gospel concerning his son, the
personal work of our Lord Jesus. Don't be ashamed of him. And don't be ashamed of me, his
prisoner. And he said in verse 8 there,
be thou a partaker, be willing. And Bob read this a moment ago,
over there in chapter 3, verse 12, all that will live godly
preach the gospel, stand for the truth, in Christ will suffer
persecution, always. Nobody can escape it if they
are verbal and open and bold and truthful about the gospel,
they'll suffer persecution from some direction, from somebody,
because this world hates Christ and the gospel. And like I read
to you this morning, Paul took a look back in the Old Testament
scripture, and he said, name me one prophet that your fathers
didn't kill. Stephen said that, Stephen speaking
to the Jews, he said, name me one prophet, just one, that your
fathers didn't kill. And then I read to you how that
all of the apostles, Judas died by his own hand, we know that,
but the other eleven, and Paul who became the twelfth apostle,
All of them, except John, suffered death at the hands of religious
people. Every single one of them. Every one of them. So, be willing,
he said. Serve the gift of God that he
put within you. Don't be ashamed of the truth
of the gospel. And be willing. It's all right.
We're not looking for a fight, but we're not running from it.
That's just We're not looking for debates and arguments, but
we're not going to compromise the gospel. And then I skipped
verses 9, 10, 11, and 12, and went down to verse 13 for this
exhortation, the fourth one. He said, "...wholifies the form
of sound words, which you've heard of me, in faith and love,
which is in Christ." That good thing, that gospel, gospel's
good news, that good news. I bring you, the angels said
to the shepherds, we bring you good tidings, that good thing,
which was committed unto thee, this gospel. It's a treasure
and earthen vessel. You keep it. Keep it, not by
your own strength and power, but by the Holy Ghost, which
dwells in us. Now, what, what are these sound
words? Timothy heard of him. I believe
Paul sums him up right here in verse 9, 10, 11, and 12. He tells
him in verse 8, Don't be ashamed of the gospel, the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But be thou a partaker, be willing
to partake of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
word of God. And then he gives Timothy ten sound words. that literally sum up our doctrine,
sum up the doctrine of Christ. Would you believe that? He did,
though. Look, I'll give him ten words. I'll try to get him to
you without keeping you all evening. But the first thing he said is
this. He saved us. Who hath saved us, hath saved
us. He hath saved us. He has finished the work required
to save us. He did it. We wouldn't do it. He did. He saved us. Turn with
me to 2 or 3 scriptures. First to Matthew 1. You can quote
this, I know, but let's turn and read it. When the angel appeared
to Joseph and told him that Mary would bring forth a son, and
the angel said in verse 21 of Matthew 1, And she shall bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, Savior. For he,
he shall save his people from their sin. He'll do it. Not a
cooperative effort. It's a work on his part. And
when he prayed to the Father in John 17, he said, I finished
the work you gave me to do. What is that work? To save his
people from their sin. Now, all this was done that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet
Isaiah, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and call his name Immanuel, which is being
interpreted, God is the God-man. He saved us. Turn with me to
Galatians, chapter 4, Galatians 4, verse 4 and 5. Galatians 4, verse 4 and 5. Now,
when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law, for what purpose? To redeem us. To redeem them
that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because you're sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your heart, crying,
Abba, Father, Father. And one other scripture, and
I'll move to the next one, in Isaiah 53. Now listen to this,
Isaiah 53. Paul said, Timothy, he had saved
us, Christ had saved us, redeemed us. That everything necessary
to redeem us. In Isaiah 53, you have the second
Adam, our substitute. Verse 2, he shall grow up before
him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He hath
no form, no comeliness. When we see him, there's no beauty.
