The Purpose of the Church, Part 1.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Once again, welcome to the Village. I got a lot of room to maneuver this week. [0:04] It’s pretty exciting for me. God has really blessed us as a church [0:08] to be able to have [0:12] the volunteers to help us with every series. We [0:16] try to keep it fresh. We change the stage setup pretty much every series. [0:20] And this week was kind of the most ambitious one we’ve had so far and we

[0:23] didn’t have half the [0:25] equipment show up that we ordered for this, but our volunteers really pulled it [0:28] together [0:28] this morning and made it look outstanding up here. So I just want to thank [0:32] them really quick [0:33] because I have as little to do as possible with that. Purposefully, actually.

[0:38] Not that I don’t like hard work, but I mess everything up. If I touch it, it breaks. [0:42] So I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses. But if you have a Bible, go ahead and open a Titus. [0:47] What we’re going to be talking about over the next few weeks is a book in the New [0:51] Testament that explains to us [0:53] how God wants His church to function. [0:56] If God’s church functions the way that God intends it to,

[1:01] then it is a dangerous force for the gospel [1:03] in this world. Part of the reason that the church [1:07] sometimes, if you’ve ever been to a church that just seemed dead or didn’t [1:11] seem to be much of a force [1:13] for the gospel, it’s probably and most likely because the church [1:17] underneath all of this, underneath all of the stuff that you do on Sunday or that we

[1:22] do on Sunday, [1:22] underneath all that is a church that is not functioning [1:26] the way that God intended it to. We have so much leeway where Scripture is [1:32] concerned. [1:34] Unlike what some people believe, the Scriptures do not inform us exactly what [1:38] a service

[1:39] in a church should look like. So God gives us the leeway for that and I believe [1:44] He does that because [1:46] culture is something that’s always changing. So the way in which we take an [1:50] unchangeable message to culture, [1:52] a way in which we take an unchangeable gospel to culture, [1:56] God has made the gospel in such a way that the message or the gospel itself

[2:00] doesn’t have to change, but the way in which we take it to culture [2:03] can always change because culture is always changing. I don’t know if you know [2:06] this or not, [2:07] but first century culture is far different than [2:11] culture in 2010. It is just far different and God, and some of us wish it wasn’t, [2:17] I’m glad it was because there’s far less martyrdom happening now

[2:21] than there was in the first century, so that’s a good thing, but [2:24] God has made His gospel and has created the church so that [2:29] we as a people can come from a culture [2:32] and go into that culture in the most strategic way to take the gospel to that [2:36] culture.

[2:38] But underneath all of this, [2:40] underneath the contextualization, underneath the strategies [2:44] that we take on to take the gospel to culture [2:47] are some things that are unchanging, [2:51] are some guidelines that God has really set up and that we’re going to see in the [2:55] book of Titus

[2:56] that God has given us to where a church is supposed to function like [3:00] this, so that it becomes a community [3:03] where people are truly coming together life on life, [3:07] discipling each other so that we can be missional, so that we can be a dangerous [3:13] force in this culture. [3:14] And that’s my desire for the village.

[3:18] So let’s go into the book of Titus and I’m gonna give you a warning this [3:23] morning. [3:24] Charles Spurgeon once wrote that [3:27] sermons should be real teaching and their doctrine [3:31] should be solid, substantial, and abundant. Charles Spurgeon is one of my [3:36] heroes. He’s been dead for

[3:38] probably over a hundred years and he was in England and he built [3:43] the first mega church. God blessed his ability to preach [3:46] and he tells us that our preaching should be [3:50] full of the truth of God, full [3:53] of the truth of God’s word and quite often we don’t find that. [3:57] We find some really good advice,

[4:01] we find some really good inspiration, [4:04] we find some really good tips on how to be good parents, [4:08] but quite often the last thing that we hear is anything substantial [4:12] or deep about God. [4:16] And one thing that I want to do here at the village is that I want to dig a well [4:20] where God’s truth is concerned instead of just digging a ditch that’s about

[4:25] three feet deep [4:26] so that we can just have just enough so that we’re comfortable. [4:32] I would rather do the hard work and dig a well because when we get together if [4:36] we dig a well [4:37] we will have enough living water to spread around the whole community. [4:42] But if all we have is a ditch we’re just going to have dirty water that nobody’s

[4:46] going to want to drink. [4:48] God did not intend for his people to be shallow [4:52] where their knowledge of him is concerned. I don’t believe that God was on the [4:57] cross envisioning, [4:58] man I hope my people are shallow.

[5:02] I don’t think that was God’s intent, I don’t think Jesus had that in mind, I think [5:06] he had in mind a people [5:07] who were flourishing on his living word which God has given us in the scriptures. [5:14] And we’re going to talk about that a little bit later. [5:17] We’re going to talk about why we preach the way that we preach here at the [5:20] village

[5:21] because Titus is really going to lend us to that. But the book of Titus was [5:24] written by the Apostle Paul [5:26] and Paul had led this young man named Titus to the Lord [5:30] and we know that Titus was with Paul in a place called Antioch [5:34] where a lot of controversy happened because the gospel in Antioch went to [5:39] non-Jewish people for the first time and they got saved and Paul and Barnabas

[5:44] actually took Titus in the book of Acts chapter 15 [5:46] they took Titus as we’re told in Galatians chapter 2 [5:49] to Jerusalem to show the other disciples, hey [5:52] Gentiles are getting saved. [5:56] And we know that Titus went with Paul through some of his missionary journeys [6:00] and actually Paul went to this island,

[6:03] this island called Crete. It was in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and it was a [6:07] pretty [6:07] good-sized island for that sea and Paul planted churches. Paul led people to [6:13] Christ [6:13] and he planted churches and what he does is he leaves Titus [6:16] in charge of those churches. Titus becomes the pastor

[6:19] of the churches in Crete. But what happens in Crete is that [6:24] people begin to come into the church and spreading false [6:28] beliefs, false teachings and false doctrine. [6:33] And Paul writes this letter [6:36] in order to help Titus confront it and combat it so that God’s truth [6:42] comes out of that church. If you

[6:45] believe false things it will lead to false actions.

