Transcript for:
Romans 9:1,13 -He Is Faithful- Pastor Rick Beaudry 2023-07-16

Romans 9, 1 through 13. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for I could wish that myself were a curse from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelites to whom pertain the adoption and the glory and the covenants the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God bless forever amen not as though the Word of God has taken on effect for they are not all Israel which are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall they seed be called that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed for this is the word of promise at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son and not only this but when Rebecca also conceived by one even by our father Isaac for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it is said unto her the elders shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated father we thank you for your Holy Word and Lord we pray once again that you be our teacher Lord we thank you that we're not the blind leading the blind falling into a ditch we thank you Lord that we don't need to be ignorant of your coming ignorant of your word Lord but I is not seen or heard neither has it entered in the hearts of men the things which God has prepared for them that love him but God you have revealed them unto us by the power of your Holy Spirit reveal yourself to us Lord open the scriptures be our teacher allow us Lord to just be transformed by the renewing of our minds Lord as we study your word allow your word to sink deep within our hearts that that we not sin against you that we'd walk that straight and narrow path in the light of your word blessed now by the power of your Holy Spirit Lord in Jesus name amen would you please be seated last week we finished up Romans chapter 8 we went from a celebration and now Paul is in a place of lamentation last week we saw where there's no separation where nothing can ever separate us from the love of God Paul used eight chapters to describe his gospel he gave his theme of this book in Romans chapter 1 verse 16 and 17 where he said I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for therein in the gospel therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith and then he then he doctrinally he moved from his theme and he moved to establish in Romans 323 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God that were all sinners whether you're a Jew or a Gentile whether religious it doesn't matter you could be in Romans 1 as a homosexual transgender a lesbian whatever and you're there because you've basically denied him as creator you've suppressed the truth of creation without excuse when you stand before God because that of creation that revelation of creation makes you without excuse and then we have a greater revelation that of redemption through his only begotten Son and so as we're in Romans 323 all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and every single one of us sinners so every mouth is shut so that there's no boasting then in chapter 4 he brings forth the principle of faith in chapter 5 justification 6 that of sanctification chapter 7 there's a battle between the flesh and the spirit chapter 8 the emphasis upon the Holy Spirit and so in his foreknowledge the predestination the calling the justification the glorification God's love nothing can separate us now he answers the question well what about the Jews Romans 9 he's going to address Israel's past election Romans 10 Israel's present rejection Romans 11 Israel's future restoration there's no place for what's called replacement theology God has not replaced Israel during this church age that's made up of Jew and Gentile barbarian Scythian bonder free male female out of every tribe tongue kindred a nation right whosoever will let him come that's where we're at right now but the nation of Israel has been set aside in the sense that blindness and part has happened under Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in and so Romans 11 25 when the fullness of the Gentiles come in which would be the rapture when the rapture takes place then what's going to happen is there's going to be a signing of a peace treaty of Daniel 9 25 through 27 where the tribulation period is going to start it doesn't start with the rapture it starts with the signing of the peace treaty which is after the rapture and that peace treaty is a seven-year covenant with the nation of Israel which is called the 77 of Daniel or the time of Jacob's trouble where God is going to deal with the nation of Israel in their rejection of Jesus the Messiah he said you wouldn't see me again till you say blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord two-thirds according to Zechariah 12 8 and 9 are going to perish during the tribulation period but a one-third remnants going to come through the fire of the tribulation period they're going to flee out of Jerusalem to Basra to Mount Seir to to present-day Petra that of southern Jordan and they're going to be preserved in the rock city area of Petra that of Basra in Isaiah 63 and Jesus is going to return he's going to come with the clouds he's you and I are going to come with him he's going to destroy the Antichrist and the false prophet and all the armies of Psalm 2 that are converged to destroy the nation of Israel and to keep Jesus from returning he's going to cause the blood to be as high as the horse's bridle he's going to trample out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are are stored and he's going to just crush him his his outer garments going to have blood all over it he's going to destroy the Antichrist according to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 with the brightness she kind of glory of his coming and the sword of his mouth he doesn't need any help so all of the AI technology all that the Antichrist can muster all that the devil can muster the beast which is the Antichrist and the false prophet are taken immediately and thrown into the lake of fire the devil's taken to the abyss and he's held for a thousand years at the end of the thousand years of the millennium he's loosed for a season to expose the hearts of the people that are repopulating the planet during the millennial reign of Christ you and I are in our new glorified bodies a nation of Israel's in the millennium David as a prince Jesus as king of kings and Lord of Lords ruling and reigning from Jerusalem over the nations that are repopulating the planet during the thousand-year rule and reign of Jesus Christ and so Paul is going to bring the application in chapter 12 verse 1 he says I beseech you therefore the therefore grammatically pointing back so he has to deal with Israel the question of the mind of the Jew well what about Israel what happened to Israel so if you're of a Catholic background or many other different backgrounds for some reason over a period of time whether it's Martin Luther whoever they had a disdain for Jews and they basically say even to this day in the replacement theology or preterist theology that the church has taken the place of Israel chapter 9 10 11 exposed and improved that that's not so God is not done with the nation of Israel just read Jeremiah 31 his promises to the nation of Israel unconditional in the new covenant that he's going to have with the nation of Israel but two-thirds are going to be rejected one-thirds going to be preserved they're going to see Jesus when they cry out and say blessed as he that comes in the name of the Lord and it's going to be glorious to see the nation of Israel born again in that way now Israel was born again as a nation according to Ezekiel 36 and 37 in May 14th 1948 unprecedented in all of history that a nation that was you know disassembled and spread all over the world that they'd maintain their identity over a 2,000 year period of time and so from May 14th 1948 we're living in what we would term the last days in that we're watching a one-world governmental system according to Daniel 2 Daniel 7 Revelation 13 and 17 the world is going to be divided up into 10 toes 10 regions 10 Kings 10 crowns and we're watching this the Club of Rome and others making the map and and we're watching the world the rebirth of the Roman Empire if you will that of an imperial ruling and reigning could be tech guys could be elected people but Kings or crowns they have sovereignty over the world three of them are going to fight against the Antichrist he's going to defeat them he's going to become the eighth all these nations are going to give their sovereignty over to the Antichrist Antichrist means in place of Jesus Christ and so Jesus said in John 5 I came on my father's name and you rejected me you received me not another shall come in his own name and him you will receive how sad that the nation of Israel signed a peace treaty and then re-inaugurate Judaism the rebuilding of a temple God's not asking them to rebuild a temple God's not asking them to redo all of the shadows of the coming of Christ things that were shadows pointing to Christ of the sacrifice of lambs and you know blood sacrifices and such in the Millennium interesting lynch 40 through 48 there's going to be blood sacrifice going to be as a memorial though but these guys are looking at it as efficacious that they still on the great day of atonement and such are going to sacrifice goats and lambs and such they don't even know what Passover is pointing to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world so in unbelief they're going