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Voddie Baucham - If God is Sovereign, Why Evangelize · Voddie Baucham Sermons

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  Speaker 1: Well, good morning. Good morning. It is, well, how do
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I say that? I guess it's good to be here
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  Speaker 1: this morning. It's difficult to be here this morning. A
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  Speaker 1: flight got in yesterday at midnight. Had the privilege of
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  Speaker 1: preaching in Los Angeles this week at the Truth Matters
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  Speaker 1: Conference at Grace Community Church. there with Dr. MacArthur. And
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  Speaker 1: so I had preached there yesterday morning and then flew
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  Speaker 1: in here, flight got in at midnight. And then my dear,
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  Speaker 1: dear friend, Tom Askell is, um, doing a documentary. And
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  Speaker 1: the only time that we could film was yesterday. So
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  Speaker 1: we filmed here, you know, to about two 33 with
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  Speaker 1: my dear friend, Tom Haskell. Um, and the video team
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  Speaker 1: and then went over to the hotel and went over
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  Speaker 1: to the hotel and got to lay down, you know,
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  Speaker 1: about three. And then my beloved wife called me at
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  Speaker 1: five 30. So it's wonderful that we're talking about God's
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  Speaker 1: decree and God's providence and all of these wonderful doctrines that, uh,
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  Speaker 1: I guess God wanted to make sure that I really believed, uh,
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  Speaker 1: this morning. Um, If I say something crazy that doesn't
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  Speaker 1: make any sense, it's because I've fallen asleep. I have
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  Speaker 1: two assignments today, and one is to address the issue
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  Speaker 1: of evangelism. Whenever we start talking about God's decree, whenever
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  Speaker 1: we start talking about sovereignty, providence, and these things, one
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  Speaker 1: of the questions that automatically comes up is the question
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  Speaker 1: of evangelism. Why would we do evangelism if God has
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  Speaker 1: decreed whatsoever comes to pass? It just doesn't seem to
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  Speaker 1: make sense that we would exert ourselves in the area
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  Speaker 1: of evangelism and a number of other areas, but specifically
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  Speaker 1: in the area of evangelism. And it's interesting when people
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  Speaker 1: are introduced to reform theology, that's where they go. They
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  Speaker 1: go to the issue of evangelism. They run straight to
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  Speaker 1: the issue of evangelism because that's the one thing in
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  Speaker 1: our mind that pops up and it says, okay, wait
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  Speaker 1: a minute. I get it. I'm okay. Sovereignty of God,
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  Speaker 1: the providence of God, God is in control of all things,
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  Speaker 1: God's decree, you know, election, the doctrine of election. Okay, fine.
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  Speaker 1: I'm great. Doctrine of election. But if that's the case,
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  Speaker 1: why bother? Why bother? And I'll give you a short
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  Speaker 1: answer to that before I give you the more complex answer.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to look at the doctrine itself, and then
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  Speaker 1: we're going to do some exegetical work on the doctrine,
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  Speaker 1: and then we're going to sort of apply and explain
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  Speaker 1: this doctrine in practical ways. But before I do that,
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  Speaker 1: I can answer that. I could do this in five
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  Speaker 1: minutes and then go sleep. But let me give you
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  Speaker 1: the five-minute version. Let me just knock that down real quick,
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  Speaker 1: and this is how I help people, right? who say,
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  Speaker 1: if we believe this, you know, that God is sovereign
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  Speaker 1: over this, why would we exert ourselves? Why would we
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  Speaker 1: put forth that effort? It just, it doesn't matter, right?
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  Speaker 1: And I say, well, do you believe that God is
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  Speaker 1: sovereign over the number of people who are going to
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  Speaker 1: be born?
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  Speaker 2: Yes.
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  Speaker 1: And yet you exert yourself. and participate in the process.
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  Speaker 1: You don't just sit there and go, well, if he's sovereign,
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  Speaker 1: they'll just show up. Right? But we want to run
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  Speaker 1: straight to the evangelism issue because that's the place where we,
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  Speaker 1: that's the only place where we feel that this sort
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  Speaker 1: of applies, but it doesn't. It applies to every area
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  Speaker 1: and aspect of our lives, every area and aspect of
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  Speaker 1: our lives. And yet, and still in all of those
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  Speaker 1: other areas and aspects of our lives, we don't have
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  Speaker 1: a problem with the idea that we engage ourselves in
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  Speaker 1: the process, recognizing the fact that God is indeed sovereign.
