The Casting Vote: Why Your Choice Matters More Than You Think

• Divine Sovereignty and Election [00:09:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that God chose believers before the foundation of the world for adoption, not based on human merit but on His own love and will.
• Christian Responsibility and Witness [00:06:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the story of Esther, the pastor argues that believers cannot remain indifferent to the lost; God places them in specific contexts (like difficult coworkers or neighbors) to share the gospel.
• Predestination vs. Free Will [00:11:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor addresses the theological tension between God's choice and human responsibility, rejecting Calvinist concepts like irresistible grace and limited atonement in favor of a view that affirms both God's sovereignty and human choice.
• Predestination vs. Free Will [00:12:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor rejects double predestination and limited atonement, arguing instead for a balance where God chooses but humans must also choose, using the analogy of an off-ramp to illustrate human agency.
• Universal Atonement [00:13:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asserts that Christ died for the world and all sinners, not just the elect, citing John 3:16 and Romans 5 to support the idea that God loves everyone.
• Adoption as the Purpose of Predestination [00:18:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that the purpose of predestination is adoption into God's family, illustrated by a story about adopted brothers and the pastor's personal experience with his adoptive father.
• The Believer's Role in Evangelism [00:17:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, the pastor argues that God orchestrates events for believers to share the gospel, as angels do not primarily deliver the gospel message.
• God's Love for Believers [00:24:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor concludes that God loves believers as much as He loves Jesus Christ, based on Ephesians 1:6, to encourage confidence in God's affection.
• Adoption and Slavery [00:24:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a slave market to illustrate how Jesus purchased believers not as slaves, but to adopt them as children, moving from bondage to sonship.
• Divine Love and Acceptance [00:25:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asserts that God the Father loves believers as much as He loves Jesus, citing Ephesians 1 and John 17 to counter feelings of unworthiness.
• Substitutionary Atonement [00:26:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the doctrine of substitution, where God treated Jesus as if He had committed all sins, allowing believers to become the righteousness of God.
• Human Fatherhood vs. Heavenly Fatherhood [00:28:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using personal anecdotes about his granddaughters and his own lack of a father, the pastor contrasts earthly fathers (whether absent, cold, or loving) with the perfect, loving nature of God the Father.
• Resistible Grace and Human Choice [00:31:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies that while God chooses, the grace is resistible; individuals must actively choose to open the door to Christ, rejecting the idea of irresistible grace in this context.

• Sermon Illustration [00:00:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of knowing the future to explain how God's foreknowledge influences His choices, noting that if we knew the future, we would make wise choices based on facts.
• Sermon Illustration [00:01:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > He recounts the biblical story of Jesus choosing Simon Peter despite knowing Peter would fail him, illustrating that God sees the 'big picture' and knows the ultimate outcome.
• Sermon Illustration [00:05:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > He tells the story of Esther and Mordecai, where Mordecai stands in sackcloth mourning while Esther lives in luxury, sending her clothes instead of warning her, illustrating the danger of being isolated in a 'Bible bubble' and missing the needs of others.
• Sermon Illustration [00:04:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > He references the modern political situation with Iran threatening Israel, drawing a parallel to Haman's plot to show that threats against God's people are not new.
• Sermon Illustration [00:14:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of driving on a freeway with an 'off ramp' labeled 'whosoever will, let him come' to explain the tension between predestination and free will, where one must choose to take the turn to discover they were 'chosen in Christ.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:19:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > A humorous anecdote about two adopted brothers in Little League who are born two months apart; when the coach asks which one was adopted, they reply they don't know because their father loved them both so much he couldn't remember.
• Sermon Illustration [00:22:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story about being adopted, finding his biological father who had senility, and later reconnecting with his adoptive father, Oscar Laurie, whom he regards as his true dad and to whom he shared the gospel.
• Sermon Illustration [00:23:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy of a slave in a market who is purchased by Jesus at full retail price without bargaining, then taken to the courthouse to be adopted as a child, illustrating the transition from slavery to sin to adoption as a child of God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:17:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > A reference to the biblical story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts, where Philip is directed by an angel to the desert to share the gospel, illustrating that God uses believers to deliver the message rather than sending angels directly.
• Sermon Illustration [00:27:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells a story about his granddaughters Stella and Lucy discussing what age they want to be in heaven. Stella notes that Jesus died at 33 and her father Christopher also died at 33, suggesting a reason. Lucy says she wants to be two because she misses her 'old me.' The pastor uses this to transition into a discussion about earthly fathers versus God the Father.