to be regathered they are regathered in unbelief but there's a day coming where the Lord is going to give them that measure of faith that you and I have as our eyes are open because Israel's rejecting of the Messiah Israel's blindness is our bounty is our treasure and that our eyes are open and that we're living and ruling and reigning now the church started out entirely Jewish and then Philip went to Samaria so they had the half-breeds and then in chapter 9 Paul's going all the way to Damascus so House of Cornelius with Peter in chapter 10 and so the gospel continuing to flow out from Jerusalem from the day of Pentecost and forward and continues to this day and it's such a blessing to be a Christian in these last days God told Daniel in chapter 12 that knowledge would increase in the last days that some of it was going to be held back for a period of time some of this revelation but you and I are living in a time where it's very very exciting to be a student of prophecy it's very exciting to connect the dots and to study God's Word and to realize that we're living in that time where Jesus is coming for us his bride it would have been such a bummer to be alive at his first coming and to be among the numbers of people where he chided them he he said how you know you didn't know the day of your visitation how often I would have gathered you as a mother hen does gather her brood under her wings but you would not your cities left unto you desolate as he could see forward where Titus would surround the city of Jerusalem not one stone would remain upon another they're crying out Hosanna Hosanna save now save now in just a few days they're crying out crucify him crucify him let his blood be upon us and upon our children it's so mysterious that of unbelief unbelief is so strange it's so strange how people can move from believing to unbelief so quickly so quickly many of the people that we've been worshiping the Lord Jesus with and going to church with many of them are falling away that's the apostasy a that's the departure from the truth and it's going to get worse you're going to see more and more people falling away from the truth as persecution comes and tests their profession of faith and so for you and I it's exciting to know that God's a God of his word that he keeps his word that he is faithful that he's faithful to the nation of Israel and in their departure their apostasy they're falling away their rejection of the Messiah has opened the door to whosoever will let him come let him come so the past election Romans 9 present rejection 10 future restoration chapter 11 so we see God's faithfulness in number one the wish of Paul Paul has a wish Paul has a desire within his heart Paul sees the nation of Israel and he's having a hard time enjoying his salvation knowing that many of his his friends many that he grew up with raised at the feet of Gamaliel Pharisee Pharisees that many of them are going to spend an eternity in hell and so he's wanting to address the question well as God given up on Israel and God forbid he's going to say so I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost so as a Christian man with my conscience and God is my witness I'm telling the truth verse 2 that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart this word heaviness speaks of looping a Greek word loopy 16 times found the New Testament it's in a general way that of sadness or of grief in Luke 22 45 you find it where the disciples are sleeping Jesus said pray with me pray with me lest you enter into temptation the Garden of Gethsemane but they they kept falling asleep Jesus said the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak but they were sleeping Jesus says because of sorrow Jesus was to be crucified and it was bumming them out and so have you ever tried to sleep because you're depressed because you're discouraged you've had some bad news and you're like you know what I'm just gonna go sleep I know I have I don't like to stay there it's not a place that you want to stay Elijah had his difficulty with depression David with his depression and others we've talked about this before depressions normal to be sad as normal but to stay there is abnormal we can't stay there we've got to get back up we got to come back to the joy of the Lord being our strength in John 16 verse 6 and verse 20 someone going away Jesus told his disciples that he'd be going away and the disciples were sorrowful they were filled with sorrow the thought of him going away in verse 21 of John 16 he said it's described as a woman in labor the sorrow I've never experienced that but I watched Kathy for 20 some hours in labor it's great sorrow great sorrow didn't hurt me a bit but but sorrow and labor and once she has the baby there's no more pain there's joy because uh because the child's born in 2nd Corinthians 2 verse 7 the sorrow that comes the godly sorrow that leads to repentance the sorrow over our sin Philippians 2 27 the sorrow of someone being sick interesting that the Apostle Paul had a gift of healing and he could heal Eutychus preaching long and Eutychus falling asleep from the upper rafters boom Paul could go over there and pray for Eutychus and raise him from the dead you know Paul could pray for others and they could be healed Paul prayed for himself a messenger of Satan that was buffeted in him three times and the Lord said no no no all three times he couldn't heal himself in that on that occasion and also a paphroditus a paphroditus a friend of his got sick and Paul couldn't heal a paphroditus and he was sorrowful over him hoping that he wouldn't die and he didn't die God spared him Paul told Timothy take a little wine for your stomach's sake the water is causing you know problems in your stomach and so bacteria and such and so little wine is has an antiseptic quality to it it will kill the germs and stuff so he's diagnosing some means of getting rid of the flu type systems you know in that of Timothy in Hebrews 12 verse 11 the chastening of the Lord when we're chastened of the Lord brings sorrow sorrow that should lead to repentance you know but he's speaking here of continual sorrow a different Greek word of Odunay found two times in the in the New Testament here it speaks of a dejecting sorrow that pulls you down what's pulling Paul down we want to be on the mountaintops we want to enjoy with Peter James and John you know let's build let's build some some buildings here let's stay here we're good at building buildings we're having an afterglow here and there's Moses and Elijah there's Jesus in his glory let's stay here you know we'd love to stay at the retreat state the places where we don't have to deal with reality then the disciples come down from the mountain there's a man there with a demon possessed son that's reality that's the life we live that's the place we live people are being tormented people are being taken to hell by the devil being taken captive by the devil and for those who have the heart of God it's very difficult to isolate yourself and just enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season to enjoy the prosperity of the church for many of you knowing family members are headed to hell you can't sleep at night especially if it's your son your daughter your prodigal what if one of your kids begin to move in the direction of the gay or the lesbian lifestyle they've rejected Christianity you raised him in the church but they want nothing to do with Jesus and you've been praying for 10 years now 15 years and you can't get through to him you're projecting ahead and you know if they continue in this lifestyle that they're headed to hell so for you there's moments there's times where you can rejoice there's times where you can enjoy yourself there's times where that memory or that thought process isn't there where you have a moment of relief but then when you come back to your devotional time your prayer time your time in the word as you begin to bathe your kids in prayer and bathe your family in prayer there's family members there's friends there's people in your sphere of influence that you know that you know that they're going to hell and that's what Paul's experiencing here he's so excited that on the road to Damascus that he's a hellion he was persecuting the church the chiefest of sinners and all but God arrested him God grabbed hold of him God transformed and changed him he's a chosen vessel unto me show him what things he must suffer for my namesake and he has his salvation it's in the bank he knows he's saved but now he's thinking about his countrymen he's thinking about the glorious gospel and all eight chapters of it but now he's thinking of his own countrymen he's thinking of his mom his dad you know when you become a Christian as a Jew they have a mock funeral for you do you know that the Apostle Paul that as he saw love Tarsus many felt that he was being groomed to be one of the you know the high priest or one of the one of the members of the Sanhedrin they thought he was a member of the Sanhedrin which meant that he was married and there's no mention of his wife his family or any family members because Saul of Tarsus when he came to Jesus there's a funeral for you no longer going that way and and he he didn't give up on him those that beat him that persecuted him that hit him with rods those that he was chained to in the prisons and all Paul didn't give up on him he had a supernatural love that wouldn't allow him to just enjoy and be complacent in his own salvation we want to enjoy our salvation we want to we don't want to