Christ is the Mystery no. 64
God's
Purpose and Plan
February 17, 2013
Brian Kocourek
This morning before we go to
the Scriptures for our study, we will have the dedication of Little Jayla Starks. Therefore at this
time will the parents of Little Jayla come forward. As you know Jesus said in
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he
will not depart from it.
Just look at all the examples
in the scriptures where a Godly mother raised up her child or her children to
serve the Lord. First we see Jochebed
the mother of Moses. Where would that man be if it
had not been for the godly instruction she gave him while raising him for the
Pharaohs sister. We also see in Scripture that Hannah the mother of
Samuel was willing to give her child over to God. Let these women be the
example of what a mother and father should do in the raising up of their
children to be sons and daughters of God.
Then look at Hannah,
how she raised up Samuel until he was old
enough to serve in the Temple. Look at the impression she left him with before
she turned him over to Eli the high priest.
Now, when the scripture tells
us to train up your child in the way he will go, it is telling you that your
role to this little bundle of life you have brought forth is one of training,
and guiding them along the right path in life. And unless you are
walking in that right path, your child will not walk it alone. Therefore, you
are not only to instruct them, but your very actions and the way you live
yourself becomes a way of life to them. Your children will do what
they see you do, and they will say what they hear you
say. Therefore, Train up your child in the way you want him to
go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Matthew 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him,
and set him in the midst of them,3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye
be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive
one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned
in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man
by whom the offence cometh! 8Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut
them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life
halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into
everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye
offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee
to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into
hell fire. 10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say
unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11 For the Son of man is come to save
that which was lost. 12 How think ye? if a man have an
hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and
nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he
find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of
that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is
not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones
should perish.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one, 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your strength. 6 These
commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when
you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when
you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your
hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write
them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
And for you parents and family
and friends of little Jayla, we have a promise from
Jesus for you in Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of
cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in
no wise lose his reward.
Let us pray…
Dear father we now lay hands
upon this child Jayla Starks and return
it back to you, and we ask you to bless Br. Walter Starks and his Wife Melissa
Starks and ask that you give them the wisdom to raise this child up to become a
real daughter of God, for we ask it in Jesus Christ’s name, Your beloved son.
Amen. Thank you and you may be seated...
Ephesians
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, 6 To
the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That
in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in him: 11 In
whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will:
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he
might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them
he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What
shall we then say to these things? If God be for
us, who can be against us?
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,
which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of
the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it
you.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before
I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Let us
pray, Dear Father we come in the lovely
name of your son Jesus Christ who we know according to your own Word that he
was ordained before the foundations of the world to become the bleeding dying
lamb. we see the role you ordained for him to play,
and we see also by Scripture that you chose us before the foundation of the
world to be Holy and blameless in your presence. We see also in Romans 8 that
you ordained us to be conformed to the image of your first born son, and we see
you also chose us before the foundations of the world, and predestinated us for
a purpose, your purpose and your plan. Therefore Father help us to be like your
son, and come to the place where we can die to our own thinking and let the
mind that was in Christ be in us. Help us to die to self and allow the life of
Your Son to come in by Your Holy Spirit and live our lives for us, for we ask
it in Jesus Christ's name, amen.
You may be
seated.
Now, we've
chosen for our text this morning scripture which is very promising to the
believer because it tells us how that we have been a part of God's great
purpose and plan since before He even created the worlds.
And in
paragraph 160 of brother Branham's
sermon, Christ is the Mystery of God Revealed, Br. Branham said, "That's
the only way you'll know Him today, only way you'll get the threefold
revelation of God is for the Holy Ghost... And the only way it can ever be,
is you're predestinated to see it. If it don't,
you'll never see it. If you're not predestinated to see it, you'll never see
it, 'cause that Light can flash and you'll go away and make fun of it and
explain it away by some intellectual conception when the very God Himself
manifesting Himself and proving it. See? But if it ain't
upon you to see it, you won't see it.
Now, what he is talking
about here is a belief in Predestination that places the responsibility for
whether you will ever see or
not see the purpose and plan of God solely with God.
When the disciples
asked Jesus why He spoke using parables, he responded by telling them that he
spoke using stories because some were ordained to hear and understand while
others were not ordained to hear and understand. \
Let's turn in our
Bibles to Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 1 He
answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away
even that he hath.13 Therefore speak I to them in
parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.14 And in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive:15 For this people's heart
is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest
at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Now, this story is not a fluke just found in the
Gospel of Matthew, but we also see this same story told in the Gospels of Mark
and Luke.