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  Speaker 1: The other thing that I'll address is another question. that
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  Speaker 1: we have, which is the question of suffering. The question
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  Speaker 1: of suffering, evil and suffering. So, okay, if we believe
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  Speaker 1: in God's decree, if we believe that he's decreed all things,
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  Speaker 1: then is he the author of evil? Is he the
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  Speaker 1: author of suffering? And that's one that we really want answered.
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  Speaker 1: Because it feels a lot better if I can say
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  Speaker 1: something other than God did this. Amen? On our worst day,
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  Speaker 1: that's not what we want to say and that's not
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  Speaker 1: what we want to hear. And so we usually try
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  Speaker 1: to skirt away from the doctrine in that regard as well. Well,
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  Speaker 1: let me state this first. In our confession, the Second
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  Speaker 1: London Baptist Confession of Faith, 1689. And what time is
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  Speaker 1: this session over, by the way? 10. Cool. All right. Okay.
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  Speaker 1: I've got 720. So we're good, man. We're good. All right.
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  Speaker 1: So Paragraph one of chapter three of the confession. God
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  Speaker 1: hath decreed in himself from all eternity by the most
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  Speaker 1: wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably,
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  Speaker 1: all things whatsoever comes to pass. Again, every word there,
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  Speaker 1: every phrase there is rich, with meaning and incredibly important.
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  Speaker 1: Let me read that again. God hath decreed in himself,
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  Speaker 1: God decreed in himself, in himself, nothing outside of himself,
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  Speaker 1: from all eternity. God is not figuring this thing out
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  Speaker 1: as he goes along. God is not responding to things.
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  Speaker 1: God is not surprised by things. He's not caught off
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  Speaker 1: guard by things. There is not a single rogue molecule
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  Speaker 1: in all of the universe that Not one. He has
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  Speaker 1: decreed in himself from all eternity by the most wise
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  Speaker 1: and holy counsel of his own will. God didn't have
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  Speaker 1: to be informed by anyone. God doesn't have to be
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  Speaker 1: informed by anyone. He lacks no information. He lacks nothing.
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  Speaker 1: He's God. By definition, he lacks nothing and he needs nothing.
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  Speaker 1: freely and unchangeably, not changing, all things whatsoever comes to pass, everything.
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  Speaker 1: Yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin,
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  Speaker 1: nor have fellowship with any therein, nor is violence offered
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  Speaker 1: to the will of the creature, That's interesting. Because sinful
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  Speaker 1: things happen. If he decreed all things, then that would
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  Speaker 1: have to include those things, right? But he doesn't have
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  Speaker 1: fellowship with sin. He's not the author of sin, doesn't
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  Speaker 1: have fellowship with sin, nor is violence offered to the
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  Speaker 1: will of the creature. The creature, you and me, we
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  Speaker 1: act in accordance with our desires, with our wills. Does
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  Speaker 1: that mean our wills are free? Nope. Our wills are
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  Speaker 1: not free. They're not. Because we're slaves to sin. Amen?
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  Speaker 1: And the only thing, we cannot will righteousness. We won't
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  Speaker 1: will righteousness. It's like a cow. Can a cow eat meat? Sure.
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  Speaker 1: Is he going to do it? Nope. Not unless there's,
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  Speaker 1: you know, an ant that happens to be on a
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  Speaker 1: blade of grass, right? I mean, he'll do it, but no. No,
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  Speaker 1: he won't do it. It's like you and me in righteousness.
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  Speaker 1: Nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes
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  Speaker 1: taken away, but rather established. What's that idea of second causes?
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  Speaker 1: The second cause is this. So God declares. that whatever
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  Speaker 1: will happen. God decrees that I'm going to experience some
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  Speaker 1: kind of success or some kind of failure or whatever.
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  Speaker 1: God decrees that I'm going to have a windfall from
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  Speaker 1: investing in Apple back in the day. Wouldn't that, that'd
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  Speaker 1: have been nice. Somebody asked me, you know, at the conference,
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  Speaker 1: this is a complete aside, but you know, at the conference,
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  Speaker 1: I get these questions from young guys all the time,
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  Speaker 1: you know, young guys will come up and they're, you know,
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  Speaker 1: they're young and I'm in college and you know, what,
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  Speaker 1: what would you say to your 20 year old self?