We should desire him. And while we're reading this,
this is talking about Christ Jesus. And the word he and him
and his is in this one chapter 43 times. He. He. Verse 3, he's despised, he's
rejected of men. A man of sovereigns acquainted
with grief. We hear as it were our faces from him. He was despised,
we esteemed him not. But surely he had borne our griefs,
carried our sovereigns, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God. He was smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded, he was wounded
for our transgression. We won't be wounded, Father,
because he was. He was bruised by our iniquities. The chastisement
of our peace was totally, fully, completely upon him. And with
his strife we are healed. He hath saved us. He hath saved
us. It's already done. Only like sheep had gone astray,
every one of us. We turned everyone to his own
way, but the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Down
here in verse 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. I'm thankful
God bruised him and not us. He bruised him. And the Lord
did it. When thou, O God, shall make
his soul an offering for sin, then you want in turn to make
our soul an offering for sin. Payment, God's justice, cannot
twice demand. First at my breeding shirt, his
hand, then again at mine. Thou shalt make his soul an offering
for sin, and he will see his seed. He shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. And
he shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. And by his knowledge shall my
righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquity. That's our message. That's sound
words. He saved us. Oh, that's the second
thing, sound words. He saved us and he called us. You see that in 2 Timothy 1,
verse 9? He saved us and he called us.
He called us. He called us with a divine call. He called us with a holy calling.
He called us with a heavenly calling, the scriptures say.
He saved us and he called us. He said, my sheep will hear my
voice. My sheep will hear my voice and
they'll follow me. I'll give them eternal life and
they'll never perish. Now then, I know and you know
there's a general call. There's a general warning. There's
a general proclamation which all men hear to some extent. I'll show you that. Turn to Romans
1, there's a general column. Many a column, few are chosen,
but many a column. How many people have heard the
gospel? Billions over the years. Heard it with these ears, never
heard it here, never heard it here. They've read it with these
eyes, never in here. Many a column. In Romans 1, verse
20, Verse 19 says, because that which
may be known of God is manifested to them, that word is to them,
God showed it to them. For the invisible things of God
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power in Godhead. So everybody is without excuse.
The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament choices
handiwork. The mind has been enlightened
by the things that are made. There's a light that lighteth
every man that cometh into this world. They're God conscious,
some kind of God, religious. All right? Turn to Romans 2,
just over one page, verse 14, 15. There's a call that all men
to some extent observe and hear, the call of nature, judgment,
Look at verse 14, 15, chapter 2. Verse 13 says, It is not the
hearers of the law that are just before God, but the doers shall
be justified. For when the Gentiles, which
have not the law, they don't have the Ten Commandments, the
Ten Commandments were in Israel. All those nations around Israel
didn't have the Ten Commandments, they didn't have the tabernacle,
they didn't have the priesthood, they didn't have the law. over
a lot of countries now that have never seen the Bible. But what's
the effect when the Gentiles, which don't have a law, do by
nature the things contained in the law? What's that mean? That means even in places where
the law of God has never said, Thou shalt not kill, they know
it's wrong to kill somebody. Thou shalt not steal, they know
it's wrong to steal. Something in here tells them
it's not right to steal, not right to commit adultery, not
right to lie, not right to do these things. They have a law,
and this says that these having not the law are law unto themselves. And it shows, watch this now,
it shows the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience bearing witness, their thoughts. the mean while accusing
or excusing them. So there's a call of nature.
There's a call of conscience. And then Jesus Christ. All right. Turn to Acts 26. Jesus Christ. Now this is the
year 2000. How come it's the year 2000?
We've been around longer than that man has. But back under
2,000 years ago, they finished B.C., before Christ, because
Jesus Christ came. And they started A.D. and Old
Dominion in the year of our Lord. And now we're in the year of
our Lord, 2,000, and the history of man goes back beyond before
Christ. We've got written history before
Christ. We know Christ came. Everybody knows that. And that's
what Paul said to this king. Look at Acts 26, verse 26. He said in verse 25, or verse
24, this king, this fellow Festus. And as he thus spake for himself,
verse 24, Festus cried with a loud voice, Paul, you're crazy, you're
besides yourself. Much learning hath made you mad.
That was his response to the gospel. Paul told them how God
saved him, how God led him on the road to Damascus. He was
in religion. He said, I was in religion. I
did all these things I thought were right, but I didn't know
God. And he revealed himself to me
on the road to Damascus. This fellow said, you're crazy.