live it out you know we don't want to be as Jesus is described as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief you know I heard guys when I was in school in school of ministry and I don't think they're correct some of them said to the point that they didn't think Jesus ever laughed he was so sorrowful about people headed to hell and I think that's imbalanced he's tempted in all points like we and yet without sin I think Jesus had a hearty laugh love to laugh love good jokes things like that and and I told the guy that told me you know I was laughing too much and he told me Jesus never laughed and I says well I don't see that in the scripture and I need you to know that if I don't laugh then I'd be crying and I'd be so overwhelmed you know with sadness and so there's a balance that God brings into our life I mean your grandkids run up and jump on your lap you're laughing and you're just so excited there's a there's the good and the bad and then the ugly you know that we all experience but there we're not clowns we're not to go through life being clowns and making everything a joke out of everything there there is a seriousness to being a Christian there is intense sorrow and suffering for people in Iran and China and and all the children being human trafficked and the adrenochrome and all the different things that are taking place as children are being exploited and preyed upon by so many pedophiles and godless people and all and yet Jesus died for the sins of the whole world we're gonna let him figure it out and he wants us to pray to intercede to stand in the gap to believe and trust that God can take a Manasseh and he can save a Manasseh if he can save a Saul of Tarsus he can save me he can save you and nobody's too hard from the love of God from the Holy Spirit from God to move and work in their hearts and lives and so we don't give up on anybody but Paul has got this sorrow this dejecting sorrow that's pulling him down and not to mention as he described that messenger of Satan that was a weight upon a kite the tail of a kite that was pulling him down because he has said great revelation a man whether in the body or out of the body caught it with when he was stoned when he's left dead there at Lystra Paul you know was able to go up to heaven and see things that just words can't even describe and all and to keep him grounded the Lord gave him an infirmity in his flesh to keep him so he doesn't get puffed up without measure and to keep him usable and all so balance a balance of heartache a balance of suffering but on the other hand great joy and blessing in our life we don't want to miss out on the joy and the blessings the ways that the Lord encourages us and lifts us out of the stupor out of the the pit that the enemy would love to keep us in and that condemnation but but to have a burden as Jesus would weep over the city of Jerusalem to have a burden with strong crying and tears Jesus to weep there at the home of Lazarus when Lazarus he knows he's going to raise him from the dead why is he weeping is it in his human makeup as a human being as the God man fully God fully man to be moved in the emotions of the moment as people are wailing and and bummed out about Lazarus or maybe there's a weeping there's a grieving there's a sorrow because of lack of faith I'm the resurrection in the life he that believes in me though you're dead yet shall he live and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die believe this thou this Mary and Martha do you believe this why are you weeping why are you crying I'm gonna raise him from the dead Lazarus come forth there should be great joy great blessing shouldn't there I don't know why he was weeping in that occasion but Jesus wept he wept and and he was as I said a man of sorrow so it wasn't always the up there's a there's a fluctuation in our emotions in our humanists and such and and so if you're one that is burdened about the lost if you're one that moves in that direction maybe you're a prayer warrior maybe you're an intercessor maybe you have the heart of God that's reaching out maybe you have the heart of a missionary the heart of an evangelist one that's not going to give up on people maybe that love that you have for these people is what compels you and keeps you going because it's the love of Christ that constrains you because you just aren't satisfied having your salvation you want to see others saved you want to see more than just yourself enter into heaven you're unable to move forward in your life indifferent to the lost indifferent to those going to hell God has given you his heart God's given you his heart that you would be an intercessor to intercede on behalf of those who are perishing and so Paul is dealing with this Paul was heartbroken over the spiritual depravity of his countrymen to what degree how much did it bother him that they would go to hell for all eternity says verse 3 for I could wish here's Paul's wish for I could wish that myself were accursed really that I were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh that word accursed means anathema cursed to perdition to hell Paul was willing to give up his eternal life if he could trade it for the salvation of all his loved ones all those he he knew that he knew were perishing who are blinded in unbelief who would not believe he tried so hard at the Antonio fortress to reach these guys to try and reach them and when he came to the word Gentile they threw dirt up in the air because they hated the Gentiles so much they want to grab hold of them and they they bring a conspiracy theory they conspired to kill the Apostle Paul they weren't gonna eat till they kill him at all you know they had such intense hatred for him and yet he's a persecutor that's headed to Damascus and taking people and imprisoning them and breaking up families and such simply because their crime of believing in Jesus and Jesus intervenes and he says Saul Saul why are you persecuting me who art thou Lord I'm Jesus whom you're persecuting can you continue to kick against the goats can you continue to resist my love Paul and then he blinded him and he went into a street called straight there in Damascus and then he told Ananias the prophet to go and go to Paul this guy named Saul of Tarsus go there for he prays it's blind for three days he's praying Paul's praying and Ananias says I think you got the wrong guy that guy's a hitman you know send somebody else you know and he says no he's a chosen vessel unto me show him what things he must suffer for my namesake and he goes and he prays for him and he receives his sight and the scales fall off his eyes and he's filled with the Holy Spirit and here you go Saul your ministry is gonna be one of suffering your ministry is gonna be one of rejection but you're also going to see that your ministry is a glorious evangelist to the Gentiles you're gonna plant a church in Ephesus spend three years there planting a church you're gonna spend 18 months in Corinth a very wicked wicked city but I'm there with you Paul he's gonna appear unto Paul and I'm with you where sin does abound grace does much more and so Paul as he was crucified I died daily as he died to sell as he'd live only for Jesus he watched the Lord take that sorrow that brokenness of heart and watch him save many many many people but as far as the Jews the doors were pretty much shut for him he tried so hard to reach the Jews and he they just weren't ready they couldn't do it they kept rejecting and all he was willing to give up his eternal life but the Lord didn't ask him to do that you're not the Savior Paul so what motivated Paul supernatural love agape love the love that God gives that God floods our hearts that even if somebody smites us on the right cheek we turn to him to the left if they if they mistreat us you know we don't from the buns the heart the mouth speaks you know there's a kindness father forgive them for they know not what they do it's not a wimpiness it's a strength it's him it's it's God like strength the power of the Holy Spirit the dunamis of the Holy Spirit to love people who are unlovable people that don't deserve it is there anybody that deserves to be loved all have sinned and come show the glory of God all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord has laid on him the iniquities of us all none of us deserve the love of God none of us as seen in Moses in Exodus 32 verse 32 Moses when he was up to receive the Decalogue the Ten Commandments he's up there for 40 days and the people got tired of waiting and so they went to Moses brother Aaron the priest and they said hey there's Moses we don't know if he's gonna come back or not so you need to fashion a God for us a little G God and idolatrous God one that can lead us from here Oh Aaron you blew it man yeah blew it so Aaron's concocts a plan to be to be liked by the people very difficult if your motivation is to be liked by the people Galatians 1 verse 10 if it Paul says if I'm if I'm here to please men then I'm not gonna be pleasing God you got to live to please God it's a lonely place David encouraged himself and his God at Ziklag when his men were ready to kill him and so Aaron told them all to get your earrings off your ears all you pirates everybody your wives your children everybody give me your gold earrings and put them in the pot and they fashioned out of the sand they fashioned a mold and they melted the gold and how did Aaron know how to do that you know and they boom out popped a golden calf later when Aaron was confronted about he said it just