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  Speaker 1: wanting some spiritual answer. And I was like, Apple stock.
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  Speaker 1: So let's say God decreed that I would have some
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  Speaker 1: windfall from that stock. Well, the first cause is God's decree, right?
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  Speaker 1: The secondary cause is the success of the company, right? Right?
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  Speaker 1: God doesn't negate that second cause, that secondary cause. It's
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  Speaker 1: established as part of his decree. All of that is
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  Speaker 1: established as part of his decree. In which appears his
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  Speaker 1: wisdom in disposing all things and power and faithfulness in
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  Speaker 1: accomplishing his decree. Now let's look at paragraph 6, because
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  Speaker 1: this gets down to what we're talking about specifically as
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  Speaker 1: it relates to evangelism. As God hath appointed the elect
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  Speaker 1: unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most
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  Speaker 1: free purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto.
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  Speaker 1: And that's incredibly important. Again, we're going to go to
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  Speaker 1: the text and flesh out all of this, but he
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  Speaker 1: has ordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected,
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  Speaker 1: being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually
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  Speaker 1: called unto faith in Christ, by his spirit working in
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  Speaker 1: due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his
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  Speaker 1: power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed
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  Speaker 1: by Christ or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved,
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  Speaker 1: but the elect only. Now, with all of that in mind,
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  Speaker 1: let's look at the text. I'm going to look at
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  Speaker 1: the same text for both of these sessions. Open your
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  Speaker 1: Bibles with me to the book of 2 Timothy. 2
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  Speaker 1: Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. And before we
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  Speaker 1: look at our text in particular, let me just sort of,
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  Speaker 1: let me give you this sort of bird's eye view.
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  Speaker 1: I've done this with and for some of you before,
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  Speaker 1: but I think it bears hearing again. It's interesting that
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  Speaker 1: I'm given these two ideas to address. And these two
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  Speaker 1: ideas are the central theme of the book of 2 Timothy.
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  Speaker 1: The theme of the book of 2 Timothy is Paul
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  Speaker 1: telling Timothy to preserve and proclaim the gospel. That's number one.
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  Speaker 1: To preserve and proclaim the gospel. That's his message in
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  Speaker 1: every chapter. he reminds Timothy to preserve and proclaim the gospel.
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  Speaker 1: This is of the utmost importance, because as we see
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  Speaker 1: at the end of 2 Timothy, Paul recognizes that his
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  Speaker 1: time is limited. He is in prison again. He's what
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  Speaker 1: you call a repeat offender, right? And there is a
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  Speaker 1: sense when you read chapter 4 that he understands that
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  Speaker 1: it's likely that he will not get out. that he
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  Speaker 1: is going to lose his life. And he is writing
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  Speaker 1: to young Timothy. Imagine this, folks. Think about this, that
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  Speaker 1: Christ has come. He has lived. He has died. He
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  Speaker 1: rose again on the third day, and then he ascended
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  Speaker 1: into heaven. The day of Pentecost breaks out, and the
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  Speaker 1: church is being established there. And it's spreading abroad. And
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  Speaker 1: Paul is now part of spreading this abroad. And there
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  Speaker 1: is apostolic authority as those who've heard the message from
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  Speaker 1: Christ have preserved the message and are communicating the message
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  Speaker 1: and are establishing churches. But as they establish churches, these
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  Speaker 1: churches have huge problems. I'm always fascinated when people say,
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  Speaker 1: you know, we just need to get back to the
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  Speaker 1: first century church. Really? Which one? Corinth? Galatia? No. So
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  Speaker 1: the epistles are written in order to correct huge errors
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  Speaker 1: in the first century church. So the apostles, it's like
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  Speaker 1: they're playing whack-a-mole, right? They establish a church and a
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  Speaker 1: problem raises its head and they're writing and traveling and
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  Speaker 1: trying to deal with all these problems everywhere. And these
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  Speaker 1: are not small problems. There are heresies that are cropping up.
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  Speaker 1: And so the apostles are preaching the gospel, establishing churches,
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  Speaker 1: making disciples. Some of them are falling away. And churches
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  Speaker 1: are going off into rank heresy. They're having to write
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  Speaker 1: letters or make repeat visits in order to deal with heresies.