You've been studying so much, you've lost your mind. And Paul,
here's his response. Listen. He said, I'm not mad,
most noble Festus. I speak the words of truth and
For the King knoweth of these things, before whom I also speak
freely. I'm persuaded that none of these
things, the death of Christ, the burial of Christ, the resurrection
of Christ, the coming of Christ, the gospel of Christ, none of
these things are hidden from him. This wasn't done in a corner. When God sent his Son into the
world, he didn't creep in, slither in. In the darkness of the night,
God put a star up there like no star that's ever been up there
before. Right over the place where he was born. God sent a
host of angels down to announce his Son of God. God sent wise
men from the East. Almighty God gave witness, this
is my Son, he said, from heaven class, hear him. When he died
on the cross, God covered the sun. shook the earth, raised
the dead, raised him from the grave, sealed the hat, took him
up to Glover, showed him to five hundred people. And Paul said,
this is what I've done in a corner. So there's a call. There's nobody
going to stand before God and say, I never did, even though
you existed. Oh, yes, you did, too. Yes, you
did. You heard it when your conscience
talked to you. If you heard that gospel too
about Jesus Christ, you heard that gospel. It wasn't done in
the corner. If you didn't hear it, you could
have heard it. You could have heard it. And that's the general
call. But that's not what he's talking
about here. These sound words. He saved us and he called us.
He called us with a divine call. I think you'll see that in 1
Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 4. Paul said to that church at Thessalonica,
"'Name, brethren, beloved, your election of God, for our gospel
came not to you in word only. He came to you in power. He came
to you in the Holy Ghost. He came to you in much assurance,
as you know what manner of men we were among you, and you became
followers of us and the Lord. Our Lord walked under a tree
one day, and there were people crowding around him, sons of
Abraham. He leapt up in a tree, and he
saw a fellow named Zacchaeus, and he called him by name. He
said, Zacchaeus, you come down. I'm going to your house today."
That's an effectual call. And Zacchaeus came down following
him. He walked by the receipt of customs, saw a man named Matthew
sitting there. He said, Matthew, follow me. The scripture said Matthew left
all the roads and followed him. God sent the gospel to you in
power. You became followers of the Lord.
Let me show you that in Ephesians chapter 1. Turn to Ephesians
1. These are sound words now. Ephesians chapter 1. He saved
us and he called us. Not with a general call. He called
us with a holy calling, a divine calling, an effectual calling. Somebody asked me one time, what's
effectual mean? Gets the job done. Ephesians
1. It says here in verse 12, verse
13, in whom you trusted after you heard. What did you hear? The word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation, in whom also after you believed you were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise. You heard the gospel and you
believed. It's effectual. That's what I'm
saying. You heard it. If you really hear it, you believe
it. Now folks, hear it with these ears and don't believe it, but
if a man ever hears this gospel with his heart, he'll believe
it. If it ever comes to him in power, in the Holy Ghost, he'll
believe it. Back to 1 Thessalonians again,
or 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2. In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2,
look at verse 13 and 14. Paul says, 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 and belief of the truth, whereunto,
whereupon, he called you. He chose you and he called you. How? By the gospel. To what? To the obtaining of the glory
of the Lord Jesus. It's effectual. If God ever intends
to save a man or woman, he'll save them. That's what it's saying. He called us, effectually, called
us with a holy calling, a divine calling, a calling accompanied
by his power, by his spirit. Holy calling. I preached the
gospel on the television, have been for 25 years, and think
how many people have heard. I think Ronnie told me the other
day 6,204 different people around here have written for tapes.
And that is not all of them, because you didn't start until
the 1980s. Have written, but think how many
have heard and have never, ever been moved. No telling how many. All right, let's look back at
our text. These are the sound words. He saved us. Salvation
is of the Lord. He called us. The third thing,
not according to our works. It's not according to our works. And you don't need to turn to
all useful, but learn you of these scriptures. Listen. In
Titus he said, it's not by works of righteousness which we've
done. It's according to his mercy he saved us. Not by our works,
by his mercy he saved us. By the washing of regeneration.