popped out you know I didn't do it the people did it you know and so playing the blame game passing the buck and all and the people began to worship the golden calf and there was a sound you know the like a war Joshua thought but no it's people playing they began to play they began to indulge in in lasciviousness you know the things that they do in these foreign deities and all these belief systems and all and and then the Lord was gonna wipe them out gonna wipe them all out and just as Paul here Moses intercedes and says blot my name out of your book blot my name take my name out instead as an advocate as an intercessor standing in the gap and so he says in Exodus 32 verse 32 yet now if thou will forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou has written so Lord forgive their sin but if not then blot my name out take my name out but not these folks the sacrificial love of Jesus is seen here it's the love that motivates missionaries to leave the comforts of their home to minister in leper colonies to minister in inner cities vile filthy inner cities to runaways to the homeless to the demon-possessed who wants that ministry no we want the cap teeth ministry we want the full head of hair ministry we want the new sunglasses the new shades and new cars we want our best life now ministry the Jets all that Jets not big enough I need a bigger jet you know kind of a ministry we don't want a ministry of suffering because after all only people that suffer people that don't have enough faith and the aberrant heretical doctrine of the prosperity movement that we've seen permeate in our culture that sells it really does sell these guys are close to billionaires now on television bilking people out of money for many many years and they can have as many affairs and be involved in in sin to nth degree but people forgive them and keep sending money because they keep telling them what they want to hear that you too can have a full head of hair you don't need to go through life bald your hair will grow back you know you're the fat will just melt off your body if you pray these prayers you're gonna be healthy wealthy and wise your whole life long you know and so it's just bizarre it's so bizarre that people do it that's the part that breaks my heart is they do it these guys would be bankrupt the people just stop giving to them but there's many people many unknown missionaries and pastors and pastors wives and I think pastor of wives need to be underlined I think they're the real stars of the church age the ones that had to endure and give up so much that the unheard of every time there's a star pastor and he cheats on his wife and he gets caught it's like people gravitate toward the pastor but they forget the wife and the kids the devastation that comes against them it's just so sad to watch the way that pastors are restored with their new wives and their new families but the former wife and the kids that were there in the trenches for many years they're just like thrown away just thrown away it's so incredibly sad to watch the celebrity of a pastor open doors keep doors open of ministry even though they may be disqualified even though they they shouldn't be in the pulpit anymore even though they can't be in here's the word trust it it's a trust if they've repented and forgiven and their wife forgives them that's a different story but this disregard for the glory of God disregard of honoring the Lord and being trustworthy and then moving in a direction of your celebrity that your celebrity keeps you out there pretty soon they're not going to need any of us they're going to use the artificial intelligent guys and get rid of all of us but in the old days in the old days they had preachers with old pulpits you know all right so Solomon Solomon says in Song of Solomon 8 verse 7 many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all of his substance of his house for love it would utterly be condemned do you have a burden for the lost it's his love that's motivating you the love of Christ constraining you does it bother you that people are going to hell does it bother you that people are going to hell the people are perishing does that bother you it should Psalm 126 verse 5 when we look at the faithfulness of God that negative part of it the part that the part that oh my gosh these people are going to hell but there's a positive side there's a positive side of God's faithfulness God's not going to allow all of the nation of Israel to go to hell God's not going to allow all the people to go to hell in fact God's heart is he's unwilling that any would perish and that all would come to repentance that's his desire he's long-suffering he's waiting the church age has gone to 2,000 years him waiting for people to wise up but more and more we're watching people turn their backs upon God apostatizing turning away another word for apostasy is rebellion rebellion against God we're watching our culture rebel against God remove God from the public square remove the Bible and prayer from schools and and and arrest people that are praying silently outside of you know abortion clinics and such Psalm 126 5 says they that sow in tears shall reap in joy so you intercede in the gap you're praying and it brings you to tears as Jesus wept you sow in tears you're gonna reap in joy the Lord saying the psalmist is saying Psalm 126 one day you're gonna see he that goeth forth weepeth bearing precious seed the seed of the gospel you're getting the gospel out there shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him how is that how can that be when unbelief when the blindness of people so great it's because God's faithfulness is greater because God's love is greater because God is moving and working through the foolishness of the gospel that's preached the foolishness of the gospel I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for is the power of God unto salvation we don't need to shirk or find a new message or a new methodology to get the gospel out it's through the foolishness of preaching its word of mouth your his word your mouth my mouth and it's the seed one man sows another waters and God brings the increase God is saving people now I don't believe I'm not convinced yet that there's a revival taking place whole lot of fake stuff going on and one of the reasons I say that is I'm watching the church rather than willing to suffer willing to be ridiculed willing to resist evil Ephesians 511 have no fellowship with them fruitful works of darkness but rather expose them here's one of the greatest ways I know or in my heart I question what's going on is the obsession with the past the obsession with our glory days when we were it when our churches were full when everybody in the hippie movement the Jesus movement the pastor Chuck movement it's everybody wants to look at the past that's a safe place to look and it's fun it's glorious it's great let's go relive those days so to speak that's what you see but you don't see the repentance you don't see the turning from sin you don't see the transformation the change in the culture of people on fire for Jesus you just see this we don't want to lose our prosperity we see it's in jeopardy we don't want to lose it let's let's go back to the glory days it's important to understand where we came from but the times that we're living in in this time of the Laodicean Church the falling away part of the job of the church is to expose the wickedness not be afraid of the culture not be afraid of the wickedness but expose the wickedness and preach the glorious good news of Jesus and his coming bringing the sheaves with them is singing your burden for evangelism and that of the loss as we said Jesus wept over Jerusalem he saw her destruction and he weeps through you for the lost he knows nothing of indifference selfishness or quitting he is intense he is faithful he saves I like that word intense Jesus is intense are you intense you intense for things that matter or you lukewarm neither hot nor cold you have no passion no love no drive no intensity to reach the lost to make a difference we see God's faithfulness in the wish of Paul secondly we see God's faithfulness in the wealth of Israel what a great nation you could say America the wealth of America what a what an incredible bounty what incredible blessings that have been poured out upon America but the nation of Israel has even greater wealth greater blessings spiritual blessings that God has bestowed upon them verse 4 who are Israelites to whom pertain the adoption so he's going to list eight different distinct areas of blessing here so that of adoption the glory the covenants the giving of the law the service of God and the promises verse 5 whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is overall God blessed forever amen so tremendous wealth tremendous privilege and blessing as God's chosen people the name Israel means Prince of God are governed of God so God changes Jacob's name as he'll catcher supplant or God transforms and changes him as Jake as Jacob is going to wrestle with Jesus WWE he's wrestling with Jesus and Hosea the book of Hosea and he's wrestling with him and any wins because he loses have you ever fought with God wrestled with God in your in your makeup and your desire of what you want your heel catcher your conniver you're gonna you're gonna you're gonna go for it in the flesh but God's saying hey I'm gonna have to break you I'm gonna have to break you because it's not by might nor by power but by my spirit sayeth the Lord of hosts and so Jacob is