← Back to sermon library

good morning to everyone welcome to free grace baptist church welcome back for all of you who are normally here it's good to see you again it's I've been away for three weeks so it's good to be back with everyone so welcome back and any visitors out there this morning we do welcome you to our church it's always good to have visitors in our midst and so thank you for joining us for the worship of our God this morning if you have any questions afterwards please feel free to approach anyone hopefully we're approachable no announcements this morning actually other than the fact that pastor Butler is not here this weekend he's down in seatac preaching at emmanuel baptist church down there they they had enough of me down there so they thought they'd bring the big guy down to to preach so I'm in the pulpit this morning in this evening but again it's good to be back so let's go to the Lord and worship then please if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to psalm 32 psalm 32 for our call to worship this morning psalm 32 a psalm of david a contemplation once again the word of the living and true God a psalm of David a contemplation blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit when I kept silent my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer sale ah I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin seyla for this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to you in a time when you may be found surely in a flood of Great Waters they shall not come near him you are my hiding place you shall preserve me from trouble you shall surround me with songs of deliverance seyla I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go I will guide you with my eye do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding which must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near you many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he who trusts in the lord mercy shall surround him be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous and shout for joy all you upright in heart amen well if you'll stand with me you can turn in your larger hymnals to him 87 will sing holy holy holy him 87 please be seated let's go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in you we thank you for this new day that you have blessed us with we know we do not deserve another one yet you have caused us to arise on another day and draw breath in your creation and we rejoice in that kindness we do pray this day Lord God that your name would be hallowed in all the earth we pray that in this place between these four walls that your name would be hallowed and honored that we would sing your praises that we would rejoice in you that you would receive our praises acceptable through Christ Jesus our Lord we do pray not only here but again around the world that your name would be honored and praised we pray that you would be upon the lips of your Saints around the world that they would sing praises to you and that they would rejoice in their Most High God we rejoice God in the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we thank you that you did send him in the fullness of the times born of a woman and born under the law that he might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive adoption as sons we thank you for his life of perfect obedience unto your whole law that he rendered that obedience in our stead in the stead of all those who believe and we thank you that that obedience was unto the death upon Calvary's tree we thank you that he died that sacrificial substitution aerie death on behalf of all those who believe in your name and that it is not an atonement of maybe it is not a sacrifice of perhaps but that Christ really and truly did upon Calvary's tree secure the salvation of a multitude that no man can number and we rejoice in the perfect saving efficacy of our glorious redeeming king the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that he was raised the third day with power and great victory that he ascended to your right hand and where and we rejoice Lord God in the fact that he now sits there to ever lit that he sits at your right hand to make intercession for his Saints that he pleads the merits of his blood that we have an advocate with our Father who pleads for us daily by virtue of his precious blood and we would ask God that you would help us to consider our crucified risen and ascended Savior each and every day that we draw breath in this lower world that you would keep us near the cross that we would sing the praises of such a glorious redeeming Savior who would condescend from on high that he would take to himself man's nature and that he would give himself for guilty sinners we do pray God that we would be a prayerful people that we would be filled with praise this day as we come in here to worship you we pray God that you would give us supplies of your spirit that we might return to you proper praise we thank you again for the forgiveness of sins we know Lord God that we have not been saved by works of righteousness which we have done but rather according to your mercy you saved us we know that you alone by your glorious grace by your amazing grace made us alive in Christ Jesus when we were dead in trespasses and in our sins we have done nothing to merit your divine favor we have done nothing that could secure our salvation but rather the securing of salvation was done solely and alone by the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and we thank you that in your appointed and accepted time you made us alive in him by grace we have been saved and we pray again father that you would help us to worship you rightly this day that we would sing the praises of our triune God Father Son and Holy Spirit and that we would be those acceptable worshippers in your site through Christ Jesus the Lord we do pray Lord God for those struggling both physically and spiritually those who are struggling physically Lord that you attend to their bodies that you would heal them that you would strengthen them whatever ails them Lord whether injury disease a recovery from surgery any of these things that you would strengthen your dear Saints that you would cause them to know gains in bodily strength and we do pray that you would cause them in the midst of affliction nevertheless to be resigned joyfully unto the will of their God knowing that the judge of all the earth does right we do pray God that you would be with those who are struggling spiritually and that you would cause them by your grace and for your glory to be returned unto the right way that they would not be down that they would not be downcast in their souls but with an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus towards them Lord God that you would cause them to rejoice in their Savior to find strength daily to sing the praises of their God and when we sin father we know that we do have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and we pray that you would help us to not be found in seasons of spiritual despair but rather knowing that we have salvation so lean alone in Christ you would cause us to have joy in him and seek in this lower world to live in light of such a glorious gospel we do pray Lord that you would be with the persecuted Church around the world we come to you often in prayer bringing before you those who are persecuted and nations persecuted and in such a way that we just know nothing of and in the Western world we pray that you'd be with all of those in Africa and Asia and South America and the Middle East all those nations God where there is a persistent and an act of hatred against the people of Christ we do pray that