Eternal Life Test

Receipt brother, David, and the work up there in Rutherford County 1/destroyers in Latin America actually sold price loads 11 one of the ways that I could increase missions works is as partnership churches have been with us a while been they begin to take ownership of the church plants and we stand behind them financially and with God. So John assumes that his church plan of simple meals but were partnering with him to support that and actually Trevor Davis, a great commission church in Olive branch Mississippi was, being the primary mentor for Chris Twilley's church this stuff there. Trevor and the price Lord for the good things God's doing there. Maybe that's something you'd like to get out here. Here's what I want. Tell your brothers and sisters, brothers, mainly planning one church Acadia.

It's overwhelming. That's why the apostle Paul had networks of churches helping and we need each other and that suits come a day were we can't just simply go by denominational lines. We gotta go by. Truth lines those who are committed troops were committed to partnering together. Acts chapter 2 go there real quick and I'm going to spend about 30 minutes. We we've already talked. We had two sessions from Hebrews 64 through 11 on unmasking false regeneration. I hope that is helpful to you as it has been for me to study. It is just open the door and turned on some lights for me. I know brother David Brown's committed this as much as anybody in the earth. But when he said you know prayed that the Holy Spirit is working on some we know how you find those the Holy Spirit is working on.

You just witnessed her body you urge everybody repent and believe and we don't know who's associated with the spirit who's going to be associated then regenerated.

We just were supposed to appeal and plead with all men everywhere to repent and believe. If they do get saved we know sovereign God did, but he wants us to do that part know Spurgeon used to say that he did know who the elect are.

He said of God and put a yellow stripe on their back. We just run rental the shirttails up see Danielle strive we could witness to them, but we don't know.

So were going to urge all men everywhere to repent and believe in the warrant of faith this, the gospel will go to them if you repent, believe God will save you are right that good balance. No hyper Calvinist and anchored in true fellowship. I just Spurgeon's that were five point Spurgeon list I this session will talk about those the Lord address discerning the fruit of regeneration and this is something we begin to do years ago here and I just want to, go over it with you how we approach this. We've had wonderful teaching from Tom Haskell about the new birth, the work of the spirit. We've been thoroughly through that now in Hebrews chapter 6 but when years counseling a seeker. What might that look at likable Puritan that Tapley was Thomas Boston. I glean some things from some of his writings years ago and developed most of from him. What I'm going to share with you this afternoon about 30 minutes. The next chapter 2, verse 37. Note verse 37 verse 39.

I'm sorry Peter's preaching any says for the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off cheese and Gentiles as immediate as the Lord our God will call to himself. Then look at verse 747 praising God and having favor with all the people in the Lord was adding to their number day by day's those who were being saved. So our job as the under shepherds of Christ Church, not our church.

We must be faithful to the chief Shepherd. We are the stewards of another's property. So were only to allow into his church. Those he adds and is given us good Scripture to guide us in that process. First Corinthians 3, six and seven reminds us Paul writing to the Corinthians said I planted a polished watered. But God was causing the growth so the need of the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but God, who causes the growth.

So how can we discern those that God is bringing in this church that God has changed that God has say that God indwells I got little phrase that I like to use and that is if you're going to die and live you must live before you die, you better have possess new life here. If you expect to keep dying are living rather after you die John 512 and 13 he who has the son has the life and he does not have the son of God who does not have a life.

These are things I've written you believe the name of the son of God so that you meet. You may know that you have eternal life that were not talking about a new approach to life, added the energies of the flesh were talking about possessing a new life, a new birth John 423 but an hour is coming and now is this talk about those who are spiritually dead when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the Holy Spirit must come in must make his residence in the life and only then can a person begin to grasp the truth and be a true worshiper of God. If you add those who have not been born again. The spirit is not willing here.

Adding false worshipers into your congregation. This is an important thing for us pastors to labor over and pray over you know in my early years as a pastor I was told the easiest, simplest food, junk nonsense, I was troubled by it but I did know what else to do.

Should not the entrance into God's church be a primary concern of ours. This is not merit weighty study and wrestling and praying and discerning and learning nothing is more important than God's church.

Therefore if any man be in Christ. He's a new creation, a new creature. He has new life and on and on. We can go. But we've all talked about this. Colossians 110 tells us, as Paul is speaking about the Colossian believers so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and here's the phrase I will focus on increasing in the knowledge of God are more and more. Should you be experiencing the things of God. The knowledge of God. What God's doing in the earth and what God's method are. We are thus not a good word what God's provision of salvation is and what it looks like more and more so I'm counseling was someone I'll use this outline and I'll look as were counseling. This is very careful that we stay balanced here. I'm not looking for a full bloom are fruit. I'm looking for the seed of these things and and I want to tell them to you since in your soul. At least the seed of this kind of desire in you and I'll show them the Scripture because I want them to tell me God has done this because in conversion.

It's not what you've done. It's what he's done so more and more number one more and more.

I asked him do you see and feel the weight of your sin. More and more. Do you see and feel what your sin. The Bible promises the Holy Spirit will come to those who are God's and will help them and when you're converted. The Holy Spirit comes in and he begins to reveal the holiness of God, and in contrast, he begins to reveal the sin directed condition of your totally depraved soul. Another baby defines the end and find depravity, but trust the word of God. Show them the Scriptures with things arch passes all the time. Yes my church members. We preach H strong and weighty doctrine of sin in the spirit knew I found the more I will labor on weighty thorough preaching on the document C and the more my people love their Savior who people of their Savior keep telling him how much he saved up one of the first conferences I went to decades ago was Rick Warren's purpose driven something I think.

His purpose was to run the church. You tell him I said that by the way, because one of his main points in that whole conference was quit telling people their centers wants just a quick preaching the gospel.