wrestling with the Lord because he saws coming he crosses over the brook to get a night's sleep and the angel of the Lord's there and now he's in a wrestling match all night long and the Lord causes his hip to be dislodged which has got to be painful separated hip touches his hip and then Jacob taps out he taps he's like that's not that's not that's not and so he gives in he surrenders he won because he lost and then he walked away a cripple he walked away limping a reminder of his breaking a reminder and God changed his name I'm gonna change your name to Israel you're going to be governed of God now you're not going to be rebellious and supplanted and conniving and resisting the Holy Spirit you're gonna yield to me now you're gonna yield to me yield to the Spirit and I'm gonna make you the Prince the Prince of God and that's who the nation of Israel is so eight distinct areas of blessing listed number one adoption we talked about this that of sonship Exodus 40 verse 22 God says Israel is my son even my firstborn Hosea chapter 11 verse 1 he called my son out of Egypt the nation of Israel redeemed the redemption coming through the Red Sea out of Egypt I called my son the glory the Shekinah glory of God a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night is how God protected them and guided them as they're walking in the wilderness the Shekinah glory of God that filled the temple that filled the tabernacle the Shekinah glory of God that the Apostle Saul the Apostle Paul saw on the road to Damascus the light shining brighter than the noon sun in a desert region very bright the Shekinah glory of God that directed the wise men to Jerusalem from Babylon they followed his star not just any star a star that moved and then hovered over the house two years later where the babe of Bethlehem was sleeping right the Shekinah glory of God that's going to come with the clouds with you and I that's going to destroy the Antichrist the false prophets and the armies of the world the armies of the Antichrist are trying to destroy the Shekinah glory of God on the Mount of Transfiguration that Peter James and John saw Jesus his clothes shining brighter you know than that of the Sun the fuller soap couldn't even make it that bright and all the light that he was clothed with the covenant covenants that were given the Abrahamic covenant that in your seed Abraham seed singular all nations of the earth would be blessed Abraham make covenant with you Abram have leave your father you're gonna have to leave your family you're gonna have to leave it all and I'm gonna show you you know a city who is builder and maker is God is who he's looking for him and Sarah and so they began to venture when she was 65 and he was 75 and God's bringing these promises unto him that God was going to bring forth the people the Jew the the Jews were going to come forth from his loins the nation of Israel from his loins in the Abrahamic Covenant and then we have the Mosaic Covenant the law that's given the Davidic Covenant with the dynasty David wanted to build God a home David wanted to build God a house as David the Jebusites were subdued and David's now in Jerusalem after seven years in Hebron and David's just like so blown away how could I be this little shepherd boy the son of Jesse and nobody and wind up being king you know and so God told David your hands are too bloody you can't build me a house but I'm gonna build you a house and what he's talking of as a dynasty that the Messiah is going to come forth from your loins the root and the offspring of David and then in Jeremiah 31 33 a new covenant the New Testament for the Jew the new covenant unconditional covenant not based upon them keeping the old keeping the Mosaic but a new covenant God writing his law upon their heart they're gonna be born again they're gonna be transformed they're gonna be changed as God is living through you and I as we're walking by faith by grace through faith alone this new covenant that they're gonna enjoy the giving of the law God's righteous holy standards to live by not the Quran not any other book not any book the AI can write God has given his Holy Word 613 precepts in the Old Testament law a means by which to reveal the holiness of God of who he is and for man to build his society to build his life upon the Judeo-Christian ethic that America fashion that America established itself upon to build upon a fool builds his house upon sand a wise man builds his house upon the rock upon Jesus Christ upon his word the storms of life the testing comes against your life but your home remains firm remain standing because of the foundation of God's Word you have the absolute truth of God's Word to build your life and home and your culture upon when we had the Word of God in the schools and prayer in our public schools we were far far greater than any nation upon the planet other nations would come and they would look for the secret of America's greatness the secret of America's greatness was the churches the churches were aflame the people were aflame the people knew God's Word the communists the devils the Luciferians they know we got to remove their belief system it's not the guns behind every blade of grass it's their belief system it's their God that will defend them we've got to corrupt their seminaries got to corrupt their pulpits we got to remove the Word of God from the culture we got to get the culture to embrace an existential humanistic philosophy based upon feelings rather than absolute truth every man doing that which is right in his own eyes losing their direction all of a sudden they don't even know what a boy is what a girl is they don't know what marriage is anymore you've come a long way baby services the privilege of serving God the blessing of serving God promises the Messianic promises of the Messiah Jesus fulfilled over 300 promises 300 prophecies in his first coming and he's coming again and prophecies are being fulfilled all over the place presently in regard to his Messianic return in his second coming as the millennial promises the promises on into the millennium he's going to wipe away every tear he's going to wipe away every sorrow the sorrow of heart that we have toward the loss I don't know how heaven can be heaven I don't know how the Millennium can be mill in the Millennium if I'm reminded of my family members burning in hell how could that be the Lord's going to have to remove some of those memories the Lord's going to have to give me a new heart and mind the Lord's going to have to wipe away the sorrow and the tears somehow just a dawning of a new day in my new glorified body where he wipes away every tear in Ezekiel 34 13 a return to the land accomplished May 14th 1948 the father's he gave them the father Abraham father Isaac father Jacob Christ came Jesus the Messiah God incarnate and Israelite so the next time you hear somebody blaming Jews or blaming you know with an anti-semitic kind of a tone a Hitler esque Jesus is a Jew our Messiah is a Jew the root in the offspring of David and I seed he told Abraham your seed singular all nations of the earth to be blessed the seed of the woman Genesis 315 that he'd be a man not an angel the virgin born Son of God that his heel would be bruised and that he'd be crucified but that he'd crush the serpent's head that he'd spoil all principalities and powers that he would triumph over them and God sent his only begotten Son the Son of Man as he's identifying with you and I the last Adam God sent his only begotten Son to Israel who is overall God bless forever amen and so he still lives he's still faithful he ever lives to make intercession for you and I he's king of kings he's Lord of Lords he's also our great high priest he's prophet priest and king and he's coming again so we see God's faithfulness in number one the wish of Paul secondly the wealth of Israel and thirdly we see God's faithfulness in the Word of God are you blown away by the faithfulness of God and in his word the immutability of God that it's impossible for God to lie that you can bank on his faithfulness you can bank on his word you can take it to the bank way better than EF Hutton that old commercial you know verse 6 not as though the Word of God has taken none effect that phrase none effect speaks of a ship off course is God's Word going off course is Noah you've all Harari correct and saying that God's dead we just haven't buried the body yet are they correct in saying they're gonna they're gonna write a new Bible they're gonna write a new Word of God for the new age for the new millennium the new world order has God's Word fallen off course is it antiquated is it still in effect is it effectual can God be trusted to keep his promises to Israel even though she rejected him in numbers 2319 God is not a man that he should lie neither the son of man that he should repent has he said and shall he not do it or has he spoken and shall he not make it good I love that I can take it to the bank I can take the promises God to the bank it may not happen today it may not happen tomorrow but I can live with an expectancy and assurance that he's working all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose I can take it to the bank the enemy means it for evil but God's gonna turn it around for good and may take a lifetime I don't know but ultimately it's all working together for good because he's sovereign he's on in control I belong to him he purchased me with his blood he's the potter on the clay he's making of me a vessel I hope it's gonna be a vessel of honor I believe so