[6:52] Alright, one thing that I learned when I was in [6:54] counseling school is that right thinking [6:58] produces right actions. Alright? [7:02] Wrong thinking produces wrong actions. [7:06] Alright? And this is a bedrock thing for even your life. [7:09] Okay? Part of your problem, if you really have a lot of wrong actions and

[7:14] you’re like constantly doing the wrong thing, [7:16] it’s starting up in your brain. So you need to figure that out. It’s not just you [7:19] need to stop doing things, you need to start thinking differently. [7:22] And so one of the first things that Paul is going to tell Titus is [7:24] he’s going to deal with how the churches in Crete [7:28] believe about God and why what they believe about God is going

[7:33] to affect how they act as a church. [7:37] In the book of Galatians, we went over it months ago, [7:40] if you weren’t here for that go listen to the podcast, but [7:44] the same people that came to Galatia found their way to Crete. [7:47] And these people were Jews who came and were going around to all the churches [7:51] that Paul had planted.

[7:52] And as soon as Paul left they would creep in the back door [7:54] when a young leader was in charge of that church and he would tell them, [7:58] oh you have Jesus, well very good, but you also need to be circumcised [8:01] and you need to follow the Mosaic law in order to be saved. [8:06] And later on in chapter one, Paul is actually going to say that is exactly [8:10] what’s happening in Crete.

[8:11] If you want to know how Paul dealt with that though, [8:15] specifically where truth is concerned, go listen to the podcast on the book of Galatians. [8:19] Because in Titus, Paul does not deal [8:21] with the substance of what the circumcision party is doing in Crete, [8:25] but rather he’s explaining to Titus, [8:29] this is how you put people in place

[8:33] so that your church will be prepared for false doctrine when it comes in, [8:38] so that they can tell people that they’re wrong. [8:41] And so Paul is going to spend a couple of chapters explaining to Titus [8:44] how to set up a system of discipleship inside of his church so that his people [8:49] are growing and becoming deeper and deeper in the faith, because when we go deeper in the faith, [8:54] the mission becomes more abundantly clear and we necessarily become

[8:58] more of a powerful force in the culture around us [9:01] where bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ is concerned. [9:06] But where Paul is going to tell us it starts [9:10] is right here with our belief system, [9:14] with how we believe about God [9:15] and why we believe the things about God that we do believe.

[9:20] So join me in Titus chapter 1. [9:23] We’re not going to make it very far today.

[9:26] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ [9:32] for the sake of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, [9:36] which accords with godliness and hope of eternal life, [9:40] which God, who never lies,

[9:44] promised before the ages began. [9:47] All right, let’s stop right there.

[9:53] Paul starts out really, he starts out with a bang. [9:55] It’s like the racehorse that gets the whole shot. [9:57] Paul starts out with a bang and he goes ahead and he says a few things [10:01] that we need to kind of break down so that we can understand, [10:04] so we can go into the rest of the book with a proper understanding [10:05] of exactly what Paul’s talking about here.

[10:07] He says, Paul, a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ. [10:10] This is important because Paul starts Titus differently [10:14] than he starts his other letters in the New Testament. [10:16] If you read Paul’s other letters, you’ll see that he typically starts, [10:20] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. [10:23] All right, at the beginning of his other letters,

[10:25] what he does is he asserts a humble authority, letting them know. [10:30] And he uses the the Greek word doulos, which is bond servant or slave. [10:36] He says, I am a slave of Christ Jesus for the sake of the gospel. [10:40] Typically here, though, he changes his wording a little bit. [10:43] He says, Paul, a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ. [10:48] Here he doesn’t come with the same attitude towards Titus,

[10:52] but instead he comes to Titus rather than a humble authority. [10:55] He talks about the received authority. [10:59] He wants Titus to understand right off the bat that he has received [11:02] his authority from God himself and that he is a true apostle of Jesus Christ, [11:07] because what he’s going to say through the rest of Chapter one, [11:11] he needs Titus and anyone else that’s going to read this letter,

[11:15] which is a lot of people over the past 2000 years. [11:18] He needs the people that are going to read this letter to understand [11:21] that he has authority and that the words he’s about to say [11:25] are words that come from God himself. [11:28] So he asserts right off the bat this received authority from God [11:32] in this position that Jesus himself has given to Paul.

[11:38] And he starts off with a bang letting him know a few things. [11:42] It says, for the sake of the truth, of God’s elect. [11:46] What he says right here is really important because he says, [11:50] what my authority brings about, I have been given this authority by God [11:56] for the sake of seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ.

[12:05] He’s leveraging his authority. [12:08] Any time in a church situation or even in a business situation in life, [12:12] when you have a position of authority, [12:15] you are going to leverage that authority to do something. [12:20] And it’s either going to be a motive for your own gain [12:23] or a motive for another type of gain.

[12:26] And Paul asserts to Titus, and what he’s doing right here, [12:29] he’s giving Titus advice on how he needs to be a pastor. [12:34] And he says, Titus, I’ve been given an authority by God, [12:37] but what I do with the authority that God has given me [12:40] is I leverage it for the sake of seeing more and more people [12:45] come to faith in Jesus Christ because I’m leveraging it

[12:48] for the sake of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth. [12:52] So what he’s doing is he’s saying, [12:54] this is why I take these missionary journeys. [12:57] And at the point of this writing, [12:58] the theory is that he’s already been through one imprisonment in Rome [13:02] and that it’s somewhere between the years 64 and 66 AD,

[13:06] and that he might even be on a fourth missionary journey at this point, [13:10] traveling around the world. [13:11] And very soon after this, [13:13] we see that the Apostle Paul is actually killed for his faith. [13:16] He’s killed for preaching the gospel in Rome.

[13:20] And so he’s saying, I exist,

[13:25] and Titus, you must also exist [13:27] for the sake of taking the gospel to the world. [13:31] We are very serious about the gospel. [13:37] We are very serious at the village about the mission of Jesus, [13:41] and the reason for that is that God is missional.

