All right, open your Bibles now
to Romans chapter 8. Romans the 8th chapter. Last Wednesday night, many of
you were here, I brought a message on the subject, how to meet,
how to deal with the doctrine of election. That message is on cassette tape. You can get it from the tape
director, Brother Trabant. As I was talking to many of the
people after the service, they said to me, we wish you had not left out
the middle point in that message. The message was entirely too
long, and I had to leave out the middle section of the message. the title of which was The Doctrine
of Election Accurately Stated. Well, I had so many comments
on the message and orders for the message and a desire to hear
more about the message that I'm preaching this morning on the
subject God's election, God's election. And I'm reading from
Romans 8, Romans chapter 8. the subject God's election. In Romans chapter 8, I'll begin
reading with verse 28. I want you to notice one thing
in particular while I'm reading these verses. The most significant
fact in these verses of scriptures is that all things are of God.
That's the most significant fact in these verses here. All things
are of God. It's His purpose. You notice
that as we read, it's His purpose, called according to His purpose.
It is God who knew us, who loved us, not we who love God. All right, notice it, verse 28.
And we know, this we know, that all things work together for
good to them that love God. to them who are the called according
to his purpose." Whose purpose? His purpose. "...for whom he
did foreknow." That word is foreordained. God knows something because God
is able to bring it to pass. That's how he knows it, because
he purposes it and plans it and decrees it. That's how he knows
it. "...for whom he did foreknow." You know, he said at the judgment
in Matthew 7 to those who pleaded their works, he said, I never
knew you. I never knew you. Or at whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. That's
the final goal of predestination, to be conformed to the image
of his son. I said the other night, some
people say, well, I don't believe in predestination. You say, well,
what is it? They say, well, God predestinated
some to heaven and some to hell. That's not what it is at all.
Predestination has nothing to do with hell. Predestination
has to do with only one thing, and it has to do with this, that
God Almighty is going to make a people like Christ. and he
has ordained and predetermined all the means that'll be used
to make them like Christ. That's predestination. It's used
four times in the Bible, and every time it refers to we're
predestinated to be like Christ. He predestinated us to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that Christ might be the firstborn
among many brethren, many brethren, from every tribe, kindred, nation,
tongue unto heaven, a number that no man can number. as the
sands of the sea shore and as the stars of the sky, many brethren."
Somebody said, well, it's just a handful. Yeah, but whose hand? No man's able to pluck them out
of my Father's hand. He holds the nations as a drop
in the bucket, the dust in the balance. He holds the nations
in His hand. There'll be more people in heaven
than there will be in hell. You can write that down. Many
brethren. They're all going to love the
same things he loves and want the same things he wants and
delight in the same things he delights in. Many brethren. That
he might be the firstborn. But he's the firstborn. He's
the first begotten of the dead. He's the firstborn of many brethren. All right, read on. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. and whom he justified, them he
also glorified." Now, what shall we say to these things? What's
your remark? Well, a lot of bad remarks have
been made. What's your judgment? What's
your remark? What's your conclusion? What
have you got to say? Well, Paul answers. He said,
I'll tell you, this is what I've got to say. If God be for me,
if God be for me, if God be for me, God be for me in his purpose,
in his coordination, in his predestinating decrees, in his divine calling,
in his complete justification, and in his glorification. Who
on earth, heaven or hell, can be against me? What can man do
to me? Robert Haldane had this to say.
He's one of the best writers on the book of Romans, dead many
years. Robert Haldane said, in looking
at this scripture, I observe this, that man acts no part at
all. It says, whom he foreknew, he
predestinated. Whom he predestinated, he called. Whom he called, he justified. Whom he justified, he glorified. All of that's done by God. He
did it. Men are elected, predestinated,
called, justified, and glorified by God. God has purposed, God
has undertaken for us, and there's no room for chance. There's no
room for change. Turn with me to Romans 11, just
over a couple of pages in your Bibles. Romans 11, verse 29. Romans 11, 29. Paul said this,
for the gifts, what are the gifts of God? Eternal life, the gift
of God. Christ is the unspeakable gift
of God. For the gifts and calling, what
is the calling of God? That holy calling, that calling
you just read about in Romans 8, that's God's calling. Whom
He calls, He justifies. The gifts and calling of God
are without repentance. What's repentance? Change. There's
no change. There's no alteration. It's immutable. In Malachi, he said this, I am
the Lord, I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are
not consumed. God will fulfill his purpose
in Christ toward his elect. And this is the foundation of
our confidence and our assurance and our comfort that God doesn't
change. That his purposes do not change. That his gifts and calling are
without change. Another significant thing that
I notice about these verses, the first of which is this, that
all things are of God. Man has no part in it. Man had
messed it up somewhere, so he has no part in it. The second
thing is this. I notice the manner in which
these mercies follow one another. How they follow one another,
how one leads to another, how one prepares the way for another.
