23-0903a Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:07) Good morning church and those that may be visiting, those who may be on the phone this morning, pray that what we say and do will be encouragement to you. This lesson that I’m going to give, first of all, I’m going to give (1:39) a personal message to myself as well as to you, (1:52) and it’s going to be one that’s more of an elementary, if you please, lesson. (2:04) Some of it will get a little big toward the end.

(2:09) But this morning is going to be more of an elementary type lesson. (2:22) And we have been hearing lessons that bear more upon solid food, (2:36) because most of us are Christians and we know or should know what the Bible says. (2:52) But this morning I want to deal with this lesson.

(3:02) Years ago I heard a song that, I don’t know if this is the title of the song, (3:14) but the lyrics are within the song. (3:19) But it says, I want my Lord to be satisfied with me. (3:28) And I, when I was listening to that, it came to my mind, (3:42) maybe that should be, the Lord wants me to be satisfied with Him.

(3:54) And so we’re going to look at that in a few minutes. (3:59) But why should I be satisfied with Him? (4:05) Let’s look at 1 Peter 1, the first chapter, (4:15) and look at verse, beginning with verse 18 and going through 21. (4:24) Well let me read 17.

(4:28) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, (4:38) conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, (4:44) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, (4:52) like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct, (4:58) received by traditions from your fathers, (5:01) but with the precious blood of Christ, (5:05) as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (5:10) He indeed, that is Christ, (5:15) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, (5:23) that was manifest in these last times for you, (5:29) who through Him believed in God, (5:32) who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, (5:38) so that your faith and hope in God are in God. (5:46) I should be satisfied with Him because He has my salvation (5:54) as well as the world’s salvation in mind.

(6:00) He was thinking of this even before foundations of the world were created. (6:12) He prepared the earth for man, (6:14) but He also knew that He was going to give man the opportunity of making the choice (6:25) to obey His word or not to obey His word. (6:37) In this world today, we’ve got people that seemingly just doesn’t regard God, (6:47) doesn’t want to even hear of God.

(6:53) They are against Him and what He has to say. (7:03) But since God through Jesus and His blood saves me, (7:16) I ought to be satisfied with God. (7:20) And if I am satisfied with God, (7:24) I will seek to please Him.

(7:30) And I appreciate Scott reading the Hebrews 11.6. (7:40) It says, (7:41) For without faith it is impossible to please God. (7:48) For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, (7:54) and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. (8:02) First of all, He tells me how I should please Him.

(8:11) I should please Him through believing, (8:17) believing Him and believing that He is. (8:27) And now how am I to believe in Him? (8:34) I am to believe Him by hearing the word of God, (8:45) by hearing Him, Jesus. (8:50) In Matthew 17 verse 5, (8:55) this is where Jesus is on the Mount of Transfiguration.

(9:03) And He has Peter, James, and John with Him. (9:08) And Moses and Elijah, He was transformed, (9:12) and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. (9:18) And really not knowing what to say, (9:26) Peter says, (9:27) Lord, it is good that we are here.

(9:35) Let us make three tabernacles, (9:38) one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for you. (9:45) But a cloud appeared, (9:47) and a voice from heaven said, (9:50) This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (9:55) Hear ye Him.

(10:00) In other words, they have been listening to Moses. (10:06) They have had Moses' law. (10:10) They have listened to the prophet Elijah.

(10:15) They have listened to them. (10:22) But now God is saying, (10:25) You listen to Jesus, (10:27) my Son, in whom I am well pleased. (10:37) We learn that Jesus is called the Word.

(10:43) But in Romans 10, 17, (10:47) we learn that faith comes by hearing, (10:51) and hearing by the word of God. (10:56) So the first thing that I need to do is to hear God. (11:06) And then when I hear God, I hear His Son.

(11:13) I need to believe His Son. (11:19) I need to believe who He is. (11:25) John 6, 28.

