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So, next question is around, 
like, what is hyper-Calvinism and, like, how does it impact 
the preaching and the listening? Just why is that fatal? Well, hyper-Calvinism is an approach 
to so elevate the sovereignty of God that it ends up minimizing 
the responsibility of man. It's basically the contraposition 
to Arminianism, wherein Arminianism elevates the responsibility of 
man at the expense of the sovereignty of God. a fellow by the name 
of John Duncan. He was affectionately called 
Rabbi Duncan. He said that hyper-Calvinism 
is all house and no door. Arminianism is all door and no 
house. And so, when we approach the 
Scriptures, we see that God is absolutely universally sovereign. It was Him who chose us in Christ 
before the foundation of the world. So, there's no argument 
between Calvinists and Hyper-Calvinists relative to the sovereignty of 
God. We also see that man is responsible. He's totally depraved, he's totally 
unable, and unless God changes his heart, grants him the graces 
of faith and repentance, he will die and perish in his sin. but 
that's never taken as sort of a way to mitigate his responsibility. So, I think hyper-Calvinism comes 
in wanting to do justice to the sovereignty of God, wanting to 
make sure that we don't think man has it in him to save himself, 
and again, which is a good concern, nevertheless does not press the 
truth upon the hearer the way that we see in the apostolic 
preaching of the cross. So, for instance, we're not supposed 
to lie and say God loves you and has a wonderful plan for 
your life. We don't know that. That's an approach that I think 
is wanting when we look at Scripture. But on the other hand, we don't 
say that, you know, there's no hope for you ever. No, the apostolic 
preaching was very clear. They presented the truth as it 
is in Jesus. They preached the gospel. And 
the gospel isn't my approach to religion. It's not my experience 
with religion. The gospel is a revealed message 
from God Most High. It's propositional revelation. 
It's a message concerning Jesus Christ, His life of perfect obedience 
to the law, His death as a sacrifice and a substitute on the cross, 
and His resurrection again the third day. So, when we look at 
the book of Acts and we see the apostles preach, they proclaim 
that. And then they tell the sinners, 
believe. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ 
in faith. Believe and repent. Those terms 
are oftentimes used synonymously in the book of Acts. So, they 
maintain the absolute sovereignty of God. They maintain the absolute 
depravity of man. They understand what Paul, I 
think, encapsulates in 1 Corinthians 1. He says, "...for since in 
the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased 
God through the foolishness of the message preached to save 
those who believe." So, we preach the gospel. Again, not God loves 
you or God really wants to save even the reprobate. We don't 
lie to people. We tell them the truth, Jesus 
lived, Jesus died, Jesus was raised again. All those who believe 
on Jesus will have everlasting life. The scripture says that. 
And so, we preach it. We don't mitigate the responsibility 
of man. We certainly don't attack the 
sovereignty of God. We uphold both truths and we 
proclaim the glory of the gospel to needy sinners. And then we 
trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. We trust in God Most 
High. Our job is not to save sinners. 
Our job is, we can. Jesus says, with men it is impossible, 
but with God all things are possible. And so, we rest in that. We do 
our due diligence, proclaim the truth, and call sinners to believe 
and repent, and then pray to God to make it good in their 
hearts. So, we want to avoid the all house, no door, all door, 
no house. And I think that, you know, when 
we understand Scripture, the way Scripture presents itself, 
and I'm, you know, I'm sure that there's a lot, well, I know there's 
a lot more that can be said, but if you ask the simple question, 
and we're looking for a simple answer, I think that's it. Oh, 
it's throughout Scripture, yeah. Look, repent, turn, run, flee 
for refuge. today, right? Now, not tomorrow. 
That's the devil's logic. He wants people to wait. Absolutely. 
