Rejoice In Hope of the Glory of God

You know, if I had not already
known how desperately, desperately
poor we are in this generation, this is indeed the richest generation
materially, financially, which has ever lived, the richest financially
and materially here in America and in some other countries You
have more than anybody has ever had before, materially. But if I had not already known
that we're the poorest, poverty-stricken generation that's ever lived,
spiritually, I'd try it. If I hadn't already known it
when I watched ten couples special the other night when he gathered
together seven of today's most outstanding preachers and interviewed
them. God help us. I mean, God Almighty
help us. They didn't, any of them, say
nothing, nothing. I mean, zero, naught, in the
hole. It was pathetic. That's the best
we got? That's the best we got. That's
the best we got. Now you listen to me. There was Robinson and Falwell
and Shuler and Dr. James Kennedy and a few others and they're
the tops now. That's what he said. He first
said they're the tops, and then he said they reminded him of
hogs that are trough, pushing one another out of the way so
they could get more slop. I couldn't figure out whether
he meant they were hogs or the top, which. But honestly, people,
honestly, honestly, under God, is this what we've got? Martin Luther. And I don't, I
don't want to live back yonder. I want to live right now where
God's put me. That's where I want to live now.
Those weren't the good old days. They were the days of suffering
and where it was agony to have a tooth pulled. Where you, you lived on nothing. Some of you remember those were
tough days. I don't want to live back there, but I wish, I wish before God that we didn't have
so much foolishness and entertainment and had more depth of thought
and interest in the things of God than we do. There's no reason
why Luther now had a bald spot here and his hair around here
and he wore a funny-looking robe, but there's no reason Why I can't
wear a black suit and a pair of leather shoes and a tie and
my heart dwell on God like His did? Now, why not? And my mind
think on things like His did. I mean, what's the dress got
to do with it? What's the environment got to
do with it? What's the surroundings got to
do with it, huh? Not a thing, has it, John? It's
the heart, where the heart man believeth unto righteousness.
Out of the heart proceeds the things that come before God.
God looks not on the outward countenance but on the heart.
So why can't, why do our preachers in 1988 have to be such conmen
and entertainers and flippant? and silly and foolish and this
sort of thing. Why can't they deal with the
things these old men dealt with? I believe we can, and that's
what I'm trying to do. And Martin Luther once said this.
Now, I want you to listen to it. This is the preface for my
message this morning. He said, Although I am a sinner, And he's not making light, he's
not joking, he says, I am a sinner. And yet, I despair not, for Jesus
Christ, who is my Redeemer, who is my righteousness, living. My Lord, living. And he is my
righteousness, and he's my redeemer. And in him, though I'm a sinner,
I have no sin. And in him, I have no fear, and
I have no sting of conscience, although I'm a sinner, because
he is my righteousness. And I have no fear of eternal
wrath, for in him there is no condemnation. This kind of preaching is not
going on today. I am indeed a sinner as touching
this flesh. I am indeed a sinner as touching
this present life. But I have a righteousness, the
very righteousness of God, which is above this flesh and above
this life, which and who is Jesus Christ, so in him I rejoice. And no one will take that from
me. You say that's a paradox. Well,
the believer's life is a paradox. And the true believer, this man
was a true believer. This man lived for and died for
what he believed, for whom he believed. And indeed it's a paradox. The whole, the believer's whole
experience is a paradox and it's not understood by anyone but
a believer. I want to show you a scripture
in 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want you to look at this now,
1 Timothy chapter 1. I dare not say this, but Paul
did, because of him it's true. 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 15, this
is a faithful saying, and it's worthy of all acceptation,
acceptation by all men, that Christ Jesus came into this world,
he who is and was and always shall be, came into this world
in human flesh to save sinners, sinners of whom I'm chief. Now
read on. For this cause I obtain mercy,
that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all patience
and longsuffering for a pattern. I'm a pattern, Paul said, I'm
a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting
life. Paul's saying, Cecil, Paul, Russell,
that he's a pattern of you fellas and me. That's weak shall hereafter
believe. So Paul said, God showed mercy
to me, and I'm a pattern. Mic of you fellas. Well, what'd
our pattern say? Oh, we ought to study our pattern,
shouldn't we? What'd our pattern say? Well, this is the way our
pattern talked. He said, when I'm weak, then I'm strong. That's a paradox, isn't it? You
understand that? This world says, when you're
strong, you're strong. No, Paul says, when I'm weak,
Then am I strong. And again he said, Oh, wretched
man that I am. The things I would, I don't do,
and the things I would not, I do. When I would do good, I found
a rule, a law, warring in me, bringing me into captivity to
sin. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this
body of death? And then practically in the same
breath, He said, I thank God. I thank God. I have that victory
already in Christ my Lord. That's paradox. Here's a man
moaning, groaning, and rejoicing. Here's a man grieving over his
sins and yet rejoicing in his deliverance. I'm already delivered.
