I read a story years ago that told about a young
man leaving home with his friends and walking to church. And on
the way to church they were discussing religion and preachers and pastors
and the Bible other related subjects. And one of the young men was
heard to say, well I hope when the preacher
preaches today that he'll say something that I can understand. I hope he'll say something that
I can understand. And the man who was telling the
story sort of went on to rebuke us preachers a little bit for
not preaching so that people can understand. But I have two
reactions to this. Now remember what the young man
said. I hope the preacher will preach
something that I can understand. I have two reactions to this. I believe, first of all, And
remember, there are two. I won't give you the first one.
It'll be rather lengthy, but remember, there'll be another
one. I have two reactions. The first one is this. I believe
that if a man is called of God to represent Him and to preach
His Word, and to pastor a people, and to
deliver God's message in His hour to His generation, that
he will always preach in such a way that everyone in the congregation
will understand what he's preaching. I believe that. I believe if
you're called of God and gifted of God to preach, and when a
math teacher stands in front of the board and has the attention
of the pupils, and she teaches math. They understand what she's
saying. When a history teacher addresses
his class, they understand what he's saying. They're listening. And I believe God's messenger,
who delivers God's message, delivers it in such a way that people
will understand what he's saying. For example, I've never had any
problem with that. Turn with me to Colossians 1.
Now listen to this. Colossians chapter 1. I'm saying
this. Now listen to me. Almighty God,
the eternal God of heaven and earth, created all things by
the word of His power. This world did not come into
being accidentally. God created it. God created it. He created the heavens and the
earth. And He created man, and He made a woman out of the man.
God created all things. Almighty God created all things
by Christ, for Christ, and they're held together by Christ. Do you
understand that? It's not hard to understand,
is it? I'm saying evolution's a lie. It's a bare-faced lie. There's no room for evolution
in God. God created all things. Do you
understand that? That's not hard to understand.
Look at Colossians 1, talking about Christ, verse 16. For by
him were all things created, that are in heaven, that are
in earth, visible and invisible. The atoms are invisible, you're
visible, he made both. Whether they're thrones, that
is, the thrones of men, governors of nations, or the thrones of
demons, principalities, powers, dominions, all things are created
by him, and they're created for him, they're his, they were made
for him. He's the sovereign king of the universe, and He's before
all these things. Christ is before all things,
and by Him all things consist, all things are held together
by Him. You understand that? Well, that's
not hard to understand, is it? That's what God says, and that's
what I'm preaching. All right, secondly, our Lord
God in three persons is omnipotent. That is, he's almighty, all-powerful. Turn to Isaiah chapter 46. Now,
this is not hard to understand, is it? You say, well, I hope
the preacher preaches something I understand. You don't understand
what I just said? God is almighty, God is sovereign,
God reigns. The meaning of sovereign is in
the word, R-E-I-G-N, God reigns in heaven and earth and the seas
and all deep places. And he doeth according to his
will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth, and he gives it to whomsoever he will. Do you understand
that? Read Isaiah 46, look at verse 9. Remember the former
things of old. I am God. I am God. And there's none else. I have
no competition. I have no rival. That's what
God is saying. I have no rival. There's no opposing power. I'm
God. There's no other power. All power
is of God. Satan gets his power from God,
by permission. There's no power but God. There's
none else, God says. None else. I am God. There's
none else. I declare the end from the beginning. Is that pretty clear? Nobody
here doesn't understand what he's saying. What's he saying?
That the last chapter of the book's already been written?
That's what he's saying. I declare the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, from
ancient times, the things that are not yet done, that have not
yet come to pass, I declare those things. They will come to pass. What God has decreed will come
to pass. That's what he says. And I say
my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a
ravenous bird from the east, The man that executed my counsel
from a far country, saved and lost. God said to Pharaoh, I
raised you up to dump you in the river for my glory. Is that
right? You understand that? God said it. I raised you up,
even for this purpose, to get glory in you. Judas was the son
of perdition from the beginning. Is that what the word says? That's
what this book, you understand that? That's not hard to understand.