[13:48] God is vastly concerned about his mission going out into the world. [13:55] The reason that we do absolutely everything that we do here [13:58] is because we are trying to, in the most effective and most strategic way possible, [14:05] bring people to the knowledge of the truth. [14:09] And that’s what Paul says. [14:10] He’s living and banking his entire life on.

[14:14] Because nothing else is worth living for. [14:19] So right now what I want us to do is I want us to hone in on, [14:22] is God missional? [14:23] Is the redemption of sinners the chief thing that God is concerned with on this earth? [14:31] Scripture sets up this mentality of God, [14:34] that God seeks to be glorified.

[14:36] In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is praying, [14:38] he says, not my will, but thine be done. [14:40] Jesus’ entire attitude, if you look through all of his writings, [14:44] especially in the book of John, [14:46] he desires and seeks to bring his Father glory while he is on earth. [14:52] God desires for people to bring him glory.

[14:57] He desires for people to worship him. [15:00] And this is why man was even created in the first place. [15:04] It’s so that we can bring him the most glory possible. [15:08] But in that, God has designed a plan of redemption, [15:13] because man did not follow through with worshiping God. [15:16] Go back to the very first book of the Bible, Genesis.

[15:20] What happens? [15:21] Man sins. [15:21] Man rebels against God. [15:23] Man chooses to worship himself over God. [15:25] Man tries to seek to get to the position of God. [15:29] That’s what the snake tempted Eve with.

[15:33] Don’t you know that if you eat that fruit, you’ll be equal to God? [15:38] So what happens in the Garden of Eden is that man seeks to be the same level as God.

[15:47] So man takes away the glory, takes away the worship, [15:49] goes against God, and is condemned because of sin.

[15:54] But what we see throughout Scripture is we see that God is not taken over, [15:59] because oftentimes what we do is we have this view that God, [16:04] at the last minute when he saw that man was failing, [16:08] he came up with this new plan for his son to die for the world. [16:14] And okay, well, if Adam and Eve can’t do it, well, let’s try to get Israel. [16:18] Oh, man, Israel screwed up.

[16:20] Okay, well, I’m going to send my own son at this point. [16:22] Scripture teaches us a totally different thing. [16:24] Scripture teaches us that God’s plan of redemption was there all along, [16:28] and that God seeks to be glorified through redemption. [16:32] Revelation chapter 17 verse 8, or 13 verse 8. [16:38] And all who dwell on the earth will worship it.

[16:42] All right. [16:42] At this point, we’re in the book of Revelation, [16:44] and he’s talking about the false, excuse me, the Antichrist. [16:47] And he says, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world [16:52] in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. [16:57] All right.

[16:57] So Revelation chapter 13 sets us up with this mentality [17:02] that before God even created the world, [17:07] before he even spoke the first word of let there be,

[17:13] the plan of redemption was already laid out. [17:18] All right. [17:19] That’s just simply what God’s word says. [17:22] It says, of the book of life, in the Lamb’s book of life, [17:25] if you grew up in a church that did a Southern Gospel music, [17:28] we sing about that book a lot.

[17:30] All right. [17:32] Before the foundation of the world, of the Lamb that was slain. [17:37] All right. [17:38] Then Jesus, all right. [17:39] So God is missional from before even the time [17:42] that he lays the foundations for the creation of the world.

[17:45] Then in John chapter 10, Jesus himself, okay, [17:48] this is what Jesus is stating as the purpose for him coming to the earth. [17:52] I am the good shepherd. [17:54] I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me. [17:57] And I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. [18:00] And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.

[18:03] Look at this. [18:04] I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. [18:07] So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

[18:12] All right. [18:12] We see really quick that Jesus has come for a mission. [18:20] Jesus has come to redeem. [18:22] And this is not a mission that was quickly hatched, [18:26] but rather it’s a mission that is sure and secure. [18:30] And he finishes, he says, for this reason the Father loves me

[18:32] because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. [18:35] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down for my own accord. [18:38] I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. [18:41] This charge I have received from where? [18:45] My Father.

[18:47] So Jesus goes ahead and he gives us the purpose for his coming. [18:51] He gives us the source of his mission, [18:54] saying that it is something that the Father has given him to do [18:58] for the sake of bringing sheep in for the Father. [19:03] So what Jesus is establishing here is that it is a mission given by God himself. [19:09] And this is the heart of God to bring redemption to his people.

[19:14] All right. [19:15] Then further, once Jesus has already died, he’s already risen. [19:20] We have more stories throughout the book of Acts that are going to tell us, [19:25] go ahead and put Acts chapter 13 up there, 18. [19:28] And we go ahead and we see that after Jesus has gone, [19:32] he gives his people this mission.

[19:34] And throughout the book of Acts, [19:35] we see the first Christians taking his mission throughout the world. [19:38] Paul himself finds himself coming to a city called Corinth. [19:43] And he’s only been there for one day. [19:45] He’s led one family to Christ and he is scared to death [19:49] because he knows as soon as he goes into Corinth,

[19:51] he’s going to face trouble and it’s going to be legal. [19:55] He knows he’s probably going to be arrested for preaching the gospel in Corinth. [19:58] And this is what God says to Paul. [20:00] It says, and the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, [20:02] do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, [20:06] for I am with you and no one will attack you or harm you.

[20:09] And here’s what I want you to see, [20:10] for I have many people in this city who are my people.

[20:19] Paul is standing on the brink of a city that he has not preached the gospel. [20:24] And history tells us no one has preached the gospel. [20:26] And God looks to Paul and says, [20:28] I already have people in there that I’m going to redeem through what you’re going to do. [20:33] So what God is telling Paul is, [20:34] Paul, you’re not taking my mission,

[20:36] you’re joining me on my mission because I’ve already been there. [20:40] I’ve already redeemed people and you’re just going to reap my harvest.