• Sermon Illustration [00:28:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his own lack of a father ('I didn't have a dad') and references his grandfather Oscar Laurie, using this to empathize with listeners who may have had distant, absent, or cold fathers, contrasting them with God's perfect fatherhood.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a rhetorical analogy of a slave market where Jesus pays 'retail' price for a person without bargaining, then takes them to the courthouse not to enslave them, but to adopt them as a child.

• Pastoral Charge [00:14:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > To choose Jesus Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [00:16:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > To talk to people about Jesus Christ and share the gospel.
• Pastoral Charge [00:31:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > To believe in Jesus Christ immediately as proof of being chosen by God.
• Pastoral Charge [00:31:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > To open the door of one's heart to Jesus and not harden their heart, accepting his forgiveness.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] Why don't we start with a word of prayer?
[00:00:01] Father, we're thankful for your word, because your word is true.
[00:00:06] And in your word, you tell us that you love us.
[00:00:10] And in your word, you tell us that you chose us, and we're thankful for that.
[00:00:15] So Lord, as we open scripture, we ask you to speak to us now, and we ask all of this in Jesus' name, amen.
[00:00:23] The title of my message is Why God Chose You.
[00:00:29] Imagine for a moment if you could know the future.
[00:00:32] You know, if I could have a superpower, I don't know if I would really want this one in particular, but imagine for a moment if you knew the future, you knew everything that was about to happen,
[00:00:45] you knew who would both play in and win the next Super Bowl, you knew how your favorite show was gonna end, you knew who was gonna be elected to office, you knew how the stock market was going to go.
[00:01:00] Okay, if you had this knowledge, do you think it would affect the choices you would make?
[00:01:06] Well, of course it would, because, well, for starters, you would make wise choices based on the facts.
[00:01:12] If you knew that if I walk into the street, a giant truck is coming, you probably wouldn't walk in the street at that moment.
[00:01:19] If you knew the stock market was going a certain direction or which stocks should be bought where you could make the most money, you would probably choose the right stocks, I would think.
[00:01:29] And so, consider this, God knows the future.
[00:01:33] And not only does he know the future, but he has a plan for the future.
[00:01:38] Think about this, when Jesus walked this earth, he knew everything about everyone.
[00:01:43] He had their number, he knew their thoughts.
[00:01:46] In fact, sometimes Jesus would say to people, why are you thinking this in your heart?
[00:01:50] So if you were hanging around Jesus, he could read your mind, so you couldn't even think a bad thought without him knowing about it.
[00:01:56] So he knew all things, and here's what's amazing.
[00:01:59] He chose Simon Peter, and yet he knew that Simon Peter would fail him.
[00:02:04] In fact, Jesus said to Peter, Peter, Peter, Satan has been asking for you to be sifted as wheat, but I have prayed for you that when you fail, you will return again and strengthen your brothers.
[00:02:17] So Jesus was not only predicting the fall of Peter, but he was predicting the return of Peter as well.
[00:02:24] I bring this up because sometimes it looks like God chooses losers, but God knows the big picture and he knew Peter would come around.
[00:02:33] That brings us back to Esther.
[00:02:35] She was chosen by God, handpicked by the Lord to literally not only save her nation, but really in effect to save the Jewish people.
[00:02:46] Now when we last left Esther, a bad moon was rising.
[00:02:51] The villain of the story, Haman, emerges on the scene and now he has come into power, as you recall.
[00:02:59] The king has put him as second in command.
[00:03:03] And not only that, but the king has given to Haman his signet ring.
[00:03:07] That would be like giving someone your credit cards or giving them your passwords.
[00:03:13] Haman had access to all the power of the king and he hatches this wicked plot to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth, why?
[00:03:23] Well as we discovered together, Haman was an avowed enemy of Israel, descended from the Amalekites.
[00:03:32] King Agag was spared and the Agagites were a race of people and Haman was an Agagite so he had a blood feud with Israel and of course our good friend Mordecai and Esther were Jews
[00:03:46] so they would be on his hit list now with this plan.
[00:03:50] Let's look at Esther three, starting in verse five.
[00:03:52] When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.
[00:03:59] He had learned of Mordecai's nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone.
[00:04:05] Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
[00:04:12] Now, that would be the Persian Empire.
[00:04:15] So he's in power, he wants to wipe the Jewish people out, and he gets the king's approval.
[00:04:23] You know, the Jewish people just celebrated Purim.