He says here, I have spoken it, I'll bring it to pass, I've purposed
it, I'll do it. Now, where's this frail God that
wants to and can't? I hear people say, well, God's
trying to show me something. God doesn't try to do anything,
my friend. That's your God, not this God.
Every effort He puts forth is accomplished. That's what He
said. I purposed it, I'll bring it to pass. I've declared it,
I'll do it. That's not hard to understand,
is it, Todd? All right, man was created in
the image of God. In his own image created he them,
male and female. That's what the Word says. God
created man holy and righteous, but man sought out many inventions. And man rebelled against God
and sinned against God. God left him to his will. God
left him to his will. For his own purpose and glory,
he left man to his will. And man chose to rebel. And as
a result of that fall and that sin, all of Adam's race fell
in him. Turn to Romans, chapter 5. Now,
let's see if this is hard to understand. In Romans, the fifth
chapter. Listen to it. Romans, chapter
5. Now, 1 Corinthians 15 says this. And Adam all died. And Adam all
died. He said, there's the first man
is of the earth earthy, the second man's the Lord from heaven. Adam
was a representative of the whole human race. Now listen to Romans
5, 12. Wherefore, by one man, by one man, sin entered into
the world. How'd sin enter the world? By
Adam. When Adam said, I'll be like God, when Adam said, I'll
be as God, when Adam said, I resist the reign of God and the rule
of God, I'll be my own God, sin entered the world. and death
by sin, disease and death. Not only physical death, but
spiritual death came because of sin, because of Adam's sin.
Watch it now. And so, death, spiritual death,
physical death, eternal death, passed on all men. When? When Adam fell. When does a man
become a sinner? When he reaches the age of accountability.
No, sir, he's born a sinner. Right then, when Adam fell, the
whole human race fell. Over here in Romans 5, verse
19, listen to it. In verse 17, verse 17 of Romans
5, one man's offense, death reigns. Verse 18, therefore, by the offense
of one judgment king. Verse 19, by one man's disobedience,
the many were made sinners. By one man's disobedience. That's
representation, that's federal headship, that's understandable
to me that one man stood. And when he Guilt and shame and
sin was not only imputed, but imparted through him to the whole
human race. And the reason, Joe, that we're
in the shape we're in is because our daddy was in that shape.
And the only kind of son that a human father can beget is a
son in his likeness, a sinful son. If you'll turn to Romans
3, you'll see the results of that, Paul. And this is... Can
you understand that? Of course you can. You know exactly
what I'm saying. I'm saying that God created one man. His name
was Adam. God never created but one man.
The rest of us came from him. Even the woman came from him.
God put the man to sleep and took the woman out of his sight.
He's the representative of every one of his sons and daughters.
We all came from him. And in that man we fell, in that
man we sinned, in that man condemnation, death, judgment, passed upon
this whole race. And my evil nature is an evil
nature because I got it from an evil father, Adam. Right on
down the line. Now that's, you understand that.
And here's the result. In Romans 3 verse 10. As it's
written, there's none righteous, no not one. Not a one. The Lord
God looked down from heaven to see if there was any that did
understand. Any that did do good. He said they're all together
become unprofitable. There's none that understand.
We don't even understand. There's none that seek after
God. We seek after our own desires, and our own flesh, and our own
passions and lusts. That's what we seek after. We
all seek after God. And they're all gone out of the
way. They're together become unprofitable. There's none that
do us good. No, not one. Not one. I look
down at verse 19. Now, we know that what things
whoever God's law saith, it saith to them who are under the law.
And that's every human being. We're under God's law if we live
in God's universe. That every mouth may be swallowed.
No excuses, no alibis, and all the world becomes guilty before
God. We're all guilty before guilty
of what? Sin. And to offend in one part
of the law is to be guilty of the whole law. That's understandable.
We're guilty sinners. We're not good men. We're guilty.
There's no merit about us. with fallen creatures, and verse
20 says, being in that condition, therefore, this conclusion, that
by the deeds of the law, by the works of the flesh, by the works
of religion, shall no flesh be justified, cleared in God's sight,
for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Is that clear? We understand that. There's no
problem there. All right, the next thing. Almighty
God decreed in a covenant of grace to redeem a people out
of this fallen race. The Lord God, if he'd have left
us all alone, nobody would have come to God. Nobody would have
sought God. No one would have believed God.
