08/24/2025

Read

John 14:28–31 ESV

28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Let’s think about this...

I’ve said this, or something like it in several recent sermons…

# 2 - The Gospel calling out the Elect of God through the power of the gospel preached as the triumphant work of God in the Nations.

I want to be clear that I do not mean, nor does the Bible teach that there are justified people waiting for the gospel to be preached so they can respond.

Before the new birth, we are dead in our trespasses and sins.

Before the new birth, we are children of wrath.

There must be a moment in time, in this life, that a person hears/reads the gospel, understands the gospel, and repents and believes upon Christ…

In order for God to declare them justified/blameless.

1689 2LBC - Chapter 11; Section 4… From all eternity God decreed to justify all the elect, and in the fullness of time Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit actually applies Christ to them at the proper time.

There are elect from the foundation of the world.

But, you must repent and believe to be justified.

And, that is something that takes place at a moment in time in history.

The gospel call is to repent and believe and be justified.

Anything outside of that is to take biblical truth to human philosophical conclusions that do not agree with Scripture.

And, we have to be very careful to not do that.

Let God’s Word stand on God’s Word.

Let our faith stand on God’s Word, nothing more.

Closing Prayer