Why Preach or Pray?

Introduction to Objections to God's Sovereignty in Grace

0:00 He is ordering all things after the counsel of his will, directing all circumstances and events to the accomplishment of his own eternal purpose. We have seen in our study that the assertion of this rule of God touches three main areas. God is sovereign in the realm of creation, in the realm of providence, and in the realm of grace. The last ten or eleven of these studies have been focusing upon this third aspect of God's sovereignty, which is the area from which the saints through the ages have drawn their deepest comforts, but conversely the area in which there has been perhaps some of the greatest theological controversy and toward which some of the most vehement anger of unregenerate men and unbelievers. This is the truth toward which they have thrown their stones and at which they have shot their arrows. And as we've attempted to think through this subject, we have looked at the four key words, biblical words, which clearly teach the doctrine that God is sovereign in the realm of grace. That is, it is God who saves sinners from beginning to end, and he saves sinners according

1:26 to his own purpose. We looked at the word elect or chosen, the word foreknow and foreknowledge, the word predestinate and the word called. From there, we looked at key passages in the teaching of our Lord, Matthew 11, 25 to 27, John chapter 3, verses 1 to 11, John chapter 6, a number of passages there. And then we have been concluding the study by looking at key passages in the epistles, and we have gone through a verse-by-verse exposition of Romans 9, verses 1 to 24, and Ephesians chapter 1.

2:10 Now, there are many more individual texts and many more passages which set forth this truth, but we cannot be exhaustive, and I trust that this study of 14 weeks has convinced you that the truth of divine sovereignty is not some absurdity. It is not an obscure, unimportant, take-it-or-leave-it kind of an issue, but it is one of the main structures of the edifice of divine revelation. Now, in rounding out this series of studies, I would like to spend several messages dealing with some of the objections to the doctrine of God's sovereignty and grace, some of the practical implications of this doctrine. Some of the...

The Objections: Why Preach? Why Pray? Why Man's Depravity?

2:58 Some of the practical effects that it should have in our own individual lives. Now, suppose someone were to come up to you and say, I understand you fellowship at a church where the pastor believes that God chooses whom he's going to save, and you say, well, that's true, and I believe it because it's taught in the scripture. Oh, is that right? Well, if you believe that, or if I believe that, and you say you do, God's going to save those whom he purposes to save, and nothing can thwart his purpose.

3:27 Why preach the truth? Why preach the gospel? Why witness to people? Could you give a sane, scriptural, satisfying answer to that objection?

3:38 If someone were to say, well, if I believe like you do, why preach the gospel? God's going to save his people and save them. Suppose they were to say, you mean to tell me you believe that God has planned everything from eternity? And you say, yes, the scripture says in Ephesians 1.11, he works all things after the counsel of his will. He doeth according to his will, Daniel says. In the armies of heaven and in earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? And you say, yes, I believe that.

4:06 They say, well, look, if you believe that, that everything is already decreed and ordered by God, why do you pray?

4:14 Could you give a scriptural, satisfying answer to that objection? They say, if I believe like that, I wouldn't pray. Why bother praying?

4:24 If God's already planned everything, my little whimpering, faltering cries can't alter or shape the decrees of a sovereign. And God, why pray? Could you give an answer to that objection? Could you?

4:37 From the scripture, that would satisfy a person who really wanted an answer, just didn't want an argument. A person who just wants an argument won't be satisfied, no matter how scriptural and logical you are. But someone who really perhaps had a question.

4:52 Suppose someone should say to you, you mean you really believe, you really believe the scripture teaches that men are so depraved, so bound in their sins, that unless God quickens them to life, they cannot and will not repent of themselves. Why, if I believe that, why, if that makes man just a little puppet. How would you answer that objection? Could you answer it scripturally?

Purpose of Addressing Objections: Clarity, Defense, and Wonder

5:18 Could you answer it in a way that'd be satisfying for the person who had a true inquiry? Well, these are some of the objections that I want to deal with for a twofold reason. Number one, because I'm sure in a group this size, there are some of you who perhaps are finding it difficult to embrace what is clearly taught in the scripture. Because of these objections that continually rise up in your own mind.