Listen to it. You understand what he's saying?
Though I be nothing, I'm nothing, he said. I'm nothing. You're looking at a nothing.
He said that over and over again. I'm nothing. He said I'm less
than the least of all the saints. Pick out the least saint in the
bunch and I'm under him. Didn't he say that? I'm not worthy
to be an apostle, he said. But I'm not one whit behind Peter
or John or James. That same man said that. So you
see what Luther's saying, do you understand? He's saying just
what Paul said, as concerning and touching this flesh, as concerning
and touching this present life, I am indeed a sinner. But I have in Jesus Christ the
very righteousness of God, which is above this flesh and above
this life, and in him I rejoice. That preacher came in your dry
cleaner a couple of weeks ago. He didn't understand what you
were saying. And if the preachers don't understand
it, you know their people don't. He came in there and he's standing
across the counter from Mike, one of our local pastors, one
of our spiritual leaders, 1988. He's standing across from Mike
and Mike was tired. Some of you have been there,
haven't you? Weary, just weary. It's been a long day, and Mike
said sometimes, I just said to the preacher, he said, I just,
I get so tired and weary and I just, like the Apostle Paul,
and that's the way you say it, I have a desire to depart and
be with Christ. You ever felt that way? Sure
you have. Sure you have. Which is far better, he said.
You know what the preacher said? Oh, son, don't talk like that. Why, he said, you're a young
man. You got a lot of life ahead of you. You got a lot of death
ahead of you. To go be with Christ, that's
life. That old boy didn't know that. Now you talk about that.
He didn't know that. If he'd been one of God's servants,
he'd have said, I know exactly what you mean, because our pattern
said the same thing, the Apostle Paul. Yeah, we're concerned,
but we're content. Paul said, I have a desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better, but I have learned
in whatsoever state I am to be content. Well, we're imperfect, but we're
perfect. Do you understand that? That's
a paradox. In my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. In the flesh no man can please God. That's what it says,
isn't it? Yet, yet I am complete in Him. In Christ there is no
sin. That's right. I can say decidedly
and definitely, if you look with the microscope of God, you couldn't
find any good in this flesh. But yet, if you look with the
microscope of God on my record in heaven, you couldn't find
any sin. Is that right, Richard? That's so. Because of Christ. That's exactly
right, Jim. I'm imperfect, but I'm perfect. I'm the most imperfect person
here, but in God's sight, through Christ, I'm perfect as God Almighty. With His robes of righteousness
on, John, I'm as holy as God's Son. Now that's a paradox, but
that's so. Now that'll make you happy. I'm
unrighteous, but I'm righteous. Here's one for you. You talk
about a paradox. The best prayer I ever prayed,
the best deed I've ever performed, the best sermon I've ever preached, had enough flesh and self and
sin in it to damn my soul and yours too, because my righteousnesses
are filthy rags in God's sight. That's so. There's none good,
no not one. There's none righteous, no not
one. There's none that understand it, no not one. That's so. But yet, he was made sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made literally the very righteousness
of God in him. In him I am perfectly holy, perfectly
righteous, and yet I'm unrighteous. That's paradox. And I tell you,
in the next place, I'm grieving. Peter said we're in heaviness
through many trials and temptations. It's a heavy, it's a difficult
life. It doesn't get any easier. There
are more trials to bear all the time. You know that. Christ said
in this world you'll have tribulations. Some of you right here are going
through some heavy trials, some deep water. I know that. Not
only sickness of body, but grieving and concern over your children.