he's faithful Isaiah 5511 now this is this is a passage that has been probably one of my favorite promises as I'm a pastor in an apostate community I'm a pastor in a community that does not desire the Word of God this is the least church state in the country and this county is the least church county in that state is what I've been told and if you survey the churches here and you were to survey what is the content what is what is the what's happening in these churches is the Word of God being taught very few churches teach the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation verse-by-verse most of the so-called teaching is psychological therapeutic feel-good messages topical messages where people are at the center rather than Jesus Christ so for me it's a whole lot of rejection a whole lot of rejection by the people here after 28 years of being here they don't want to hear the Word of God you are rare you are crazy you're strange because you're supposed to be Christianettes who want sermonettes you're already tired being here 30-40 minutes you're already thinking about something else getting to the casino or wherever else you got to get to right but as you go through that sifting that sifting and what I've discovered people normally come here in a time of crisis in a time where the therapeutic messages don't hold water anymore and their eyes are open they're really hurting and they need to hear from God and it's the teaching of God's Word that ministers every single person in here right where they're at and I don't listen I don't have I'm not in your bedchamber listening to what you're saying you know Ben hey dad who's the spy who's listening to us you know it's Elisha that tishbite you know everything you say in the bedchamber he knows what's going on no it's the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit's listening to you the Holy Spirit hears the cry of your heart the groaning of your heart and it's God's Word by His Spirit that ministers to each of us and I know I have a confidence that if I'm gonna spend my life on something I'm gonna pour my life's energy into something I'm gonna pour myself into the Word of God and so even to this day early in our ministry where I was you know didn't take a vacation at the first nine years and a pastor called me up says hey where do you go on a vacation I don't know Bill I haven't been on one and so we were planting this church and I would teach Sunday morning I teach Sunday night and that was after having a concert on Friday and a concert on Saturday night and then Monday we typically had Monday off and then Tuesday back down there at the Roxy all day long walk-ins people walking in and coffee and all that sort of thing ministering to people that come through the door Wednesday night we had our midweek going through the Old Testament Thursday night I did the youth Friday again we had concerts outreach concerts evangelism and such Saturday morning I did the men and men's retreats Kathy did ladies retreats Sunday school all that stuff everything trying to build a church trying to buy Sunday school buildings and loans and bankers and just all that stuff and in Acts chapter you know six we're gonna give ourselves to the Word of God in prayer and I didn't neglect the Word of God in prayer I just tried to do everything else you know so presently what do I do now I teach out of the old and the new and I spend the week reading dedicating myself to be a student of God's Word praying but I don't try to do the whole ministry anymore don't try to do it anymore I'm trying to do the main thing keep the main thing the main thing poured my life into the Word of God and my confidence is that that investment into the Word of God that investment in allowing God to fill me and to teach me I have to first be a student before I can be a teacher that that His Word is going to pay dividends that His Word is not going to come back void that the Word of God that goes out whether it be on a podcast now or on Facebook or YouTube canceled me something I said they terminated me there but telegram rumble wherever it goes wherever you send the Word of God I know for a fact that that word doesn't come back void that God's Word is powerful and that it's the best use of my time the best use of the gifting that He's given me the best use that I can is to be a teacher of God's Word so too for you the gospel and you as a teacher doing the work of evangelism His Word isn't going to come back void and so so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth Isaiah 55 11 it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it now early on in Calvary Chapel before the Rick Warren area before he came through all the churches and changed the way the churches operate where they changed it to rather than creeds made it deeds made the pot the apostate Protestant churches all the a ogs and Baptist churches and Methodists and all the Lutherans and all these different churches that used to teach the Bible they began to emphasize social justice social good deeds in the community missional works of good deeds at the expense of the Word of God and the people lack discerning 2025 years later you can't find a church that teaches the Word of God anymore wrong totally wrong not of God's will God's Word won't return void but I recognize there's going to be very few even even his church growth movement taught the pastors coming in seminary that the more the Bible you teach the smaller your church will be verse by verse teaching his death to a church what's that mean you're in a time of apostasy the lay the scenes the people rule people don't want the Word of God anymore they don't have an affinity or desire for the word they want to be entertained they want smoke machines they want 50 minutes of music in a 10 minute sermon at for Christian acts and so you have to just stand your ground you have to say well Jeremiah taught for 41 years to the Nation of Israel I think there's only one guy that got saved Jonas spent just a few days in Nineveh 40 days and you're gonna perish was his his message and the entire city hundreds of thousands of people repented and came to the Lord go figure second Timothy 213 if we believe not yet he abides faithful he cannot deny himself unfaithful men cannot stop the plan and purposes of God even though men have been unfaithful here in Kitsap County there are still people that belong to God there are people that God's sending you with the gospel sending you with the truth of his word they're going to confront you they're going to ask you they're going to talk to you you're going to have an open door that no man can shut and it's very simple preach Christ and him crucified let him off the hook let him know that the suffering they're going through the difficulty they're going through is not condemnation it's not rejection by God that God loves them that God wants to restore them that God wants to minister unto them help them to become disciples Jesus said go and make disciples God is faithful he'll move and work in their hearts his promises to Israel unconditional his promises are on everlasting he says for they are not all Israel which are of Israel so I have to recognize that the people out there the ones that are saved the ones that God in his wisdom he foreknew that he predestined that he called they're going to respond there's going to be huge falling away from the professing church they profess that they know God but in works they deny him what's that mean there's no fruit there's no fruit not in the sense that they don't clean windows and wash and help people across the street there's no fruit in the sense that there's no love there's no love for God self is dominant they're in love with themselves everything centers around self so he distinguishes between the true and the false Israelites in John chapter 8 Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders the Pharisees he says if you were Abraham's children you do the works of Abraham what's the works of Abraham he believed you guys don't believe in me you don't believe in Jesus those he has chosen are the true Israelites and John 637 all that the father gives me shall come to me and him that comes to me I will no wise cast out there's election the doctrine of election all that the father gives me shall come to me and him that comes to me I'll no wise cast out there's the free moral agency of man there's the choice the power of choice that you have to respond to the gospel two railroad tracks going down the road not crossing but both are true that of election that of the human responsibility no man can come unto me except the father which has sent me draw him so again we're sharing the gospel these people can't come unless the Holy Spirit's drawing them we need the help of the Holy Spirit we don't know who you know he's drawing for some they're just gonna reject we don't want to cast our pearls before swine but we don't know we move on to the next one we wipe the dust off our feet move on to the next one we cast seed we broadcast the gospel you come along and other comes along and waters it and God brings the increase no man can come unto me except the father was sent me draw him and I'll raise him up in the last day glorious confidence God God's working God's doing the work we just be faithful that he said he doesn't want to use angels right now he's not using angels to broadcast the gospel in the tribulation period he uses one angel overhead proclaiming the everlasting gospel he uses the two witnesses in Revelation 11 to share the gospel for three