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  Speaker 1: And then, lo and behold, they start to be martyred
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  Speaker 1: one by one. The church is in trouble. Paul absolutely
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  Speaker 1: believes in the sovereignty of God. absolutely believes in God's
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  Speaker 1: providence and his power and God's decree. Absolutely, he believes
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  Speaker 1: in that. But as he surveys the scene, he recognizes
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  Speaker 1: that in order for the church to survive, the gospel
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  Speaker 1: is going to have to be preserved and proclaimed. So
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  Speaker 1: he tells Timothy in every chapter, in every chapter, to
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  Speaker 1: preserve and proclaim this gospel. Look at chapter 1 in
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  Speaker 1: verse 13. Follow the pattern of sound words that you
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  Speaker 1: have heard from me in the faith and love that
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  Speaker 1: are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells
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  Speaker 1: within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. Guard
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  Speaker 1: the good deposit entrusted to you. Preserve and proclaim. Chapter 2,
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  Speaker 1: verse 2. Start at verse 1. You then, my child,
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  Speaker 1: be strong or be strengthened by the grace that is
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  Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me
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  Speaker 1: in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men
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  Speaker 1: who will be able to teach others also. Go with
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  Speaker 1: me to chapter 3 and verse 14. But as for you,
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  Speaker 1: continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
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  Speaker 1: knowing from whom you learned it. and how from childhood
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  Speaker 1: you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are
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  Speaker 1: able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Preserve it. Proclaim it. Look at chapter 4,
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  Speaker 1: verses 1 and 2. I charge you in the presence
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  Speaker 1: of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge
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  Speaker 1: the living and the dead, and by his appearing and
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  Speaker 1: his kingdom, preach the word. Be ready in season and
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  Speaker 1: out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience
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  Speaker 1: and teaching. So in every chapter of this short letter,
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  Speaker 1: Paul encourages, admonishes, and reminds young Timothy to preserve the
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  Speaker 1: gospel and to proclaim the gospel. That's the only way
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  Speaker 1: this is going to happen. Now, you and I can't
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  Speaker 1: wrap our heads around this for a couple of reasons.
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  Speaker 1: Number one, because we can't even comprehend what it's like
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  Speaker 1: for Christianity to be small. Amen? Like everywhere you go
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  Speaker 1: in the world, You find Christians. I mean, there's millions
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  Speaker 1: and billions. There's billions of Christians on planet Earth. So
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  Speaker 1: we can't comprehend the idea of Christianity being small. And
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  Speaker 1: then we live, you know, in this country where, I mean,
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  Speaker 1: you throw a rock and you hit a church, right?
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  Speaker 1: So we can't comprehend this. There's another reason that we
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  Speaker 1: can't comprehend this. We can't comprehend the urgency of the
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  Speaker 1: apostle who is about to die as he writes to
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  Speaker 1: young Timothy. And that's because we have the New Testament.
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  Speaker 1: They didn't. In fact, it's these letters that they're writing
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  Speaker 1: that become the New Testament. Just try to wrap your
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  Speaker 1: head around that for a minute. Because for us, you know,
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  Speaker 1: we have this hope that, okay, fine. Even if a
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  Speaker 1: generation goes crazy, we got the word. Amen? And there's
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  Speaker 1: the New Testament. And we've seen it. We've seen it
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  Speaker 1: in the Reformation. People had the word. They find the word.
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  Speaker 1: They read the word. Martin Luther reads Romans. And it
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  Speaker 1: doesn't matter how crazy everything is around him. He reads
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  Speaker 1: Romans and Galatians. And it shocks him back to the truth. Amen?
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  Speaker 1: What happens when you don't have those? And craziness abounds.
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  Speaker 1: Hence the urgency of Paul telling Timothy to preserve and proclaim.
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  Speaker 1: That's the first part of this message. And that's my
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  Speaker 1: first assignment, right? Is to deal with the idea of evangelism,
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  Speaker 1: proclaiming the gospel. My second assignment is to deal with Suffering, right?