The renewing of the Holy Ghost, life-giving power, which he shed
on us abundantly, sufficiently through Christ Jesus. Or this
scripture, Paul said, therefore we conclude, in Romans, after
he had written Romans 1, 2 and 3, he said, therefore we conclude,
this is my conclusion, that a man is justified by faith without
the works of the law. Or Ephesians 2, remember, for
by grace are you saved through faith. That knowledge just says
it's a gift of God. Not a word. Not a word. Faith's
not even a word. It's a gift of God. Now then,
this has to be said. The works of faith, of God's
faithful servants, are claimed throughout Scripture. Paul talked
to the Thessalonians about their works of faith, their labor of
love. It's declared throughout the
Scripture. I read about some of those Moravian missionaries,
the Moravians, who actually went into leper colonies and exposed
themselves to leprosy and became lepers and lived there so they
could preach to the lepers. That's a good word. Men and women, young people are
giving their lives, going to preach the gospel and died on
mission fields. Those, that's works. That's good
works. That's labor of love. But that's
not what's saved. It's Christ that's saved. And
those works are done not in order to find favor with God, not in
order to be saved, but because they love Christ. That's the
reason. Paul said to the Philippian jailer,
he said, what must I do to be saved? All right, Paul, there's
your question. It's going to be written in God's
word for men to read for 2,000 years. Tell him, what must he
do to be saved? He did. He said, you believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ. But must I be baptized not to
be saved? You said, what must I do to be
saved? Baptism will follow. You follow the Lord in baptism
because you want to confess Christ. But if you want to be saved,
you believe on Christ. But must I not pray? Not to be saved. You can ask God to have mercy
on you. But to be saved you believe. Now you'll pray later. You'll
live a life of prayer. Must I give? You will, but not
to be saved. Must I witness? You will, but
not to be saved. What must I do to be saved? That's it. We're justified by
faith. Now that's just... And all of
these sayings are iris from Christ. Our sanctification is His work,
not ours. Our justification is His work,
not ours. Our redemption is His work, not
ours. The thief on the cross, who never was baptized, who never
gave a dime, who never performed a work on behalf of anybody,
were saved by the grace of God through his faith in Christ and
taken to glory. Now that's a, that's a, of God
are you in Christ Jesus who's made under us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification and redemption. But if a person lives after he
believes on Christ, he's a new creature. And from his life will
be flowing the fruit of God's Spirit who dwells within. It's
not his fruit, it's the fruit of God's Spirit who dwells within.
That's sound words. That's sound words. And what he saved us, he called
us with an effectual, divine, holy calling, wasn't according
to our works. What's this fourth thing? It's
according to his own purpose, his own purpose, his own will. I was saved not because I willed
it, but God willed it. I was saved not because the preacher
willed it, but God willed it. This word purpose, he saved us,
he called us, not according to our words, but according to his
own purpose and grace. This is the word God used to
open my eyes to the grace of God in Christ. from Romans 8, 28, and we know
that all things work together for good to them who love God,
to them who are the call according to his purpose. I understood. It finally was revealed to me
there are no accidents with God, there are no surprises with God,
there are no new revelations with God. He does everything
according to his own purpose and grace is coming. Now just listen to this scripture. Isaiah 14, 24. The Lord of hosts
has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come
to pass. Surely as I have thought, so
shall it come to pass. And as I have purposed, so shall
it stand. That's Isaiah 14.24, write that
down, look at it again. Isaiah 14.27, for the Lord and
host hath purposed, and who shall dishonor it? Who shall change
it? His hand is stretched out, who
will turn it back? I want you to read this in Isaiah
46. I want you to look at this scripture, Isaiah chapter 46. He saved us, he called us, not
according to our works, but according to his own, God's own purpose
and grace. Your salvation originated with
God in his eternal covenant and counsel. Isaiah 46, verse 9,
remember the former things of old. There's none else. I'm God. There's none like me.
I declare the end from the beginning. There are no accidents with God.
There are no surprises. I declare the end from the beginning.
From ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel, my purpose shall stand. I'll do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
yea, I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass, I purposed
it, I did it. Salvation is of the Lord. Spurgeon
preached to Samuel one time from Jonah, chapter 2, verse 9. There
are five points. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
a great message. Stood through the years. He preached
it when he was about 21 years old. Salvations of the Lord in His
purpose, He purposed it. Salvations of the Lord in its
execution, it pleased God to bruise Him. Salvations of the
Lord in its application, it pleased God to reveal His Son in me. Salvations of the Lord in its
sustaining power, with kept by the power of God. Salvations
of the Lord in its ultimate perfection, unto Him whose sight and washed
us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings in praise
to God." He said, I'm Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end, salvation of the world. He purposed it, and he perfects
it. Purposed it, he perfects it.