[00:04:26] Purim, and it's really a celebration of the deliverance of the Jewish people as recorded in the book of Esther.
[00:04:35] And Prime Minister Netanyahu just spoke here in the United States, and he talked about that and talked about a new threat.
[00:04:43] Now it's not Haman, now it's Iran who wants to eradicate Israel.
[00:04:48] Iran, who is literally threatened on multiple occasions to wipe Israel off the face of the map.
[00:04:56] So this is nothing new, these threats against Israel and against the Jewish people in general.
[00:05:02] So Mordecai catches wind of this plot.
[00:05:06] And so he, being a government official himself, sends word to Esther saying, you've got to do something.
[00:05:14] Meanwhile, Esther is living in the literal lap of luxury there in the palace of the king.
[00:05:21] She was secluded and isolated and knew nothing about the plight of her people.
[00:05:26] So Mordecai is standing outside of the walls of the palace covered in sackcloth.
[00:05:33] He's in mourning because of this threat against the Jews and someone notices him and says, hey, Esther, your cousin's outside not dressed very well.
[00:05:42] He looks pretty unhappy.
[00:05:44] She says, well, send him some new clothes.
[00:05:46] And they send him some clothes.
[00:05:48] Talk about missing the point altogether.
[00:05:51] And so now Mordecai needs to tell Esther what's really coming down.
[00:05:56] And I have to say, this reminds me a little bit of some people in the church.
[00:06:00] You know, we can be isolated in our little Bible bubble and our holy huddle, and we don't really care all that much about people that don't know the Lord.
[00:06:11] We're thinking, well, that's their problem.
[00:06:13] Why should I put a door hanger on their door?
[00:06:16] Why should I give them an invitation?
[00:06:17] I know where I'm going to church Easter Sunday.
[00:06:20] I know I'm saved.
[00:06:21] I know where I'm going when I die.
[00:06:24] Yeah, but wait.
[00:06:25] You can't just stand around in indifference while people are dying without God.
[00:06:31] God has put you where you are for such a time as this, just as surely as God put Esther where she was for such a time as this.
[00:06:40] Remember, cousin Mordecai said to Esther, when she went into the palace as the new queen, he said, don't tell anyone you're Jewish.
[00:06:49] But now he's saying, it's time to step up your game.
[00:06:51] You need to play your hand and declare who you are and do something to save your people.
[00:06:58] That brings us to Esther chapter four.
[00:07:00] Look at verse 13.
[00:07:01] Mordecai said to Esther, don't think for a moment that because you're in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews are killed.
[00:07:10] If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.
[00:07:19] But who knows if perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this.
[00:07:26] Very interesting statement that Mordecai makes to Esther.
[00:07:31] Here's what we need to remember.
[00:07:33] God does not need us.
[00:07:36] And sometimes I've heard people say, God needs us.
[00:07:38] The reason God created humanity is because he was lonely up there in heaven and wanted some companionship.
[00:07:45] Nonsense.
[00:07:46] God doesn't need anything or anyone.
[00:07:48] But having said that, it is true that God wants us.
[00:07:53] It is true that God loves us.
[00:07:55] It is true that he longs for relationship and friendship with us.
[00:08:01] Now, here's the question.
[00:08:03] Can God reach lost people without us?
[00:08:06] Can he?
[00:08:07] Yes.
[00:08:08] But does he want to reach lost people without us?
[00:08:11] No.
[00:08:12] Because the Bible says, how will they hear?
[00:08:14] Without a preacher.
[00:08:16] And how will they preach?
[00:08:17] Unless they are sent.
[00:08:19] How beautiful are the feet of those that bring good tidings of peace.
[00:08:24] So here's what Mordecai is saying to Esther.
[00:08:26] Girl, listen.
[00:08:27] If you don't act on this, God will raise up somebody else, Don't think you're off the hook here because you'll die along with the rest of your fellow Jews.
[00:08:38] But did it ever occur to you that you were where you are because God put you there?
[00:08:43] I mean, did it ever occur to you that cranky neighbor, that difficult to deal with coworker, that person that you come into contact with on a regular basis could be your mission field?
[00:08:56] Did you ever stop and think about praying for that person by name and praying for an opportunity to engage them in a conversation to lead them to Christ.
[00:09:06] And so she was chosen by God and we've been chosen by God.
[00:09:11] That brings us to Ephesians.
[00:09:13] Pop over there really quick, Ephesians chapter one.
[00:09:15] Why did God choose us?