5:40 And so, as a teacher seeks to clear away those things that would stand as a stumbling block to his pupils or students in attaining that which he would teach them. So I want to be, by the grace of God, an effective teacher, and I want to clear away these objections. In the second place, some of you do not have these objections, but if someone were to raise them, you could not give a reason for the hope that is in you. And you could not give an able defense of the truth of God.

6:13 And I'm convinced, according to Ephesians chapter 4, that the path to spiritual maturity is the path of doctrinal stability. So the Apostle Paul says that you might grow up into Christ in all things, how? By speaking the truth in love, that ye be no more henceforth children, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and the slight of men. Whereby they lie before you.

6:35 They lie and wait to deceive. So my purpose, I lay before you very clearly, it's that I might be a help to some of you who may have these objections. Perhaps you haven't voiced them verbally, but you heard them rising up within your own heart. And also that we might better communicate the gospel.

6:54 And then the third reason is that together we might wonder and marvel at the glorious interrelationship of the truth of God. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:05 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:07 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:09 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:11 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:13 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel.

7:16 Divine truth is like a beautifully written gospel. introduction as to why we're going to spend a few weeks, the Lord willing, on clearing away objections, setting forth some of the implications of the doctrine of divine sovereignty. Now let's take up the first objection, and this is a very practical one. If God is sovereign, if God is going to save those whom he's purposed to save, why preach the gospel? Why try to persuade men?

Answer to 'Why Preach?': God Commands Us

7:44 If God's going to save them, why do it? Well, let me give you three or four answers that are scriptural, and I want to start with the weaker arguments and move to the stronger. First of all, to me, this answer is simple and it's basic. You and I should preach the gospel, irrespective of what the word of God teaches on the subject of God's sovereignty and grace and election and predestination, for the simple reason that Almighty God commands us to do so.

8:15 And if he gave us no other reason, that should be enough. Has not the God of heaven spoken in his son, saying, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation? Isn't that his command in Mark 16, 15? Isn't his command in Matthew 28, in verse 18, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations.

8:46 Isn't that his command? Do you claim to be a Christian? You say yes. Well, who is a Christian? One who is in a relationship of trustful subjection to Jesus Christ. One who trusts him as Savior and obeys him as Lord. So being a Christian, there is no alternative but for me to receive my marching orders from my King of grace and to quickly give back the salute to him. Say, Lord, you've spoken. I must obey.

9:19 That would be reason enough, for he's commanded us to preach the gospel to every creature. Even if God had revealed to us that no one would be saved, we're still to preach. Isaiah faced something similar to this. Will you turn for a moment to the book of Isaiah, chapter 6? Most of us are quite familiar with the first part of chapter 6, Isaiah's vision. You can't go through one missionary conference anywhere in an evangelical church without knowing the gospel. You can't go through one missionary conference without knowing Isaiah 6 is in the Bible, at least the first few verses, down to verse 8. God reveals himself to the prophet in this jarring, shaking revelation of his holiness. And out of that context of a fresh revelation of God and renewed sensitivity to the

10:10 voice of God, Isaiah receives his commission. He offers himself to the Lord. Here am I, send me. Now notice verse 9. And he said, go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not. See ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. What a commission. God says, Isaiah, you're to go and discharge a ministry which is going to be totally successful. All it's going to do is be an instrument of hardening, because the state of Israel is such that when they hear your message, they're going to willfully reject it, and they'll go into this state and process of judicial hardening, where God gives them up to blindness, to deafness, to irresponsiveness to the gospel. Now how would you like a commission like that? Here am I, Lord, send me. And God says, I'm going to send you on a mission that I'm telling at the

11:21 outset is doomed to fail, as far as men count. What did Isaiah do? Sit down and remonstrate and argue with the Lord and say, now wait a minute, that's foolish. If all my preaching is going to do is make them all the more hardened, why preach to them? God, this is a terrible thought. My ministry is going to mean an intensification of their judgment? You mean all my ministry is going to do is make the flames of the pit all the more intense? Lord, this is ridiculous. Far better to leave them in their sins with only 50.