Look back at the text again, verse 29. God's purpose leads
the way. for whom he did foreknow." That's
his purpose, his election. That leads the way. That comes
first. The cause of all things is found
in God. Every good gift and perfect gift
is from God. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him from above. Is that not correct? So it all
starts with God, it starts with his purpose, with his calling,
with his decree, with his election. And it's followed by predestination,
charting the path. God's goal is to have Joseph
on the throne in Egypt, is that correct? That's God's objective,
that's God's goal. Well here Joseph is, much beloved
son in his father's house, but he has eleven brothers. ten of
which despise him. And Joseph is given by his father
a very beautiful, multicolored coat, and he goes out to where
his brothers are working in the field, and he's standing there
in his fancy coat, and his brothers are looking at him, despising
him. And he adds to their wrath by telling them he had a dream,
that all of them someday would worship him or pay honor and
tribute to him, and that just put the fat in the fire, and
they got madder, and so one of them said, let's kill him. Let's
kill the little so-and-so. And so they were going to kill
him, and one of his brothers said, don't kill him. Don't kill
him. You'll bring our father's gray hairs down to the grave.
Don't kill him. He pled for him. So they cast
him in a pit. They tried to decide what they
was going to do with him, and by chance, accidentally, some
Egyptians came that way. And the brothers said, well,
let's send him to the Egyptians and to slavery. And so they sold
him into slavery and bid him goodbye. See, them no more. So they took his coat and they
tore it to shreds and they killed the lamb. They put blood all
over his coat. And they went back to the house and they said,
here's Joseph's coat. He must be dead. And the father
just grieved and he thought he was dead. Didn't see him for
many, many years. He thought he was dead. And Joseph went
down into Egypt into slavery, and he worked for a fella, and
he got in trouble there, and they put him in jail. And while
he's in jail, he ran into the baker and the butcher from the
king's palace who'd had drinks. All of these things happened,
and Joseph wound up on the throne. And when his brethren came, and
Joseph revealed himself to his brethren after all these years,
this is the way he summed up the whole thing. All of the hatred
and all of the misunderstandings and all of the slavery and all
of the prison time and all of this plotting and planting and
all that men disposed to do, Joseph summed it up this way,
you meant it for evil, God meant it for good. And God predestinated
all these things that took place in the life of Joseph to bring
him to the throne. And that's what this is saying
here. God's decree leads the way, God's purpose leads the
way, and God's predestination follows and says, I'll chart
the course, I'll chart the path, I'll predetermine everything
that's going to happen in that sinner's life so that he'll be
like Christ and reign with Him forever. And I don't know what
it'll be. Maybe you're moving to Ashland
or moving somewhere else or losing your job or losing a child or
something, whatever God accomplishes in a man or woman's life, may
be a divorce, it may be a death in the family, I don't know what
it'll be. But somehow, like Joseph of old, when all of this disappointment
and some happiness and some mountains and some valleys and some struggles
and some successes and some failures and all these things, was to
accomplish God's purpose in putting Him on the throne. And whatever happens in your,
if you're one of God's elect, if you're one of God's people,
if you're one of His own, somehow, somewhere, some way, through
some man, you're going to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ. And whatever way that God has
determined for you to hear it is up to Him. But you're going
to hear it. You're going to hear it not with
these ears only, but with the heart. You're going to hear it
with the heart. You're going to believe it. You're
going to receive it. You're going to love it. You're going to embrace
it. You're going to identify with it. You're going to walk
in it. And you're going to wind up with Christ on the throne
in glory. I don't know the path He's charted
for you. I don't even know the one He's
charted for me. But I know who charted it. The one on the throne was holding
the book. And that book is the decrees and the purposes and
the will from all eternity of a covenant God. And he said,
who is able to open the book? And no one was found able to
open the book. And one was found. He's the Lamb
slain. He's the Lord Jesus Christ. And
he walked right up and took the book out of the hand of him on
the throne and opened it and fulfilled every jot and tittle
in it and redeemed his people. I don't know how you're going
to hear the gospel, but you're going to hear it. I don't know when you're going to hear
it, but you're going to hear it if you're one of His own. Because He's charted the
path. He's predestinated you to be
like Christ, and you're going to be like Christ. And you're
going to be like Christ willingly, and lovingly, and obediently. And you're going to want to be
like Christ more than you want to live. More than you want anything
under God's shining sun, you want to be like Christ. And He
did that. So you notice this possession.