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  Speaker 1: That's the second part of the theme of 2 Timothy. One,
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  Speaker 1: preserve and proclaim the truth of the gospel. Number two,
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  Speaker 1: endure the suffering that will follow inevitably as a result
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  Speaker 1: of preserving and proclaiming the gospel. So again, in every chapter, watch.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter 1, verse 8. Therefore, Do not be ashamed of
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  Speaker 1: the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner,
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  Speaker 1: but share in suffering for the gospel by the power
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  Speaker 1: of God. Verse 12, which is why I suffer. Chapter two,
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  Speaker 1: we looked at verses one and two. Now get to
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  Speaker 1: verse three. Verse three says, share in suffering as a
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  Speaker 1: good soldier in Christ Jesus. Chapter two, verse nine, for
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  Speaker 1: which I am suffering bound with chains as a criminal.
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  Speaker 1: Go to chapter three, verse 10. You, however, have followed
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  Speaker 1: my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith,
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  Speaker 1: my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings
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  Speaker 1: that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra,
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  Speaker 1: which persecutions I endured, yet from them all the Lord
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  Speaker 1: rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly
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  Speaker 1: life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Chapter 4, verse 5.
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  Speaker 1: As for you, Always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the
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  Speaker 1: work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. What I love
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  Speaker 1: about the last one is that the last one sort of,
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  Speaker 1: it bookmarks all of this and it brings the two
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  Speaker 1: of them together, right? Enduring suffering and doing the work
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  Speaker 1: of an evangelist. So this is the two-pronged message of
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  Speaker 1: the book of 2 Timothy. Preserve and proclaim the truth
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  Speaker 1: of the gospel. And endure the suffering that will follow, inevitably,
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  Speaker 1: as a direct result of preserving and proclaiming. These two
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  Speaker 1: things go together. This is why it's incredibly important. Essentially,
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  Speaker 1: Paul is saying, listen, they're about to kill me. for
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  Speaker 1: preaching the gospel. And I'm writing to say to you
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  Speaker 1: to preach the gospel till they kill you. But before
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  Speaker 1: they do, find somebody else to whom you can pass
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  Speaker 1: off the task of preaching the gospel till they kill them.
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  Speaker 1: This was his reality. How do you live within the
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  Speaker 1: context and confines of this reality by understanding the decrees
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  Speaker 1: of God? And we see that here. Look with me,
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  Speaker 1: beginning at verse 8. Again, we've read the doctrine, okay?
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  Speaker 1: We've perused it, if you will. Now I want you
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  Speaker 1: to see it in the text. Again, chapter 1, verse 8. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,
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  Speaker 1: nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for
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  Speaker 1: the gospel by the power of God, who saved us
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  Speaker 1: and called us to a holy calling, not because of
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  Speaker 1: our works, but because of his own purpose and grace.
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  Speaker 1: Remember the doctrine? God's decree is not a result of
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  Speaker 1: anything that he sees. It's not a result of any
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  Speaker 1: outside information. And Paul says this here. He's very clear
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  Speaker 1: about how salvation happens. He saved us and called us
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  Speaker 1: to a holy calling, not because of our works, but
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  Speaker 1: because of his own purpose and grace. Watch this. which
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  Speaker 1: he gave us in Christ before the ages began. Let's
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  Speaker 1: go back quickly to the doctrine. Chapter 3, paragraph 1.
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  Speaker 1: God hath decreed in himself from all eternity, by the
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  Speaker 1: most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely
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  Speaker 1: and unchangeably, all things whatsoever comes to pass, Yet, as thereby,
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  Speaker 1: God is neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship therein.
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  Speaker 1: So Paul is essentially saying this same thing. It's great
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  Speaker 1: that our confession comes from the scriptures. Amen? That God
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  Speaker 1: saved us and called us to a holy calling, not
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: because of our works, but because of his own purpose
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: and grace. which he gave us in Christ Jesus before
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: the ages began. In eternity past, he gave this to us.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: In eternity past, he called us to this salvation and
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: to this holy calling. There are three ideas, and I've
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: alluded to them, or a number of ideas. One is
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: God's sovereignty. We talk about sovereignty, but sovereignty is God's authority.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: Sovereignty refers to God's authority. God's power refers to the
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: exercise of God's authority. God's ability to exercise his authority.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: God's providence is God's governance of all things. God's providence
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: has to do with three ideas. One, God creates all
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: things and gives them their properties and sees to it
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: that they maintain their properties. Amen? By the way, that's
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: a good thing. Right? When I woke up this morning,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: the phone was ringing at 530. Right? There's a lot
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: of things that I had to think about. I didn't
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: have to wonder whether or not gravity was still working. Amen? Amen?