[00:09:17] How many of you believe you've been chosen by God?
[00:09:19] Raise your hand up, that's good.
[00:09:21] Why do you think God chose you?
[00:09:23] Well here's the answer in Ephesians one, verse four.
[00:09:26] just as he chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption, you might underline those words, adoption, to adoption,
[00:09:40] as sons by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
[00:09:47] Listen to this, before the world was made, before sin came in, God chose you to be with him through all eternity.
[00:09:55] You say, but how do you know that?
[00:09:57] Because Jesus said, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.
[00:10:03] Now the question that comes to our minds when we read that is, well, but why?
[00:10:07] Why would God choose me?
[00:10:09] What goodness or merit did God see in me that he would choose me as his child?
[00:10:16] I hope you're not disappointed by my answer.
[00:10:18] None.
[00:10:20] There was no goodness.
[00:10:21] There was no merit.
[00:10:23] It's not even because you were lovable.
[00:10:26] The fact is, he chose you despite you, despite your sinfulness, despite my shortcomings, he chose us.
[00:10:37] Despite our high opinions that we hold of ourselves, God's choosing had nothing to do with our value per se.
[00:10:45] It was based on his love.
[00:10:47] Why did God choose us?
[00:10:48] The answer is the same reason he chose the nation Israel.
[00:10:52] The Lord said to Israel, he didn't set his love upon them or choose them because they were more in number than other people, for they were the fewest.
[00:11:00] The Lord chose them because he loved them.
[00:11:03] That's why he chose Israel, that's why he chose you, because he loved you and he loves you.
[00:11:10] You say, but I don't understand that.
[00:11:12] Well, join the club, who understands it?
[00:11:14] Just rejoice in it.
[00:11:15] And that brings up the subject of predestination.
[00:11:19] And by the way, the greatest theological minds have grappled with predestination for hundreds of years, and I'm gonna settle it right here, right now.
[00:11:28] Because I have it all figured out.
[00:11:30] No, I'm just kidding, I don't.
[00:11:33] But I'll take my best shot at how I see it.
[00:11:36] It's been said, quote, try to explain election, that's predestination, another word for it, try to explain election and you may lose your mind, try to explain it away and you may lose your soul, end quote.
[00:11:49] So how does God predestine us?
[00:11:52] How does he choose us?
[00:11:53] What is the basis for that choice?
[00:11:56] Some who would identify themselves as Calvinists or being reformed would say it's irresistible grace.
[00:12:04] Irresistible grace is the teaching that no matter what you think, you cannot resist the grace of God.
[00:12:12] It's a done deal, it's decided in eternity, irresistible grace.
[00:12:16] You couldn't say no even if you wanted to.
[00:12:19] By the way, I disagree with that.
[00:12:20] And then there's even what might be described as double predestination, which means God has chosen that certain people go to heaven and certain people go to hell.
[00:12:31] He's chosen it.
[00:12:32] You have no choice in the matter.
[00:12:34] God just decided on whatever basis he chose.
[00:12:38] You're going to heaven, heaven, hell, hell.
[00:12:41] That's not personal, by the way.
[00:12:42] I don't mean any more, but hell, hell, heaven, heaven.
[00:12:45] I reject this teaching completely, by the way.
[00:12:51] And a part of this is also limited atonement, which means Christ only died for the elect.
[00:12:56] In other words, Jesus only died for the ones that he predestined, he only died for the chosen ones, you have nothing to say in the matter.
[00:13:05] Now listen, this is incorrect, because the Bible clearly says that God loves the world.
[00:13:13] Christ did not just die for the elect, he died for the world, all sinners.
[00:13:18] because Jesus said for God so loved what?
[00:13:21] The world that he gave his only begotten son.
[00:13:25] Over in Romans 5, six to eight, it says when we were without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly.
[00:13:33] Doesn't say he died for only the elect.
[00:13:35] For scarcely for a righteous man one will die.
[00:13:38] Perhaps for a good man some would dare to die, but God demonstrated his love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
[00:13:47] Now whether you like it or not, the Bible teaches both predestination and free will.
[00:13:54] The Bible teaches that God chose you, but it also tells you that you must choose him.
[00:14:00] It's sort of like this, you're in your car, you're cruising down the freeway of life, and there's an off ramp.
[00:14:05] And the off ramp says whosoever will, let him come.
[00:14:09] And you've had a lot of people tell you they've pulled off in that off ramp and it's changed their life and you just don't wanna break your routine.