11:56 watts of light and perish with 50 watts of light than to perish with a thousand watts, for to whom much is given, much shall be required. But that isn't what Isaiah did. Notice his answer to the Lord. Then said I, Lord, how long? That I must obey? That's not a debatable issue. It's as though the prophet says, Lord, I'll commit myself to such a terrible ministry. But oh Lord, how long? And God says, until the cities be waste and without habitation. Preach until judgment comes. And your word is confirmed by my act of judgment. Now you see, the one thing that kept Isaiah faithful was this, God commanded. Not the possibility even of success for God told him at the outset he was going to be a failure. But he preached because God told him. If God should reveal in his word that not another

13:02 person between now and the day of judgment will be a failure, then he will be a failure. Now in the second coming of Christ was going to be saved. He hasn't revealed it. But if he should,

Answer to 'Why Preach?': Love Impels Us and Apostolic Example Directs Us

13:08 if he didn't strike out of his Bible, Mark 16, 15 and Matthew 28 and many other passages, you and I are commanded to preach the gospel and in obedience to Jesus Christ, we preach it. That's the first reason. Second reason, not only does God command us, but love impels us. The truth of God's sovereignty and grace does not cancel out the truth that love impels us. Second Corinthians 5, excuse me, and verse 14, for the love of Christ constrains us, the apostles say. We sang tonight, I love to tell the story. It did so much for me and that is now the reason I tell it to thee. See, it's done something for me. Because it's done something

14:00 for you and the bowels of your compassion are stirred to men and women in like circumstances, you say with Paul in Romans 1, 14. I am debtor both to the Jew and to the Greek, the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel. Why? Love constrains me. Love constrains me. All these people are one of my kind. Fallen sons of Adam as I was. And I don't know who among them God has purposed to save. That's not my business. But they're my kind and the bowels of compassion are stirred. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the perfect example of this. As the divinely appointed mediator, he could say in John 17, I have given eternal life to as many as thou hast given me. I have finished the work you gave me to do. No disappointment, no frustration, no failure. He said, oh God, I've done what you gave me to do

15:02 to impart eternal life to thine elect. I have given eternal life to as many as thou hast given me. Now he's speaking as, the mediator, the divinely appointed redeemer of sinners. But look at him when he speaks as a man, looking out over entire cities slated for judgment. And he says, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered and he would not. So you and I must be like our Lord, impelled by love that moves us to proclaim the gospel to all men, even though we firmly believe God has a remnant according to the election of grace. And then the third reason, the apostolic example directs us to do so. Ephesians 2 tells us that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. We not only have apostolic injunction in letter, writing in terms

16:05 of specific instructions, but the apostle Paul could say, note the example and the traditions that have been established by us as the apostles and follow them. And if anyone will not walk according to that rule, mark him, have no company with him in his letter to the Thessalonian church. And as we looked at the apostles, we find them preaching the gospel indiscriminately to all men, pushing out into ever broadening horizons of gospel ministry. Did they believe in election? Sure they did. We've drawn all our, most of the passages on the subject of election from the writings of the apostle Paul and Peter. And yet when we watch them evangelize, we find them preaching the gospel indiscriminately to all men, pushing out into ever broadening horizons of gospel ministry. We find that they saw no contradiction between the doctrine of God's sovereignty and grace and an aggressive evangelism. But now we come to the fourth, and this I believe is the most powerful scriptural answer to the objection. If God

Answer to 'Why Preach?': God Ordains Means as Well as Ends

17:02 purposes to save sinners according to his own choosing, then why preach the gospel? Here's the principle. God has ordained the means as well as the end. Simple little statement, but if you get hold of what it means, it'll solve you, solve for you a lot of problems into which people have fallen and in which they've become ensnared. I want to make a simple four-word sentence. Election is not salvation. Election is not salvation. It is the ground and the ultimate cause of man's salvation. But election, predestination, foreknowledge,

17:54 these are not salvation. Let me illustrate. A man is walking by the Passaic River and he sees four men who've just spilled out of a boat and they're drowning. And he stands on the side of the shore wondering what he should do. And he sees that all four of them are floundering, apparently none of them able to swim. And he knows he can't go in and en masse bring them all out and he can't just stand there and do nothing. He's not cursed with this plague of indifference. He's not cursed with the indifference that we find in our society. He's got a little bit of the bowels of human compassion.