Here comes God's purpose. Here comes God's election. Here
comes God's predestination. And here comes God's call. He
calls them. He said, My sheep will hear my
voice. They said, Well, if you be the Christ, tell us plainly.
He said, I told you and you didn't believe me because you're not
my sheep. My sheep will hear my voice and I know them and
they'll follow me. That's right. Here comes divine
call. Here comes the miraculous, effectual call of the Holy Spirit,
calling out His people and all whom He calls out. Here comes
justification to wash them and cleanse them and purify them
and reconcile them and sanctify them and redeem them. Here comes
justification. Nobody walking in this procession
except those washed in the blood. That's right. Redeemed by Christ,
sanctified. perfectly holy, perfectly holy,
and then completing the procession, glorification, when this old
flesh and these old infirmities and these old weaknesses and
all of this thing regarding this body of death shall be laid aside
and triumphantly God's purpose is accomplished, God's decree
is fulfilled, God's predestination is revealed and every one of
us are made like Christ. And you notice something? None
of these things that says whom he foreknew, he predestinated,
whom he predestinated, he called, whom he called, he justified,
whom he justified, he glorified, Paul's not apologizing for one
of these. None of these, this grand, triumphant, victorious
procession, none of them come along apologetically, you know,
sneaking around the building, sneaking around the tree, limping
around, doubtful, don't know whether it's going to show up
or not. No sir, each one comes victoriously. Whom he foreknew,
he predestinated. whom He predestinated, He called,
whom He called, He justified, whom He justified, He glorified. What are you going to say to
that? Well, I say, if God be for me, who can be against me?
I like it. I rejoice in it. I preach it. I believe it. It's the ground
of my confidence. If my glorification depends in
any measure, shape, form, or fashion, in any point of time,
I'm a goner if it depends on me. And you are too. You are too. You can't snow me. You may yourself, but I know
you. You're a goner. Because to fail in one point
of God's requirement is to destroy the whole thing. I'll tell you
another thing about this as I read this. There's no ifs. Whom he foreknew he predestinated
to be conformed to the image of his son, if they believe. No ifs in there. No buts. No perhaps. No maybes. No force
in heaven, earth, or hell can change his decrees. If God be
for us, who can be against us? Having purposed, he predestinated. Having predestinated, he called.
Having called, he justified. Having justified, he glorified.
No ifs, ands, buts, or maybes. It shall be done. Oh, I like
that. Turn to Isaiah 46. This is the
God of the Bible I'm preaching this morning. This is not the
God of present-day religion. This is not that poor little
pitiful God that wants to and can't, desires to and men won't
let him. This is not a defeated, frustrated
God who's standing off somewhere wondering if men will let him
have his way. This is the God of Isaiah, verse 9, chapter 46. Listen to it. Isaiah 9, 46. Remember the former things of
old. I'm God. There's none else. I'm God. Can
you understand that? There's none like me. I declare
the end from the beginning. I declare from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel will stand,
I will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
even a pharaoh, I'll raise him up to accomplish my purpose.
Yeah, I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed
it. I'll do it. I'll do it Is that
your God? They said to David where's your
God I Like that Psalm 115 turn over there. Let's listen to David
Psalm 115 They said we we know where our gods are and We know
where our gods are. They're where we let them be.
They're doing what we let them do. They're where we put them.