and a half years he uses the 144,000 Jews 12,000 from each tribe to share the everlasting gospel there's a numerable multitude of people getting saved in the tribulation period great revival in the tribulation period and it's still the glorious gospel I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes God's word and will cannot be broken he is faithful verse 7 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall they seed be called so seed the seed natural seed but in Isaac the spiritual seed oh that Ishmael might live before you the work of the flesh the work of Hagar and Abraham trying to help God out in that Sarah couldn't get pregnant and you know you can't be Abraham father of many if you don't have any kids he's impotent and she's sterile she's barren and so they help God out they take hold of Hagar in a lapse of faith they go down into Egypt because there's a famine and as they're in Egypt they leave Egypt with Hagar and Sarah has an idea hey how about you go into my handmaiden Hagar to bring forth a child and they do and they bring forth the child a young boy named Ishmael work of the flesh is she flesh and then there's a 13-year silence where God doesn't speak to Abraham the friend of God doesn't speak to him until Sarah's 89 and Abrams 99 and God says this time next year Sarah's gonna bring forth a child and Sarah starts laughing incredulously like yeah right hope deferred makes the heart sick I'm not going down that road again I gave up on the thought of God fulfilling his promises in my life have you given up has God promised you something and you've set it aside you've given up because he's taken too long well maybe the Lord setting the stage maybe the Lord's making it apparent that it's impossible that when he does act when he does move only he will get the glory that's how he is he shares his glory with no man and sure enough Isaac laughter filled the tent of Abram Sarah as she brought forth the seed of promise brought forth Isaac who's a type of Christ in Genesis 1718 Abraham says all that Ishmael might live before thee God let Ishmael be the fulfillment oh that Ishmael might live before you Abraham loved Ishmael and God tells him in Genesis 21 12 and Isaac shall thy seed be called verse 8 that is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God so we got kids that are growing up in our Christian homes I wasn't raised in a Christian home for me it was I prayed for my mom and all my family members so I'm the first one saved in my family but for many of us we got saved you got saved you grew up in a Christian home and then your children grow up in a Christian home and for many of them they think hey I'm a Christian I grew up in a Christian home but they're not Christian they're not born again they go off to college they walk away from everything they were taught as children youth group all of it there they want no part of it at all so in that natural posterity being raised in a Christian home doesn't make them a Christian Nicodemus you must be born again in Isaac thy sheep thy seed shall be called in that it's got to be mixed with faith there's got to be faith there you got to be transformed you got to be changed join in the church being a member of a church doesn't save you you're born into the church you're born into the church and that you must be born again what's it mean to be born again your body and soul because when Adam and Eve sinned they died spiritually you need to be body soul and spirit you need to be born from above born of the Spirit the Holy Spirit dwells within you transforms and changes you from body soul to spirit now you're a child of God not the natural the spiritual transformation and change from within by grace through faith alone and so those chosen by God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed those that God has chosen verse 9 for this is the word of promise at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son so as I said Sarah is about 89 he's 99 when she's 90 he's 100 and then the question is there anything too hard for God is there anything you're facing that's too hard for God he loves to do the impossible we see God's faithfulness in the wish of Paul the wealth of Israel thirdly the Word of God and fourthly and finally we see the faithfulness of God in the wisdom of God verse 10 and not only this but when Rebecca also had received by one even by her father Isaac so the wisdom of God is seen in the answer that God gave to Rebecca in Genesis 25 22 the children struggled together within her and she said if it be so why am I thus and she went to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her two nations are in your womb and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels and the one people shall be stronger than the other people and the elder shall serve the younger verse 11 for the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth verse 12 it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger so election means selection God had selected Jacob and not Esau so Jacob is heel catcher so Esau a little thread came out or a little hand came out they put like a red thread on Esau's hand so he's the first one come out of the womb so that's the firstborn and then he pulls back in and they're wrestling Jacob and Esau are wrestling two nations are wrestling in there and Esau his name means Harry and he's also read the Edomites red clay red area Petra area and also King Herod the greatest I do mean which is he's offspring of Esau that's why the Jews never accepted Herod the great as a real Jew because he's offspring of Esau and and Jacob as we said he's a he's a conniver but he had a he had an affinity or a desire for the things of the Spirit Esau had none Jacob have I loved Esau I hated Esau had no desire for the things of the Spirit and he'd sell his birthright for a pottage of stew and there's a big battle in the home where Isaac's favorite was Esau the hunter and Rebecca's favorite was Jacob the one that learned how to be a chef you know work in the kitchen with mom and obviously could make some good venison some good food and they didn't need to help God out they deceived Isaac when his eyes are failing him and put Harry you know Harry skins on on Jacob's arms to try and get the blessing steal the blessing and all and but what a mess they made of it Rebecca never saw Jacob again when she when he had to flee to live in her brother's house and all the kids that he had 12 kids and all she never got to see her grandkids and all he could never come back till way way way way later when Esau and Jacob met up and then the Lord wrestled with him that night and God transformed and changed him God protected Jacob from the anger of Esau and all and a lot to learn there isn't there so he draws them or apprehends them for himself Paul knew that God had chosen him from his mother's womb Paul could look back you can look back I didn't know I was going to be saved I didn't know there was a God I knew there was a God in general sense I knew the name Jesus but I didn't know he's God I didn't know the gospel didn't know how to get saved didn't know any of that I thought you're just supposed to be a good person I knew I wasn't a good person but I was better than you so God doesn't grade on the curve all have sinned and come short of the glory of God we all have to come the same way by way of the cross by way of confessing our sins out of repenting and crying out to God God be merciful to me a sinner and that day came for me and that day came for Saul of Tarsus wasn't his idea God apprehended him God apprehended me God apprehended you at that moment in time maybe you were raised in a Christian home and received Christ in your heart at a very early age praise the Lord that's how I want it to go for my kids and grandkids I don't want them to go through the horrors of living in the world and being raped and pillaged by the world abused by the world what a terrible place to be I want them to be protected and have that hedge of protection I want I want their minds to be innocent I don't want their minds and hearts to be corrupted by the things of the world certainly I pray that he draws them he apprehends them Paul was drawn he was apprehended he looked back from his mother's womb God elected him God chose him on that road to Damascus he being apprehended so not of works Esau as we said his name means Harry Jacob heel catcher supplanter they had not done anything yet in the womb God saw Saul the Apostle and changed his name from Saul to Paul God saw Gideon and said that described him as a mighty man of valor God saw David the shepherd boy lowest menial job in the culture God saw him as a giant killer God saw him as the king of Israel God saw Simon which is naming sifting sand and God made him into rocky God made him Peter Petrus little rock and upon this rock massive rock Jesus Christ Peter's not the Pope upon this rock I'm gonna build my church and the gates of hell not prevail against it but Peter you're gonna be a chip off the old block you're not gonna be sifting sand anymore God saw you too who is he making you verse 13 as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated that's a harsh statement of Malachi chapter 1 2 & 3 Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated why is that because in Hebrews 11 6 it says without faith it's impossible to please God for they that come to him must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him Esau had no affinity for God Esau had no faith in God and the true and living God Esau brought no pleasure to