAT WE MIGHT BE
MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. NOW, THIS POINT NEEDS
TO BE STRESSED. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS NOT
A FAILURE. IF YOU SAY THAT HE DIED FOR ALL
THE SINS OF ALL MEN, AND YET SOME OF THOSE MEN WIND UP IN
ETERNAL CONDEMNATION ANYWAY, THAT MEANS THE DEATH OF THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST WASN'T EFFECTUAL. But I'm saying the word of God
teaches, he said, for my people, for the transgression of my people
was I stricken. And he said, he shall see the
travail of his soul and be satisfied. Satisfied. So that leads us to
point number four, which is T-U-L-I. The I stands for irresistible
grace, or And we can put it in a form of a question. What happens
when God saves a sinner? What happens when God saves a
sinner? Well, first of all, we know this.
It's the work of God. He saves sinners by his purpose
and his grace given us in the Lord Jesus Christ before the
foundation of the world. So that's what the scriptures
teach. Preacher, can you show me that in the scripture? I believe
I can. Find back in the book of Ephesians
chapter two this time. Ephesians chapter two. I'm being
a little bit analytical and methodical on purpose because I want to
set these five things before us. They receive the word of
God with readiness of mind and they search the scriptures whether
these things are so. And I'm telling you they're so.
They're so, so irresistible grace or effectual call, or what happens
when God saves a sinner? Ephesians chapter 2, look at
verse 1. And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and in sin. Now there you see total
depravity. We were dead in trespasses and
in sin. And what happened? He gave us
life. And where in time past she walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation in time past, in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as others, but God,
who makes you to differ from another, but God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sin, he quickened us together with Christ, by grace
are you saved. And he raised us up together
and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, that in the
ages to come, you might show the exceeding riches of his grace
in his kindness toward us through Christ, for by grace are you
saved through faith. And that knowledge of yourselves
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Our Lord said again in John chapter
6, no man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw
him, John 6, 44. I believe that reference is probably
given there on that article. So that leaves us to T-U-L-I-P,
P. What does P stand for in TULIP? It stands for the perseverance
of the saints. The saints of God persevere in
faith. That is, they continue in the
faith. They continue walking and looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. We put it in the form of a question.
What happens in a believer's life? What happens in a believer's
life? He has trials, he has heartaches,
he has trouble, he has tribulation. But by grace, what do we do?
We persevere. We persevere or we're preserved
by the power of God. He saves us with an everlasting
salvation. See if we can find that in the
scriptures. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, talking about perseverance. These
all continued in faith. 1 Peter 1, verse 2, we're elect
according to the foreknowledge of God. There's that election
again. Through sanctification of the
Spirit, there's regeneration and effectual call unto obedient
and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance, it's incorruptible, it's undefiled,
it fades on away, it's reserved in heaven for you. Now look at
verse five, who are kept. They're kept by the power of
God through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed. It's the
last day. We read in John, over in John
chapter 10, find the book of Revelation, and right before
the Revelation is a little book, the book of Jude. Turn to Jude,
there's just one chapter, verse 24. He said, my sheep hear my
voice. I know them, I give unto them
eternal life and they shall never perish. All that the Father giveth
to me, they shall come to me, and those that come to me I will
in no wise cast out." Now, you see verse 24? We persevere in
the faith because we're preserved by the power of God. Now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling. and to present
you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."
There's perseverance and there's preservation. To the only wise
God, our savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. They received the word with all
readiness of mind and searched the scripture daily, whether
these things be so. Now, I'm saying that the scriptures
teach these things emphatically, irrefutably. These things are
so. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is all of God's grace. We're chosen by His grace in
Christ before the foundation of the world. We're justified
freely by His grace through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We're saved by His grace. We
are called by His grace when it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. We're
glorified by His grace. We can say from God's electing
love to final glorification, salvation is all of grace. Grace. And may the Lord do for
us as he did for those in Paul's day. They received the word with
all readiness of mind. And they searched the scriptures
daily whether these things be so. God saved sinners by his
purpose and grace given us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. That's just so. I pray the Lord
will bless that message and cause us all to search the scriptures
and receive God's gospel truth for Christ's sake.