Psalm 115, verse 4. Their gods are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they don't
speak. Eyes have they, but they don't see. Only eyes. God's got your eyes. That's what
they tell me. The God of present-day religion. He got no eyes. They
have ears, but they don't hear. noses, but they don't smell,
they have hands, but they handle not, feet they have, but they
walk not, neither speak they through their throat, and those
that make them are locked to them, so is everyone that trusteth
in these false gods. Now look back at verse 1. Not
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory,
for thy mercy and thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen
say, Where is your God? Where is now their God? And David
answers, Our God's in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased." That's our God. The pleasure of the Lord is accomplished. You know, me and being what they
are, me and being what they are, we can anticipate many objections
when we announce that we're going to preach on God's election.
I've heard them all through the years. I don't think anybody
here could offer me one objection to a message on election that
I haven't heard. I've heard about all of them.
Somebody says this, well, why preach on such a profound, controversial
subject as election? Well, I'll answer that very simply,
because it's in God's Word. We have orders from headquarters
to preach the Word. The Apostle Paul speaking to
the elders at Ephesus said, I've kept back nothing profitable
unto you. I've not shunned to declare unto
you all the counsel of God. I preach it, Darwin, because
it's the word of God. I dare not do otherwise. I preach
it because my Savior preached it, because his apostles preached
it, divine election. Get your concordance and find
out how many times it is in the Bible. Elect, election, and elected. Many, many times. More than the
new birth. I'll tell you, here's another
objection. Well, all right, preacher, granted. Granted, this is in
the Bible. Election, predestination's in
the Bible. But shouldn't you keep back these
deep theological truths from the common people and let you
preachers and theologians settle these issues? That sounds real
humble. But that's one of the grossest
errors that have ever laid hold on anybody's thinking. This is
Popish doctrine. This is what the Catholic Church
used for hundreds of years in the dark medieval ages and kept
the people in religious slavery. Don't teach the word to the people. Keep it up in the monastery and
let the theologians decide about it. And let them throw you a
bunch of garbage. This is religious slavery. I'll
tell you what I intend to do. This is a free pulpit. By God's
grace, Bruce Crabtree, by God's grace, this is a free pulpit.
It's not bound by any denomination. It's not bound by any federation,
by any association. It's not bound by any identification
with any group, organization, or cause. This is a free pulpit
to preach the word of the living God. is not controlled by any
force in any other city or by any force in the pew out there
either. This is a free pulpit. And we have gone verse by verse
through this entire New Testament, word for word and verse by verse.
Isn't that right, Cecil? Free! Absolutely free. It's free to preach the glory
of God Almighty and the person and work of Jesus Christ. We're
not on any crusade or campaign to appease anyone or win anybody's
applause or support or friendship. We're here to glorify God Almighty
by His grace. And that's the reason God's blessed
it. And God will bless it. Preach the word. And religious
slavery is to keep back anything that's in the word of God from
the people. Yeah, but preacher, thirdly, aren't some doctrines
dangerous? My friends, truth is never dangerous. And anything that gives God the
glory, all the glory, is not dangerous. You know what's dangerous? Error, manipulation, conniving,
conformity, that's dangerous. But truth's not dangerous. Well, but preacher, and here's
another in the throat, do not some men misuse the doctrines
of grace, and abuse the doctrines of grace, and confuse the doctrines
of grace, and use it for the wrong purposes? Of course they
do. Of course they do. This has always been the case
in religion. Religious leaders and preachers
will take the things of God and use them for their own purposes
and gain. Did you know that? Turn on your
television and you'll see it today. But I'm not going to stop preaching
the truth because some man abuses it or misuses it or uses it for
his own glory and gain. I'm going to continue to tell
what the Word of God says. If that were the case, we'd have
to do away with all ropes because some fool hanged himself. You
wouldn't be able to carry a pocketknife because somebody stabbed somebody.
