I have a one-word topic, one
word, easy to remember. It's the word nevertheless, nevertheless. That's my subject. And I'm reading
from the fifth chapter of Luke, verses four through six. Listen
to God's word. Now, when he had finished speaking,
he said to Simon Peter, launch out into the deep and let down
your net for a draught. And Simon answering said unto
him, Master, Master, we have toiled all night and have caught
nothing, nothing. Nevertheless, that's what I want
you to remember, nevertheless. Master, we have toiled all night
and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at your word I
will let down the net. And when they'd done this, they
enclosed a great multitude of fish. Now, if you can just get
a hold of this one thought that I'm going to try to present this
morning, I believe it'll change your entire life, nevertheless. Now, the setting is this. Our
Lord Jesus Christ had walked down by the seashore, and multitudes
of people gathered about Him to hear Him preach. In fact,
so many of them that he was standing by the lake, so many of them
that he stepped into a ship, a little boat that was pulled
up on the shore. When I was down in the West Indies
recently, I went down to the marketplace and some situation
similar to this existed there. The fishermen had brought their
ships and just pulled them right up on the land. Half of the ship
was up on the land, half of it in the water. And they'd sail
their fish right out of the boat, right out of the little ship.
Well, there were two ships pulled up there on the shore. One of
them belonged to Simon Peter and one to one of the other men.
And our Lord Jesus Christ was so pressed by the crowd, they
kept crowding in upon him that he just stepped up in the ship,
into the ship, and stood there, probably on the bow of this little
boat, and addressed this crowd of people, spoke to them. And when he finished preaching,
He knew the person to whom the ship belonged. He saw him over
there washing his nets. See, the men had been out all
night fishing. They hadn't caught anything. And they'd pull their
little boats up on the land and they were out washing their nets,
mending them, taking care of them, folding them up, storing
them, waiting for the next time they went out to fish. And he
turned to Simon and he said, Simon, get back in your boat
and go out into the deep and let your net off the side and
catch some fish. And that's when Simon said to
him, Master, we have toiled all night, all night. We know these
waters. We've fished here all our lives.
We know the tides, and we know the fish, and we know the weather
and the climate, and we know when they're hitting, when they're
running in the schools, and when they're not. And we've toiled
all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, nevertheless, at
your word, I let down the net. Because you said so. You said
do it. And I don't care what's opposed to it or what's against
it or the failure I've experienced in the past. If you tell me to
do it, I do it. And he called a motor to the
fish. And if we could only learn that valuable lesson in reference
to the Word of God, that valuable lesson, let God be true and everybody
a liar. I don't care how many degrees
he's got, how much education he's got, How much influence
and power, whether you're a doctor or a lawyer or a philosopher
or an educator or a teacher or a preacher, it doesn't matter. Let God be true and every man
a liar. Now, these were experienced fishermen. They knew their trade. They made
their living fishing. They knew the signs and the tides
and the fish and all these things, and they'd met with no success.
Nevertheless, nevertheless, in spite of all the things that
were against it, They let down their nets, and they caught a
tremendous amount of fish, because Christ said so. Now, we make
a terrible mistake when we submit the Word of God to our wisdom,
to our thoughts, and to our ideas. We make a terrible mistake. His
ways are just not our ways. There's a way that seems right
to us, the end is destruction. His thoughts are just not our
thoughts. Our wisdom is foolishness with God and his wisdom is foolishness
with us and my friends I'm telling you And I'm saying it as kindly
as I can You will make no progress none whatsoever nil and void
you'll make no progress. I promise you this For a knowledge
of God and salvation until first of all you bow Totally and completely
to the authority of God's Word That's just so As long as you
put a question mark on the Word of God, you're going to remain
in darkness and ignorance and death. Because the Word is the
only rule of faith and practice. And that's what Peter's saying
here. Our Lord said, you launch right out in the deep and cast
your net over the side. And he said, Lord, I've been
out there all night long and I've caught nothing. And here's
the key, nevertheless, nevertheless, at your Word, at your Word. And that's what we have is the
Word of God. It's called the Word of God,
the Word of God. My friend, man's wisdom says
creation out of nothing is impossible. That's what man's wisdom tells
him. Nevertheless, God said in the beginning, He created the
heavens and the earth. Man's wisdom denies the fall.