They're breaking your heart, I know that. I know some of you
without work right now, being without a job in this day is
just a difficult, difficult thing, trying to make ends meet. I know
it's, this, this, this is a burden bearing day, isn't it? We're
bearing a lot of burdens. But I tell you this, I rejoice
in Him. Do you? I rejoice in Him. Rejoice I rejoice only in him
because though I'm concerned Christ is my contentment and
Though I'm imperfect Christ is my perfection and Though my righteousness
is a filthy rags. He is my righteousness perfect
in God's sight and Though although I grieve I rejoice in him because
turn to Romans 5 and here's my text Romans chapter 5 I rejoice
in him I rejoice in Him. Watch verse 1 of Romans 5. Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Here's why
I rejoice, I have peace with God. God is angry with the wicked,
but Tom, He's not angry with you. I wish that I could get that
across this morning, first to me and then to you, that God
is not angry with you. He's angry with the wicked, but
He's not angry with you. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the anger, the wrath of God abideth on him.
But the man who believes on the Son, God's not angry with you.
We have peace with God. Christ said, my peace I give
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled.
The scripture said he made peace through the blood of his cross.
He is our peace. And we're at peace with God because
we're justified in Christ. And who shall lay anything to
the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth? Christ
has died. We're at peace with God. peace
with God not only because we're justified in Christ but we're
sanctified in Christ. We're pure and holy in Christ
and we're righteous in Christ and we're redeemed in Christ.
Now let me ask you a question and I know everybody here nearly
has gone through some periods of doubt and fear and am I saved
and guilt feelings and all this because of things you've done
and said and so forth and so on. I constantly get letters
like that and I want to ask them this. Now listen to me. You've
got some children whom you love. You love your children, isn't
that right? Love and adore your children. Does your love for
your children and your fellowship with your children Does it rest
upon their perfect obedience? Does it rest upon their perfect
obedience and their perfect determination never in any way to offend you
again? Does it? Why, no. Then why do
you make my Heavenly Father like that? Why do you make my, you know
good, none of y'all have any perfect children. And you know
good and well, you love that little fella, but he's gonna
do wrong. He's gonna offend you, he's gonna,
in other words, his will's gonna cross your will, you're gonna
tell him it's time to go to bed and he wants to stay up, and
you got a little conflict there, but you don't hate him, and you
don't disown him, and you don't disinherit him, and you don't
turn your back, you still love him. And even in his obnoxious ways,
or hers, you still put your arm around and love them. Well, if
you have that kind of love and compassion in regard for your
children, how much more does your Heavenly Father have for
you? How much more? Isn't that right? How much more? No, your love for them and your
fellowship with them depends upon your relationship with them. And that's the reason I love
Luther's remarks so well. I love that he said, although
I'm a sinner, and God knows it, but I'm a son. And although I'm
a sinner, I despair not, for Christ is my Redeemer. Christ
is my righteousness. Christ has reconciled me to God. God loves me. Beloved, now are
we sons of God. We're sons of God, and more than
that, we have in Christ a perfection and a righteousness, and God
is at peace with us. There's no warfare going on.
Why do we live like there is? Why do we act like there's a
warfare when there's not? I know some of you, when your
children are out playing or something, I listen to this, and it's dinner
time. And you know before you call them that they're not going
to want to come in. You know their nature. It's just their nature. You know
good and well the sun is shining so brightly and the grass is
so green and the breeze is blowing and the clouds are floating by
and they're out right in the middle of a game of some sort and you've
got dinner ready and you're going to have to go out and call them
in and you're all going to have a little conflict. You already
know it. But you still love them. And you understand. And you kind
of say, honey, I know that you'd rather play. I know that you
don't want to come in. But I know you got to. Well,
if you know the nature of your children now, you know yours,
John. You know their nature. And you
prepare for those so-called conflicts. And you still love them. God
knows my nature. God knows my, he knows my response,
Ronnie, before I respond. He's infinitely knowledgeable
of my every thought. So, and that relationship's not
changed. I'm trying to say to you, if
you love Christ, if you know Christ, if you're in Christ,
if you're saved by Christ, you're a son of God. Give the Heavenly
Father a little more consideration of His great love wherewith He
loved us. And quest quit running around
doubting His love, questioning His love. He hasn't cut anybody
off yet. He hasn't cut anybody off yet
who loves Christ. He knows our natures. He knows
how we're going to react before we react, just like you know
your own flesh and blood. And he's prepared for that. And
I'll tell you this, in Christ, though, we have a perfection.