That's what the Word says. You will not come to me that
you might have loved. There's none that seek God. Christ
said, another can come in his own name, men receive him. I
come in my Father's name, you receive me not. But Almighty
God, according to His own good pleasure, in a covenant of grace,
out of Adam's race, out of every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue
unto heaven, the Scripture says, chose a people in Christ, and
made Christ their surety. That's what the Word says. And
gave them to Christ, and Christ assumed the responsibility of
those people in that covenant of mercy, and declared before
the Father that He would like Like Judah of old, I'll bring
them all home, every one of them, and not a one will be lost. Turn
to John 6. Let's see if we understand this.
In John 6, listen to this. In John 6, verse 37, the Master
said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down
from heaven not to do my will, but the will of him that sent
me." Watch it now, "...and this is the Father's will which is
sent me, that of all which he hath given me I lose nothing."
Who gave them to him? The Father did. When did the
Father give them to him? Before the world began. "...I
lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day." The Lord
in John 17, if you'll turn in your Bibles to John 17, the Lord
prayed in this great priestly prayer. And about six times in
this prayer, he refers to those whom the Father had given me.
And down in verse 9, he clearly says, I pray for them. I pray
not for the world. I pray for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine. Look back at verse 2. He said,
Thou hast given me authority over all flesh, that I should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this
is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Is that understandable?
I understand that. Christ is clearly saying that
before the world began, God gave him a people. He calls them his
sheep. He calls them his elect. He calls them his jewels. He
calls them his brethren. He calls them his body. He calls
them his church. He calls them his people. The
Father gave them to him. Turn, if you will, to Romans
9. Romans chapter 9. This thing of understanding.
Understand, see if you understand this. This woman called Rebecca
had two sons in her womb, one called Jacob and one called Esau.
And the scripture says in verse 11 of Romans 9, the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but
of him that calleth. It was said, it was said by whom? By God. to her. The elder shall
serve the younger. Jacob, have a love. Esau, have
a hatred. You understand that? Well, certainly
you do. There it is in black and white.
And the next verse says, what shall we say then to these things?
What's our reply? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is God unfair? Is God unjust? God forbid. God
forbid. How could you even suspect God
as being unrighteous? How could a creature reply against
Almighty God and question the righteousness of God when we're
so unrighteous and wicked? God is perfectly holy and you're
perfectly evil, and here you are sitting in judgment on something
God does. You think about that. God said to Moses, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. Moses said, show me a glory.
God said, here it is, I'll be gracious to whom I will. I'll
be merciful to whom I will. That's what God showed Moses
when he showed him his glory. Verse 17, for the scripture said
to Pharaoh, even for this same purpose I raised you up, that
I might show my power in you, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore have mercy on whom
he will, and whom he will ill-harden. Do you understand that? That's
not hard to understand. I can read, and that's what it
says. It's not difficult to understand at all, and I don't see why we
should stutter and stammer when we speak on it or read it. There
it is. There it is. God is God. Men are lost. If mercy is given,
God'll have to give it. If you're saved, God'll have
to save you. If God doesn't choose you, you'll have to choose Him.
If God doesn't seek you, you'll have to seek Him. That's all.