denies representation, it denies original sin, it denies the consequences
of Adam's sin. Nevertheless, God said in Adam
all die. By one man sin entered the world
and death by sin, so death passed upon all men. Nevertheless, that's
what God said. Man's wisdom denies the scripture
which says in Adam all die. Nevertheless, that's what the
word of God declares. Man's wisdom denies the miracles
of the Old Testament. It denies the drying up of the
Red Sea, tries to explain it away. It denies the manna falling
from heaven. It denies the rock giving forth
water. It denies these things. Nevertheless,
God's Word, nevertheless, God's Word declares that these miracles
took place. Man's wisdom denies that God
became a man. God can't become a man. God can't
die on the cross. I know, I know. Logic says no. Nevertheless. Logic of a fisherman
tells me if you fished in one spot all night, caught nothing,
put in your nets and go home. That's what logic says. Logic
says get a good night day's rest and go back again. Nevertheless,
it's your work. I let down the net and that's
what I'm saying. Logic human wisdom says God can't become
a man can't die in the flesh, but God's Word says he did Says
behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Man's
logic and human wisdom says the way to God is by works do good
Do the best you can and live in heaven someday and God's got
to reward you. That's what human wisdom said
nevertheless nevertheless God's Word says it's not by works of
righteousness, which we've done but according to His mercy He
has saved us. Man's wisdom denies the resurrection. What? You mean a man dies and
he goes back to the dust and rots and decays and worms eat
his body and 500 years later you take up the remains in a
nickel paper bag and someday God is going to speak and that
man is going to come forth in the flesh with flesh and bones
Live forever? Ah, I can't believe that. No,
no you can't. You're exactly right. You're
exactly right. Human wisdom can't do it, and
therefore it can't believe it. It can't explain it, and therefore
it can't believe it. Nevertheless, nevertheless, the
Word of God standeth sure. That's exactly right. He said
heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one jot or one tittle
shall pass from my Word till every bit of it is fulfilled. God says there'll be not only
a first resurrection, but a second resurrection, a resurrection
unto life and a resurrection unto death. This is what I'm
saying. Nevertheless, in spite of whatever
opposition, in spite of whatever logic or argument you have, whatever
human wisdom, thoughts or ideas, that's what he said. He said,
Peter, you cast your boat out into the sea and let down the
net. But he said, Lord, everything's
against it, nevertheless. At your word, I'll do it. And
my friends, the word of God is the sole foundation of faith.
Not feeling, not experience, whatever the conflict, whatever
the opposition, I say I don't understand, nevertheless, nevertheless,
I believe God's word. Nevertheless. That's the answer
for every situation. Every one. I'm going to give
you a few that I've jotted down here today. different situations
in which this one word can be used. But my primary point today
in this message, if I could get you, if I could get you to look
to the Word of God, quit looking to human reason and human wisdom
and human logic and all these things that folks come up with.
I'd like to say, I know what the Bible says, but, but. Can
you hear Peter, the Lord says, launch out into the deep, let
down your net. But, but, Lord, but, no. Nevertheless at your
word I'll do it and that's when he was blessed. He called a multitude.
What about this matter of prayer? What about this matter of prayer?
Where does this word fit in in the matter of prayer? What turned
to Matthew 26? Matthew prayer about any need
any problem or any desire the Lord Jesus was in the garden
and he left his disciples over there and he went a little farther
and And it says, he went a little farther and fell on his face,
Matthew 26, 39. And he prayed, saying, Father, if it be thy
will, let this cup pass from me. Now, I know what I believe
about that cup, but if I get into a discussion of that, you're
going to lose the point that I'm making. So I'm not going
to get in a discussion about the thing that he was referring
to here about which he was praying. Because I want you to see something
here. Whatever that cup is, we'll leave that for another time.
But he said, Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from
me, solve this difficulty, this problem, lift this burden. Nevertheless,
nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. That's the
way to pray. Now, I'm telling you, that's
the way to pray. That's the way the Lord prayed. This is to be
our attitude in prayer at all times. Lord, my child's lost,
needs Christ. I beg of you, I plead with you,
I pray in Christ's name, reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to my child,
or husband, or wife, or friend, or family, or congregation. Nevertheless,
not my will, but thy will be done. My wife and I had a son
who went to Vietnam, the war in Vietnam, long time ago, 15
years ago. And I prayed very definitely
that God would keep him safe, deliver him from harm, bring
him home. You know that I did, like all of you did. And like
we pray now for our young men who are in danger in other places,
I pray. But I did pray this way, and
I believe I'm in it. And I was satisfied with God's
decision, bring him home safely nevertheless. Not my will, but
thy will be done. Now, you'll never pray. You'll
never pray. You'll never pray in the will
of God till you can pray that way. And I know the argument
people give you. I know one fellow wrote a book
one time on prayer, something about prayer, and said, back
God off in the corner and demand this of God. Demand. You're not
in a position of making demands on God. God's not obligated to
us. He doesn't owe us his favor.
He doesn't owe us his mercy. Anything this side of hell is
mercy. That's right. And if our Lord Jesus Christ
prayed this way, how much more do I need to learn to pray this
way? Huh? Father, let this cup pass. Nevertheless, nevertheless,
not my will, but thy will be done. All right? In the matter
of ministering the Word of God, in 2 Timothy 1.12, the Apostle
Paul suffered great persecution for preaching the gospel of grace.