[00:14:16] But week after week, month after month, you go out by that off ramp and you go, what's going on over there?
[00:14:20] I wonder if I should take that turn and see what's going on.
[00:14:23] Whosoever will, let him come.
[00:14:25] So one day you pull your car off the off ramp, you park it, you get out and there's a door.
[00:14:29] Whosoever will, let him come.
[00:14:31] You open the door, you walk in, you shut the door behind you, and on the other side of the door it's written, chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world.
[00:14:40] How do you know if you're chosen by God?
[00:14:42] Believe in Jesus Christ and you'll prove that you were.
[00:14:45] How do you find out if you're not chosen?
[00:14:47] Don't believe.
[00:14:48] It's really, in many ways, up to you.
[00:14:52] You have a role to play in all of this.
[00:14:56] You see, you choose.
[00:14:57] So will you choose him?
[00:14:59] Spurgeon said, it's a good thing God chose me before I was born, because if he had waited until afterwards, it would have changed his mind.
[00:15:08] But Spurgeon was saying that tongue-in-cheek, which means he meant it sarcastically.
[00:15:14] The fact is, God knew exactly who you were.
[00:15:18] D.L. Moody, the great evangelist, put it this way, quote, the whosoever wills are the elect.
[00:15:24] The whosoever won'ts are the non-elect, end quote.
[00:15:28] It's not as though God predestined some people to heaven and predestined others to hell.
[00:15:34] He wants all to believe, and you could look at it this way.
[00:15:37] God predestines every person to be saved.
[00:15:41] In effect, the devil predestines every person to be damned.
[00:15:45] Man has the casting vote.
[00:15:48] You decide where you will spend eternity.
[00:15:51] But when you make that decision and follow Christ, you prove you were chosen.
[00:15:55] You say, Greg, you've just confused me even more.
[00:15:58] I know, I didn't say I would make it make sense.
[00:16:01] I'll just take a shot at it.
[00:16:03] But here's what it comes down to.
[00:16:05] Sometimes people get so wound up in sort of reformed thinking, that they can't even say to a person, God loves you.
[00:16:14] Because they think, well, what if I say God loves you to one of the non-elect who's been predestined to hell?
[00:16:19] So I can't just say God loves you.
[00:16:21] Well, any theology that would stop you from saying to a non-believer God loves you, any theology that would stop you from sharing the gospel is a false theology.
[00:16:33] Because biblical theology says to share the gospel.
[00:16:38] And we just celebrated the life of a man who dedicated everything to that, Billy Graham, sharing the gospel.
[00:16:45] And as I pointed out, the greatest tribute we could pay to Billy is do what Billy did.
[00:16:50] And what did Billy do?
[00:16:52] He talked to people about Jesus Christ.
[00:16:56] That was his passion, and he gave them an opportunity to believe.
[00:17:01] So Esther had a choice.
[00:17:03] She could just sit in luxury and forget about the problems of the world, or she could put it all on the line and act.
[00:17:11] And we have a choice, too.
[00:17:13] We don't have to share our faith.
[00:17:14] God can save people without us.
[00:17:17] There's a story in the book of Acts about a guy from Ethiopia that went to Jerusalem searching for God.
[00:17:23] Remember that story?
[00:17:24] He didn't find God.
[00:17:26] He did get a copy of the scripture, Isaiah.
[00:17:29] And by the way, back in those days, with no printing presses, that was quite a gift they gave to him, but it was probably because he was a foreign dignitary.
[00:17:37] hand lettered by a scribe, the scroll of Isaiah.
[00:17:42] So he's reading it, trying to figure it out, leaving Jerusalem on his way back home.
[00:17:48] And meanwhile, the Lord speaks to a guy named Philip and says, go to the desert.
[00:17:53] And when Philip goes to the desert in obedience and he sees the men from Ethiopia and his entourage and Philip engages them with the gospel.
[00:18:01] But it's interesting, an angel of the Lord told Philip to go to the desert to talk to this man.
[00:18:07] Why didn't the angel of the Lord just go directly to the man from Ethiopia and give him the gospel?
[00:18:12] Because the job of angels is not primarily to deliver the gospel.
[00:18:15] That's our job.
[00:18:17] That's what we're supposed to do.
[00:18:18] So God will orchestrate events and put things in place so you can have those opportunities to lead people to Jesus Christ.
[00:18:28] So yes, the Bible is filled with a call of God to non-believers to believe.
[00:18:34] As Jesus said in John 11, 26, whoever lives and believes in him will never die.