you would strengthen your saints that you would cause them in the midst of this persecution to endure to be steadfast in the faith and that they would in the face of opposition look with eyes of faith upon the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and in him find their strength and in him find their courage for that battle in this lower world and we do pray yet again as we always do God that you would deal with those who persecute your people we would ask that you would save as such as are yours that you would bring those to a knowledge of Christ that you would cause salvation to be found in these nations where Christians are persecuted that by a word preached and by a a gospel word spoken and by your grace and for your glory those who persecute your Saints they would be brought to a knowledge of our Savior that they would have faith and repentance and seeing the praises of our Christ we do know of course that there will be those who will remain in opposition to you who will not repent who will continue to do violence against the people of Christ so we do pray that you would take them out of the way that your Saints might not have to wait until that great and final day where we know judgment will come but rather that you would have even temporal judgment Lord God causing those who bring violence to your people to be taken out of the way that you would put them down and that you would prosper your Saints around the world we do pray God for the governments of the world that you would cause them to rule in righteousness and not in wickedness we pray that the governments of the world would not seek to to sanction vice and and to put down virtue but rather that they would rule in their respective countries with righteousness equity and justice we do pray God that you would vindicate your name and all the earth and caused those who rule in opposition to your law to be put down and to stumble like drunken men we do pray Lord that you would be with us now then help us to worship you help your gathered Saints to worship you were right we do pray that we would put off anything that would interrupt or hinder our focused and attentive worship we pray that we would not have wandering minds but that we would for a time now have minds that are focused upon the worship of the triune God be with us now father be with the preacher we pray that Lord that you would give me strength in this pulpit and divine aid that I might that I may preach your word accurately and that you might be glorified in this act of worship and we do pray father that you would be with those in the pews that your Saints would be uplifted encouraged and instructed and Lord God that those who entered in these two doors outside of Christ in unbelief that you would come yet again upon the wings of Amazing Grace that you would make dead sinners alive through Christ Jesus the Lord that you would by your grace and for your glory cause those who entered enemies of Christ to leave as the friends of Christ singing hallelujah what a savior and we pray in Christ's name Amen well let's stand and sing our next him it's going to be a in the Trinity hymnal again if you'll stand with me and sing alasan did my Savior bleed that's him 195 let's stand and sing together you please be seated you turn in your Bibles with me to second John John's second epistle there is only one chapter so we'll read the entirety of the book of John this excuse me the entirety of the book of second John once again the word of the living and true God the elder to the elect lady and her children whom I love in truth and not only i but also all those who have known the truth because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever grace mercy and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth as we receive commandment from the father and now I plead with you lady not as though I wrote a new commandment to you but that which we have had from the beginning that we love one another this is love that we walk according to His commandments this is the commandment that as you have heard from the beginning you should walk in it for many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh this is a deceiver and an antichrist look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we have worked for but that we may receive a full reward whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have god he who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the father and the son if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine do not receive him into your house nor greet him for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds having many things to write to you I did not wish to do so with paper and ink but I hope to come to you and speak face to face that our joy may be full the children of your elect sister greet you amen very short a piss but very instructive and help for helpful no doubt for the Christians at the time of its writing but helpful for us today as well just one note before we get to some of those things we read or eight at the outset the recipient of the letter John writes the elder himself to the elect lady and her children some interpreters would take the stance that John is here using this term the elect lady as a reference to the church you know we can very often speak of the church as her applying that female ascription to the church as a whole and the idea is here that John is writing to the elect lady and he's using that language to refer to the church and her children those of course who populate the walls and halls of the church or more properly the elect truly improperly speaking Christians those who are brought to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by the church's proclamation of the gospel probably though the elect lady is an actual person I would take the stance that when he writes the elder to the elect lady and her children that he is writing to an elect lady a Christian lady who has perhaps a house church because there is a reference to your house in verse 10 and there is a reference to her elect sister in verse 13 so this is probably an actual female Christian a prominent lady who has Christians gathering in her home notice some of the things that we see here I think we see primarily in view the importance of our knowledge of Christ hopefully that ought never to come as a surprise to the Christian hopefully when you hear a preacher say it is absolutely vital that we know our Christ that we know who he is and what he has done hopefully every time you see that you hear that you say Amen you see because here there is a problem going on for many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh that's specifically what in view when he says verse 9 whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God they were Antichrist who denied that Jesus had come in the flesh so an absolutely vital doctrine to Christianity one that is a non-negotiable is that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh remember what our confession says summarizing the biblical data that Jesus Christ the second of the triune God being very an eternal God the brightness of the father's glory and the Express image of his person did when the fullness of the times had come take to himself man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof he really did come in the flesh he did not come as a Spectre as a phantom just appearing to be human but took to himself man's nature again with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof yet without sin and he gave his life for guilty sinners to say that Christ did not come in the flesh is to destroy the Christian doctrine of salvation one old boy in the in the i want to