Or you'd have to tear down all the bridges because somebody
jumped off of it. Or you couldn't have fire in
your home because somebody's home was burned down. Sinful
men have always misused the truth of God. Did you know that? Yeah, but preacher, I've heard
this. I've heard that some men and
women use the doctrines of grace as an excuse for sin. Some people
fall into fatalism and they become indifferent to holiness. Of course
they do. But I found this to be true in
37 years of trying to preach the gospel. Religious people
are always looking for an excuse to sin. Did you know that? Not
God's people now. Not God's people. But religious people are always
looking for something to justify their sins. That's right. But I'll tell you this, Charles
Spurgeon said one time, the sun, all that magnificent gift of
God, the S-U-N, the sun that shines in the heavens, that same
sun will ripen A luscious, delicious tomato that graces your table. That same sun will ripen and cause to grow a dirty, smelly,
stinking weed. But the fault's not with the
sun, it's the nature of the plant. And this gospel of Jesus Christ,
properly preached, this gospel of God's purpose and grace and
God's redemption in Christ Jesus will ripen and bless and call
and redeem and sanctify a child of God, a son of Adam. And at the same time, a man over
here will misuse it and abuse it, claim to be a believer and
a live in an obnoxious way a stinking way but the fault's not in the
gospel it's in the nature this man's been given God's nature
and that man's got his old Adamic nature isn't that right? yeah but preacher don't you think
you can preach election too much? now you just tell me how many
sermons on election you've ever heard especially you visitors. Can
you think of one you've heard this year? I don't think anybody's
over preaching it. I went up to, I was in a Bible
conference one time, a young man was there from somewhere,
and I said, where do you live? And he told me, I said, where
do you attend church? And he told me, I said, do your preacher
preach the gospel of grace? He said, yeah, but he don't harp
on it. I knew immediately. what he meant.
He never preaches it. Yes sir, you can take any doctrine,
I don't care what it is, exclusively and distort it. Proportion is
beauty. Did you know that? Proportion.
That's beautiful. The prettiest face in the world
would become ugly if it's all nose. But you gotta have a nose. Isn't that right? The prettiest face in the world
would be ugly if it's all mouth. But you gotta have a mouth. And I'll tell you this, you've
got to have that message that gives God the glory, His elective
grace. You've got to have it. You can't
form the beautiful scheme and plan of redemption without God. That's right. We preach it, God
reveals it. We preach it, God gives understanding. We preach it, God calls His people. Now let me show you something.
Turn to Matthew 11. You see, the doctrine of election
accurately stated, now listen to me, the doctrine of election
accurately stated has to do with four things, has to do with four
things. Now let me tell you this, just
quite frankly and plainly, no one, no one here, no one here
is going to understand in any measure what we've called election,
God's purposes in salvation. You're not going to rejoice in
it, you're not going to find joy in it, unless you understand
four things. Four things. Election, accurately
stated, has to do with four things. And our Lord dealt with them
here in Matthew 11. Here's the four things. Number one, the
character of God. the character of God. God is
sovereign, almighty. We say almighty God, don't we?
Almighty God. Almighty God. Sovereign God. Got to understand the character
of God. Holy God, just God. All right. Secondly, we're going
to have to understand the character of men. Dead, sinful, depraved,
unable. As God is absolutely almighty,
with all power, man spiritually has no power. That's what Christ
said to Pilate, you have no power over me, no power. That's what
he said to the Pharisees, no man can come to me, no man has
the power. That's what he said in John 1,
to as many as received him, to them gave he the power. See what
I'm saying? God, all-powerful. Man, no power. Spiritually, a dead man has no
power, not even to breathe. Thirdly, to understand election,
you've got to deal with this, the person and work of Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is
not an emergency measure. Jesus Christ is not something
God came up with when a situation arose. Now listen to me here,
listen, you preachers, listen. Jesus Christ is not something
God came up with when man fell. The mediatorial kingdom of Jesus
Christ, the redeemed kingdom of Jesus Christ, The mediatorial
reign of Jesus Christ, the covenant of grace and mercy made with
Jesus Christ was made in detail, was made in its decree and declaration
and purpose and finality before this world was ever formed or
fashioned or made, before man was ever created or ever fell.
That's right. His person, the design of his
work, the ones for whom he had died and fulfilled all righteousness
was given him by the Father to accomplish before the world ever
began. The creation of the world and
the fall of man and sin coming into this world was all part
of that scheme and that covenant. That's what this book says. All
part of it, all permitted by God to accomplish that redemptive
work. He was the lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. Adam's fall did not catch God
by surprise. It may have caught your God by
surprise because He's one of the lesser gods. But not the
Almighty, all-knowing God who declares the end from the beginning.