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: I have a dear friend. He also spoke at the
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: conference this week. Colonel Jeff Williams. He's a NASA astronaut
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: who's spent some 500 or some odd days in space.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: A number of tours on the International Space Station. And
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: I was there on his last launch in Kazakhstan. And
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: he launched on the Soyuz. They launched from Kazakhstan and
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: go up and link up with the space station, right?
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: And then they go and he spent six months on
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: the space station. And then when he was finished with
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: his six months on the space station, they get back
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: into their module and they're sent back down. Boom, they land.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: If we lived in a universe that didn't maintain its properties,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: that wouldn't be possible. The precise method equations necessary to
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: get something as small as a rocket into the vast
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: expanse of space at a specific location at a specific
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: time requires a precision that could not exist if God
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: did not create this world, give everything its properties, and
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: see to it that they maintain those properties. Secondly, not
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: only does he create them, give them their properties, and
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: he sees to it that they maintain their properties, but
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: he also cooperates with them in order to accomplish his will.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: That's providence. That's providence. And so we have his sovereignty,
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: we have his power, and we have his providence. How
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: does God execute his decrees? He executes his decrees in
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: the works of creation and providence. That's how he executes
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: his decrees. In the works of creation and providence.
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: Providence.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: So the salvation of sinners is a byproduct of this.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Before the world began, verse 10, and which now has
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: been manifested through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: That phrase there, now it has been manifested. So God
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: decrees it in eternity past, but somehow it's got to happen. Amen? Amen?
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: We live in a real material universe. We don't believe
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: like some religions do that all of this is just
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: a myth, okay, that it's not real. No, we live
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: in a real material universe. We live in space and time.
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: God created space and time. So if we live in
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: a material universe, God created space and time, he decrees
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: things in eternity past, they have to actually come to
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: pass in space and time. That's what he means here
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: by them being manifested. through the appearing of our Savior,
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Notice in verse 9, he saved us and
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: called us to this holy calling through this purpose and grace,
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: Now in verse 10, how did he do this? This
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: who abolished death, brought life and immortality to light through
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: the gospel. It happened in time through the gospel, for
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: a teacher, which is why I suffer as I do.
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: But I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I believed,
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: and I'm convinced that he is able to guard until
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: that day what has been entrusted to me. Verse 11
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: is the key. We're talking about evangelism. Why do evangelism?
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: And I think we've proven, I think we've established the
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: fact that Paul believes in God's decree. Amen? And he's
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: teaching that clearly. We've teased it out here in the text.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Paul believes in God's sovereignty and God's election. in God's providence,
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Paul believes in this. And yet Paul also believes and
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: is passionate about preaching the gospel. He essentially says to Timothy,
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: we're saved because of God's decree before the foundation of
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: the world. Amen, hallelujah, praise the Lord. It was decreed,
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: it was done Whoever else is going to be saved
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: is because of God's decree before the foundation of the world. Amen.
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: And yet, and yet, he says in verse 11, part
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: of that decree is that I was appointed a preacher
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: and apostle and teacher. Verse 12, which is why I
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: suffer as I do. So this adds another piece to it.
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: Because we just say, you know, why evangelize, right? Not
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: only is Paul saying, I believe in the decree of God.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: I believe in the sovereignty and providence of God. I
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: believe in this doctrine of election. And I preach the gospel.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: but also suffer to preach the gospel. Why would you
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: do this? The answer is simple. Because God ordains not
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: only the ends, but also the means. Not only the ends,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: but also the means. We see that here in this text.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: Those first few verses, Paul talks about the ends. God
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: saved us. He called us to a holy calling. He
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: gave us. And look at the verbs here. God saved us.
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: God called us. God gave us. God abolished death. He
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: brought life and immortality to light. God did these things.
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: God did all these things. Some of these things he
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: did in eternity past. But he did them. according to
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: his decree and by his power through the works of
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: creation and providence. God did these things. But then look
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: in verse 11, there's another verb, appointed. Appointed. For which
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: I was appointed. By whom? By God. How are people saved? Well,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: they're saved through hearing the gospel. Faith comes by hearing,
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: and hearing the word of Christ. Amen? Look, if you will,
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: at the book of Romans. Romans. Couple of places in Romans.
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: First look at Romans chapter eight. Look at chapter eight,
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: beginning of verse 26. And we'll see these things working together.