[20:48] Just these three passages, we’re laying a groundwork and we could just go on and on, [20:53] but I’m trying to get you out of here so you can eat lunch. [20:56] I know you want to, don’t I? [20:59] Some of you are already thinking about it and I just made a mistake mentioning it [21:02] because some of you are already thinking cheese biscuits or red lobster. [21:05] I want them so bad.

[21:07] All right, so let’s bring it in. [21:09] All right, just you get to the cheese biscuits, I promise. [21:12] It’ll be worth it. [21:13] It’s going to pay off. [21:15] That God is missional. [21:18] God is a God of mission and He has established His mission before He even laid the foundations of earth.

[21:26] God is passionate about His mission and this is what Paul is telling Titus. [21:33] He must leverage His authority and creep for and this is His responsibility, [21:39] but not just some command, but rather it’s this privilege that it must become His life’s blood [21:45] because unless it starts in authority, the mission will not become a burning fire [21:53] within the hearts of the people in the church.

[22:00] He tells him, he says,

[22:09] which God who never lies promised before the ages began. [22:13] All right, so what he’s going to do right here is he’s going to establish the trustworthiness of God. [22:19] He says right there, because God who never lies, God is not a liar. [22:25] God is honest. [22:26] God is truthful. [22:27] He does not lie.

[22:29] He established this mission before the ages even began. [22:35] But what he’s going to use is, and he’s specifically going to use a certain word in here [22:39] so that he will turn our attention to the sureness and the security that is found in the mission of Jesus. [22:45] He lets us know that election is our source of hope. [22:51] It gives hope to the mission. [22:55] All right, now, half of you just got really excited.

[23:00] And the other half of you just got really worried. [23:03] All right, because I used one of the terms that most pastors shy away from. [23:08] All right, there’s two words in scripture. [23:09] There’s election is predestination, and they’ve caused more fights [23:13] than any other two words, I think, in the whole scriptures. [23:16] At least recently.

[23:17] It used to be the term Jesus is God, but we kind of got over that one and we’re like, [23:21] okay, Jesus is God, we’ll accept that one. [23:24] But election and predestination cause a lot of problems. [23:26] And here’s where I’m going to go with this. [23:28] I want to show why election gives us hope in the mission of Jesus. [23:34] And I’m not talking about political elections here, folks.

[23:37] All right, if you’re new here, you don’t even know what I’m talking about. [23:40] Or if you’re new to the faith, you’re like, whatever, man, [23:42] I’ll just believe whatever you say up there. [23:44] All right, I’m not worried about you. [23:46] All right, I’m worried about everybody that’s been in church for a really long time [23:49] because everybody’s got an opinion.

[23:52] All right, now, I’m going to tell you what’s right, okay? [23:55] You can disagree with me all you want to. [23:57] I’m just going to tell you what the truth about it is. [24:00] All right, and I’m not going to hold back today. [24:03] What we’re going to do over the next few minutes is we’re going to go through Scripture [24:06] and we’re going to look at election through Scripture.

[24:10] And some of you, here’s where we’re going to be this morning. [24:12] Some of you already have your mind made up [24:14] and you are not going to care what I say one way or the other. [24:19] All right, so what I’m going to ask you for is I’m going to ask you for the same thing [24:21] that I ask of myself, all right? [24:23] Before I preach, every Sunday morning, all right, Charles Spurgeon, I quoted him earlier,

[24:26] he is one of my heroes of the faith. [24:29] He preached more than anybody I think in the history of the church has ever preached [24:32] before the age of 40. [24:34] And he died a young guy, but he already preached thousands of sermons. [24:38] He planted the first mega church in England back in the 1800s. [24:43] And before he would preach, in one of his biographies that I’ve read,

[24:46] he would whisper to himself, God be merciful to me, a sinner. [24:49] All right, and that’s my plea every week when I get up here because I’m scared to death. [24:55] All right, oh God, be merciful. Give me something to say. [24:58] But I pray that. [24:59] And I try to come up here with humility, all right? [25:03] So for the next 10 to 15 minutes, if you’re lucky,

[25:07] I want you to join me with a spirit of humility and a teachable spirit, all right? [25:14] Because I’ll tell you right now, I’m a reforming Armenian, all right? [25:18] I’m getting over it. [25:20] And what I want to do right now is I want to try to put the fun back in fundamentalism, all right? [25:25] Because usually, man, the fundamentalists were the first to fight, all right? [25:29] But I want to be the first to have fun, all right?

[25:30] I don’t want to fight anybody, all right? [25:32] So please don’t argue with me out there, all right? [25:34] It’s not going to go well for me. [25:35] It’ll go really well for you because I’ll just be like, oh, no, I’m sorry.

[25:40] But what I want us to do right now is understand where our problems [25:45] with the language of Scripture started.

[25:50] Election and predestination are terms that a lot of pastors, [25:54] especially young pastors in their 20s and 30s, [25:58] either try to stay away from or they say it every week, all right? [26:02] And it’s because it produces a lot of arguments that it shouldn’t cause, okay? [26:08] The reason most people have problems with these terms [26:11] are because of the people that believe them, all right?

[26:13] And I’ll be the first to tell you, most reformed people, and I’ll just use it, [26:17] most Calvinists are the biggest jerks I’ve ever met in my life, all right? [26:22] And I am one.

[26:24] I was laid on the table for you right there. [26:27] I don’t like most of them. [26:29] Because what they do is they take the hope of the Gospel [26:33] and turn it into something to be intellectually superior [26:37] to everyone that they meet about, all right? [26:41] Instead of Jesus being the bedrock of their faith, John Calvin is, all right?

[26:47] My hope is not in John Calvin. My hope is in Jesus Christ. [26:52] And I hope and pray to be faithful to the Scriptures this morning. [26:57] And man, when I woke up this morning, I was scared to death to preach this message. [27:03] But as I talk, I get less scared, all right? [27:06] Because if I can’t trust what this says,

[27:11] what the heck am I doing up here? [27:13] If you can’t just simply trust what Scripture says, [27:17] and you have to go in there and change the meanings of the text, [27:22] what is the point? [27:24] If I can’t trust what the New Testament simply says [27:28] and just let it say what it says without me trying to say,

[27:32] well, what is really means in that verse is this. [27:37] Is just means is, all right? [27:40] So I’m not going to tiptoe around the word predestination [27:43] and tell you it means something that it doesn’t mean in the Greek [27:46] or that it means something that it doesn’t mean in English. [27:51] In the Greek, the term is prohorizo.