say the 4th century but an old boy back in the early days of Christianity said if Christ is a phantom then our salvation is a phantom also doesn't exist it's not there it's an into it's intangible nonsense if Christ did not come in the flesh but he did and we are to own that doctrine who is this Christ he is the Christ who is this Jesus he is the Christ the Son of the Living God very an eternal God he took to himself man's nature and died for guilty sinners anyone who propagates anything against that absolutely vital and glorious truth is Antichrist and he is not to be welcomed into the home nor is he to be greeted and we see here in view everything that John is bringing to bear and his First Epistle that we are to be such who are to follow after God's commandments Christians are those who follow their Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and love the law of God according to John and revelation as Christians who absolutely stress the necessity of the doctrine of justification by faith alone we do not with that jettison the necessity of good works but understand them in their place that we do them to adorn the gospel of Christ that we do them to not cause the haters of God to blaspheme his word we do those things that are righteous in his sight because he has saved us solely and alone by his amazing grace well let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in your revelation to us we thank you for what it discloses concerning our blessed Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we do pray that you would help us to rejoice in the proper doctrine of Christ our Savior we rejoice in his person we rejoice in his perfect work we do pray that you would help us daily to reflect upon the glories of Christ Jesus and the glories of your gospel and we do pray that you'd continue to be with us as we worship help us God to do so and spirit and in truth and Lord God that you would again be the recipient of all honor and praise and we pray in Christ's name Amen well let's stand again for the final time before the preaching and we'll sing 223 that's him to 23 and your Trinity hymnal again arise my soul arise let's stand and sing together please be seated can turn in your Bibles to 1st John John's First Epistle not the gospel that's the book of John but his First Epistle you can turn to first John to when you get there and verse 24 our focus will actually be just a portion of verse 1 of John 3 but we want to read some context to set that portion of verse 1 properly just just a one-note my voices is kind of going a little bit and if it raises in crackles not unlike a maturing thirteen-year-old please please save your smiles in your laughter for for later this is after all the the exercise of the preaching of God's Word so i'll i'll try not to do that because i don't want to unwholesome lee distract anyone as out what you're there already first John to a 24 will pick up reading there and will read to 1st John 33 so this is 1 John 2 24 once again the word of the living and true God therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning if what you heard from the beginning of IDEs in you you also will abide in the Sun and in the father and this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life these things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you but the anointing which you have received from him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you but as the but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and it is not a lie and just as it has taught you you will abide in him and now little children abide in him that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children God therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure amen well let us go to the Lord again in prayer Heavenly Father we thank you now for this time of worship the preaching of your word we would pray yet again that you would help preacher that you would help here that we would all be engaged rightly in this exercise and that it might be for the profit of your saints that it might be unto the salvation of sinners and Lord God most certainly that it might be unto the glory of your Most High name and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen one of the things that is very often repeated by the Apostles in the New Testament is this blessed truth for every Christian that we are the sons and daughters of God that we are the children of God in fact this this sonship and daughter hood is connected to the cross intimately in more than one place you often hear Jim and I in in our prayers rightly and in our preaching rightly quoting Galatians 4 for when the fullness of the times had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law that he might redeem those who are under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons being the sons and daughters of god what a high honor what what a glorious thing to dwell upon to roll around in our minds to rejoice in and we have here in 1st John 3 in the center portion if you will of the text that we read this blessed verse behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God the glorious declaration what a glorious entreaty by the Apostle John and the stuff that is packed with in that half verse is absolutely wonderful so will unfold a little bit of a little bit of it this morning and this comes rather in this verse this entreaty for Christians to behold their God and specifically his love and making them his children this is set before us in the context and actually for the purpose of arousing our obedience in this lower world that we might purify ourselves that we might put sin off and live unto righteousness that we might put sin to death and live unto righteousness that we might grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord so we want to look at verse 1 of first John 3 behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God under three headings and those three are simply this the the call to Marvel the content of the marveling and the intent behind the call to Marvel there's a lot of Marvel in there but that's a word that is rightly used in this context because what is marveling but wondering with astonishment but dwelling on and concentrating on and considering with wonder and astonishment in this case the glory of god and his love visited upon us it's an absolutely wonderful thing that we have before us in first John 31 so first off the call to Marvel and it's simply one word in this case behold you've heard this before from the pulpit and hopefully it never gets old and explaining this because this one word and this one word employed in this context is glorious John writes behold it's used in in many other places in Scripture sometimes just simply for the purpose of see or look not necessarily with the weight and severity here but this you know behold see or look at any particular thing that we may read in the scriptures where that word is used but you see very often like here it's used in order to steal way the Christians focus from whatever he's focusing on and to plant it upon things high and heavy and glorious you see we can be we can be stolen away by so many other things and our focus needs to be brought back by be holds so that we might so that we might to use a Spurgeon ism exorcise the demons of base ingratitude and remember and focus upon the saving mercies and the glories of our God in Christ Jesus the Lord behold you may remember as used in John 129 the same author when he writes of John the Baptist behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world you see there we don't simply have a look you know very is behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world