18:32 And so as he stands on the shore, he looks out and he says, now that fellow looks to be in worse shape. I'm going to go in after him. Now the moment he purposes in his heart, he selects out one amongst the four. That doesn't rescue the man. That's the purpose to rescue him and to rescue a specific man. Then he says, now how am I going to do it? Shall I plunge in the water? As I am, shall I take a couple of minutes to get my clothes off in order to have a greater chance of being able to stay up and keep him up? Shall I take just a few seconds to look around and see if there's some kind of a log or plank? So then he's got to choose the means by which he'll rescue him. But that still doesn't rescue him. Now he's chosen that he's going to rescue him. Now he's decided on

19:20 a means and he says the best thing, there not being anything that I can float myself on and him too, I'm going to go in myself. Now he's chosen. He's chosen the means, but he's still not rescued. Not until he gets in the water and lays his hand on the back of the fella's shirt and begins to swim to shore that the man is rescued. And when he gets him safe on shore, then he's saved from drowning. Now God's electing purpose is the moving out of his own heart in the eternal councils of the triune God, looking down into the mass of fallen, lost humanity as they would be. And Adam and God saying, I shall rescue this one and this one and this one. But that doesn't get them rescued. Then he purposes a way to rescue them by sending his son to be born of a virgin, to live

20:13 amongst men, to die upon the cross, then to send the spirit to awaken and to regenerate and bring to repentance and faith and ultimately bring them to glory. But that doesn't rescue them. And it's not until they're saved. So there's an application of the rescuing hand of God that a man is saved. Now election is the purpose of God's heart to save some sinners. Redemption is the mighty work, the means by which they shall be rescued in its broadest sense, the atoning work of Christ. It's in the application, in the actual imparting of the mighty power of God in laying hold of sinners that men are saved. And the same God who purposes to save sinners, purposes the means by which they shall be saved. And what is the

21:06 means? Well, the means is not election. Man can stand on the shore, purposing to save the man until he drowns. His purpose doesn't save him. It's the first moving cause to get him out of the water.

21:19 And once the man is on the shore and he looks at his friend and says, oh friend, I'm so glad I'm safe on the shore. Why did you do it? And if he traces it back, he'll have to say, well, it all started when I saw you. Your need and I purpose to help you. You see, and as we redeem sinners say, oh God, what moved you to rescue me? And we trace back the purpose as far as God has revealed it. We see that the purpose was his election in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. That's the purpose. But the means that he uses, let's look at that text that Charles Spurgeon so ably expounded. That's the text that's in the little booklet. That a number of you have read. 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13. Let's look at it for a few moments.

22:07 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. That's election. Now what's the means? Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. The end that God has ordained is the salvation of specific people. Paul is not writing to nobody in particular. He's writing to somebody in particular. He's writing to the saints there at Thessalonica.

22:53 And he says, we thank God for you, brethren, because God from the beginning chose you to salvation. That was his purpose. The end, the salvation of some people at Thessalonica. Now the means? Through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. So election doesn't save men. Election is not salvation. Salvation becomes the possession of men when through the mighty work of the spirit they are effectually drawn to Christ and embrace the truth of God. Romans 1 16 states this truth so clearly when Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. It's the gospel that gets my feet on terra firma.

23:45 It's the gospel that gets my feet on the shore. That's what actually gets me there. The gospel becomes the power of God unto salvation. Men are saved by Christ and Christ is communicated by the gospel. And so the gospel must be preached if God's elect are to be saved.

Paul's Example: Zeal in Evangelism Fueled by Election

24:08 And it's in this understanding that the apostles ministered, preached, and taught. Let's look at an illustration of this in the life of the apostle Paul, where believing strongly in the doctrine of God's sovereignty and grace, he gave himself to diligent evangelism, knowing that God would call out his elect through the preaching and teaching of the word. Acts chapter 18. And then we'll look at another summarized statement in 2 Timothy. But Acts chapter 18. The apostle Paul is preaching in the city of Corinth.

24:56 And Paul had not learned that unholy art of getting along with everybody.

25:04 Notice I called it an unholy art. And we read that while he preached, some opposed him. Verse 6. They that opposed themselves when they did, blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, your blood be upon your own head, I am clean.