[00:18:41] Romans 10, 13, whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
[00:18:45] So the call and the appeal is there.
[00:18:49] Okay, so we're predestined, but what are we predestined for?
[00:18:54] You know what amazes me?
[00:18:55] People will argue about how we're predestined or why we're predestined, but they won't stop and think about what is the purpose of being predestined, The answer is right here, Ephesians 1.5.
[00:19:07] He predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.
[00:19:15] Listen to this.
[00:19:16] God predestined you to be adopted into his family as his very child.
[00:19:22] That's why he did it, because he loved you and he wanted to adopt you.
[00:19:27] I heard the story of two brothers who were signing up for Little League.
[00:19:32] They were to write down their birth dates, which they did, but the coach noticed they were both born on the same year, but they were born two months apart.
[00:19:41] He said, wait, I'm a little confused about you two brothers.
[00:19:44] How can you be brothers and both be born on the same year a few months apart?
[00:19:49] And one of the boys said, we're adopted.
[00:19:51] The coach said, oh, which one of you was adopted?
[00:19:55] They both said in unison, we don't know.
[00:19:58] What do you mean you don't know?
[00:19:59] How can you not know which one of you was adopted?
[00:20:02] He said, well, our dad said to us, he loved us both so much he couldn't remember which one was adopted.
[00:20:09] I told that story to my wife and she said, how could a father be so stupid?
[00:20:13] I said, you're missing the point.
[00:20:17] It's because the father loved the boys, both, and we've been adopted into God's family.
[00:20:23] Notice the verse says, in verse five, according to his good pleasure, that we're predestined to adoption by the pleasure of his will.
[00:20:33] God is happy to have done this for us.
[00:20:37] You know, when you have kids, how many of you have children?
[00:20:40] Raise your hand if you can.
[00:20:41] How many of you have grandchildren?
[00:20:43] Raise your hand.
[00:20:44] It's different when you have grandchildren, isn't it?
[00:20:46] You know, because the role of a parent is to raise a child, to be responsible, to teach them what right and wrong are, to help them develop a work ethic, most importantly, to show them
[00:20:59] on how to have faith in Jesus Christ.
[00:21:01] The role of a grandparent is to fill the child with sugar, give them toys, have fun with them.
[00:21:08] I'm exaggerating, but the point is that a grandparent can be more indulgent than a parent can be.
[00:21:15] It's sort of the reward we get for parenting, and it's a punishment on our children for the misery they brought us, because we return their child to them full of sugar, right?
[00:21:28] But you know, I do things for my grandkids because I want to.
[00:21:32] Because I know always with the parents, it's do your homework, go to bed, brush your teeth.
[00:21:37] So I come to them and say, who wants to go get ice cream and buy a toy?
[00:21:42] Well, they like that idea.
[00:21:44] That's my good pleasure.
[00:21:46] I enjoy that because I enjoy seeing them have a good time.
[00:21:50] I figure, you know what, they have enough responsibilities, and it's not like I only fill them with sugar.
[00:21:56] We have wonderful talks together about a lot of wonderful things, but we have good food while we're doing it as well, you know?
[00:22:02] But the idea is that this is my good pleasure, and it's God's good pleasure when he adopted us into his family.
[00:22:11] I mean, think about that adoption.
[00:22:13] I don't know about you, but I was adopted.
[00:22:15] That's where I got my name, Laurie.
[00:22:18] I never knew my biological father.
[00:22:20] In fact, I found out later in life that the guy my mom told me was my dad was in fact not my dad at all.
[00:22:28] And so I did track down my biological father years later after my mother had died.
[00:22:35] The problem was he had, senility was setting in, and he didn't remember my mother, he didn't really know who I was, and so it was a little underwhelming to say the least.
[00:22:47] But the one man of all of my mother's husbands, and she had seven, and a lot of boyfriends in between, the one man that treated me like a father should treat a son was a gentleman named Oscar Laurie.
[00:22:59] And he cared for me and he disciplined me and he tried to teach me right from wrong.
[00:23:04] And it was heartbreaking to me when I as a little boy was taken away from him because I always regarded him as my dad.
[00:23:11] And one of my great joys in life is I was able to go back to the east coast where he lived and track him down in my young adult years when I was just starting to pastor
[00:23:21] and I was able to share the gospel with him and lead him to Christ.
[00:23:25] So that was a great joy to say thank you for what you did for me.
[00:23:30] And now let me sort of return the favor a little bit.