[27:53] And the attitude that it has is that God has put a horizon around people [27:59] and guides them in a certain path. [28:02] It was actually a nautical term in the Greek. [28:06] Because the ship has a set destination. [28:10] And when you can see the horizon around it, that’s where it’s going.

[28:18] So let’s just take a little journey this morning, all right? [28:22] And what I want us to do is I want us to be humble. [28:25] But like I said when I started, [28:27] the biggest problem in churches is improper thinking about God.

[28:32] We can improperly think about all the doctrine in Scripture, [28:36] but I don’t want to improperly think this. [28:38] So what I want to do is I don’t want to tell you what I think Paul is talking about here. [28:41] I want to show you what Jesus is talking about here. [28:45] Look at John chapter 6. [28:46] This is Jesus himself talking.

[28:49] In John chapter 6, starting in verse 35, Jesus says, [28:53] I am the bread of life. [28:56] Jesus had this way with words. [28:57] I mean, this sounds so great. [28:59] I am the bread of life. [29:00] Whoever comes to me shall not hunger,

[29:02] and whoever believes in me shall never thirst, all right? [29:05] So when you hate election, the term, [29:09] the first thing you usually say is, [29:10] well, doesn’t the Bible say who soever believes?

[29:14] Yeah, Jesus said it right there. [29:17] So, whoever believes will be filled. [29:21] Absolutely. I believe that. [29:24] Whoever, anyone that believes in the name of the Son of God [29:27] and trusts in the death, burial, and resurrection [29:29] for His salvation will be filled by the bread of life

[29:33] and will be saved. Absolutely. [29:34] Jesus says that really solid right here. [29:37] But He goes on. He says, [29:39] But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. [29:42] And what He’s about to tell the Pharisees right here, [29:44] He’s going to say, this is why you don’t believe me.

[29:48] All that the Father gives me will come to me, [29:50] and whoever comes to me I will never cast out, [29:52] for I have come down from heaven not to do my will, [29:55] but the will of Him who sent me.

[29:59] And this is the will of Him who sent me, [30:02] that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, [30:06] but raise it up on the last day, [30:08] for this is the will of my Father [30:09] that everyone who looks on the Son [30:11] and believes in Him should have eternal life

[30:14] and I will raise Him up on the last day. [30:17] Man, the mission of God is just all over these verses. [30:21] But go to the next one. [30:24] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws Him. [30:32] And I will raise Him up on the last day.

[30:39] Man, what a rain on our parade Jesus. [30:40] You got us really excited and then said some of us can’t come.

[30:46] Anyone that believes, [30:49] everyone that believes [30:50] will be saved. [30:53] But then Jesus says, [30:54] the only ones who will believe [30:56] are the ones that the Father draws.

[31:05] There are two forms of biblical study. [31:08] One is good and one is bad. [31:09] There is exegesis. [31:11] It’s just a big word that means you just take meaning out of the text. [31:15] You compare scripture with scripture [31:16] and let the scripture speak for itself.

[31:18] Eisegesis is the other one. [31:19] That’s where you put meaning in the text.

[31:24] You put meaning in that text. [31:26] You can make it mean whatever you want to. [31:27] But if you just take meaning out, [31:28] what is Jesus saying? [31:29] Jesus is saying, [31:32] only those who the Father draws can come.

[31:35] And if the Father doesn’t draw you, [31:36] you can’t come.

[31:40] Book of Acts. [31:41] Let’s go to the Book of Acts. [31:43] Acts chapter 2 verse 47. [31:44] And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. [31:47] Who added to their number?

[31:50] The Lord. [31:51] Acts chapter 13. [31:53] And when the Gentiles heard this, [31:55] they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. [31:57] And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. [32:01] As many as what?

[32:02] As were appointed to eternal life.

[32:06] You don’t appoint yourself. [32:09] God does that.

[32:13] Book of Romans chapter 8.

[32:18] And we know that for those who love God, [32:20] all things work together for good. [32:22] For those who are what? [32:25] Called. [32:26] According to his purpose. [32:28] Right off the bat,

[32:30] this is a verse that gives me more in my life. [32:35] I’ve got a lot of life verses, [32:36] but that’s just because I like the Bible a lot. [32:38] But this is one of those verses that really [32:40] gives me a foothold in hope. [32:44] Because let me tell you, sometimes life is tough.

[32:47] Am I right? [32:48] Yeah, life is pretty tough sometimes. [32:49] And this is the hopeful verse that [32:52] God will take bad and turn it into good. [32:55] But he’s going to do that for the people [32:57] he’s called for his purpose.

[33:00] Not Steve’s, his purpose. [33:01] The mission’s whose? It’s his mission. [33:04] So who has the purpose of election? [33:06] Who has the purpose of the gospel? [33:07] God defines that. I cannot. [33:10] I must let God tell me

[33:12] what the purpose of the mission is. [33:14] I cannot tell God. [33:16] But then Paul brilliantly goes on. [33:20] For those whom he foreknew, [33:22] he also predestined to be conformed to [33:24] the image of his son, in order that he might

[33:26] be the firstborn among many brothers. [33:28] And those whom he predestined, [33:30] he also called. And those whom he called, [33:31] he also justified. Those whom he justified, [33:33] he also glorified. [33:35] What you have Paul saying right here is

[33:37] Paul is spanning the spectrum of the entire [33:39] redemptive history of God. [33:41] Because God, before the world began [33:43] as we saw earlier, [33:46] what we’re going to see next,

[33:50] made this mission, [33:51] made this plan of redemption. [33:53] And then in the end, [33:55] Paul is saying it’s so [33:57] sure [33:59] that we can even go ahead

[34:02] and count the glorification [34:04] which has not happened to [34:05] anyone sitting in this room yet. [34:07] We can go ahead and say [34:10] it’s as sure [34:11] as the chair you’re sitting on.