God but Jacob in his infancy in his life God elected him before even formed him in the womb if you're looking at Jeremiah before I formed in the womb I knew you and ordain you and sanctified you a prophet you know unto God and that's how the Lord knew you you you were saved by a lamb slain before the foundation of the earth God predestined you before the foundation of the earth God elected you he selected you Jesus said you didn't choose me but I chose you and I ordain that you bring forth fruit and that your fruit remain that was to ask the Father in my name he may give it to you the privilege of prayer the access we have of a relationship God says I chose you you're my friend you're my son you're my daughter you're my vessel of honor I'm making you in a vessel of honor I'm the potter you're the clay and I'm not making you a vessel of dishonor I'm making you a vessel of honor one that would bring me glory and honor you're my workmanship you're my poema you're my work of art I've taken you from the potter's field the broken shards the broken lives where your life was intrinsically valueless just that of dirt and I've taken from the dirt and mixed a little water with the clay and I fashioned a vase I fashioned a vessel that I can fill with myself with the Holy Spirit and you're valuable your blood-bought purchased you with my own blood who's God making you how could God hate Esau the father of the Edomites Ishmael the father of the Arabs God chose Isaac God chose Jacob both believed they both believed God and walked with God they may have started out slow but they finished strong didn't they I want to finish strong God knew he is wise but how could God hate Esau how could God hate Esau W. H. Griffith Thomas said the bigger problem is how could God love Jacob the greatest problem how could God love me do you wonder that why me I have the privilege after 40 some years to be meeting with some of my old friends and kids from high school and I think about it all the time that I was snatched out of that group that God saved me and I had no contact with any of them for many many years and then I find out a bunches of them are being saved God's saving many of those guys and gals and it blows my mind how many of us were pulled out of that you know that pit and I don't think God's done yet I think there's more people there's more in our circle there's more friends and family and people at work that we've rubbed elbows with as we're salt and light they're getting thirsty they want to know the God that we know and God unbeknownst to us has selected them he's chosen them and God's gonna let us hit a home run God's gonna let us share the gospel and the fish are gonna jump in the boat man they're gonna jump into the nets right and I hope and pray for that kind of revival a real transformation and change of people when their backs are to the wall and there's nothing else they can trust and they turn to Jesus not Jesus and Jesus he's still there the bigger problem is how could God love me God loves me he selected me he chose me his faithful we see the wish of Paul the wealth of Israel the word and wisdom of God all that the Father gives me Jesus said shall come to me and him that comes to me I want no wise cast out Jesus invites you to come whosoever will the Spirit and the bride say calm the invitation is open the invitation is open come whosoever will it's open to anybody Jew Gentile male female barbarian Scythian bonder free transgender if there is such a thing male female queer lesbian whatever sinners come all have sinned and come there's nobody worthy nobody good enough so just come whosoever will let him come the invitation is open she said come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me from meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light Jesus carried the burden the weight of your guilt and sin upon himself and nailed it to the tree nailed it to the cross of Calvary and he offers you eternal life by grace through faith as a free gift to whosoever will let him come now if you don't come ask yourself why won't you why won't you come why would you refuse his love why would you say no to his love what reasonable logical explanation are you gonna have at the great white throne judgment when he asked you what did you do with my son why would you reject Jesus Christ what do you have to lose what's the problem why John 3 says the reason you reject him is because you love darkness rather than light and your deeds are evil you love your sin you love your sin more than you love him and in Revelation 11 it's illustrated when the Antichrist is allowed to kill the two witnesses the rejecters the rebels the worldly earth dwellers throw a party celebrating the death of the two witnesses in their indignation their hatred of the true living God I don't understand unbelief I don't understand why anybody would persist in rejecting Jesus Christ I don't understand why you would choose insanity why you wouldn't choose to to be so separated from God's love to walk through life with a huge hole in your heart that can't be filled the world can't fill it nothing can fill that void that God made you with designed you with in Revelation 8 verse 20 all creation was subject unto a vanity and emptiness and that by reason of him who subjected this the same and hope God put a hope in your heart and that hope can only be filled with God a thirst for God why won't you come alcohol can't fill it drugs can't fill it fame fortune can't fill it money can't fill it nothing can fill that void except God allow God to fill your heart allow God to take away the tears allow God to to solve the hurt and the sorrow the things you're going through allow God to to cause you to be clothed and in your right mind to remove the demons to remove the torment to remove the things of the world that have jaded you that have hurt you so severely allow God to bring salvation deliverance and healing in your heart and life allow God to write his name in the Lamb's Book of Life to write your name there rejoice in that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life he's making you a vessel of honor he's faithful let's pray father thank you once again for the blessing Lord of ministering unto us this morning Lord thank you for comforting us where we hurt as we're reminded of the sorrows of our life the the weeping the those who are lost Lord we we like to put it out of mind we like to put it aside we like to not think about it but this morning Lord you reminded us that we're occupying until you come that were to be about our father's business that Lord were to stand in the gap that were to appeal to Jesus whoever lives to make intercession that were to groan with utterance as the Holy Spirit makes utterance interceding for us that were to boldly come before your throne of grace to find mercy to find help to to give us the boldness and help that we need the power of your spirit to minister to a world that's perishing Lord we pray that you would cause us to bear fruit much fruit for your kingdom and glory we pray that the greatest things that we accomplished in this life Lord that were a part of what you accomplished in the lives of others in the saving of their souls that's eternal Lord anoint and use us give us a great working knowledge of your word not just a analytical or a intellectual working knowledge but Lord a heart knowledge of an anointing of your Holy Spirit to say the right word in the right way at the right time anointed of you Lord save our families save our children save our grandchildren save this community Lord thank you for Kitsap County thank you for the many men and women that served in the military all these years many that are men and women of faith who have labored so faithfully for you in this community Lord we pray you undergird and strengthen each one we pray you restore our families those who are estranged we pray you move and work in the hearts of our kids who have been polluted by the by the world by the colleges by whatever's drawn them away Lord don't let them get near our children our grandchildren in their impressionable years with the lies of transgenderism and other lunacy Lord help us to walk circumspectly help us to walk wisely wise as serpent gentle as doves give us great discernment Lord make us wise as your faithful Lord as we bank 100% on you and as we continue to pray if you're here this morning and you're hearing the call of the Holy Spirit to come whosoever will let him come just lift your hand up we want to lead you in prayer anyone here this morning you're coming to Jesus this is your coming to Jesus moment just as it happened to me in January of 1980 maybe you didn't see it coming you wandered in here somebody invited you but it's your moment this is your moment this is the Holy Spirit drawing you Jesus said no man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me draw him God is drawing you by his love it's the love of God the kindness of God that's leading you to repentance he's showing you the cross that he died he was punished in your place that he was crucified that he's buried that he raised himself from the dead proving that he's Almighty God he seated at the right hand of the Father and he's interceding on your behalf he loves you he's always loved you he always will love you anyone here this morning just lift your hand up father thank you once again the peace that we enjoy the assurance that we have of salvation resting in your finished work resting as you said to Talist I it is finished paid in full in Jesus name we pray amen