as if jon was sitting upon a rock with his legs crossed just saying the behold no he's saying behold this Christ this Promised One behold take your eyes off of whatever you're looking at and look to the son of glory look to this one promised evers look to this one promised in eternity purposed in eternity but promised in time and in history in the garden the the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his head has now arrived behold that's what John the Baptist is doing in John 129 when he uses this word which can simply be used as see and look but he does it to call the Christian to call to call anyone around him to gaze with an intent consideration upon the glorious Messiah the glorious Christ an interesting and interesting fact with regards to John 129 behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world perhaps you Spurgeon fans out there have read this but he was testing the he was testing the acoustics of a hall that he had to preach in while the metropolitan tabernacle was having something done to a builder or whatever so he was practicing preaching and he was testing the acoustics of this grand agricultural hall well he belts out these words behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and a janitor working in the agricultural hall just a worker hears this and believes the gospel and its age is converted unto Christ you see people can be saved in a in a farm hall by a preacher testing acoustics and the verse that he uses starts with behold you see God in His Word uses this word because it's so important it is to grab you this morning if you're a believer this morning you're hearing the preach about behold what manner of love that word is to steal you away from any other thoughts and to bring them into focus upon such a God such a Christ such a love in such a gospel and it's used by God in His Word such in such a same way to gather the the focus to gather the attention to gather the minds of those who are reading who are hearing it preached whatever that they might focus with intent with attention that they might put aside all things and listen only to what follows this verse behold is also used in second Corinthians 6 to notice the importance of the word here in this context behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation you see when with the Apostle in that case when the Apostle Paul you see other other phrases that don't start with behold are in the scriptures and they're no less inspired there are no less there are no less infallible they're no less an errand they're all just as important the genealogies of second chronicles are just as inspired as behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world but you see it is employed by the authors to say pay attention see look not just with the eyes but with the mind understand focus and consider wonder marvel remember it's the call to marvel behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation in other words listen to what about to say now is the accepted time you see he's trying to gather the attention of anyone who would be who you know who isn't considering their eternal destiny who isn't concerning their he wasn't considering their eternal soul who is all carried off about thinking how their next sin is going to go how the next suppression of the truth is going to go and he says behold now is the accepted time you see if you're here this morning it's now is the accepted time behold now is the accepted time you've put off Christianity you said now you're here you're sitting in the pews sometimes you might be looking at the preacher but it's with a dead gaze just so you you think you're so you think you're just so I think that you're paying attention sometimes the eyes are wandering somewhere else I'm not sure why sometimes they're kinked back looking at the clock you want this to end now is the accepted time there is a God in high heaven who has created all things who upholds all things by the word of its power who is infinite eternal unchangeable in all of his Excellency's imperfections who looks down upon the children the sons of men and he sees iniquity he sees sin he sees transgression you know that you have sinned and that you have violated the laws of a holy God you know in your conscience you know in your hearts that you have daily transgress that you have hourly transgressed minute after minute violated the righteous precepts of this God and yet there is a savior that has been set forth to you in the scriptures there is a savior that you've heard from this pulpit there's a savior from wherever you've been made known of this Christ you have heard of this Christ in this salvation and yet you still don't believe behold comes to you it steals your attention and it says now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Jeremiah 31 31 this word is used in that blessed promise of the New Covenant behold the days are coming says the Lord what follows this new covenant that will be on shakable not because men are so good in keeping it but men can't keep it there's one that does and it's look the Lord Jesus Christ who ratifies the New Covenant in his shed blood he secures the forgiveness of sins he secures the Christians knowledge of God glorying in him in the mercy of the Father we are called by Jeremiah in that text to behold the blessed new covenant promise of Yahweh Matthew 28 20 the word behold isn't there it is the word behold isn't translated as behold although the word in Greek isn't behold of course but the English behold isn't used to translate the greek word for see look behold but rather what do we find Matthew 28 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age amen the word lo here is behold teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always even to the end of the age you see what would happen to the the disciples Christ promised them that persecution would come upon them when he is indicted the scribes and the Pharisees what does he say to them I send you wise men prophets and scribes some of them you will crucify some of them you will kill you will persecute them from city to city so that on you all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be brought upon you and so what we have here is in the face of the coming persecution in the face of everything that's going to come upon the church Christ is saying behold don't don't be stone be taken away or don't fall into despair because what is coming upon you behold lo I am with you always even to the end of the age you see the use of the word behold is is such that it is to emphasize it is to underline it is too bold at bouldin the reality of what all those it is to say listen understand consider it is to arouse our astonishment at the fact or the statement that follows and here in our context what do we find we're going to get to the the content of the marveling later but notice how behold is used here behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God you see the Christian needs to we all need to have these be holds trumpet it to us 75 times a day and that's undershooting why because we are so prone to wander so prone to leave the God that we love we need to be brought back to remembrance we need to be brought back to recollection we need to be brought back unto a wholesome and a under asst marveling at the Christ of the Bible at the god of our salvation the revelation of our God concerning redemption by such a savior we need to be brought back we need to be reminded that's why we have the Lord's Supper isn't it again as Spurgeon said the Lord's Supper is such that it does help us to cast away the demons of base ingratitude what does that mean kids what what's this guy talking