The fall was no surprise. It was in His purpose. Is that right? Well, it has to
be. You've got to give up God if
you give up that. If you give up His omniscience,
His omnipotence, and His omnipresence, you've got to surrender your
God. Now this is just plain, this is not on Scripture, it's
common sense. God says, I believe I'll make a world and hope it
stays holy. Are you kidding? God made the
world with a full intention of letting it fall. Now, you've
got to say that or give up God. Let's go home. And this eternal,
mediatorial kingdom was decreed and put into the hands of Christ,
who was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
And everything God does in time, there's no time with God. God's
eternal, everlasting, no beginning, no end. Time is something to
do with creatures. With God, a thousand years is
a day, and a day is a thousand years. This world, when it came
into being in this 24-hour day and this sort of thing, is something
that God made and put into existence and put into being to fulfill
that timeless day out yonder called eternity when we'll reign
with Christ and there time will be no more. Everything in here that has anything
to do with time or days or hours or events or people or creatures
or anything God made is to accomplish this kingdom, this mediatorial
kingdom that was purposed here and will be enjoyed here, that
was decreed here and will be fulfilled here. All of this is
just a part of that scheme and plan that God devised and turned
it all over to Christ. And you watch this through the
word. From the time man fell, and he said the seed of woman,
that he announced the mediator king, the seed of woman. And
all the way through this Bible, the ark floating up there on
that judgment, on that water, blood water, that's Christ. That
Passover lamb, the blood on the doors, God passed over at midnight,
that's Christ. That lamb lifted up, that's Christ. That brazen serpent, that atonement,
everything's Christ all the way through. That King David sitting
on the throne is a picture of Christ on his everlasting throne.
I'm telling you the truth. Character of God, the personal
work of Christ. What's the fourth thing this
election has to do? It has to do with the regeneration
of the Holy Spirit. Now look at Matthew 11. Let me
show you this. And preachers Today's religious
preachers make God sound like one of them. They let on, this
character named the Pope that's over here now, claims he's the
vicar of God. You know what vicar is? Substitute. Vicarious, substitutionary death,
vicar in the place of. He's a fraud, a phony, a child
of hell. It's exactly right. Preachers let us let folks think
that they've got all the answers. They don't even know the questions They're preaching some little
silly sentimental Emotional God that neither knows what he's
doing or or he decides what he's doing Just hoping somebody let
him do what he wants to do But I'm preaching an omnipotent omniscient
almighty God He'll do with you what he wants
to But I'll tell you what you ought to do. You ought to do
like a thief on the cross and say, Lord, when you come into
your kingdom, when you come into that everlasting kingdom, when
that eternal purpose is accomplished, when your eternal will is fulfilled,
whenever a decree handed down by God for all eternity is done,
remember me. I'd sure like to have a part
in it. And Lord, I'll praise you forever
if you'll give me a part. Make me one of your own. Is that
what it's all about? Now, we're going to decide to
let God save us. We're going to walk down the
aisle and say, we believe six and seven, the Baptist preacher,
the Methodist preacher, and we're going to do our little good deeds,
and we'll go to heaven when we die. That's what you think. God
has set out to glorify one person, and that's Christ and everybody
in him. I'm telling the truth. God is
set out to exalt one person, to give one person the preeminence,
the glory, and the eternal praise, and that's His Son! And we're
joint heirs with Christ if we're heirs at all. That's right. Matthew 11, listen. Verse 25, this whole elective
purpose and scheme is right here. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank you, my Father, Lord of heaven and earth. Sovereign
Lord of heaven and earth. There he is. There's his character.
Because you've hid these things from the smart alecks and the
wise and prudent of this world, those who think they know and
don't know. And you've revealed it to babes who don't know and
know they don't know. There's man. See that, Ron? My Lord rejoices in that day. And he said, I thank you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth. According to your wise decrees,
you've hid these things to some and revealed it to others. Who
did? God did. Is that right? God hid it, and
God revealed it. But the people from whom he hid
it and the people to whom he revealed it are people with a
problem, and that's us. The wise and prudent don't know,
but they think they do. And the babes don't know, and
they know they don't know. But nobody knows. It has to be
revealed. Revelation. It has to be revealed.
Art, read on. Matthew 11, read on. Verse 26. Even so, Father, it seemed good
in your sight to God be the glory. Let him do with his own what
he will, hath not the potter power over the clay, to make
of the same lump one vessel unto honor another to dishonor. Jacob
have I loved, Esau have I hated. Same lump, same father, same
mother, same womb, same time of birth. One lump unto honor,
nothing to dishonor. Huh? Does he have that right?