25:22 From henceforth I will go to the Gentiles. Mr. Carnegie would certainly strike that out of his course on how to win friends and influence people. You just don't tell people your blood be on your head. I'm done with you. But Paul did it. And he did it in obedience to the commission of his Lord. And may I just say that I'm convinced that there's some men in our generation that could do God a service and do churches a service if they would say that to people who've done nothing but run one preacher after another. Out of a church and bring nothing but reproach to the name of Christ. I've been in sections of the country where there have been churches like that, that the best thing a servant of God could do would be to say with a broken heart and in Calvary love the very words that Paul said here.

26:09 So he departed, entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. And then the Lord encouraged him. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians believed, hearing, believed and were baptized. Now, apparently, Paul is still fearful.

26:31 Lord, what's going to happen? Here's the opposition. And he had seen this pattern so often that perhaps he began to get a little gun shy. Paul was not some kind of a half angel. He was a man. He had fears. He had anxieties. Difference is that he learned how to handle them a little better than we do at times. But the Lord came to him and comforted him and said in verse nine, then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace, for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee. Now notice the next phrase. I have much people in the city. Paul, I want to encourage you. I have much people. I have much

27:16 people. Those that are mine in my eternal purpose to bring to myself. Those for whom my son became incarnate in the kingdom of God. I have much people. I have much people. I have much people.

27:25 Those for whom my son became incarnate in the womb of the virgin. Those for whom my son went to the cross and took in himself the wrath due to their sins. Those for whom my son now prays when he says, I pray not only for those who believe on me, but those who shall believe through their word. Paul, I have much people in this city. Now, what do you think Paul did? The next verse does not say, so Paul got up and left town saying, well, if God's got some elect, he'll save them. I might as well get on. Do the best I can elsewhere. Well, that isn't what he did. It says he continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God among. You see, the revelation of God's purpose in election did not lead Paul to gospel indifference, but it led him to gospel zeal. And that zeal was a zeal according to knowledge. He didn't think that if he preached a little harder and blew a few more feet, he would be a good man. He didn't think that if he preached a little harder and

28:28 he Potter is use is exhorting people that somehow he was going to build up the number of God's elect and the. He could preach the truth without cutting off the rough edges of the. Offense of the gospel. He could declare the demands of the gospel as well as its privileges, without paring off any of its offensiveness in this confidence that God would bring to himself his people. So he continued there a year and six months, teaching and preaching the word of God, and God was pleased to call out men to faith and to repentance paul recognized and knew clearly that the god who ordained the ends the salvation of his people ordained the means and that's why god told him in the beginning of that vision don't be afraid but speak and hold not your peace and in so speaking i will call out my people to myself fits in perfectly with second thessalonians 2 13 does it not god hath chosen you from the beginning through sanctification of the spirit and belief

29:34 of the truth notice paul's statement along a similar line in second timothy chapter 2 and verse 10 perhaps we could back up to verse 9 having spoken of the gospel of christ paul says in second timothy 2 9 wherein i suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds but the word of god is not bound therefore i endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in christ jesus with eternal glory paul what are you doing down that roman jail well he said i'm down here because i preached and refused to pair off message i'm here because i'm concerned to obey my master who commissioned me to preach christ among the gentile nations well paul don't you get a little bit discouraged sometimes bearing on and no he said no he said i'm willing to do or endure anything that god through me might call out his elect to himself paul saw no contradiction between the end and the means god has chosen

30:57 to save his elect but god will save them through the preaching of the gospel and it's in the context of a gospel climate paul is talking about the word of god is not found in the gospel of his son that he says he endures these things that men might be brought to salvage and so if we will understand and god will enable us to grasp that the means are ordained to the end and the means that god has ordained to save his people is the preaching of the word then we'll see no contradiction between god's sovereignty and grace and zealous scriptural evangelism we will recognize that even where men do not repent and believe god is glorified in the offer of mercy to sinners god is glorified whenever christ is proclaimed god is magnified whenever the overtures of his mercy and his grace are extended to sinners whether or not there is a saving response the elect of god are faceless people i don't know who they are but i sure know his command is plain to preach the gospel to every preacher and i also know his promise is sure that all that the father giveth him shall come to him this puts confidence into evangelism it's not left to the willy-nilly uh whispering attitudes of men a sovereign god has