Now watch the next verse. Let me move on quickly. Verse
1 says, therefore being justified by faith, not we're gonna have,
we do have peace with God. We have, this battle's over.
We have peace with God. You might be the black sheep
of the family, but you still got peace with God. Alright,
verse 2. And by whom? By Christ. We have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. And what does
that mean? Well, peace, verse 1, is distinguished
from grace in verse 2. You see what's there? Peace denotes
a particular blessing. Therefore being justified by
faith. Christ loved us, Christ died for us, Christ put away
our sins. We're justified. We have peace with God. That's
done. It's done, the great transaction's
done, I am my Lord's, He is mine. I wear His name, I am His son,
it's over. But verse 2 says, grace is a
state of favor into which we enter by Christ and it implies
all the blessings of the sons of God. We have entered into,
we have by whom by Christ we have access, entrance, approval,
acceptance by faith into the favor of God, into the grace
of God wherein right now we stand. One of our grandchildren was
over at the house a few years ago. This is a good illustration. I'm using the family a lot because
really and truly this is a family matter. God's our father. We say I have a father. We as
children. But when our grandchildren was
over at the house, and we enjoy having them so much, so very
much, and you folks know about that. And we said to one of them,
Darce and I were sitting there, and I said, or she said to one
of the children, said, we enjoy your company. And the little
child replied, I'm not company. I'm family. You ever get a hold of that?
I'm family. And that's what he's saying in
verse 2. By one act we have peace with God. The war is over. But
not only that, by faith in Christ, through Christ, we've entered
into a family relationship. We're family. We're family with
God. Ah, if we could just lay hold
of that, put those two together, peace and access into the family. And I'll tell you then, you can
do what? Verse 2 says, and you can rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God. But I want to show you just four
or five things and I'll quit. Let's go to verse 8. And this,
what I'm trying to do is encourage you. You know, the Lord said,
comfort my people. Comfort ye my people. Say to
them, the warfare is over. We're family. We're children
of God. We got peace with God. We've entered into the grace
of a relationship with the king but now watch for if you still
I say this if you still in spite of all these promises and assurances
in spite of all of his love and grace and goodness to us if you
still are plagued with that doubt and depression of spirit let
me show you five statements you ought to you ought to look at
carefully if you still have problems verse 8 but God commended his
love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us. Now you believe that? Nothing commendable about us.
He died for us. Well much more, look at the next
line, much more than being now justified by his blood We shall
be saved from wrath through Him. In other words, if God's love
for you was so great and so rich that He gave Christ to die for
you when you was an ungodly sinner, well, now that you're a son,
now that you're justified, now that you're redeemed, isn't it
much more certain and sure that you'll be delivered from His
wrath? Do you see what I'm saying? Here
you are out here ungodly, rebel, reprobate, and God loved you
and gave his son to die for you and reconcile you, now that you're
a son. Well, if he'd do that for you
then, what would he do for you now, mate? Say, much more. You're much more blessed. Alright, look at verse, if you
will, at verse 10. See what this says. For, if when
we were enemies, We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.
Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. You see that, Johnny? If I was
an enemy, I want to give us some encouragement. I'm not giving
encouragement to those who make professions of faith, John. I'm
giving encouragement to those who find their hope in Christ.
You see that? If we were enemies, we were reconciled
by the death of his son, well, much more. Being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life, by Christ who intercedes for
us, the right hand of God. Alright, look at verse 15. Now
watch this. What this is saying, in one sense,
Adam is a type of Christ. Our representative. We died in
Adam, we made alive in Christ. But, it's not a good one. was
a weak type. But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. Now the offense, by one man's
offense, many became sinners. By another man's obedience, we
became righteous. But this obedience is a lot different
from that offense. See, that's what he's saying.