You read in the New Testament about his afflictions and his
troubles. I know a little bit about them, not much. I've never
resisted unto blood or suffered unto blood, never have. I've
never really paid a very serious price for what I'm preaching,
but Paul did. He says, for the which cause
I suffer these things. He suffered stoning and shipwreck
and scourgings and beaten with rods and all these things in
prison, in the deep, in peril of his countrymen and false brethren,
he suffered terribly for preaching the cross of Jesus Christ. And
I'm telling you, anyone who does preach the gospel of God's grace,
he's going to count his enemies many more than his friends. Our
Lord said that, marvel not if the world hates you. They hated
me before they hated you. If you were of the world, the
world would love his own. But because you're not of the
world, as I'm not of the world, the world will hate you and they'll
persecute you. Religious world's the worst enemy the gospel has.
Preachers, religious leaders and religious people hate the
gospel of God's redeeming grace more than people who are drunks
and harlots and publicans on the street corner. That's exactly
right. And they'll persecute the preachers of the gospel.
And that's what Paul said, I suffer for preaching the gospel, 2 Timothy
1.12. Nevertheless, nevertheless, I'm
not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. I know whom
I have believed. And I am persuaded that he's
able to keep that which I've committed to him against that
day. And so I say, let me enrage. I'll preach God's divine sovereignty. I'll preach God's elective grace.
It's in the Word of God. I'll preach divine predestination.
I'll preach man's responsibility. I'll preach men dead in trespasses
and sin. I'll preach an effectual particular
atonement which Christ accomplished on the cross. I'll preach the
effectual irresistible work of God's Holy Spirit and the preservation
and perseverance of the saints and the return of our Lord and
everlasting hell for unbelievers and everlasting glory for believers
and let men rage and argue and rant and gnash their teeth, do
what they want to. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.
I know whom I have believed. Persecution may come and go.
Nevertheless, I'll still declare what I know God's Word teaches.
And we're not going to tiptoe through the tulips, and we're
not going to compromise for the sake of friendship, and we're
not going to compromise to get your support or anybody else's
support. Almighty God's Word stands alone. Let God be true in every one
of us' lives. Sure, he's sovereign. Sure, man's
a sinner. Sure, God elected a people. Of
course, Christ died. And all shall be brought to know
him whom he gave to the Son before the world began. Men may resent
original sin nevertheless. It's in God's work. Men may resent
God on the throne. They don't resent God on the
throne dealing out his arms, you know, and feeding them and
clothing them. They said, we don't care if you
feed and clothe us. They don't resent that. But God
on the throne, they hate nevertheless. We preach God on the throne.
Men may deny Christ's sacrifice. They say, we don't want that
bloody religion. We don't want that slaughterhouse religion.
We don't want that first century theology. It goes back further
than that. It's a lamb slain before the
foundation of the world. My theology goes back further
than the first century. It goes back further than the
first century of D.C. It goes back when God dwelt alone,
before the sons of God shouted for joy, before God hung the
stars in spate. He was the Lamb slain. Men may
doubt eternal condemnation nevertheless. It's that. And that's what Paul
says. I suffer persecution. Cast out
is evil. Men lie on you. They say, well,
he, you know, he preaches this, that, and the other. Of course,
I usually find this, folks that hear you the least know the most
about what you're preaching. But nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. It is the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believe it, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. Now, fourthly,
in this matter of false doctrine and false prophets, there isn't
anybody who knows the gospel who's not distressed by what
we're seeing and hearing in this day in the name of religion.
It's enough to turn a strong stomach. What I see on television
in the name of religion, most of these fellows out of Oklahoma
and Virginia and Texas and Louisiana and these other places, it turned
the stomach of a strong man, what they claim to do in the
name of God. And anybody who knows anything
about the gospel has got to be sick of what he's seeing and
hearing today, hucksters begging for money, every breath. 30-minute
program, 25 minutes spent for begging for money. They're con
men, they're con artists, and they're hucksters, and somebody
needs to cry out against it. Here's what Paul said in 2 Timothy
2, 18. False preachers concerning the
truth have erred. They've tried to overthrow the
faith of some, and they've accomplished their mission. They've overthrown
the faith of some. Nevertheless, nevertheless, the
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth
them that are His." Nevertheless, the false teachers come and go. They build their empires and
build all of their denominations and always put their names on
them, you know. They always put their names on them. They build
their empires and call them by their names and they leave their
monuments and they come and go. Nevertheless, and some people
are fooled and deceived and swept along in this horrible tide of
deceit and error that glorifies the flesh and dignifies the flesh
and brings God down from His holy place and denies His righteousness
and makes salvation a work of man instead of a gift of God.