(11:29) In the Gospel of John, (11:32) the people were there on occasion with Him, (11:38) and they asked Him. (11:43) And He was talking about His works. (11:49) And though they really didn’t even believe Him, (11:57) even through the works, (12:01) but they asked Him, (12:05) What shall we do? (12:07) This is verse 28 in John 6. (12:13) Then they said to Him, (12:14) What shall we do that we may work the works of God? (12:19) Jesus answered and said to them, (12:23) This is the work of God, (12:25) that you believe in Him whom He sent.

(12:30) But no. (12:33) And further in John 8, 24, (12:38) Jesus said, I tell you, (12:41) except you believe that I am He, (12:48) you shall die in your sins. (12:53) So it takes faith.

(12:58) There are those that clamor for faith only, belief only. (13:06) All you have to do is just believe. (13:09) Accept Christ in your heart.

(13:15) But they say that even further than this, (13:19) that it’s works, (13:23) but it’s not faith only. (13:29) Yes, we ought to believe. (13:31) The next thing that we should do, (13:37) come to a realization (13:40) that sin separates us from God.

(13:44) And if we are in sin, (13:48) we need to turn from sin. (13:51) We need to repent. (13:54) We need to, that is, (13:56) change our mind about sinning.

(14:02) Jesus said in Luke 13, 3, (14:07) and also in verse 5, (14:09) I tell you, except you repent, (14:13) you shall all likewise perish. (14:17) So either we repent or we perish. (14:25) Jesus said in Matthew 10, verses 32 and 33, (14:31) Whosoever confesses me before him, (14:35) him will I confess before my Father, (14:38) which is in heaven.

(14:41) But if anyone denies me on earth, (14:49) him will I deny before my Father, (14:53) which is in heaven. (14:54) We need them to believe from the heart. (15:01) We need to really be persuaded (15:05) in each individual’s mind (15:11) that we are persuaded (15:14) that Jesus is the Son of God.

(15:19) We need to confess him. (15:23) Now, the hearing, the believing, (15:26) the repenting and the confessing (15:29) needs to go on throughout our lives. (15:33) We need these.

(15:36) And we’ve got one more step (15:37) in order to get into salvation. (15:42) To be saved. (15:45) In Matthew 28, verses 18-20, (15:54) Jesus issues what is called (15:57) the Great Commission.

(16:03) And he tells them, (16:08) beginning in verse 18, (16:11) this is after he resurrected from the grave. (16:18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, (16:21) All authority has been given to me (16:24) in heaven and on earth. (16:28) Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, (16:33) baptizing them in the name of the Father (16:36) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (16:40) teaching them to observe all things (16:43) that I have commanded you, (16:45) and, Lord, I am with you always, (16:49) even unto the end of the age.

(16:54) In Mark 16, verses 15 and 16, (17:02) he tells his disciples in this passage (17:07) that he tells them to go and preach the gospel (17:11) to every creature. (17:14) He that believes and is baptized (17:19) shall be saved. (17:23) He that believes not shall be condemned.

(17:29) Well, you know, that is about as plain (17:32) as anybody can make it. (17:35) I don’t know why people want to stumble (17:38) over that statement. (17:43) It’s so plain.

(17:45) Yet I hear people say, (17:47) Well, I don’t see that. (17:50) I don’t know what’s there that you can’t see. (17:55) But he says, (17:57) He that believes and is baptized (17:59) shall be saved.

(18:02) When I was teaching the teen class, (18:06) when I was teaching that, (18:08) and I was on this particular passage, (18:16) I said, It’s just, it’s simple. (18:19) I said, You take a mathematical problem, (18:24) any problem, any number that you add together, (18:30) when you add those numbers together, (18:33) you get one answer. (18:37) But you take any one of them away, (18:44) you’re not going to get the answer.

(18:47) And the sum of that problem (18:52) is not going to be different. (18:55) It’s not going to come up as different things. (18:57) It’s only got one answer.