Mark 4: 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he
said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the
mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven
them.
And in the
Gospel of Luke we read, Luke 8:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might
this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you
it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others
in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not
understand.
So why would God deliberately give a Message in such a
way that some would hear and understand while others would not hear and
understand.
Well, we call this the purpose and plan of God. First
let me read several Scriptures that speak of the Purpose of God and then we
will sort them out and see how that purpose as defined by Scripture.
Acts 26:16 But
rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this
purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which
thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Now, I want you
to notice something here. God is speaking to the Apostle Paul and he is telling
the Apostle Paul that His Appearing to Him was not something that was to be
considered lightly. God doesn't just do things for the sake of doing them. He
told Paul here that He had a purpose in Appearing to Paul. God is
telling us that he has a purpose behind His appearing. And that purpose was to
make Paul a minister and a witness both of these things which he had seen, and
of those things in which God would appear unto Him.
Now, what then does the word purpose
mean? According to Webster's dictionary, the word Purpose
means: "something that one intends to do", in other words, it
speaks of the intent or intention, resolution
or determination, the object for which something exists or
is done, in other words that which exists or is done with the end
in view, or with a specific end in view, not
something done accidentally, but something done by design.
In other words purpose speaks of doing something or planning something
with a specific result in mind."
And so we see
that when God purposes anything, we must keep in mind His end product., or His specific outcome that He has in mind.
His end view.
Again, the next time we see this word
purpose used is in Romans 9:
17 For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth.
In one instance
we see where God had a purpose to show forth Himself through the apostle Paul as His witness to testify of God's great
Power and Glory. And then in this
scripture we find also God
achieving the same purpose but
with a totally different plan. Here he speaks of a vessel of dishonor, and yet getting
the same result from it. So whether you are ordained to Life or ordained to
condemnation, God will bring about the same result and that is to magnify His
own name above all the earth.
Again we see the purpose of God in Romans 9: 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;)
So we see here
that the purpose of God
stands in election. Now, if you
do not understand what election is, then you will not understand what God's
purpose is either. For he said, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,
but of him that calleth. So we see that election consists of but one thing. God's calling. God's choosing.
It is not anything you
can do but what God has chosen to do even before you came into this
world. Either God chose you in Him before the foundations of the world or He
did not. And if He did not, then no matter how much you claim to be a believer,
no matter how much you can recite the Word of God, no matter how much you do in
His name, it won't do you one lick of God. God's purpose stands in His
election, His Choosing.
Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.
That is where so many do not understand where they are
in Christ. They do not understand that God is Sovereign, and in being
Sovereign He is also Solitary. He does not need
anyone or anything. He has existed for an eternity without anyone, and thus is
in need of anyone else. And being sovereign He answers to no one, and He is
completely independent. Thus God and God alone is Sovereign. He alone is
all knowing, and He alone is all powerful.
Now, to be Sovereign you must be all powerful and all
knowing for if you are not, then the person that is more powerful could
influence you or the person that is more knowledgeable could persuade you
against your own will, and thus you would not be sovereign any longer.
But no one can
persuade God against His purpose. No one can talk God out of His judgment. God
alone is sovereign, and in His sovereignty He has made a choice and
that choice is called His elect. And then God sets that Elect on the path to
its outcome or end. That is God's purpose, that is His plan, and that plan is
called pre-destination. The destination pre-planned. Therefore when we are
talking about the purpose of God we are speaking of His foreknowledge.
Most Christians do not understand the difference
between Foreknowledge, Election and Predestination. Many people today, especially the Fundamentalist and
Evangelical differ greatly on exactly what Election and predestination are all
about.
The main issue however, has not been whether God
predestinates or not, as much as the issue of choice, or rather who makes
the choice. Men want so bad to be in control of their own lives that
they have placed free moral agency as the ultimate in a man's experience with
God. Men, it seems, want the ability to choose God, more than to allow God
to do the choosing Himself. Thus, they try to explain away election by using
foreknowledge of God, as their excuse to place man's ability to choose above
God's Own choice.