And people are caught up in this pressure and they go along, even
deceiving, if it were possible, the elect, God said. Nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal, the Lord
knoweth them that are His. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. Yes, He does. The Lord knows
them, the people of God, chosen by His grace, loved by Him, redeemed
by Him, called by His Spirit. They shall never be turned away
because their hearts and eyes are set towards Christ as the
sole object of their faith. And He said, all that my Father
giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh, I'll in
no wise cast out. I'll in no wise cast out. And
I come to do my Father's will. And this is my Father's will,
who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I lose
nothing, but raise it up at the last day. I pray not for the
world. I pray for them that thou hast given me. They won't be
deceived. They will not be deceived. Nevertheless,
though con men come and go, though hucksters rise and fall, Though
empires rise and fall, though men deny the faith, though men
are swept up in a great tide to follow them, nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure. He knows them that are
His. He said, I know my sheep. I know
my sheep. And they hear my voice, and they
follow me, and I give them eternal life. And they'll never perish,
and nobody will ever pluck them out of my hand. Paul said in
II Timothy 2.10, I endure all things for the elect's sake.
That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to tell you the truth.
Truth's not popular. Not in this day. Don't rock the
boat, they tell you. Just, you know, don't bring out
strong doctrine. Just say what everybody will
accept and everybody will support and everybody will send their
monies. Don't rock the boat. Don't get into deep doctrine.
Rather than my concern is your soul, not my well-being. My concern
is your soul, not my next suit or clothes. My concern is your
soul. God will take care of the rest
of it. Paul said, I endure all things for the elect's sake that
they may obtain the salvation which is in Jesus Christ. I'm
not concerned whether this program's on the air next Sunday or not.
I'm concerned right now telling you the truth. If God wants it
on, it'll be on. If he doesn't want it on, it'll
go off. Who cares? Can you see what I'm saying?
I hear these fellows say, if you don't send some money, we're
going off the air. Well, hallelujah. What if you do? Say, this is
a work of faith. If you don't send a dollar, we're
going to get off the air. That's not faith. Anytime you tell anybody
your needs but God, you've left faith. Tell God your need. He supplies the need. If He wants
you on, you'll stay on. If He doesn't, get off. That's
the way I feel about it. But I'm going to tell you the
truth one more time. One more time. If I got one more week,
you'll hear it one more week. If I got ten more weeks, you'll
hear it ten more times. God knows them that are here.
in the matter of weariness with this world. Listen to Paul. He
said in Philippians 1, 21, For me to live is Christ, and to
die is gain. If I live in the flesh, I serve
God. I have no choice but to do His will. My desire is to
depart and be with Christ, which is far better. I'd rather die
right now and go be with the Lord, he said. Nevertheless,
nevertheless, for me to abide here in the flesh is best for
you. See what he's saying? This word
goes all the way through the word. Nevertheless, of course
the true believer desires to be done with this world and done
with sin and done with trial and done with all these things.
But nevertheless, nevertheless, for me to abide is best for you. And what's best for you is what's
important, not what's best for me, what's best for you. That's
what Paul said. Nevertheless, I want to go home.
I'm weary. I'm tired of jail cells, he said.
I'm tired of being cussed out. I'm tired of having rocks thrown
at me. I'm tired and weary of the way. The road is so long and the hills
are so steep. He said, I'd rather go home and
be with God. Nevertheless, I will be done. See what I'm saying?
What about the future? II Peter 3.10, the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night. in which the heavens
will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
a great heat, and the earth also, and the works shall be burned
up, the heavens being on fire will be dissolved." Can you imagine
such a time? When all the world will just
melt with a fervent heat, and the elements shall be dissolved,
and the heavens shall pass away with a fervent heat. Nevertheless,
there's that word again, nevertheless. In the face of all of this destruction,
in the face of all of this annihilation, all of it passed away. Nevertheless,
we, according to his promise, that's what Peter was saying,
according to your word, I'll lay down the net. Nevertheless,
we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. I ask you this morning, without
the word of God, what do you look for? You don't have anything
to look for. There's nothing written across
the sky. All of the writings of men are of recent days. What
do you look for? What's your foundation? Well,
I think, well, a fellow before you thought something else, and
a fellow before him thought something else. There's one infallible,
inerrant, verbally inspired truth, and that's God's Word. And that's
what Peter's saying. Let it all dissolve. Let it all
meet. Let it melt. Let it all pass away. Nevertheless,
we, according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new
earth. So what I'm saying to you is this. Whatever you face
in your reasoning or logic or arguments or education or intellect
or thoughts or ideas or whatever, nevertheless, at thy word. That's
why I'm going to stop right here. What God says, I believe. I believe,
therefore I've spoken, and I'm going to continue to speak. Will
you listen?