[34:14] Actually, more sure, because that might break. [34:17] Alright.

[34:20] Why? Because it’s not dependent on me.

[34:25] It’s dependent on God.

[34:30] Do you see why [34:32] the doctrine of election [34:34] is full of so much hope? [34:37] Because it lets me know [34:38] that as much as I’m going to try [34:40] throughout however many

[34:42] years of my life that God [34:44] allows me to live,

[34:47] as much as I’m going to [34:48] try to mess [34:49] His mission up, as much as [34:52] I’m going to get up here and say the wrong [34:54] thing on a Sunday morning, as much as I’m [34:56] going to go home and not be the husband that I

[34:58] need to be, and not be the father that I [35:00] need to be, or not be the son that I need [35:02] to be, not be the pastor that I need [35:04] to be, or just not be the human [35:06] being that I need to be, because I’m never [35:08] going to measure up where that’s concerned. And I certainly

[35:10] am not doing it right now. And in spite of [35:12] all of that, Paul screams out, [35:14] but wait!

[35:17] God’s plan of redemption [35:18] is not based [35:20] on me, it’s based [35:22] on Him, and what He has already [35:24] said, it’s going [35:26] to be this way.

[35:30] Romans chapter 9. [35:33] A lot of people hate this chapter.

[35:36] Though they were not yet born, he’s talking about Jacob [35:38] and Esau here. [35:39] Though they were not yet born, and had done nothing [35:42] either good or bad, in order that [35:44] here it is again, God’s [35:46] purpose of

[35:47] election might continue. [35:50] Not because of [35:52] works, but because of Him [35:53] who calls.

[35:59] Book of Ephesians.

[36:01] Paul, what he writes here is very similar to a [36:03] Psalm. In the original language it had zero [36:05] punctuation, and it’s just one [36:07] long song of praise to God [36:09] for His sovereignty. Blessed be the [36:11] God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has

[36:13] blessed us in Christ with every spiritual [36:15] blessing in the heavenly places. Here it is. [36:18] Even as He chose us in Him [36:19] before the foundation of the world, [36:21] that we should be holy and blameless before Him. [36:24] In love He predestined us

[36:25] for adoption. [36:27] Does the child adopt himself to a [36:29] family, or does the father adopt the child to the [36:31] family? Who does the action [36:33] in adoption? The father. [36:35] As sons through

[36:37] Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His [36:39] will, to the praise of His [36:40] glorious grace, with which He has blessed [36:43] us in the beloved. [36:45] Verse 7. [36:47] In Him we have redemption through His blood,

[36:48] the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to [36:50] the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon [36:52] us in all wisdom and insight, making [36:54] known to us the mystery of His will, [36:57] according to His purpose, which [36:58] He set forth in Christ as a plan

[37:01] for the fullness of time. [37:02] In other words, before it happened, God had always planned it. [37:05] To do what? [37:06] Unite all things. To redeem [37:08] God as missional.

[37:11] In Heaven and [37:12] things on Earth. In Him we have obtained [37:14] an inheritance, having been [37:18] predestined according [37:18] to the purpose of Him who works all things, [37:21] according to the counsel of His will,

[37:22] so that we who were the first to hope in [37:24] Christ might be to the praise of [37:27] His glory.

[37:30] Paul seemed [37:30] pretty certain [37:33] that everything was dependent on [37:34] God.

[37:37] Then in Ephesians 2. [37:39] For by grace you have been saved through [37:40] faith, and this is not your own [37:43] doing. It is the gift of [37:44] God, not a result of work, so that no [37:46] one may boast. For we are His

[37:48] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good [37:50] works, which God prepared beforehand [37:52] that we should walk in them. [37:55] So you combine [37:56] chapter 1 with chapter 2. [38:00] God

[38:01] has even made our path [38:03] straight for us [38:05] to walk in His mission. [38:07] It is dependent [38:10] on God, not [38:13] your own doing.

[38:16] 2 Timothy 1 [38:18] starting in verse 8.

[38:21] Therefore, do not be [38:21] ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, [38:23] nor of me His prisoner, but share [38:25] in suffering for the gospel by the power [38:27] of God. Paul is [38:29] pleading with Timothy

[38:31] and the people in his church, share in my suffering. [38:33] Live for the gospel.

[38:36] Take the gospel [38:37] as far as you can with your life, and pay [38:39] any price that you have to pay. [38:42] And now he is going to give [38:43] the why. Understand in Scripture.

[38:47] Tullian Chavijian down at [38:50] Coral Ridge said this one time, [38:51] every gospel [38:53] implication or something that I must [38:55] do, Paul always follows or starts [38:57] with a gospel declaration. And here’s

[38:59] the gospel declaration for the implication [39:01] that we should live and suffer well for [39:03] the gospel. He says, who saved [39:05] us and called us to a [39:07] holy calling, and not [39:09] because of our works, but

[39:11] because of His own purpose and [39:13] grace, which He gave us in Christ [39:15] Jesus when? Before [39:17] the ages [39:18] began.

[39:22] Revelation 17 [39:23] 8. We already talked about 13 [39:25] 8, about how the gospel was planned [39:27] before the foundations of the world. He reiterates [39:29] it here in 17 8. He says, the [39:31] beast that you saw was and is not

[39:33] and is about to rise from the bottomless [39:35] pit and go to destruction [39:37] and the dwellers on earth whose names [39:39] have not been written in the book of life [39:41] from the foundation [39:43] of the world will marvel to see the

[39:45] beast, because it was [39:48] was and is not [39:49] and is to come. [39:51] The lambs book of life.