All right, throughout the Old Testament, Turn to Luke chapter
24. This Redeemer is pictured, He's
promised, He's prophesied, and He's shown forth in all kind
of patterns. This Redeemer, God begins right
when Adam fell. He said, the seed of woman shall
bruise the serpent's head. Then He comes on down to Abel's
offering. Then He comes on down to Noah's ark. Then He comes
on down to Passover lamb. Then He comes on down to the
tabernacle and the priesthood and the mercy seat and the sacrifices
and the altar of incense. Then he comes on down to the
brazen serpent lifted up, the smitten rock, the manna from
heaven. All these are pictures of Christ, a prophet like Moses,
a priest like Melchizedek, a king like David. It's all the way
through the Word. Who is this person? He's the one who's to
come and redeem the people. And here in Luke chapter 24,
he, this person, sat down with his disciples, and he said to
them in Luke 24, verse 44, he said to them, these are the words
that I've spoken to you while I was with you. that all things
must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, that's Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, things that are written in the
Prophets, all the Prophets, things that are written in the Psalms
concerning what? Whom? Concerning me. The Old
Testament, Joseph, someone's coming, that's the message of
the Old Testament, and describes him, and God tailors a garment
that'll only fit that man. You recognize him by how God
said he would be, and what God said he would do, and what God
said he would say, and how God said he'd die. He's the only
man that ever chose his own mother, chose the day he'd born, chose
the place he'd be born, and chose the kind of death he'd die, and
the hour in which he'd die, and raised himself from the dead. He opened their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. All the way through
the Old Testament, all right? In the fullness of time, this
man came into the world. Turn to Galatians chapter 4.
In the fullness of time, he came in the fullness of God's time.
On schedule, it says here in Galatians 4 verse 4, But when
the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son. He sent
forth the Lord Jesus Christ, made of a woman, born of a virgin,
just like Isaiah said. This will be a sign to you. A
virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
his name Immanuel." He said, in Isaiah 9, verse 6, "'Unto
us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be on his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace.' And this son was made of a woman and made under the
law, and the purpose of this was to redeem them that were
under the law." we might receive the adoption of sons. In the
flesh, he obeyed God's law. On the cross, he died." Now turn
to Hebrews 1. And in his death, this substitute,
this Lamb of God, this Savior, in his death, by himself, purged
our sins and saved our souls. Hebrews chapter 1. Listen to
this. In verse 3 of Hebrews 1, "...who being in the brightness
of God's glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, victoriously sat down at the right hand of
God." Jesus Christ accomplished what he came to do. He was given
the task of redeeming a people. When he died on the cross, he
said, it's finished. Or Paul said in Hebrews that
he by himself purged our sins, put away our sins, justified
us before God, and he was exalted and raised to the right hand
of God, where he sat down, having finished the work he came to
do. He saved his people. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. This
scripture was read in our study tonight before we came out here
in the auditorium. Talks about the Old Testament
priests who were the pictures of Christ and types of Christ.
It says in verse 11 that all these priests, every priest,
there were thousands of them. There were many of them. They
were but men. They lived and died. They offered
the same sacrifices, animal sacrifices that could never take away sin.
And every priest standing, never sat down, they never finished
what they came to do. Daily ministering and offering,
oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin.
But this man, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sin forever,
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down, sat down on the right
hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool by one offering, he hath perfected forever them
that are sanctified. Do you understand that? I don't
see any problem with understanding that at all. I understand it. That's what the Word says. God
made all things, and when He made all things, He made them
with the view, with the end in view and the golden view of having
a heavenly kingdom, a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. Adam's fall was in his purpose, had to be, it
wouldn't have happened, because Christ was the Lamb slain for
the foundation of the world. You say, did God know Adam was
going to fall? Well, of course. Why do you have
a Savior already planned and purposed and prepared if Adam's
fall wasn't imminent? He was the Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. We were chosen in Christ before
the foundation of the world. God chose guilty sinners that
weren't even yet born and gave them to his Son. That's what
he said in the book. And that's not hard to understand.
There's not a person in this building that doesn't understand
what I've just said for the last ten minutes. You understand? Now here's my second reaction
to this little story as he's walking along. It sounds real
pious. I hope the preacher will say something I understand. Here's
my second reaction. Understanding ain't your problem. That's not your problem. You
understand it. You don't believe it. That's
your problem. See that, Paul? That's the problem. You understand
it. Yeah, too well. Pharaoh understood
Moses. He understood him the first time
he came. They had a clear understanding. Moses said, let my people go.
God said, let my people go. And God said, or else. And he
didn't believe it. He didn't believe it. The people
of Noah's day, they understood Noah. They didn't believe it.
The Pharisees understood my Lord. They understood Him exactly.
When He said, I and my Father are one, they reached for stones.