(19:00) We add 2 plus 3 and say equals 5. (19:07) You take away the 3, (19:09) you only got the 2. (19:12) You don’t have 5. (19:14) If you take away the 2 and you got the 3, (19:19) you don’t have 5. (19:21) You don’t end up with 5. (19:25) And that’s the same way here. (19:27) He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. (19:34) Well, whosoever calleth on God shall be saved.

(19:43) You know, that is structured just the same as Mark 16, 16. (19:55) Notice that. (19:56) He that calleth on God shall be saved.

(20:01) He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. (20:07) Don’t you know that when we believe and are baptized, (20:16) that we are calling on God? (20:19) We’re calling on Him. (20:22) We’re relying on Him.

(20:28) But any of these that I mentioned, (20:32) hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and baptized, (20:37) if we take these away, (20:40) we cannot come into salvation. (20:44) We must have all of these in order to come into salvation, (20:52) which is in Christ. (20:55) As it says in Romans 3, 6, or in Romans 6 and verse 3, (21:07) that we are baptized into Christ, (21:12) and He is where the salvation is.

(21:17) And baptism puts us in there, (21:19) but it’s not just baptism only. (21:22) It’s not faith only. (21:25) It’s all of these together.

(21:30) Right there, to come into salvation, (21:35) we must stay in salvation. (21:40) We must continue in. (21:42) Notice that in Matthew 28, (21:48) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, (21:52) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son (21:58) and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them.

(22:02) We continue to teach those who are in, (22:09) to observe all things that I have commanded you. (22:14) And, Lord, I am with you always, (22:17) even to the end of the age. (22:20) So if I’m satisfied with the Lord, (22:26) I will most certainly seek to follow His plan of salvation.

(22:32) This salvation that He purposefully planned for me (22:40) even before He created the world. (22:49) And if I am satisfied with the Lord, (22:58) I will seek Him diligently. (23:03) It’s not going to be half-hearted.

(23:06) It’s not going to be…​ (23:09) It’s going to be wholeheartedly. (23:13) Now, I know that as time goes on through our lives, (23:20) we stumble, we fall, (23:25) we say things we ought not, (23:27) we do things we shouldn’t, (23:32) we omit things that we ought to say and do. (23:37) I’m right in there with you.

(23:44) But I certainly seek to know God (23:51) and to know and seek Him diligently. (23:59) And Matthew 6.33 says, (24:04) and Jesus is telling these in the Sermon on the Mount, (24:12) that they shouldn’t worry about what they should wear (24:17) and what they should eat. (24:21) That, you know, He knows about these things that they need.

(24:26) He said, (24:27) Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (24:33) and all these things shall be added unto you. (24:40) And yes, this seeking should be diligent. (24:46) We just don’t look at what’s on the page in the Bible (24:52) or go into a room and look for something (24:58) and we don’t see it’s there.

(25:03) We just say, well, it’s not here, (25:07) and then go out of the room. (25:10) No, we search for it. (25:14) We check everywhere, (25:20) any place that could have whatever we are looking for.

(25:26) We search for it. (25:28) It’s that diligence in seeking God, (25:33) seeking His kingdom. (25:35) That’s His church.

(25:37) And if I am satisfied with my Lord, (25:41) I will do that. (25:43) I will seek His kingdom and His righteousness. (25:50) As Scott said when he was up there, (25:55) he said that it’s not our righteousness of marriage that saves us, (26:09) it’s His righteousness that saves us.

(26:15) It’s His righteousness that we should depend upon. (26:23) But now, I know that in this, (26:29) yes, it’s elementary. (26:31) These are those things that one must do (26:37) in order to arrive at salvation (26:42) and things he must do to stay in salvation.

(26:50) So, I want to say now, (26:53) I’m going to offer the invitation. (26:57) Now, if anyone needs to respond to the gospel invitation, (27:04) we urge you to do so at this time (27:08) while we stand and sing.