about castaways exorcise the demons of base ingratitude what does that mean well you see we can be marked by an ingratitude to thank less ness can't we we go about we go about our days and we might not be thankful at all or if we are thankful it's thankful about you know stuff that we have in our lives and that sort of thing but the thanks isn't necessarily God word it might just be this general and agnostic and atheistic thanks we are called in the Bible we are called in preaching we are called in the ordinances of Christ unto a remembrance unto a be holding of the mercies of God through Christ Jesus the Lord this is what Spurgeon says on this word behold it is a note of admiration of wonderment of exclamation when John says behold the lamb of God he means more than wandering or considering looking is used in scripture for faith look unto me and be ye saved therefore we sing there is life for a look at the Crucified one there is life at this moment for thee beholding is a steady kind of looking believe then in Christ with a solid abiding confidence come ye sinners come and trust your Savior not for tonight only but forever believe that he is able and willing to save you and trust him to do so you see that behold here is what he says it is it is an intent considering a beholding is a steady kind of looking we are to look with a faith-filled gaze we are to behold with a faith-filled gaze upon the glories of our God and the riches and the excellencies of Christ so the call to Marvel simply one word behold this call to Marvel comes to those who really ought to need no reminder doesn't it well we know we need reminder but we really ought to need no reminder we you think about where we were before God visited us with amazing in victorious grace dead in our trespasses and in our sins we were children of our father the devil doing his desires that's that's Christ's indictment when we get later to children of God there is this spiritually ambiguous and nonsensical spiritualism out there that we're all children of God I'm not talking to christian every man and woman boy girl we're all just children of God we all just need to get along and you know dance in the meadow with you know flower headbands and and stuff no Christ in Deitz his audience he says to the unbelieving Jews you are of your father the devil and the desires of your fault you want to do you see the marbling comes in part because we were children of the devil we were doing the desires of our Father the devil we wait we woke up in the morning devising wickedness just like the psalmist says about the wicked we woke up in the morning planning our day of sin we live throughout the day moving from sin to sin and yet this reality comes upon us that Christ comes in the fullness of the times he's born of a woman he's born under the law to redeem those who are under the law so that we might receive the adoption of sons God the risen Christ the exalted Christ sends his spirit the spirit of adoption into our hearts crying out Abba Father what a glorious thing the behold is given because it is absolutely astonishing that anyone can be called a child of God anyone and we have that blessed that Blessid reality by virtue of the amazing grace of God and the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ men generally ought to daily marv let God shouldn't they you see behold again it comes to those who really ought neat who really ought to need no reminder that's a hard sentence to say this people we we are faced every day with the reality of God in a knot in a sense truly creation cries out behold Providence cries out behold your God the heavens declare the glory of God the psalmist writes the firmament shows his handiwork not just Monday Wednesday and Friday but day after day night after night the righteousness in the glory of God is disclosed by virtue of creation you only have to look at the at the stars in the expanse to realize that there is a God and he will judge the wicked we look up to the heavens and as Christians we cry out praise God just imagine that just imagine it are upon star galaxy upon galaxy rolling in their orbit all created by God all upheld by the word of his power this this earth that that that we live on what did it what an amazing thing is if you just walk outside and in Abbotsford chilliwack you look to the mountains you look to the beauty of creation hopefully hopefully God comes immediate immediately hopefully those mountains preach sermons to you saying behold your God beauty of his created world we look look at him look at a baby get a human child oh the the the the dastardly the dastardly reality of abortion abomination of abominations the beauty of God's creation destroyed chopped up and torn away babies millions of babies cry out with Sir monic power behold your God and yet the murders suppress that truth in unrighteousness you see day after day night after night God's creation and Providence cries out behold men generally ought to marvel at God's account of redemption in the scriptures shouldn't they the the the Bible is an amazing thing if you're here this morning and you're and you think you know it's a that's a good book but it's sort of just an antiquated tome of old truths now heresy of heresies the Bible comes to us 66 books of the Old and New Testaments God's revelation to men and it screams behold it screams behold the heavenly pneus of the matter the efficacy of the doctrine the majesty of the style the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God that the discovery it makes of the only way of salvation through Christ Jesus the Lord and the many other income terrible Excellency's confession says chapter one paragraph five a glorious revelation to men this screams behold the gospel screams behold that's why John the Baptist that's why John that's why Paul that's why they all right be whole because it is to preach to us the glories of Christ the riches of God and the excellencies of such a gospel in such a salvation certainly Christian men though you see if men generally ought to daily marvel at God because of his creation in his Providence they don't remember dead in trespasses and sins suppressing that truth and unrighteousness the Atheist has a full-time job suppressing the truth in unrighteousness full-time job and gets James White's thing they have a full-time job it's hard to be an atheist it's hard why because every minute that you're conscious you're suppressing the glory of God in unrighteousness the glory of God remember in the expanse above us virgin says God flies his starry flag to show the king is at home the king is at home atheist looks up at that suppressing the truth and unrighteousness and he spins wild fanciful fairy tales of nothing exploding and creating everything so if men look up to creation Minh ought to daily marvel at God by virtue of creation of men ought to marvel at the revelation of men in the scriptures they don't because again they suppress the truth here specially revealed by God in the Bible in unrighteousness then certainly Christian men ought me not specific and when I say that it's to Christians generally speaking but Christians ought specifically to be such that constantly marvel at God do you marvel at god Christian you should know i'm not going to rephrase that you're not Christian if you don't do you marvel at God are you astonished by God I'm not saying as a Christian every time you you think about your God in your Christ you need to fall off the couch or off the kitchen table that could be dangerous but you need to be astonished you are to behold you are to look you are to marvel if this phrase is so often repeated by apostolic and treaty then Christians are to be