They understood what He said, didn't they? The Jews understood Paul. Turn
to Acts chapter 28. And this is the charge I bring
against my generation. They understand in this town
what I'm preaching. You understand exactly. Did I
understand you to say this? Yes, that's exactly what you
understood me to say. that God is almighty and sovereign, not
only in creation, but in providence and salvation. You understand
that exactly? But nothing surprises God. There are no accidents with
God. And you're not going to bump into God down the road unless
He chose you. And you won't bump into Him then.
He'll bump into you. He's already got the day set
and the hour set when He'll cross your path. That's exactly right. He has an elect people that He
will save. All that my Father giveth me, they'll come. They'll
come willingly, they'll come lovingly, they'll come eternally,
but they'll come. If you belong to Him, you'll
come to Him. In Acts chapter 28. Now listen,
here's the problem. In Acts 28, verse 23. All right,
speaking to Paul here, let's go back to verse 21. And they
said unto Paul, We neither receive letters out of Judea concerning
thee, neither any of the brethren that came should or spake any
harm of thee, but we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest."
We want to hear you preach. For as concerning this sect,
this way, we know that everywhere it's spoken against. Salvation
by grace. Salvation by free grace. This
sect, this way, is spoken of against everywhere. People are
religious. This nation's religious, this
world's religious. You can't go anywhere without
running into religion. I've covered most of this world
at one time or another. Been in a lot of different countries,
and I find religion everywhere I go. And you know the one, the
one way that's spoken against more than any other is salvation
by free and sovereign grace. The rest of the religion I run
into is all the same. It's just one form of work for
another form of work. There's no difference in Methodism,
or Baptists, or Nazarenes, or Christian, or Catholic, or anything
else. They're all preached, God will
if you will. That's what they preach. You
do this, and God will do something else. That's what they preach.
If you'll do the best you can, God'll take you to heaven when
you die. That's what they all preach. None of them believe
God's sovereign. I don't know why they all don't
just unite together and have one spokesman, because they're
all saying exactly the same thing. God can't do a thing unless you
let Him. Everywhere this thing's spoken
against. So verse 23, listen to this,
"...when they appointed a day, there came many to Him into His
lodging," this is the Apostle Paul, "...to whom He expounded
and testified the kingdom of God." The kingdom of God. That's the kingdom of the Messiah.
That's the Messianic kingdom. You know anything about that?
My father turned this world over to Jesus Christ before the world
was made. That's the Messianic kingdom.
And gave him a charge as a servant and as the Redeemer to redeem
a people, a kingdom, and to bring them to the Father, and someday
he's going to do that. That's what it says. You just hold this
right here and turn to 1 Corinthians. Let me show you this. In 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, before the first stone was ever laid, Christ Jesus was
the Lamb slain, He was the surety, He was the guarantor of the covenant,
His was the blood of the everlasting covenant, and God turned this
whole universe over to Christ. Look here at 1 Corinthians chapter
15, verse 24, Then cometh the end, when He, Christ, shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God. That's what Paul preached to
us. Even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule,
all authority, all power, all opposition, for Christ must reign. He does reign. He has reigned.
He will reign. He must reign. He must be sovereign. He's not the pitiful, poor, defeated,
frustrated Jesus they're presenting today. He reigns. He must reign till he has put
all enemies under his feet. And the last in him that shall
be destroyed is death. Watch it now. For he that put
all things under his feet, that's the Father, but when he saith
all things are put under him, everything's put under him, it's
manifest that he's accepted who put all things under him. The
Father's not subject to the Son. And that's the only one that's
not. Did you know that? That's the only creature in heaven,
earth, and hell that's not been subjected to Christ. That's the
only creature, that's the only power, that's the only throne,
that's the only principality that's not totally bought by
Christ. He bought the world when He died.
That's right. He died that He may be Lord of
the dead and the living. He has a kingdom, and He reigns,
and the only one, the only thing, the only Adam in this universe,
the only name of whom you can speak that's not under Christ
is the Father Himself. Everything else is. That's what
it says here. Do you understand that? And verse
28, And when all things shall be subdued unto him, and unto
him, then shall the Son also himself, having done what the
Father decreed, and determined, and designed for him to do, then
shall the Son himself be subject to him that put all things unto
him, that God may be all in all. That's the Messianic kingdom.