This God does. Even so, Father, it seemed good
in thy sight. Read verse 27. Now here's the
third, the person and word. All things, all things in heaven,
earth, and hell, all things past, present, and future, all things
spiritual and natural, all things and all kingdoms of all races,
all generations, and all nations, all people, all things are delivered
unto me of my Father." When? Before the world began. And no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father. You don't know Christ. Neither
knoweth any man the Father save the Son. Watch it, now here it
is, and he to whom the Son will reveal it. And you know what
that man will do? Look at the next verse. He'll
come unto me. If the Father ever reveals Christ,
you'll come to Him. Because you're laboring and heavy
laden and weak and weary and worn and sore, you'll come to
Christ. And you know what Christ will
give him? Rest. He'll come. That's what I'm talking
about. I'm talking about election. If
there's no election, there's no salvation. If God's not pleased
to reveal it, we'll never come. We'll never come. God is sovereign.
Man is sinful and incapable. Christ is sufficient. And the
Holy Spirit will make His people willing. There'll be a divine,
effectual call. And it'll be through the gospel. What are the evidences of this
election? Turn to 1 Thessalonians, chapter
1. How do you know if you're one of the elect, preacher? Well,
there's several ways. How do you know you're alive?
That's right. Don't be silly. How do I know
I'm alive? Give me a straight pen, I can let you know pretty
quickly. How do you know when one is elect? Alright listen
to this, 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. Knowing brethren beloved,
brethren beloved of God, your election of God. How do you know
it? Because our gospel, this gospel
of truth, not the Baptist gospel or the Methodist gospel, God's
gospel. The gospel of grace and love. Our gospel didn't come
to you in word only. Arguments and logic and human
reasoning and religion and theology and denominational dogma. Our
gospel came to you in power. In the Holy Ghost. In much assurance. As you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake. And verse 6, And you became,
or you came to be, followers of us and of the Lord. having
received the word in much affliction, but with joy of the Holy Ghost.
And verse 7, and you were examples, examples as examples. Your life
became a life as an example. You began to walk straight and
talk straight and live straight. You began to walk with God and
live for God. Your life became an example to
other believers in your home, where you work. where you shop,
where you trade, where you play, in verse 8. And from you sounded
out the word of the Lord. You became a witness. You couldn't
keep this good news in your heart. You had to tell somebody. You
became a witness. You just couldn't keep it. Not
only where you live in Macedonia, but in every place your faith
to God is spread abroad. Verse 9. They themselves show
us what manner of entering in. We had them to you how you turn
from your idols to serve the living God. Now listen to me. I'm not talking about idols like
these stone things. I'm talking about this so-called
impotent God being preached today. That's an idol. That's an idol. You can't associate
with people who do not preach the truth. You can't worship
with them because they're not worshiping the same God you worship.
That's exactly right. If I come to know the living
God, I'll quit going to the temple of Baal. Is that right, darling? That's exactly right. If I come
to know and love and worship the living God, I'll quit being
identified with this week spineless powerless impotent god being
preached today and anybody associated you turn from the apples people have got an idea of god
that they can cockpit in the stupid man you know that they
didn't get their knowledge of god from the word they got it
from my think i suppose i believe that god be god Let God speak
for Himself. God speak and I'll listen. God
speak and I'll bow. God speak and I'll obey. That's right. Turn from your
idols. And what's this? To serve the living and true
God. There's just one living God.
True God. Our Lord Jesus said that's what
eternal life is, to know the living God. And that's what David
said, as the deer panted for the water brooks, my soul panted
for thee, the living God. I'm tired and weary of a powerless,
spineless God, aren't you? Tired of hearing about Him. Our
whole country sold out to it, the worship of a powerless God. But you serve the living God.
Now, last and I'll close, what are the effects of election?
It will tell you the effects of this doctrine, this glorious
purpose of God. I'll tell you this, it'll bring
joy to your heart. It'll bring joy to your heart.
Yes, it will. My Lord Jesus rejoiced and said,
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast
hid these things and revealed them. Paul said, Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, according as
He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Bless God. Bless God. No election, no door for me.