marked by this we're to behold our God were to behold our Christ were to behold such a glorious salvation and rejoice in it or to read were to open up well first where it's a general revelation were to look at the Stars as Christians and complete contrary plea contrariness going to throw that word out there to the atheists we say Amen and praise God created that and he up holds those by the word of his power we come to special revelation we read of the blood of Christ shed and we own with Spurgeon that we would we would wish to put tongues upon every drop of the blood of Christ that they may preach sermons and in and arouse a constant remembrance of such a savior we ought to Marvel we ought to behold our blessed God our blessed Christ and so glorious a salvation secondly we want to note that moving beyond a single word behold to the content of marveling what is the content of marveling while we have it clearly before us don't we because it follows behold notice behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God this is what we are to Marvel in behold the entreaty comes behold the apostolic command comes behold and this is what we are to behold and we want to note three things very simply divine love divine grace and divine fatherhood divine love divine grace and divine fatherhood notice what we find first off divine love behold what manner of love the love of God your brethren what an amazing thing the love of God is what a thing that the thing that the one that the thing that we are to know the thing that we are to rejoice in is something that at the same time is absolutely incomprehensible the love of God and I'm not just talking about incomprehensible in the sense that we're such vile sinners how could a God love us that's comprehensible I'm talking about the love of God is incomprehensible because it is infinite it's eternal it's unchangeable we don't know what unchangeable love is do we in this lower world the love of men and women ebbs and flows doesn't it it ebbs and it flows its marked by vicissitudes there's another word for your kids its marked by an ebbing and flowing we only know that sort of love where where we you know if we love for a time it grows in intensity and then because of our sinful hearts and our waywardness and and everything else it can it can wane it can drop it it falls it comes back up again you throw in an unwholesome anger in there and it scatters it for a while if we recollect it and we exercise it again it goes away it comes back we're horrible at love graciously God has given us love in this lower world the love of husband to wife wife to husband the love of fathered a child child to father etc various kinds of love but we don't know what it is we don't know we can't know we can't fully comprehend a love that's infinite I love that c-terminal I love that's unchangeable we can't know this love that pink sets forth in the following way God's love is on influenced God's love is eternal God's love is sovereign God's love is infinite God's love is immutable and God's love is gracious all of those things mark God's love towards his people what an amazing thing you see God's love is uninfluenced when we read here behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that love is uninfluenced what does that mean it means that he didn't move from not having love towards us to now being aroused and influenced by something in us in order to exercise love it son influenced God is infinite eternal and unchangeable in all those things that he is in his essence and in his being includes his love it son influenced it's eternal it didn't start at a point it won't end in a point it doesn't start and restart start again it's the same thing but you know what I mean it doesn't it's eternal we don't know what eternal is we read what eternal is we can't comprehend what it is we can only worship where things are incomprehensible his love is beyond measure its sovereign infinite immutable some changeable brethren if you you're you know we are going to disappoint each other husband's going to disappoint a wife a wife's going to disappoint a husband father child child father every other sort of relationship where wholesome love it we're going to disappoint each other we're going to change in our love we are mutable but the infinite and eternal one is immutable in his love isn't that glorious he will never love you more or less than he does right now because that's impossible because he's immutable he will only ever and always love you the same because he is perfect and absolute in his love we don't know what that is but we can only fall on our knees inwardly or outwardly and worship the God who is love it is God who loves us Romans 8 30-9 nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord it's it's a little bit hot in here chilliwack is mysteriously covered in this haze of I guess it's forest fire smoke and you know maybe you're getting tired and how angry but brethren neither height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus the Lord I it I whenever I don't get grumpy stairs when you're a Christian when we rehearse these truths it's a beautiful thing the preacher is is fallible in a crackpot we're in gospel treasures are hidden to be proclaimed so that the excellence of the glory might be of God and not of us but hopefully even in spite of this crackpot up here with these words tossed out towards you the love of God through Christ Jesus the Lord have your mouth present if you can if I'm not going to judge any hearts if it's not present and if you're if you grumpy stare if that's how you rejoice praise God praise God but rejoice in our God behold because it is assume God loves it's in that an amazing thing if you know your own heart that's astonishing that is astonishing if you know your own heart and don't don't say well I know other people's hearts and yeah that's astonishing that God loves them oh you you know yourself you look inside this rib cage well the hearts probably up here but you know what I mean you look at your own heart and you behold the God of love you'd be astonished at the God of love whether a grumpy face or a crescent emmaus behold the God of love and rejoice in him it is assume God luck Henry says this Matthew Henry in his commentary it is wonderful condescending love of the Eternal Father that such as we should be made and called his sons we or that such as we should be made and called his sons we who by nature are heirs of sin and guilt and the curse of God we who by practice our children of corruption disobedience in him gratitude unless your unless you're self-righteous and we all have that but unless you're really self-righteous hopefully you see yourself there and you say praise my god you say Amen rejoicing in the gospel of free and sovereign grace behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God we who are heirs of sin and guilt we who deserve eternal condemnation in the lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels we who day after day our lake that are like the you know as sinners were like that child in his father's hands who smacks the father in the face we were like that too to a God whose infinite eternal and unchangeable in his holiness justice goodness truth all those excellencies and perfections and yet he condescends to make us his own to adopt us and to bring us into the household of God I words fail the preacher words fail the preacher to bring the love of God to dangle it before your ears and to say behold the love of God it passes knowledge it's absolutely amazing we multiply adjectives and verbs and nouns in a sensible way and it still will not exhaust the amazing and glorious truth of God's love towards