That's what's going on right now. This little bitty part that
I or you or anybody else is playing is just a part in that tremendous
kingdom of Jesus Christ that was decreed and purposed and
planned and designed before the world began and turned over to
Him. And the Father said, bring it
home. Bring it home. Bring it home justified. Bring
it home purified. Bring it home sanctified. Bring
it home in righteousness. Bring it home and lay it at my
feet. When you get the whole thing done, bring it home. And
I'll wind up the old show. And one day the heavens gonna
melt with the fervent heat, and the world's gonna be destroyed,
and there'll be a new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness, and everybody in heaven, earth, and hell will
bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. That's so. You understand that? I turn back to Acts 28. No problem
understanding that at all. I'm saying that Jesus Christ,
this whole shooting match, this whole thing, this whole universe
that's living in the day, past, present, and future, heaven,
earth, and hell, everything is under his domain and dominion. This is a Messianic kingdom.
That's what Paul preached to them, the kingdom of God. Persuading
them concerning Jesus. That's the issue. That's the
issue with you tonight. Jesus Christ. It's not Calvinism
or Arminianism. It's Christ. That's who it is. That's who it is. It's Christ.
What? His crown rights. That's the
issue with you. You're going to do your thing.
He said, no, you're going to do my thing. And you're going to have
your way. He said, no, you're going to
do my way. Well, I'm going to defend my will. No, you're going
to bow to his will. That's the problem. It's not
that you don't understand if you don't believe. You won't
bow. That's exactly right. He pawned,
he said, we want to hear what you've got to say. And so he
gathered together, he expounded and testified the kingdom of
God. What kingdom? You're not talking
about a millennium kingdom over here in Jerusalem with a bunch
of people running around claiming to be special folks. I'm talking
about this messianic kingdom. The great kingdom of redemptive
kingdom. the kingdom of his love, the
kingdom of his dear son, and he persuaded them concerning
Jesus Christ. What do you use? Both out of
the love of Moses and out of the prophets. Sounds like his
master, doesn't he? And he persuaded them from morning
till night. That's all. I preach 45 minutes
in the field. Paul preached from a.m. to p.m.
a.m. to p.m. the kingdom of Christ,
concerning Christ, out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets.
Now, here we go, verse 24. Here's the part. And some believed
the things which were spoken, and some didn't believe, but
they all understood. That's where it is. They all
understood. And I'm going to clear something
up for you now. I'm going to clear something up. They understood,
but they didn't believe it. This accounts for preachers.
There are preachers all over this world. And every once in
a while, you'll hear one of them talk about the cross, talk about
the blood. You'll even hear one once in
a while talk about sovereignty. Sovereignty. You'll hear one
once in a while talk about the covenant. You'll hear one once
in a while talk about even election. You'll hear them talk about these
different things, some truth and some certain facts from the
scripture, because they understand these things, Todd. They read
the same Bible you do. They read that. They understand
these things. Yes, they do. They understand
it. You say, why don't they preach
it? They don't believe them. That's the problem. A man can
understand these facts and not believe them. I'm saying that
if any preacher actually believes, believes God, who God is in His
majesty, who God is in His omnipotence, who God is in His glory, who
God is in His matchless power, who God is, that he'll fear that God. and
love that God, and preach that God's glory, glorious character,
without one trace of fear of what men can do to Him. I mean,
if a man, if a preacher ever believes that men are lost, they
talk about men being lost, but they don't believe they're lost.
Dead in trespasses and sinning. If they ever believe that Jesus
Christ is an effectual, sufficient Savior, they'll preach it. And
their message will be consistent, their message and their methods
will be consistent, if they ever start believing it. And that's,
Daniel, what you was talking about a while ago. You've run
into a lot of what we call Calvinistic preachers who don't preach Christ. The problem is they understand
some facts, but they don't believe the Word. That's the problem.