For, if through the offense of one, Adam, many be dead, much
more The grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one
man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. In simple words, that's
saying this. In Adam, we lost all things.
Everything. Lost position, we lost righteousness,
we lost all things. Lost life, we lost holiness. But in Christ, we gain so much
more, it's not even worthy to compare the two. You know what
I'm saying? It's not even worthy to compare
the two. In Christ, we have a better righteousness than Adam had,
because he lost his. In Christ, in Adam, Adam could
fall. In Christ, we have a better life,
because Adam lost his life, we can't lose ours. Adam could fall, we can't. See,
much more. Much more. Now, if you're resting
in baptism, this is not going to mean a thing. If you're resting
in your profession of faith or your good works, it won't mean
a thing. But believe me, if you're resting in God's immutable, indisputable,
infinite purpose in grace through Christ Jesus, that covenant of
grace, in God's love for sinners, in God's gift of his Son, in
Christ's perfect righteousness and death, and his burial and
resurrection, his intercession, if he's your mediator. You have
no cause to despair. You have no cause to feel cast
out or deserted or depressed. You have no cause because if
he loved you, when you were a sinner, being reconciled, much more he
loved you. If you were represented by Adam,
Failed and represented by Christ and reconciled you have much
more than he ever lost much more And that you resting in some
little silly church membership you ain't got nothing You back
where he was resting in your own righteousness See that path,
but in Christ, it's the much much much much much more work.
You'll get verse 17 far If by one man's offense death
reigned, do you believe that? Well, I know that's so. Death
reigned by Adam. Much more! They which receive
abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign
in life by one Jesus Christ. We did what? We received that
grace and that gift. God gave it to us, and it's a
righteousness by Christ. Much more you're going to rain.
Much more. And verse 20, this is the last
one. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound.
And the law has shut our mouths and we've seen ourselves in the
mirror. And sin, just that word abound
means overflowed. The law entered and the offense
just overflowed. Overflowed. Overflowed. If you don't If you haven't got
enough charges to bring against me, I'll add some. See what I'm
saying? I'll add some for you. It overflowed. I know them. You know them. But,
what's this? Where sin overflowed, grace did
what? Much more! Much more. Much, much, much more. When you think about, I get tired
of People questioning their salvation based on some little silly fleshly
thought. I just can't even conceive of
thinking that God Almighty is going to change his everlasting
purpose in regard to his dear son over some little quirk of
your imagination. When he knew that's what you
was going to do anyhow. Now you figure that out. But we are so
earthbound and fleshbound and peanut thinking. If we just set
our affections on, our affection on things above, our thoughts
on things above, our regard for him who is above, our rest and
trust in great things instead of peanut things. You see what
I'm saying? Rest my soul on the great mercies
of God, on the great riches of God, on the great righteousness
of Christ, the great sinner for great savior for great sinners. Think on great things, great
things. That's what he's saying in this
much more, much more, much more, much more, much more, much more, much more. A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant
mercies I sing, nor fear with his righteousness on, my person
and my praise to bring. The terrors of law and of God
with me have nothing to do. My Savior's obedience and blood
can hide all transgressions from view. Do you believe that? Your
resolutions won't, but his righteousness will. The work which his grace
began, the arm of his power will complete. His promise is yes
and amen and he never forfeited one yet. Things future, nor things
that are now, nor all things below and above can make him
his purpose forego or sever my soul from his love. My name,
from the palm of his hand, eternity will not erase. Impressed on
his heart, my name remains in marks of indelible grace. Yes,
I to the end shall endure, as sure as the promise is given. More happy, but not more secure
than I, are the glorified saints in heaven, if I'm in Christ. That's right, Chucko. You can
rest on that. You can rest on that. But nothing
else. No one else. God has committed
himself to his son and to all who are in him. All who are in
him. And you're welcome to answer.
The answer is to take it out there on the back and say, yes,
I am a Christian. You are welcome to get to see
a planet, and from that, you'll be fine. That is what heaven
is. I am the heart of the world.
I am the heart of the universe. I am the heart of the universe. I am the heart of the universe. I am the heart of the universe.

Rejoice In Hope of the Glory of God

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Rejoice In Hope of the Glory of God

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