Answer to 'Why Pray?': God Commands Us and Weaving into His Purposes

32:25 commissioned us the very god has revealed that the son shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied and so we can preach on and pray on in the absolute confidence that god will bring his own to himself this was a most practical doctrine to the apostle and it should be to us now may i very quickly because i think we've laid the groundwork for the second objection may i quickly deal with the second objection that's all we'll have time for tonight why pray if god is ordained all things and rules over all why pray if he governs all men in all circumstances how really now let's be sensible how can the poor whimpering faltering cries of a creature have anything to do with the mighty workings of a sovereign creator well why should we pray let me give you three two three answers reasons number one god commands us that should be enough luke 18 1 says men ought always to pray and not to faint what does ought

33:42 mean well that means there's an element of binding obligation men ought to pray jesus our lord said and the magna carter of the kingdom ask and it shall be given you and it's in the imperative seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you matthew chapter seven he said in matthew six nine after this manner pray ye it's in the imperative it's not optional we pray because god commands us secondly we pray because our prayers are woven into the warp and whoop of the eternal purposes of god will you notice carefully a passage in the old testament that's been a great help to me as i've sought to wrestle with this objection that of course has arisen in my heart and did arise in my heart in times past when god was pleased to first begin to make real to me the truth of his sovereignty in isekiel chapter thirty six we have a very interesting event here in the book of interesting, and helpful portion, Ezekiel chapter 36, where you have a detailed description of what God is going to do in the blessings of the new covenant. God says in Ezekiel 36, beginning with

35:09 verse 25, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. From all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. May I pause a moment? People say, well, if God in saving men by his spirit changes the basic disposition of their heart, so that even their faith and repentance is not rooted, in so-called free will, but in free grace. Doesn't that make men puppets? Does God have any right to break into men and touch the citadel of their being, the will?

36:01 Sure he does. And if he didn't do it, no one would be saved. That's exactly what he says here. Notice, he says, I will put my spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in my judgments.

36:14 That's pretty plain, isn't it? He said, if any man is walking in my ways, it's because I have entered the very citadel of his being and I've made a transformation right there. You've got a salvation that didn't touch your will. You don't have Bible salvation.

36:35 And so God says this is what he'll do. And ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God.

36:47 And I will also save you from your... From your uncleanness.

36:51 I will call for the corn and increase it. I will multiply the fruit of the tree. Verse 31. Then shall ye remember your evil ways.

36:59 Verse 32. Not for your sakes do I do this. Be it known and be ashamed in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities. God says I'm going to do this.

37:10 I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this. And I'm going to do it because I purpose to do it. But now notice verse 37.

37:17 Thus saith the Lord God. I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. God says I'm going to do all of this according to my own sovereign purpose and power. And yet he says for these things I will be inquired of.

37:37 I want you to pray.

37:40 He says that doesn't make sense to me. Well God doesn't say it has to. Thank God that his ways go beyond our ways. And he doesn't ask me to be able to compress into the narrow confines of my mind.

37:52 The ways of God. It's ours to take the place of students of the scripture. And here the same God who says that he will act sovereignly and powerfully says that he will act in a way that involves the praying, the supplication, the asking of his people. So that in the outworking of his sovereign purpose our prayers are somehow woven into the fabric, into the warp and whoop of the eternal purpose of God.

Christ's Intercession and the Apostolic Church's Prayer

38:21 Notice a similar thing in. The intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ in the 17th chapter of John was our Lord absolutely sure that following his death he would be resurrected of course you remember in the days of his flesh he predicted he said the son of man must die be killed after three days he must be raised up again he said I'm going to go back to my God and to your God it was absolutely sure that our Lord Jesus would be glorified following his sufferings and his death. And he said I'm going to go back to my God and to your God it was absolutely sure that our Lord Jesus would be glorified following his sufferings and his death. And yet notice in John 17 though the purpose of God is sure and Christ's confidence in the purpose of God is sure notice what he prays verse 5 of John 17 and now oh father glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was is it sure absolute in the purpose of God that Jesus Christ should be glorified at the time of his resurrection. And he said I'm going to go back to my God and to your God it was absolutely sure that our Lord Jesus would be glorified after three days he said I'm going to go back to my God and to your God it was absolutely sure that our Lord Jesus should be glorified at the time of his resurrection.