[00:23:33] But the Lord put that all together.
[00:23:35] But to be adopted is a great thing because you're really chosen.
[00:23:40] You're chosen by the person, by the parents.
[00:23:42] And God has chosen us to be his adopted children.
[00:23:47] I mean, the Bible uses different pictures to describe us.
[00:23:50] We're like a slave out in the open market.
[00:23:53] And that's why the Bible says you've not received the spirit of bondage, like a slave, but one of adoption, whereby you cry, Abba, Father.
[00:24:02] So here's the picture.
[00:24:03] You're in the slave market, you're chained up.
[00:24:06] No one's bidding on you, no one wants you.
[00:24:09] And Jesus comes in and says, I'll take this one and I'll pay retail.
[00:24:14] He doesn't even bargain for you.
[00:24:16] You're so grateful to have been purchased.
[00:24:18] He looks like you'll be a nice master.
[00:24:20] He says, okay, I'm your new master.
[00:24:21] That's wonderful, Master, I'll follow you wherever you want me to go.
[00:24:25] Okay, good, let's go to the courthouse.
[00:24:27] Why?
[00:24:27] Because I'm now adopting you as my child.
[00:24:30] That's what God did for us.
[00:24:32] He took us out of the slavery of sin and adopted us as his own child.
[00:24:38] That's why we have so much to be thankful for.
[00:24:41] We were chosen by him.
[00:24:44] And here's something amazing.
[00:24:45] Look at verse six of Ephesians one.
[00:24:47] To the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved.
[00:24:54] I wanna tell you something that may blow your mind right now.
[00:24:58] I'll start with a question.
[00:24:59] How many of you believe that God the Father loves God the Son?
[00:25:03] Raise your hand up.
[00:25:04] You believe he loves the Son.
[00:25:05] Okay, now, here's something I'm gonna tell you.
[00:25:09] God the Father in heaven loves you as much as he loves Jesus Christ, his Son.
[00:25:16] Did you know that?
[00:25:18] So don't ever doubt that God loves you.
[00:25:20] You say, well, what is that based on?
[00:25:22] Well, that's based on the statement of the Lord himself in what is the real Lord's Prayer, found in John chapter 17, verse 22.
[00:25:31] He says to the Father, may they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
[00:25:44] Look, I stand accepted in the beloved.
[00:25:47] The Bible says, what does that mean?
[00:25:49] I stand in Christ, so stop with the I'm not worthy, I don't deserve it.
[00:25:54] You never deserved it, you'll never be worthy.
[00:25:57] Bottom line, God chose you, God forgave you, God adopted you, and you stand in Christ, loved as much as the Father loves his own Son.
[00:26:10] On the cross, God treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though he committed none of them.
[00:26:22] Let me say that again.
[00:26:23] On the cross, God the Father treated Jesus as if he had personally committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though he never committed any of them.
[00:26:38] That's called the doctrine of substitution.
[00:26:41] Listen, he died in our place, our substitute.
[00:26:45] God punished Jesus as though he lived your life that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
[00:26:54] So he gave his life for my life.
[00:26:57] And that is why I have this position with God.
[00:27:00] Jesus lived to the age of 33 years old.
[00:27:04] Why did he live here on this earth 33 years old?
[00:27:07] Jesus could have done everything he came to do, literally, over the weekend.
[00:27:12] He could have just descended from heaven, Died on the cross, rose from the dead, done deal.
[00:27:18] You're all good.
[00:27:19] But he walked among us as a man for all those years before he began his public ministry, which was relatively short.
[00:27:27] Why did he do it?
[00:27:28] Because he lived a perfect life.
[00:27:30] He was righteous in every way, and he passed every single test.
[00:27:36] 33 years old.
[00:27:38] My granddaughter Stella and Lucy were talking to me a while ago, and they said, Papa, that's what they call me, How old do you wanna be when you're in heaven?
[00:27:47] You know, people ask, how old will we be in heaven?
[00:27:49] It's like, you know, if you make it to 99, do you wanna be 99 in heaven?
[00:27:55] Probably not, right?
[00:27:56] Do you wanna be three in heaven?
[00:27:58] Probably not.
[00:27:59] So I said, I don't know, I say 33, that's a good age.
[00:28:04] And I said, by the way, that was the age of Jesus.
[00:28:07] And then my granddaughter Stella said, well, that was the age of my daddy Christopher who's in heaven, our son Christopher who went to be with the Lord when he was 33 years old.