Romans 11:33 O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out! 34 For who hath known the
mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it
shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to
whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Now, we are
talking about purpose this morning, but man in his own religious nature wants
to feel that he is doing something for God. Let men tell you something, there
is nothing that you can do for God that is of any good unless it is something
that God has asked you to do. Jesus the Son of God, said, The Son can of Himself do nothing but what
he seeth the Father do, that doeth the Son likewise. John 5:19 and John 5:30.
Today there is a book called "The
Purpose driven life", but it does not speak of God's purpose.
It speaks of you having a purpose. Yet what good is it for you to be purpose
driven if it is not God's purpose that is driving you. That might sound real
good, and that kind of talk can take an ordinary salesman into
an extraordinary salesmen, but God has not called us to be salesmen. He
has called us to be obedient sons.
The Bible teaches us that "it is God working in you to will and to do". Do what? Do His great purpose.
In Isaiah 1: 11 we read, "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the
burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the
blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats." In other words, God is questioning their own
purpose for all their sacrifices. Then God is not interested in what you do but
for what purpose you do. He's interested in motives and objectives. That's it.
And in the Book of 1 Samuel 15: 22 we see where King Saul had disobeyed the command of
the Lord. He was told to destroy everything from a certain place and not to
bring back any spoil, but when he returned from that war, he brought back much
of the spoil along with the King from that country. When Samuel the prophet saw
this he was so angry with Saul for disobeying the Command of God, that he took
the kings own sword and struck off the head of the conquered king, and then
told Saul, "Hath the
LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice
of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the
fat of rams.
Therefore,
that day Saul lost His anointing from God, and God determined to have His
Prophet Samuel anoint another to be King instead of Saul. So let me tell you,
God doesn't care two bits about how much sacrifice you do for him.
If your sacrifice is from your own purpose, and not
from His purpose, then it means nothing to Him. If you go because you want to
do God a service without it being His will, then you go without the
anointing of God upon you. Then you might as well not even go. So much then for a purpose driven life. If it is not God's
purpose driving you, and His will for you to do it, then you had best not go
until he says go. If I had any inkling that God didn't want me to go to these
places He has sent me to, I would not go.
I Corinthians
2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him. 10 But God hath
revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit (God's) searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God. 11 For
what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit
of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God knows. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. 13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is
spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man. 16 For
who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ.
Now, we are
talking about the purpose of God this morning. And yet most people who claim to
be Christian do not even believe in a sovereign God who has a divine purpose.
They say, God being omniscient, and knowing the end from the beginning, knew
who would and who would not and based upon this foreknowledge, God then elects
those to Glory who chose the right thing, and He elects to condemnation those
who do not choose right. In believing this they place man's ability to choose
above God's sovereign will, and thus they fall into error.
The fact that God knows
what you are going to do is because he predestined you to it and ordained that
you go forth and produce fruit.
In fact in John 15:16 we read
Jesus said, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you,
that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain:
that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
God knows your end from your beginning because He
pre-destined your end. That is what the word predestinate means.
It means to pre-destine. To mark out
before hand, your destiny. Therefore, predestination is
the path you are destined to take. And that is what the purpose of God
is all about. Purpose with the end-in-view.
Let's turn to the Word now and examine
the very scriptures that must be relegated to the trash heap in order to prove
free will has anything to do with election.
Now, we ought
to stop right here and rest our case. Either this is meant for all believers or
it is not.
If it is not, then all believers are not expected to
bring forth fruit, and all believers are not entitled to ask the Father in the
name of Jesus and expect to receive what they ask for.
But Jesus is telling us that we did not choose Him
first, He chose us first, and our love toward him, and acceptance of Him, is
only in response to His having first chosen us.
In I
John 4:19, we hear John tell us,
"We love him, because
he first loved us." Now, either
this is true or it is not. Then if this is not true, we must rip it out of our
Bible. And if this passage is in error, then what else is in error. If we
believe God wrote the Word, that His Bible is the Un-adulterated Word of God,
then we must accept what it tells us. Scripture does not fight scripture.
In Deuteronomy 7:6, we read, "For thou [art] an holy people unto
the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the
fewest of all people: 8 But because the
LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your
fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out
of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he
[is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant
and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand
generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to
their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Again we see
that it was not our choosing but God's choosing that is involved here.
In Proverbs 14:12, we read, "There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death".