[39:54] We always talked about when I was a kid. [39:57] I like to pick [39:58] on how I was raised. I don’t know why. [40:00] I had a pretty good upbringing. It was [40:02] enjoyable. But the [40:04] big thing they would say in children’s church

[40:06] is that the lambs book of life doesn’t have an eraser on it. [40:10] And that [40:10] your name can’t be erased out of the lambs book of life. Maybe [40:12] you did the same curriculum I did. I don’t know. [40:14] But here’s the thing. [40:16] It doesn’t even have a pen anymore though.

[40:19] That’s what Revelation 13 [40:21] and 17 say. [40:22] It’s already been sealed. [40:24] It’s not being written in anymore. [40:26] It just is. [40:28] Let’s keep moving.

[40:30] Revelation 7, 9. [40:32] Here’s the culmination. Here’s where God is [40:34] going.

[40:36] After this I looked [40:38] and behold a great multitude [40:40] that no one could number from every [40:42] nation, from all tribes and peoples [40:44] and languages standing before [40:46] the throne and before the lamb clothed

[40:48] in white robes with palm [40:50] branches in their hands. After this [40:52] I looked and behold a great [40:54] multitude that no one could number [40:56] from every nation, from all tribes and peoples [40:58] and languages standing before the throne

[40:59] and before the lamb clothed in white robes with [41:02] palm branches in their hands. Verse 10. [41:04] And crying out with a loud voice [41:06] salvation belongs to our God [41:08] who sits on the throne and [41:10] to the lamb.

[41:12] So in Revelation 7, 9, [41:14] 10 draws this picture [41:16] of the throne of God [41:19] and John [41:21] is caught up [41:23] and he sees the future

[41:24] and he sees the end of all things. [41:26] He sees the culmination of everything that God has been doing [41:28] throughout the history of the world [41:29] and he says, and I saw before the [41:32] throne people of every tribe, [41:34] every tongue, every nation

[41:37] praising God and saying [41:38] salvation belongs to our God.

[41:44] How does God know [41:47] that people from all [41:48] nations are going to be before his throne?

[41:53] I’ll tell you why.

[41:56] And that’s just a drop in the bucket. [41:59] That’s just because I want to go to lunch. [42:01] We could go far further.

[42:05] It’s because [42:06] before the foundations of the earth [42:08] was even laid, God [42:10] made certain that [42:12] he would receive glory [42:16] in the way that he desires.

[42:23] And you say, but what about free will?

[42:27] What about choice?

[42:32] I believe that we do have free will.

[42:36] But I also believe that if God does not

[42:39] redeem me

[42:42] I will choose sin [42:45] every time.

[42:49] Isaiah speaking [42:50] on the condition of man said [42:52] man’s righteousness is [42:54] as filthy rags compared to God.

[43:03] Our struggle [43:04] with election [43:05] is our struggle [43:08] with trust.

[43:11] Because we want to be able to put God

[43:18] on our level. [43:20] When again in the book of Isaiah [43:22] God clearly says my thoughts are not your thoughts, [43:24] my ways are not your ways.

[43:29] In Romans chapter 5

[43:35] Paul says

[43:40] sin entered the world [43:41] through Adam. And then after Adam [43:44] everyone that was ever born [43:45] was born into a life of sin. [43:48] Born condemned. [43:50] But then he says

[43:51] even while we were still [43:54] sinners.

[43:57] Here’s what I want you to understand. [43:58] Even while we were still [44:00] sinners, in other words [44:01] we were not asking [44:03] for it. [44:05] We were not wanting it.

[44:07] We were not begging for it. [44:10] We were not saying [44:11] God save us. [44:12] We were saying God we don’t need you. [44:17] We’ve got this. [44:21] Romans 5,8. Even while we were

[44:23] still sinners running from [44:25] God to ourselves [44:27] it says Christ [44:29] died for [44:32] us. [44:33] The just for the unjust.

[44:35] The godly for the ungodly. [44:39] The righteous for the [44:40] sinner.

[44:44] And then Paul even says [44:46] why would a good [44:48] man die for a [44:50] bad man? [44:51] That doesn’t even make sense. [44:53] It would possibly make sense if

[44:55] a good man dies for a good man [44:57] maybe, but he even struggled to understand [44:59] that. He says God’s [45:01] redemption of man makes [45:03] no sense on any scale [45:05] of logic, on any scale

[45:07] of ethics, and yet we’re constantly [45:10] looking to God saying God [45:11] but you can’t do anything [45:13] that I can’t wrap my mind around.

[45:20] And Paul says [45:21] then make sense of why [45:23] God would become his creation [45:25] and then die for it. [45:28] That doesn’t make any sense [45:29] either.

[45:33] Did I choose God? [45:35] Did I choose Jesus? [45:38] Absolutely. [45:40] Absolutely.

[45:42] I did. I remember it. [45:45] I was 19 [45:45] years old.

[45:49] Just like the old [45:49] hymn says [45:51] I sought God

[45:55] and then when I found him [45:57] I found that it was not me seeking [45:59] God, but [46:01] God seeking [46:03] me.

[46:07] If you’re in here this morning [46:09] and you’re redeemed [46:12] you believe in Jesus.

[46:16] Praise God for that. [46:19] It’s not because you’re smart. [46:22] It’s not because you’re more logical [46:23] than other people. It’s not because [46:25] you’ve got life figured out more. [46:28] It’s not because you’re better than anybody

[46:29] else. It’s because [46:32] God had mercy on you [46:34] and God gave you [46:35] a gift and that gift is faith.

[46:39] And he gave you that gift before you [46:41] were ever born.

[46:44] Before you ever created the earth.

[46:48] One big question people [46:49] always ask, how big is your God?

[46:54] How big is your God?

[46:57] My God is so big [46:59] that he knows the beginning from the end. [47:03] He’s the Alpha. [47:04] He’s the Omega. [47:06] He’s planned my steps. He’s planned your steps. [47:09] And he’s planned his redemption.

[47:10] And he’s planned the end [47:12] of his mission.

[47:15] Where he [47:16] will receive the most [47:18] glory.