39:25 his father yes, and yet he prays that it might be so to therefore he said why would we not continuously wait to correctional his滙 me and this is the will of that said. my lord and right hand of the father yes. particular and yet he prays that it might be so so that even the prayers of the son of God were woven into the fabric a warped whoop. Cole the father's purpose concerning him though just later on in this prayer is it certain that张al those who are joined to Christ will be with him in glory of course it's.

39:53 certain he said in john 6 I came to do not my will but the will of the father. of him that sent me that if all that he hath given me i should lose none but raise it up at the last day it's absolutely certain and yet look at verse 24 father i will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where i am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world though the ultimate destiny of the children of god is certain the intercession of christ is found pleading for the very thing that is certain in the purpose of god the prayers of the lord jesus woven into the fabric the warp and woof of the father's purpose you see this in psalm 2 we don't have time to be exhausted tonight god says i will tell the decree he mentions the decree the lord said sit at my right hand and i'm going to make your enemies the footstool of your life and i'm going to make your enemies the footstool of your life and i'm going to make your enemies the footstool of your life and i'm going to make your feet and then he says ask of me and i'll give thee the heathen for thine inheritance god's eternal purpose is to magnify and exalt his son and give him his inheritance and yet the son must ask he must ask and so with us his children god's purpose is to call out men and women

41:11 through this fellowship and its ministry but it's not apart from our praying but our praying in a of god's purpose that's why i'm so glad at the outset of our gathering together in these new circumstances that we've added another prayer meeting to our regular activities let it never be said all those people believe god will do his work and they don't pray if anyone should be known as a praying people should be the people who believe most in his sovereignty i close with one illustration in the example of the apostolic church will you turn to acts chapter four

41:55 and we're going to look at a people who believed in what would be called today a high stern doctrine of absolute divine sovereignty that's what it would be called in fact they believed it so strongly it just oozed out of their prayer and you know what you really believe will most often be expressed in the way you pray in the way you pray the way a man addresses god this is where his heart theology will come out most often most often now this group of people is praying they've just been persecuted for the sake of the gospel and we looked at this passage in another light this morning want to look at it for a different purpose tonight as they come together to pray verse twenty three of acts four they being let go went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them and when they heard that they lifted up their voice to god now notice this was not the conviction of a few theologians in the group who had been spoiled by logic this is one of the uh... objections often brought to me oh well the simple hearted christians who aren't spoiled by logic in theology they'd never believe in this well we're looking at some simple hearted christians they weren't spoiled by logic and theologians and everything else just simple hearted believers

43:21 and this was their united conviction it says they lifted up their voice to god with one accord and said lord thou art god what god which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is lord we're coming to you the mighty creator of heaven and earth we're not addressing a god who's concocted out of the stuff of our own imagination we're addressing you the true and the living god who by the mouth of thy servant david has said a god who's great enough to communicate to men through verbal expressions lot of talk and our day we can't believe the bible is inspired how can you get they true pure thoughts of god to sinful men so that we can have them in a book my god's great enough to do that their dog was great enough to do so they said god who made us made heaven and earth you spoke through the mouth of david why did the heat and rains the people imagine of a thing quoting from psalm to kings of the earth stood up the rulers were gathered together against the lord in Yahweh and in Lord and against his Christ that's the end of the quote now they're telling the Lord what they believe for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and

44:43 Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done what a statement of divine sovereignty God creator of heaven and earth God who's spoken in the scripture God who has revealed that men would rage against the rule of your son God who purposed all that came to pass what did that crowd do these men say all that they did was an expression of the eternal purpose of God to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done and now with a God who's so great that even the wicked designs of ungodly men and apostate Jewish leaders and unprincipled Gentile rulers a God so great that he can work out his sovereign purpose even through the likes of that mess what a God to pray to in the midst of this burada medical breaking the distribution of truth what a God to preach in the midst of thispable paper youtube what a God to put into your difficult mind what a God to what a God to put into your troubled mind where the difference is not only one and that is where children we all are but it's one who ispex and it's only so strong and that's what a God to year sizes we are all things all see Jesus is a human being and where cleanse gives justice which is true of a difficult circumstance what a god to address in prayer and now lord behold their threatenings grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word by stretching forth thy