And that's the problem. This accounts for indifferent
church members, some of the people who Church members who have a
form of religion, a kind of faith, you know, and they know the existence
of God. They understand there's a God,
and they understand that there's death and judgment and there's
eternity and there's heaven and there's hell and there's a cross
and there's so-called redemption and salvation. They understand
these things, the fact, but they don't believe on them. Believe on them. So I say our problem's
not with understanding. Our problem is believing. Let
me show you this. Turn to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. And I'll bring this down pretty
soon. But listen to this. The problem
is belief. That's the reason Barnard said
one time, he said, people come to him and say, I believe the
Bible. He said, no, if you believe the Bible, you'd be saved. You
don't mean you believe it, you mean you understand some of it.
You don't really believe it. If you believed it, you'd know
God, wouldn't you? Paul said in 2 Timothy 1, now
listen to this verse 12. For the which cause I suffer
these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed. I know whom I have
believed. That's understanding. I know
whom I have believed. I know who he is. I know why
he came. I know what he did. And I know
why he did it. And I know he rose from the grave
and I know where he is today. I know who he is, I know these
are things that I know. Oh, and I not only know it, but
I am persuaded, I am confident, that he, not he and I, but he,
I'm confident he is able to keep, he's able to keep He's able to
save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him. He's able
to present us faultless. He's able to do all that He promised.
He's able to raise up our bodies and make them like His own. He's
able to do all that He said and keep that which I've watched
this now. Thirdly, I've committed. Oh, wait a minute, that's the
man that believes. Not just the man that knows some
facts, not just the man who has some confidence that God is the
facts of truth, but the man who has come to this place. Not only
a consciousness of truth, and a confidence in Christ, and a
confession of Christ, but a committal to Christ. Lord God, here is my soul. Lord God, here is my body. Lord
God revealed in Christ, here's my heart and my hand. My son,
give me your heart. Lord God in Christ, here are
my ambitions. Here are my blueprints. Here
are my children. Here is my family. Here is my
devotion. Here are my possessions. I'm
committed to you. Now you believe it. Now you believe
it. And everybody else is putting
their toe in the water to see what the temperature is. I believe
the water is at us. Oh, the man that's in Christ
is all the way. That's right. Ain't no turning
back. It's like that Roman general
that took his troops over to invade the island. And they all
got off the ship and went ashore. And after the soldiers had all
gotten ashore and brought the provisions ashore that's going
to make war against this nation. They looked back and all the
ships that came over were on fire. And they began to wring
their hands and they said, what's happened? He said, I'm burning
the ship. They said, how are we going to get back? He said,
we're not going back. We're not going back. We didn't come over
here to go back. Now you believe it. He believed
it. This is my reaction to that thing
when people talk about understanding, understanding. You understand. I believe the first time you
ever hear this, you understood. I believe the debate's going
on in your heart whether Christ's going to be Lord or you are going
to be Lord. That's the problem. Isn't that
right now? Isn't that the truth? If the
preacher's God said, that's the reason now, I don't know. But
I don't know how many times God allows a man to really hear the
gospel before he either saves him or reprobates him. You just take that for what it's
worth. Oh, I understand. I understand what you're saying.
I just don't believe it. That's the reason it says over
in Acts 28, where I was reading a moment ago, when they heard
Paul It says in some beliefs, things that God spoke through
Paul, and some didn't believe. Be gone unbelief, my Savior's
near, and for my relief He will surely appear. In faith I will
trust Him, and He'll perform. With Christ in the vessel, I
don't fear the storm. Though dark be my way, since
he is my God, it's mine to believe and his to provide. Though the
cisterns be broken and creatures all fail, the word that he spoken
shall surely prevail. I believe. I do believe. And the scripture says, he that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the
Son shall never see love." Oh, what a blessing to say, Lord,
I understand, and I believe. Would you take one other verse
that comes to my mind as I'm closing the message? John, 1
John. 1 John, chapter 5. One other verse. One other verse. I'll just leave this with you
without comment. In 1 John chapter 5, verse 20,
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are
in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. And this
is the true God, and this is eternal life.