[47:22] If he hasn’t [47:24] planned it, [47:26] how can I possibly [47:28] trust it? [47:30] Because if he leaves it up to me,

[47:34] it’s not a sure mission.

[47:37] It’s not a sure mission [47:39] at all.

[47:43] This morning,

[47:46] I want us to close and just understand [47:48] something about this doctrine. [47:51] I want us to understand [47:53] that Jesus took his disciples [47:55] one day.

[47:58] And they walked everywhere. [48:00] I’m really glad I was born in 1980. [48:03] I wouldn’t have liked that.

[48:06] They were walking down a road [48:08] and they came upon a field.

[48:13] And Jesus looks at his disciples [48:14] and Jesus was always great at [48:16] these teachable moments. [48:18] He could just be walking down the road [48:20] and see something and be like, alright guys, I’m going to teach you a little. [48:22] I’m not that sharp.

[48:24] Like, uh, floor. [48:27] Solid. [48:28] We can stand on it. That’s how God is. [48:31] Jesus was so good at this. [48:32] And it helped that he was God. [48:34] But he stood before this field

[48:36] and he looks to his disciples.

[48:39] And he [48:40] says, look at this field.

[48:43] He says, [48:44] I want you to understand something, boys. [48:46] That field is white. [48:49] For harvest.

[48:53] But the laborers to bring in the harvest [48:55] are few.

[48:58] And he says, go bring in the harvest.

[49:03] Oftentimes when we look at these [49:05] harder doctrines of Scripture [49:07] and I didn’t get anywhere near as far as I wanted to today. [49:10] We look at these doctrines. [49:13] And we say, well then, what’s the point [49:14] of evangelism?

[49:16] If God’s got it already wrapped up, [49:18] what’s the point? [49:20] Why even go out and preach? [49:21] God’s just going to have it done anyway.

[49:28] Then you still don’t get it.

[49:33] Just like when Paul [49:34] stood on the brink of Corinth [49:36] and said, [49:37] I don’t think I can do this, God. [49:40] And God said, [49:42] I’ve already won the victory.

[49:45] You just have to do the work.

[49:50] And Paul goes in with faith. [49:52] Not that he’s smart enough [49:53] or that he can speak eloquently enough. [49:56] Not that his actions [49:58] are going to create anything, but he goes [50:00] into Corinth and says,

[50:03] man, I’m really glad [50:04] it doesn’t depend on me.

[50:08] That’s grace.

[50:11] That’s the Gospel.

[50:15] So when we look at this doctrine, [50:17] we should not see [50:19] a reason to grow lazy and apathetic. [50:22] We should see [50:23] a reason to work harder. [50:26] We should see a reason to worship more.

[50:30] We should see a reason for more obedience. [50:33] And we should see [50:35] a reason for more mission. [50:39] Because it is certain. [50:42] And God has won the victory. [50:45] And he says,

[50:46] trust me and go.

[50:51] Election is not a reason [50:52] to not live the mission.

[50:55] It’s actually the whole reason [50:57] that I want us to live the mission. [50:59] Because it’s the only life worth living. [51:01] Because it’s the only thing [51:03] sure in this world.

[51:06] Right now, what I want us to do [51:08] is I want us to respond. [51:10] Okay. [51:12] And I know this is tough. [51:13] Guys, in an, I don’t know how, [51:15] 50 minutes, no way

[51:19] I gave like [51:20] the whole doctrine of grace. [51:21] This would take hours.

[51:26] But this is what it’s all about.

[51:29] This is growth. [51:31] Let’s dig a well.

[51:33] Let’s live this. [51:35] Let’s do this. [51:37] God has got this.

[51:42] If you want to talk about this more, [51:45] right,

[51:47] join a community group.

[51:52] Because that’s what they’re going to talk about this week. [51:53] And you’re like, oh, I’m going to go fight. [51:55] Alright, go to Nate’s group.

[52:03] You can come to mine too. [52:04] I’m going to pretend we didn’t talk about this though. [52:07] Just kidding. [52:09] I’ll be like, what? That was my brother. [52:10] Not me. I wasn’t even there. [52:13] But what I want us to do right now, all joking aside,

[52:15] is I want us to come forward [52:17] as we do every week. [52:19] And I want us to respond [52:20] to this, I mean, when we sing [52:22] about a great God and King, [52:25] is he not a great God and King?

[52:28] As scriptures just scream it, [52:30] what a great God and King we serve. [52:32] Who has numbered [52:34] the hairs off my head. [52:36] Who knows how many grains [52:38] of sand are on the beach.

[52:40] Whose eye is on the sparrow, [52:42] so I know it’s on me.

[52:47] I want us to proclaim [52:48] the Lord’s death until He comes. [52:50] And if you’re sitting out there struggling [52:52] and saying, but how do I know I’m [52:54] elect, that’s a good struggle.

[52:59] Screams in scripture, [53:00] make sure you’re electing. [53:03] But if you’re a believer this morning, [53:05] and by the way, [53:06] unelect people don’t typically struggle with that.

[53:10] If you’re here this morning and you’re a believer, [53:12] come forward, worship our God [53:14] and King, proclaim His death or His broken [53:16] body, and His shed blood. [53:18] And then let’s praise our [53:20] King. Father, we come before you.

[53:24] I love you. [53:26] Because you love me.

[53:31] Lord, you have redeemed me. [53:34] You have saved me. [53:36] You’ve taken me from death to life. [53:39] Ephesians chapter 2 says.

[53:44] God, teach me to trust in you.

[53:47] God, I pray that you would help us [53:49] to be a healthy church.

[53:52] A church that desires to be passionate [53:55] about you and passionate about the truth [53:57] about you, and passionate [53:58] about your mission. [54:01] Because God, you [54:02] are passionate

[54:05] about the lost. [54:07] You sent your Son [54:08] to seek them out [54:10] and to save them. And now you [54:12] give us that mission that we [54:14] would take that battle cry, and

[54:16] we would go to seek Him to save [54:18] the lost.

[54:21] Lord bless us this morning. [54:24] Amen.