And he wants you to see or determine if you're fit to come. You know, 
I love the language in John chapter three, when Jesus says, just 
as Moses lifted up the serpent, so must the Son of Man also be 
lifted up. If you remember that scene in 
the book of Numbers, all these people, these grumbling whiners 
are bit by these fiery serpents. And then the remedy was this 
brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness. Look and live. Not 
suck the venom out of your wound and then look. Not drag yourself 
next to the brazen serpent and then look. Look and live. The 
moment they look, the moment that the sinner looks to the 
Lord Jesus Christ in faith, He, by God's grace, lives. He's a new creature. He's been 
justified freely by grace. So, it's not a work that we do. 
It's nothing we conjure up. And, you know, contra-Arminianism, 
it is a work of God Most High. He grants the graces of faith 
and repentance so that we can close with Jesus. Yeah, no, and I think the hyper-Calvinist, 
it definitely is, that preaching is fatal. It puts people into 
this fatalistic mode, is, I can't do anything to be saved. God 
is sovereign. I've just got to wait, use the 
means, and somehow go to church, read your Bible, do these things, 
go home and pray. And it really turns them inward. 
Instead of looking and living, you know, the serpent analogy 
again, that brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness. Well, you 
know, instead of looking, you've got a gaping wound because this 
fiery serpent just bit you on the leg. Instead of looking, 
you look inward. And you say, well, I don't know 
if it's for me. I don't know if I should look. I don't know 
if I've got the wherewithal. Same with gospel preaching. I 
mean, you give time to a sinner and to Satan, they'll always 
talk you out of coming to the cross. You're not fit. You don't deserve it. You are 
a miserable, hell-bound sinner, and that only demonstrates the 
glory of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says, this 
is a faithful saying. It's worthy of all acceptation 
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom 
I am chief. So, sinners say, well, you know, 
I'm too guilty, I'm too sinful. That's like a hungry man saying, 
I'm too hungry to eat. No, you look and you live. Don't 
let that logic infect the mind. Rather, come to Scripture and 
see the emphasis. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. And then, yeah, I've heard a 
lot of expressions around trying to balance these truths of God 
is sovereign and the responsibility, and I think it's the wrong word 
to use, is balance, because we don't want 50% of one, 50% of 
the other way. 100%, these are truths, and they're 
friends. They're in the Word. We don't 
have to reconcile them. They're friends. I think that's 
what Spurgeon said, right? Spurgeon said that. We don't need to reconcile 
friends. Both things are taught in the 
Scripture, and it's a rationalistic attempt, ultimately. We've got 
to mitigate the responsibility, so we'll elevate sovereignty. 
Or we want to mitigate sovereignty, so we'll elevate responsibility. That's just not the way that 
we're supposed to do things. And if I could add, even though 
in my context I don't deal with hyper-Calvinism that much, there 
seems to be the assumption that Calvinists are hyper-Calvinists. 
And so I think everything Pastor Butler said just affirms that 
a true Calvinist is all for the preaching of the gospel and the 
calling of sinners to repent and believe. We're all for that, 
but we understand that it's God who works in them, who works 
internally by the Spirit. to give them the gift of faith 
to believe on Christ. So, it frees us up, it liberates 
the preacher, knowing we just do what we're supposed to do, 
and preach Christ, and God will save those whom he will save. 
Yes. Yeah, and Tulip, total depravity, etc., is not the gospel. That's 
not all of Calvinism. And it's kind of boiled down 
to that, and that's... It's a helpful mnemonic. It's 
a helpful way to get in the ballpark. But yeah, we need to make sure 
that we understand, you know, what Scripture says. And again, 
not that Calvinism is therefore wrong. Calvinism, I think, is 
biblical. And not John Calvin is our hero 
or anything like that. But, you know, in the history 
of the world, it's often been the case that you associate certain 
ideas with certain persons just for, you know, ease of use. And 
then, yeah, Spurgeon really fought with this in the 1800s, so he's 
got some wonderful little books on that as well. Around the Wicked 
Gate, or was it at the Wicked Gate? I think it's around. Around 
the Wicked Gate, and All of Grace. Yes. A couple of others, so very, 
just thin little books. They're free online. We actually 
give free copies out at our church as well. Wonderful little books 
that God's blessed to many thousands of people, so. Oh, for sure, 
yeah. Good. Good. Thank you.