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: We'll see God's decree and his sovereignty and his providence
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: all working here together. Verse 26. Likewise, the Spirit helps
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: us in our weakness, for we do not know what
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: to pray for as we ought. But the Spirit himself
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: to the will of God. So you see this, the
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: will of God. Here's this idea of God's will, God's decree, right?
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: But in time, we see the spirit interceding in accordance
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: with that will. Verse 28. And we know that for
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: those who love God, all things work together for good.
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: For those who are called according to his purpose. For...
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: Those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: to the image of his son in order that he
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called,
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: Do you see the process there? God providentially superintending the
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: whole process. Go to chapter 10. And look at beginning
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: at verse eight. What does it say? The word is
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: near you in your mouth and in your heart. That
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because if
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: you will be saved. There's the means. There's the means.
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: For with the heart, one believes and is justified. And
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. Now, it
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: sounds like that depends completely on me, right? Chapter 8, however,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: makes it very clear that this whole process from beginning
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: to end is dependent on God. Verse 10. With the
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: heart one believes in justified, with the mouth one confesses
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: in his say. Verse 11, for the scripture says, everyone
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: who believes in him will not be put to shame,
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: on all who call on him. For everyone who calls
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: on the name of the Lord will be saved. Is
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: that true? Yes, it is true. All who call on
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: the name of the Lord will be saved. Well, it
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: seems like that puts it in man's court. No, it doesn't.
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: Because chapter 8 makes it clear who's going to call.
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: Verse 14. How then will they call on him in
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: whom they have not believed? And how are they to
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: believe in him of whom they have not heard? And
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: are they to preach unless they are sent? As it
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: preach the good news. Imagine that. In the same letter,
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: Paul is upholding the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation.
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: God saves sinners from beginning to Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: Monergistic work. God saves sinners. Sinners don't help God save them.
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: Sinners don't save themselves. God saves sinners. Period. Our God
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: is enthroned in the heavens. He does whatever pleases him.
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: He's God. He's not running for God. He's God. And
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: then two chapters later. Believe. Confess. And be saved. Just
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: two chapters later. And not only two chapters later is
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: he saying believe, confess, and be saved. But he's also
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: saying that those who preach the gospel have beautiful feet. Why?
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: Because it is the means. that God has foreordained in
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: order to achieve his ends. It's the secondary cause. And
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: it is established by God's decree. Let me put this
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: in words superior to my own. and then we'll apply this.
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: This is Lorraine Bettner and his classical work on predestination.
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: Here he's in chapter 18, answering objections. And one objection
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: to the doctrine of predestination is that it discourages all
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: motives to exertion. In other words, why evangelize? It's a
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: common objection to the doctrine of predestination. You start talking
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: about God's decree, right, and about God's sovereignty and God's providence,
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: all these things, you start talking about election, predestination, and
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: the question inevitably comes, then why bother? Parents come. Parents come,
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: and parents are like, you know, I got it. I
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: got all these kids. I got all these kids. We
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: got nine kids. I got all these kids. This doctrine
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: of election thing worries me. Why? What if one of
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: my kids is not elected? I can't tell you how
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: many times I've been asked that question. What if one
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: of my kids is not elected? First of all, not
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: your department. But you do have a department. And that
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: is the proclamation of the gospel. Listen to Bettner, and
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: this is a rather lengthy quote, but I think it's
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: worth our time. The objection that the doctrine of predestination
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: discourages all motives to exertion is based on the fallacy
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: that the ends... are determined without reference to the means.
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: It is not merely a few isolated events here and
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: there that have been foreordained, but the whole chain of
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: events with all their interrelations and connections. The whole chain
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: of events. You come to faith in Christ. That did
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: not happen just in a moment in time. It's kind
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: of like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, right? Where he
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: reveals something at the end and you go, how did
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: I miss that? And you look back at your life
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: and it's like this moment, oh, by the way, which
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for this moment. Oh,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: by the way, which wouldn't have happened if it wasn't
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: for this moment and this moment and this moment and
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: this moment and all these things that brought you to
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: that place. And inevitably... you will find.
• 46:30
  Speaker 3: Pain and heartache and suffering and great loss in your
• 46:38
  Speaker 3: story that God used.