46:06 hand to heal that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child jesus and when they prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled they were filled with the spirit they spake the word of god with boldness oh wouldn't that make you preach for boldness you've got a god so great as to overrule all the wicked designs of wicked men to accomplish his own purpose

The Nature of Prayer and Concluding Applications

46:34 and so the doctrine of god's absolute sovereignty and his eternal decrees and purposes instead of hindering prayer it became the strong foundation upon which they stood to plead with this great god that he would intervene on their behalf to magnify his name and to vindicate the cause of his son the lord jesus christ why do we pray believing god's ordained all things because he who ordains the ends ordains the means and locked up in the outworking of his purposes are the prayers of his people but you say suppose i pray for something god hasn't purposed to give it won't hurt you just the fact you've prayed will do you good and you don't know what he's purposed to give and on the basis of a possibility we can pray don't have time to go into it but that's the whole thrust of the book of joel judgment was pronounced and joel says now to the whole nation rend your heart not your garment seek the lord for who knows whether he will turn and leave a blessing behind he said on the basis of the possibility let's pray and even if god doesn't intervene we haven't lost anything by praying have we have we you remember david's experience with bathsheba's son the son that's that he fathered in that illicit relationship god said he's going to kill the child david went in

47:59 and fasted and prayed and pled with god who know it while there's life the decrees of god are not written on my bedroom wall but the character of god is revealed in his word he's merciful he's kind he's long suffering he delights to hear the prayers of his people so he storms the gates of heaven with pervert intercession until they come in and say your son is dead and he went into the temple and he worshiped why does he recognize god had a right to do according to his purpose didn't say he rose up and resented it said he went in and he worshiped now if you think prayer is sort of twisting god's arm to give you a nickel when you've not been behaving well then you'll be offended by a doctrine of prayer it's scripture but prayer is the child of god based on the principles of the word of god and by the guidance of the spirit of god lining up with the purposes of god that's what prayer is and where we missed the mark god knows our frame that we are but dust we're not omniscient as he is many times just the blessing that comes from having sought him you and i are the gainers and so why pray somebody should come up tonight in the hallway maybe i just might do that to see how well you've listened and and take the place of an objector would you be able to give a scriptural answer we pray because god's commanded it we pray because our prayers are involved in the

49:24 working of his purpose why preach the gospel god commands it love constrains us the apostolic example enforces it and then we recognize that god's purpose to save doesn't save man christ saves through the gospel as the spirit is pleased to lay hold of man and so if you've had some of these objections and problems i trust this has helped not just to be a little mental gymnastics beloved i have no time for that life is too short just to go through mental gymnastics but these are matters of tremendous practical importance as you seek to serve god in the light of his word and if you're here tonight and you're a stranger to god's grace i don't know what god's purposes are they're secret but i know his promises are very very clear and sure his promise is this come unto me all be that labor and a heavy lady and i will give you rest his promise is this him that comes unto me i will in no wise cast out his promise be sure and may god enable you to embrace him in the promise and find that light which he so freely offers let us unite in prayer

50:48 oh lord we thank you for your eternal word what deep impenetrable darkness would be our portion were it not for this lamp to our feet in this light to our pathway we thank you the words of our god are pure words tried in the furnace seven times though heaven and earth pass away thy word will never pass away thank you for its precepts for its instruction lord establish this assembly in the glorious truths of your sovereignty and grace teach us how to live with them in worship in gratitude and then in evangelism subject us with the minister shall know enough to love on a Golgotha Sufr a

51:47 our każve suffered because of prayer of the orthodox topic and with the master Job i give you hope of the perfection which you shall do without being devoted to theступine ta come lay your hands on your feet in temporaryroller of Christ God from demande u you don't know why you are not happy there are other things that come your way that is spurred by the confidence that you will bring men to yourself according to your purpose oh lord seal these things to our hearts for those in our midst who are not savingly joined to your son oh lord may the thought that they must one day stand before a god such as you are filled them with holy fear and dread until they are found in jesus christ watched and cleansed from sin made new by his spirit. Now, O Lord, for that which we've heard today, which has been true to your word, sealed to our hearts, whatever has been mixed with the impurities of men's thoughts, bring to naught. And may your grace attend us through the coming week, that we may live to your praise, be jealous to buy up every opportunity to communicate the gospel of Christ to others. Glorify yourself in us. We pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.