Romans 9, let's read this in connection with this sound word
number 4. Romans 9. Romans 9 verse 11. Romans 9 and 11, let's look at
it. For the children, the two, the twin sons of Rebekah, for
the children, the twin sons, being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, at the purpose of God, at the purpose
of God, according to election might stand, not of works, not
of works, but in him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it's written, Jacob hath a
love, he shall have a hatred. Now what shall we say then? Is
there unrighteousness with God? God forbid that you'd even think
that. He said to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. So
then it's not of him that willeth, not of him that runneth, it's
of God that showeth mercy. These are sound words. whole
fast to form the pattern of sound words, which you've heard. He
saved us. He called us with a divine effectual,
heavenly call, holy call. Not according to our works. Had
nothing to do with it. Works will follow. Works are
evidences of faith. Works are proof of faith. Salvation by grace through faith.
And he saved us according to a purpose. Fifth thing, listen. His purpose which was given us
in Christ before the world began. That's how long you've been a
child of God. In the purpose of God. Before the world began. That's
how long God's loved you. That's how long God has intended
to save you. That's how long This gospel has
been waiting to be revealed to you before the world began. That's
awesome, isn't it? But it's true. Three questions.
Turn to Ephesians 1. Three questions. And I'll be
honest. You know something, Barnard?
I said one time I didn't understand it as much when I first, I didn't
understand it until about 8% when I first heard it. You won't understand what I'm
saying the first time you hear it either. You'll have to chew
on it a little while. You'll have to chew on it. You'll
have to consider it. You'll have to weigh it. You'll have to weigh
it in the light of God's word. But he said honest people don't
wind up in hell. Honest people don't. Honest people
are going to be saved. People have to honestly read
the Word. Honestly admit what they are, what they really are
now. Honestly face the fact of what God is and who God is. is
holiness, and honestly face the fact that they're powerless to
make themselves whole, powerless to give themselves up, powerless
to save themselves, and it's up to God to save them or else
to damn them. Let's be honest about it. If God doesn't save
me, I'm going to perish. And when I do, when I face all
that honestly, you know what I do? I say, Lord, save me or
I perish. That's right. Honest people don't
wind up in hell. Here's the three questions. Did
you choose God or did he choose you? Read Ephesians 1 verse 3. Verse 4. According as he chose
us in Christ, he chose us in Christ. Verse 3 said, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who has blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in the heaven and places according
as he chose us. Here's the second question, when
did he choose you? That tells you right there, before the foundation
of the world. Now, in all honesty, is that
what it says? Like a man said one time, if
that's not what it means, it isn't? Wonder why he didn't say what
he meant? He chose us in Christ, before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame, before him in love. Well, here's the third question,
well, why did he choose you? Of all people, why did he pass
by so many and call us? Verse 10, that in the dispensation
of the fulness of time, he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even
in him. In whom? In Christ. Also, we have obtained
an inheritance. We are part of that inheritance,
that gathering in heaven. predestinated. Here's the reason. According to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,
that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted
in Christ. Yet three reasons why he called
you. One, that you'll be like Christ. Two, according to his
purpose. Three, that he might be glorified.
That he might get all the praise and all the glory. That's right. The foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that he is. And
let all of them depart from the works of iniquity. Six sound
words. He saved us. He called us with
a holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us. He didn't sell it to us. He didn't
offer it to us. He gave it to us. That's right,
it's a gift. He gave it to us. He gave it
to us in Christ. He gave it before the foundation
of the world in verse 10. That's when it took place, but
now, it is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior
Jesus Christ. All of this is in the covenant
of God, his election, his purpose, his love, everlasting It's all in the promise of God
when he promised the seed of woman, when he promised to Abraham
a Savior, when he promised Moses the Passover land, when he promised
and promised Christ in purpose our salvation, Christ in promise
our salvation. In the Old Testament, Christ
in picture. And 2,000 years ago, now, Paul
said, in my lifetime, All of this purpose and plan and election
and kingdom is made manifest. It's put out open. It's set forth
for everybody to see. How? By the appearing. By the
appearing of Jesus Christ. He literally actually came. He was promised. He was purposed.
The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. But now, He's on
that cross. Now he's in that manger. Now
he's on this earth. Now. That's right. That's right. Now it's manifest.
Turn to Hebrews chapter 9, the appearing, the appearing of Jesus
Christ. The appearing of Jesus Christ.