us and making us his children brethren I you know throughout that throughout the week pick up the Bible pick up a good book pick up something that pick up Pink's attributes of God and read his small little six page chapter on on the love of God glorious stuff pink says this in fact on the love of God connecting it to the cross Christ died in order to make excuse me Christ died not in order to make God love us but because he did love his people Calvary is the supreme demonstration of divine love whenever you are tempted to doubt the love of God Christian reader go back to Calvary go back to Calvary not Calgary the city in Alberta kids but Calvary where Christ was crucified Golgotha go to the place of the skull see him hanging on the tree stricken smitten and afflicted we don't we don't as Christians look to that in in despair certainly not in mockery like those who mocked him the cross we look to that crucified Messiah with eyes of faith I'm not pointing to a cross or anything back there we don't have one why because the cross is to be preached we look at that Christ with eyes of faith and we behold the love of God every drop a Spurgeon says that drops from the blood of the Savior has lips upon them that proclaimed the love of God Calvary is the supreme demonstration of divine love God's love when we read behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of god we are brethren to go to the cross we are to go to the cross this verse grabs us by the scruff of the neck no it's kinder than that it grabs us by the hand in divine love and kindness and says behold you see when we read this brethren we are to go to the cross every perfection of God is there at the cross do we have the wrath of God sure we do what do we read in the scriptures but that God the Father bruises crushes son of his love the wrath of God is put upon Christ Jesus the Lord on the cross in the stead of all those who believe we have the god of infinite eternal and unchangeable holiness visiting wrath upon Christ in our place believer but there too we have the perfect and supreme demonstration of his love behold what manner of love when we read what manner we are to we are to think what type wait what sort behold what sort or what type of love and I think we can weaken traffic in types of love there was a time where I really loved ketchup chips I thought they tasted great but you see that's a that's a that's a low and that's a base love I don't like him anymore because they're not healthy I like celery now love celery celery carrots but you see we can traffic in different types of love this sort of base and low love we have you know that there's a scale of love but you see God's love brethren is not located on any scale it's not located on on any scale pink rights with regards to God and love speaking of God has spirit light and love he says God is spirit in the Greek a God is spirit John 424 in the Greek there is no indefinite article and to say God is a spirit is most objectionable for it places him in a class with others god is love first John 48 it is not simply that God loves but that he is love itself love not merely one of his attributes but his very nature you see we that that's again where we arrive at the reality of incomprehensible ax t God doesn't have loved as one of his attributes we speak of him in that way because it's the only way that we can speak of a God who is infinite eternal and unchangeable in all of his attributes to say God is love is to say that the love with which God loves us is identical to his being in nature oh why get so theological with us because it's the stuff of doxology it's the stuff of worship and praise to God you see when when the Apostle Paul writes in his in his doxology in first Timothy in first Timothy 15 which he will manifest in his own time he who is the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality dwelling and unapproachable light you see worship brethren Christian worship is never this mindless ambiguous repeating of silly words in tune with a synthesizer it's not what Christian worship is Christian worship is filled with theology proper with the doctrine of God he who is the blessed and only potentate the king of kings and Lord of lords who alone has immortality but wait you've heard this before but wait don't we have immortal souls yes we do well says he alone has immortality what wait a minute don't the Angels have immortality don't you know that the souls of the souls of Christians do not they go into a everlasting life at the at the end of days when we when we part this world in death don't are immortal soul you read read the Bible and we know the doctrine of of of heaven the doctrine of everlasting life don't we have immortal souls don't the Angels live forever yes they do then how can the writer how can Paul Wright who alone hath immortality because God alone has it as Gil says originally essentially and non derivatively Wow a bunch of big words again no glorious words only God has loved essentially only God has loved originally and only God has loved non derivatively he doesn't add it to himself he doesn't derive it from outside of himself love isn't this abstract principle that God you know takes on in eternity no god is love brethren wrap your heads around that you can't but know that he loves you know brethren that God has in such a glorious manner loved you in such a way that he demonstrated that love at the cross and that he has made you by his Spirit children's children of God by regeneration by effectual calling we know the love of God we can't comprehend it fully but we know it it's so glorious it's not unknowable it's incomprehensible but we can know it because the Bible declares it it discloses it and we should fall in worship at such a glorious truth fall in worship at such a glorious reality divine grace as well is held before us here going back to 1st John 3 behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God that language they're speaking of divine grace bestowed on us bestow on us we spent a little bit of time this morning on the word granted and the doctrine of repentance remember God grants us repentance we don't have it natively we don't have it naturally God grants it to us in His divine condescending and amazing grace the word granted is a word that speaks of divine grace God graciously gives well this language is the same bestowed behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God you see we are confronted here again and hopefully this is a wholesome confrontation confronted with the glorious truth of the sovereignty of god in the salvation of sinners you see we don't make ourselves children of god we don't merit our our sonship in our daughter hood we don't do and act and perform in such a way that God bestows the grace of redemption on us that's a wrong use of be stole because it's always a gracious but you know what I mean we don't do an act and perform so that God rewards us with our sonship no God bestows the bestows upon those who are out there father the devil doing the desires of their father he comes down and he conquered their conquers their hearts he removes their hearts of stone replaces them with hearts of flesh he makes them his own he makes them his children what a glorious truth the doctrine of adoption brethren Mike Kirkpatrick preached on that from Ephesians 1 a number of Sundays ago Raymond says with regards to the book of Ephesians if Romans was Paul's treatise on justification than Ephesians is Paul's treatise on adoption we were dead in our trespasses and in our sins we were walking according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air who now works in the sons of disobedience we were children