[00:28:17] And then she thought about it for a moment, said, hmm, there must have been a reason.
[00:28:21] I thought that was interesting.
[00:28:23] And then Lucy said to me, I wanna be two when I'm in heaven.
[00:28:30] I said, you wanna be two?
[00:28:32] Why do you wanna be two?
[00:28:33] She said, because I miss the old me.
[00:28:38] That's Lucy and Stella in a nutshell, right there.
[00:28:41] Those comments.
[00:28:45] and I'm not trying to be a psychologist here for a moment, but I don't know what kind of dad you had.
[00:28:51] I already told you I didn't have a dad, so I had no point of reference to speak of, except for Oscar Laurie, which was pretty short-lived, actually.
[00:28:59] But maybe when you think of a father, you had a distant father, an uncommunicative father, maybe an absent father, maybe a cold father.
[00:29:10] Then again, maybe you had a super affectionate father, a loving father, a nurturing, supportive father, I don't know, but whatever father you had on this earth, I just want you to know that your father in heaven
[00:29:22] is better, even if you had an awesome dad.
[00:29:26] Or maybe you had, yeah, it's true.
[00:29:32] Maybe you had a horrible dad, I don't know, but your father in heaven is perfect, and he loves you, and you've been made accepted in him.
[00:29:40] Listen, God put you are for a reason.
[00:29:44] God has a plan for your life.
[00:29:46] God put Esther where she was for a reason.
[00:29:50] We need to find that reason, and we need to do what we can to bring honor and glory for the Lord.
[00:29:56] There's two things we can do with our lives.
[00:29:59] We can chase after the empty promises of this world and just waste them, and many do.
[00:30:05] They waste their entire life.
[00:30:07] Or you can say, I want God's will.
[00:30:11] I want to discover God's plan.
[00:30:13] I wanna take the position he's given to me, whatever it is, wherever it is, and leverage it and use it for his glory.
[00:30:22] Let me close with this.
[00:30:24] How do you know if you're chosen by God?
[00:30:28] Well, as I said earlier, believe in Jesus Christ and you'll prove that you are.
[00:30:34] Now, I would assume everybody here would already be a Christian, but I don't think we should always assume that, Because it's possible there's someone here who has never asked Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sin.
[00:30:48] It's possible that one of you is here at this study and you're thinking, I'm not really sure if my sin is forgiven.
[00:30:55] I mean, I want to think that, but I'm not sure of it, but I would like to be.
[00:31:00] Listen, remember this, Jesus died on the cross for your sin and he rose again from the dead and now he stands at the door of your life and he knocks and he says, if you'll hear his voice
[00:31:12] and open the door, he will come in.
[00:31:15] Doesn't say it's all predetermined and you have nothing to say about it.
[00:31:20] You can open the door or you cannot open the door.
[00:31:23] Yes, he can be resisted.
[00:31:25] It's not an irresistible grace, it is a resistible grace.
[00:31:29] That is why the Bible says harden not your heart if you can hear his voice.
[00:31:34] So you do have a choice in the matter, a big choice.
[00:31:37] But if you wanna prove you're chosen by God, I urge you to believe in Jesus Christ right now.
[00:31:44] And if you're not sure that you do, I'd like to give you an opportunity to as we bow our heads in prayer.
[00:31:50] Let's all bow our heads right now, everybody praying.
[00:31:52] Father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for each of our sins.
[00:32:02] And he paid the price for our sin.
[00:32:06] He stood in the gap for each and every one of us, And Lord, we are so thankful for that.
[00:32:12] And then he rose again from the dead.
[00:32:15] And now Lord, we know that you offer your forgiveness to anyone who would believe.
[00:32:19] So I pray now for anybody here, anybody watching or listening, wherever they are, if they don't know you yet, help them to come to you, help them to believe in you, now we ask.
[00:32:32] Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed, and we're praying, is there someone here that would say, I'm not sure if my sin is forgiven.
[00:32:42] I don't know absolutely that I will go to heaven when I die.
[00:32:47] I wanna be certain that my life is right with God.
[00:32:51] I wanna know that my sin is forgiven.
[00:32:54] If that's you, if you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sin, or if you've fallen away from the Lord and you need to come back to him again,
[00:33:04] just pray this prayer with me right now.
[00:33:06] just pray this simple prayer.
[00:33:08] Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but I know you're the Savior who died on the cross for me and rose again from the dead.
[00:33:19] Lord, I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and my Lord, as my God and my friend.
[00:33:29] In Jesus' name I pray, amen.