This scripture tells us that man will try
to choose what seems right, or the way that he believes to be the right way,
but man's choice will always lead to the way of death. Therefore, even in our
choosing, we need a God who will watch over our choices, and help us to make
the right choice.
In Philippians 3:15 we read, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be
thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you."
In the following scriptures we find God
is actively involved with the choices His elect take.
Psalm 37:23 "The
steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way". Here we
find the Hebrew word Kuwn used for
"ordered", and means to set up or establish, to
prepare or arrange. Therefore we see the hand of God actively involved
in the steps of a good man or righteous man.
In Proverbs 16:9 we read, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but
the LORD directeth his steps". Here we find that although a man may contemplate and
even plan his way, yet God has the ultimate say so and will direct the very
footsteps of that man.
Jonah was a classic example of this. The Lord told Him
to do such and such and when Jonah had what he thought was a better plan, God
just took over the situation and produced exactly what He intended to produce.
Jonah had no choice, or at least his choice meant nothing to what God wanted
done. Jonah in running from God's purpose ran right into the plan that God had
for him.
In Jeremiah1:5 we read, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I
ordained thee a prophet unto the nations". Jeremiah could not get away from it if he tried. For
this very reason he was born. That's the purpose of God in election.
We also find in the book of Acts 13:48, And when the Gentiles heard this, they were
glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to
eternal life believed.
If we are to
believe this scripture, then we must acknowledge that all who are ordained to Eternal Life will
believe. Then those who are not
ordained to Life will not believe, and there is your evidence of election.
I Corinthians 2:7 But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory:
Now, look, either God purposed it and ordained it
before the world for our Glory or this scripture is full of lies. Then if God
purposed it and ordained it which means he planned out the way it would happen,
then is God in charge of our destiny or are we in charge of our destiny.
And in the Book of Ephesians 1:4 Paul tells us that even before the worlds were framed
we were chosen in Him, and our destiny was planned out for us. According as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love: 5 Having predestinated us
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will,
Now, if God had
a Word which He ordained before the world began, and if that word was to
produce Glory in a chosen people, or a people of God's choosing, then there had
to be a people in God's mind before the world began who would at the right
season believe this predestinated Word, and receive the glory it was ordained
to produce.
Now, just as there are those who were
ordained to glory and to eternal Life, we also find those who were ordained to
condemnation. Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle
Paul shoots the theory that speaks of free moral agency as the root cause for
election to pieces in Romans chapter 9. Romans 9:11 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; 12
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that wills, nor
of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew
my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on
whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens 19 Thou wilt say then unto
me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay,
of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
Paul makes it
very clear that our election is not up to you or I,
but entirely up to God. He even goes so far to say, So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that sheweth mercy. Now, if it is not him that willeth,
then your will and my will have nothing to do with our election at all. It is
God who either chooses to show mercy or not. Therefore, if your will has
nothing to do with your being elect, then neither does your choice for your
choice is but a reflection of your will. You will and then you choose.
Divine healing
54-1219M 49 Listen. It's not him that wants to get
saved, that's saved. It's him that's saved by God's choice. Esau
wanted to get saved too. He wept bitterly, and couldn't find no
place to repent. He wanted to get saved. It ain't
'cause you want to get saved. God said, "I've hardened who I will harden. I have
mercy on whom I want to have mercy." That's right. He said, "Before Esau or Jacob, either was born, not
knowing right and wrong,"
God said, "I love
Jacob and hate Esau.'"
And Esau tried to get right with God and couldn't. Pharaoh tried to get
right with God and couldn't do it. So it's not you, not what you want.
It's what God has ordained for you to do. That's right. Paul said in the 9th chapter of Romans there, "Hasn't the potter got power over the clay to make an honored
vessel or a dishonored vessel, to show His glory to those who He has honored?"
You didn't know that, did you? That's what the Scripture says. Pharaoh tried
his best to repent. He was kindhearted. He said, "Sure, I'll let you go. Go on." God said, "No, you ain't. I'm
going to harden his heart so you can't do it." 'Cause God's Word
has to be fulfilled. And if we're living in this day when formalities
and things has broken the church down, broke away; why, it's God's Word being
fulfilled. As sure as God said, "These signs would follow them that believe," as sure as God said these churches
would be like they are now, God also said this opposition would meet it.
So the same God that ordained signs and wonders,
ordained that these should be persecuting against It.
Let us pray...