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: To bring you to that place. All Parts form a
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: unity in the divine plan. If the means should fail,
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: so would the ends. If God has purposed that a
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: man shall reap, he has also purposed that he shall sow.
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: If God has ordained a man to be saved, he
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: has also ordained that he shall hear the gospel and
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: that he shall believe and repent. As well might the
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: farmer refuse to till the soil according to the laws
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: disclosed by the light of nature and experience, until he
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: had first learned what was the secret purpose of God
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: to be executed in his providence in regard to the
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: fruitfulness of the coming season. As for anyone to refuse
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: to work in the moral and spiritual realms because he
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: does not know what fruitage God may bring from his labor.
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: In other words, he said, it's crazy. It's crazy for
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: you to say, well, no, no, no. I want to
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: know whether or not my kids are elect before I
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: will commit to preaching the gospel. That's like the farmer saying, no, no, no, no, no.
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: I need to know if the rain's going to be
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: good next season before I decide whether or not I'm
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: going to plant and till and fertilize and water. I
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: want to know ahead.
• 48:22
  Speaker 3: It's ridiculous.
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: Nobody does that. What do you do? What does the
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: farmer do? The farmer does everything that he knows how
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: to do, recognizing that he's dependent upon the providence of
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: God to bring forth the fruit. What does the parent do?
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: Sit there and pine over whether or not all of
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: my children are elect or recognize that God has ordained
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: the ends as well as the means and that he's
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: put them in a place where they're going to see
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: the means.
• 48:51
  Speaker 4: I just don't know.
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: I just don't know. I just don't know. I just
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: don't know. What if one of my kids are not elected?
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: I just don't know. I just don't know. I just
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: don't know. How are the elect saved? Through hearing the gospel. Okay?
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: So that means that one of the ways that God
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: gives us evidence of people's election is by putting the
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: gospel before them. Yes, I know. I know. But what
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: if my kids are not elected? What about you?
• 49:20
  Speaker 2: Know the gospel yes I do I know the gospel
• 49:23
  Speaker 2: I don't know so you know the gospel yes and
• 49:27
  Speaker 2: God sent them to your home yes where they would
• 49:30
  Speaker 2: hear the gospel yes that's necessary for salvation yes but
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: what if they're not stop.
• 49:37
  Speaker 4: Preach till the soil, plant the seed, water it, expose
• 49:56
  Speaker 4: it to the light of the sun, fertilize it, get
• 50:02
  Speaker 4: after the weeds.
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: Nurture it, talk to it if you want to, right? Right?
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: You do whatever it is that you, you know, get
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: out there with a little spritzer and you do whatever
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: it is. He continues. We find that the fruitage, however,
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: is commonly bestowed where the preliminary work has been faithfully performed.
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: If we engage in the Lord's service and make diligent
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: use of the means which he has prescribed, we have
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: the great encouragement of knowing that it is by these
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: means that he has determined to accomplish his great work.
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: That's why we do it. You see, there's a problem.
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: With the question, why do we exert ourselves in the
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: proclamation of the gospel? If God is sovereign, if he
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: operates according to his decree. And the answer is, You
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: exert yourself in the proclamation of the gospel because God
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: is sovereign. And he operates in accordance with his decree.
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: And that includes the ends as well as the means.
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: And he's given you the means. And so we preach.
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: And so we trust. And so we preserve and proclaim
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: the gospel and endure the suffering that will follow inevitably
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: as a result of doing so. Because it's worth it. Amen?
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: Here's the other beauty. This guarantees our success. Why? Because
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: it's not dependent upon me. It's dependent upon the one
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: who does not fail. Amen? I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Why?
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: Because it is the power of God unto salvation. The
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: those who believe, the Jew first and also to the Greek.
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: It's the gospel. The gospel, the gospel, the gospel. And
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: so we unleash it. All the while trusting and recognizing
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: that we are utterly dependent upon the God who gave
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: us this good news. And rejoicing always when he gives fruit.
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: Let's pray. Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we thank you
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: and praise you for your goodness and kindness and mercy
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: toward us. We thank you for the person and work
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: of Christ and the good news and power of the gospel.
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: We thank you that you ordain not only the ends
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: but also the means and rejoice in the fact that
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: you have made those clear. Grant by your grace that
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: we might employ those means as though we believe that
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: you will be faithful. Because you will. Because you are.
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: And you always have been. And we praise you for
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: this in Christ's name. Amen.