Here are three appearances of Christ in Hebrews 9. It says here in verse 24, Christ is not entered into the
holy place made with hands, which are figures of the truth, but
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
I'm talking about right this minute, I say 1999, 2000, he
appears in the presence of God for us, our high priest with
the blood. Not yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with the blood of others, but then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world? He's been our Savior that long.
But now, once in the end of the world, has he appeared in the
flesh to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself? He hath
appeared. And verse 27 says, As he that
is appointed unto men wants to die, and after this the judgment,
so Christ was once offered to bear the sin of many, and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation. There they are. Our Lord purposed
and promised in the everlasting covenant for chosen people to
redeem them, and then he appeared. He prayed, I finished the work,
I gave the spirit to him. Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. He went back to heaven, now to
appear in the presence of God for us with his blood, with his
intercession, and to folks like you that are looking for him.
I know a lot of people who are looking for the second coming.
I'm not looking for the second coming. I'm looking for Christ.
Christ. They're looking for, always talking
about a tribulation, and an Armageddon, and a millennium and a new kingdom
and rebuild the temple. I'm not looking for any of that.
I'm too old to worry about things like that. I'm looking for the
king. I'm looking, see, I'm looking
for the king. He's coming. He promised before the world
began that we're going to be with him and it's going to be
fulfilled pretty soon now. He's coming. That's sound words. That's sound words. All right,
here's the seventh one, quickly. Verse 10 says, he's now manifest,
he's now manifest this purpose by the appearing of our Savior
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death. He's done it. You see these words, H-A-T-H,
he hath saved her. He hath saved her. He hath abolished
death. What kind of, he's abolished
sin, which is the thing of death. cause of death. He put away sin
with the sacrifice of his death. He hath abolished the curse of
the law. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law. He made a curse upon us. He hath abolished condemnation. Who can condemn us? Christ has
died. Who shall I air into the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justifies. It's
always, there's therefore now no condemnation, no judgment
to them who are in Christ. You're not going to be facing
judgment. No way in the world. There's
no judgment to them who are in Christ. And death is the last
enemy. We're still dying. Our friends
are still dying. But that's going to be gone too
someday. For Christ said, I'm the resurrection and the life,
he that liveth and believeth on me on the other side. Death
itself is gone. Spirits is gone. But we've got
to die physically. But the last enemy, that are
being destroyed is death. No more trees dying, no more
flowers dying, no more people dying. Not in his kingdom. Oh,
here's the eighth sound word. He's abolished death, and he's
brought life and immortality, the life of the gospel. I am
firm that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
You should have that life in you. And the ninth one, Paul
said in verse 11, we need preachers. For them, I'm appointed a preacher,
an apostle, and a teacher. Paul was an apostle. Paul was
a preacher. Paul was an apostle. Paul was
a teacher of the Gentiles. And today we have teachers after
teachers. And we need them. We need to
be powerful. We need to be powerful. That's a sound word. Don't go in for a religion that
emphasizes carrying, sitting around a table and swapping yarns
and experiences and telling what you think, what you believe,
and what... just don't do that. Just don't get tangled up in
that. All the way through this Bible, all the way through this
Bible, I find there prophets and apostles and evangelists
and pastors and teachers that the man of God might be called. and truly furnished unto good
work and mature. And God is chosen by the foolishness
of the preachers to say them this. And then the last, the
sound word, he's able. God's able. Listen to Paul, verse
12. For the wicked cause, these things I preach, I hear, these
sound words, this is the reason But I suffer these things. He's
in jail. He's sitting in there in his
own hired house, but in prison, in chains, writing these words.
He said, I'll tell you why I'm suffering persecution. For this
cause right here. For this cause. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. I know whom I have believed.
I know Him. And I'm persuaded beyond a shadow
of a doubt. I'm convinced He's able. He's
able. He's able to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by Him. He's able to do all that He promised. He's able to keep us from falling.
He's able to raise our vile bodies and take them to glory. He's
able to keep that which I've committed to Him. He gets that
day. Now, my friends, and I know you
believe it, I know you're persuaded, but in the event we have business
tonight, in the event we have some that aren't, fully persuaded
of the sovereign grace of God in the redemption of sinners.
There it is. That sounds worse. Can you hold
them back? Hold them back.