No salvation for me. If He had not called me, I'd
have never called on Him. If He had not loved me, I'd have
never loved Him. If He had not sought me, I'd have never sought
Him. Would you? I'll tell you something else, it promotes humility.
Why me? David sat and said, Lord, who
am I and what is my house? What do you have that you didn't
receive? Paul said he is the chief of
sinners and God saved the chief of sinners. I'll tell you something else,
it gives comfort in real trial. Some of you have had some real
trial. Where did you find your comfort? That trial was according
to the will of God, for the purpose of God, and would bring forth
your eternal good. That's where you found your comfort,
right? That's right. You came in and found your wife,
first wife, dead on the floor from work one day, didn't you?
That's pretty tough. That's a tough experience. Just opened the door and walked
in, there she lay. How do you take something like that, Jim? He's on the throne. No accidents
with God. No accidents with God. When you've got to bow to accidents,
you're in trouble. What if? What if? What if I'd
done this? What if I'd done that? What?
No, sir. And go back to predestination.
All of that brought you here to the happiness you now enjoy.
to the knowledge of him that you've experienced. Don't question
the providence of God. This is the only place you're
going to find any comfort is the fact he did it and he did
it right and he did it well and he did it for his glory and he
did it for our good, right? You better bow to that and quit
playing church. I'm tired of people playing church. I'm telling you, I played it
long enough to recognize every symptom. Tell you something else, It gives
assurance. Paul said, who can condemn me? Christ died. Who is he that condemneth? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justified me. The
preacher didn't do it. Oh, we had such a lovely service.
The baby was lying on the silk pillar and the preacher stood
there in that confusing looking robe, you know, Had a red thing
hanging off his Bible and he got some water and mumbled some
crazy words and sprinkled it in that poor baby's face and
called it a covenant. I want to spew that out of my
mouth. That's what God says. That's organized heathenism.
Is that correct? That's what we need to say about
it. Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? The preacher didn't bless me.
The Pope didn't bless me. God blessed me in Christ on purpose. Is this too hard? I said this
is a free pulpit. You say, you might get fired,
preacher. Not unless God fires me. Isn't that right? Is that right, Richard? Is that
right, Paul? Take God. That's two of the oldest ones
here. They said, all right. No, the
young ones will say, all right. I tell you this about this election,
it gives God the glory. That's what we're here for, to
give God all the glory. You can't give God too much glory.
Now let me close with this. Believing in election, sovereignty
will promote prayer. Did you know that? Prayer. I sat there before I got up here
to preach. And I realize how helpless and hopeless and unable
I am. You know, I wrote down here,
Lord help me, the well is empty, but your well's full. Let them
drink from your well. The power is His. And I'll tell
you this, you might preach, center, save yourself, but you can't
pray that way. Isn't that right? You've got
to pray, Lord help me. You might preach man's will,
but when you get on your knees, you better say, God's will be
done. Is that right? You can't preach. You can't pray that way. You
can preach man's will, but you can't pray that way. You can
preach the dignity of man, but you can't pray that way. You
got to say, Father, forgive me. Huh? You can exalt yourself from
the pulpit, but you can't from the prayer closet. So what, we
different up here and different out there? Are we different before
men and different before God? We're hypocrites if we are. Isn't
that right? You can't pray that way. You
can't exalt yourself before God. Why do you do it before men?
You can preach the kingdom is up to us, but you got to pray,
Lord, send laborers into the field. You're the Lord of the
harvest. You might preach before me and
what they've done for God. Oh, we're just so proud of what
you've done for God. But in glory, it's unto Him who
loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. To Him
be the glory and the praise forever and ever. What are you preaching,
Brother May? And I'm preaching this, that
the whole of the work of salvation from beginning to end, from Alpha
to Omega, in recovering a son of adam from the pit from the
don't heal and myron clay of wickedness and see and translating
him into the kingdom of life in the kingdom of glory in the
kingdom of god dear son making him like christ the whole of
the work from beginning to end is bob god and i've got on and
when we wind up there in his name is we go say on the him
be the glory john is that right him be the point both uh... That's got some teeth in it.
And I'll tell you what that'll do. That'll make disciples. That'll
give men backbones and courage. Give God the glory. Bring men
to worship. Bring men to believe.