of Wrath just as the others there's that word children not all children of God and in that hippy tree-hugging way children of Wrath paul writes children of Wrath but in his kindness and in his grace he comes down and condescends he makes us his children brethren what a glorious truth we're gonna we're going to move tonight because I'm I'm taking too long on this stuff I apologize divine grace divine fatherhood under the content of marveling tonight and then thirdly the intent behind the call to Marvel what is the purpose of it we'll look at that tonight but brethren so we close here in a few moments there's some things that we need to talk about behold your God yeah you know this it probably might pay comes to your ears and you're like well we know that we know that we're Christians we will hold our God we need to be reminded you know you come to the scriptures and you read you read certain things and you're and you and you say to yourselves white why did they need to why did they need to write that why did they need to say that well you need to check your own heart and and understand that you are there as well verse 5 of Jude but I want to remind you though you once knew this that the Lord etc etc we see this coming up often we see Paul having to use phrases like these are the things that I'm trying to write to you why because we need reminder we need repetition sometimes there's unwholesome repetition like if I was to preach the same sermon two identical sermon to you every time I preach probably be unwholesome repetition you have to take me aside afterwards and say could you please preach something else but there's wholesome repetition brethren and that comes right now behold your God reflect on your God arouse your own Christian astonishment at such a truth that such a God would take such a sinner and make him child of God think of yourselves Christian knowing knowing that that whole of the pit from which you were dig and that stone whence you were hewn remembering where you were you as Spurgeon says now peruse the diary of your memories for their the witnesses of your guilt have faithfully recorded their names but Christian behold your God behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God every day because brethren we and that this this is that I say this a lot we can be carried off onto reflections and recollections and rememberings of so many things that have no eternal merit no eternal value some of them are great things remembering when our kids you know were younger and when they behaved or remembering when they were younger and they didn't behave that's not a great thing to remember but remembering fawn things family vacations you know whatever else but you see if we remember whether base things hopefully not but we remember good things that happen in this lower world brethren don't focus on other things remember other things and behold other things to the point where you choke out the one thing that should be behold 'add that should be beheld that should be us that should be astonishing that should be marveled in don't have your minds wander so much in a day upon so many fruitless or even lawful things fruitful things to the point where you squeeze away any focusing or beholding upon the god of love and the Christ of redemption and the gospel of saving rates behold your God behold look see consider be be astonished be found in wonderment glory and the fact that such a God would save such a sinner by such a Christ put you into the kingdom of the son of his love and unbeliever you creation daily cries out to you behold there is a God you know it oh you might work full time trying to suppress that truth in unrighteousness you know that there is a God and that he is holy and just to judge those who break his law and you break his law daily all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God oh but I'm a child of God no no you're not if you're an unbeliever you're not a child of God but do you want to continue to be a child of wrath is that the place to be remember behold today is the accepted time now is the day of salvation I'm going to be a children's child a rafter a little while longer you know child of the devil behold creation Providence cries out you behold there is a God the scriptures scream from the pages in wholesome Proclamation there is a God you are a sinner but Christ has come to save guilty sinners as much as we trumpet free and sovereign grace this is not opposed to the reality that the entreaty and command comes believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved sovereignty doesn't rail against the proclamation come taste eat come by without money and without price believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he will be saved no sovereignty the the the reality that God is the the unbridled master of all things his creation Providence redemption is the foundation for the proclamation believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and you can say with everyone behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God rather than be holding the pleasures of your sin rather than be holding and reflecting upon a a day dwelt in reveling in all manner of iniquity believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you will glory in him and this will be true of you that because of this truth you will seek to purify yourself just as he is pure you see tonight we'll focus on that that's the purpose of beholding the manner of love that God has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God it is so that in light of that truth we might live lives of holiness unto our great father our great God John sets before his audience this truth so that we might not break God's law but obey it not in order to be saved were saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone but the saved by grace the saved by faith the saved by grace through faith in Christ alone do joyfully the deeds of God's law because they are our meat we want to honor our God we want to adorn the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord Oh brethren let's pray let's focus this week as we pray the rest of this day be holding our God beholding his love his grace his fatherhood the glorious truth that by Christ Jesus and by his Spirit were made to know sonship and daughter hood under our Blessed gone let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in your scriptures we thank you for what we see in in only half a verse behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God we thank you Lord God that by your grace and for your glory you have brought many of us sinners into a saving connection with our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ that you brought us into saving faith you've granted us repentance that you've given us Minds whereby we may behold with great joy the things of our God the things of our Christ and we do pray that you'd help us now as we as we pray now we have a time of Prayer shortly and as we go about the rest of this day is seeking to live it and carry it out in honor to your commandments we do pray that you would help us to behold our God to rejoice in our Christ to reflect on salvation and to meditate with great joy upon the fact that you by your grace have made us the children of God we pray in Christ's precious name amen well we're going to have a if you'll stand with me now we'll sing the doxology if you don't know that you can open up Roman numeral 16 in the in the Trinity hymnal but let's all stand and sing the doxology together you now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen well please be seated we'll have a time of prayer when the piano is finished your you're free to go