I don't care how big his numbers are in California just don't matter to me. It's a false gospel that leaves out a weighty presentation of the documents in and you want the new believer to be able tell you yes pastor you read that text asked me you at least see the germ of the reality of an increasing of their feeling the weight of their sin. They should be seeing more and more of the darkness of their hearts. I'm returned to be city young Christians and must not be saved just wouldn't believe what the thoughts I have. Sometimes the difficulty since the weather kinda makes sense to me like you have been saved, you knew they were wrong before because you had a natural conscience of the Lord God is in your heart, but it seems to really trouble you now that's the germ of conversion in their they should be seeing their ever present lust to disobey. Paul said I practice the very thing that I do not want they should see that their burden their sins, our burden and their beginning to loathe them. That's what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 1128 when he said come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, I'll give you rest. Solace in bowl. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and MCN. My mother conceived me.

Paul again says wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death. I told you just briefly in an earlier message. How in my conversion in my automobile wrist listing to the radio. I immediately sensed I just keep it the only way I could describe it was like a beam of light shone through the top of that 72 cups Oldsmobile and just love from God flow through the top of that, that's a laugh them.

I was over whelmed with love of God through Jesus Christ. But in the following weeks.

I can't even describe to you how heavily I sensed my sin and wretchedness before and so much so I had a good and godly Sunday school teacher and she meant well. She should quit talking about how bad you are. I said but I am and I am but I know Christ is forgiven me.

So don't expect that in a capacity to be of define or explain, but just the evidence there's a seed of realization that yes I see and feel the weight of my seat number two. More and more there's kindled in me a flame of love for Christ that this takes a while that you do love Christ, but brothers and sisters. A person's gotta know who he is, before they can love him, faith comes by hearing, hearing the things about Christ. That's why preaching is so important and I meant to mention this before I even started the outline, but brothers and sisters here.

I'm not saying we do it exactly the right way but here it's almost inconceivable to us that we would receive you by baptism. If you have upset under the preaching of the word for a good season that's really our major seeker counseling is hearing the preaching of the word of God and things start going off in their hearts what I call it the Holy Spirit doing this work. It's the amen of the Holy Spirit will hear something. The spirit of the hearts is a ministry those a men's keep affirming the truth of the word of God in all these areas I'm talking about now I'm not saying it's required that a person attend for so long. Not saying we require so many sermons be listened to.

I mean we would Bass have somebody right away if they could from an open Bible tell us. Yes, pastor that's happened to me. That's where I am. We just found that it almost always take some time, Jonathan Edwards. I guess humanly the last several centuries is one of the few men who saw a real special awakening, a work of God. Jonathan Edwards would tell you that some in a in an unusual outpouring of the Spirit, you may be able to discern quickly if someone is truly converted as a pastor, but he said that would be rare and unusual typically present enough. My folks don't want it to go quick might let my parents, they they would rather us spend time and pour the word into that child before we baptized but again there's no time thing here. There's no thing of we got have eight meetings or three meetings. It's very possible you meet one time of the church elder and you have clear evidences of the new birth and we would schedule for Batna we would do more studies because we want them to study what baptism means will have the fullest meaning to them when they get the bad Baxter water so it's possible after one session, but typically have several and sometimes it several months and sometimes it several years. There's kindled in me more and more there's kindled in me a flame of love for God, the love of God. Romans 55 again has been poured out within our hearts. When I first came to this church and that would've been 40 years ago because I attended a while before I came on staff is, as the youth gone so she pastor. The pastor that time was Bob Pittman and he was an expository preacher. He was preaching to the gospel of John, not a brand-new Christian and I mean I have far more zeal than I had common sense or was you from could tell that personality can you want to preach but bore the blunders I made.

I called Nicodemus and economists.

I didn't know anything. I honestly didn't know anything and I was so excited now so glad to be saved and I sit out there and Bob people would preach John and he would preach Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus brother John not sit back there and so that's good. But you need to teach us these principles for my car laugh successful. I love Joel O'Steen or somebody that day because I'm a baby Christian. But you know what he Preaching Jesus Jesus Jesus and months rolled by and pretty works so nicely not to get back church I'll hear more about Jesus Jesus Jesus I had the seed of love performance. Gotta grow under the word guys are you getting what I'm saying that's what we are. Culverts have to be true to the word of God so they were presenting the Jesus the spirit will cause them to love. I can't love them if they don't, knowing that the going knowing the need hearing preached faith comes by hearing, how shall they hear without a preacher just thought about this the other day course loving God includes our Christ includes loving the word of God.

Of course, and I got to thinking I was converted, age 19 and I would guess, in the 19 years before I was converted I might've spent 30 minutes reading the Bible and over the whole 19 years. In the last 41 years I probably average that every day because there was kindled in me a love for God and us were not my job is to study and preach the don't don't sit out there and be legalistic will only got 12.5 minutes a day so I might not be saved.

No don't do that someone talk about. I'm told that there's kindled in you a love for the word of God and a love for Christ. Number three. More and more I see my need for Christ. My total and desperate need for Christ. I need him as a prophet and need his word is wisdom. I need him has preached understand he's the only intercessor in connector with me to God the father and salvation. I need him as king. I see the need to bow before him. Let me read to you from our confession of faith, we have the New Hampshire confession of faith here and we've added little bit more in the areas of sovereign grace. But this is a great statement but I want to talk about it and I want you to hear this on repentance and faith.

Article 8. We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties and also inseparable. Grace is wrought in our souls. By the regenerating spirit of God whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness in the way of salvation by Christ. We turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy and at the same time, hardly receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as prophet, priest and king and relying on him alone as the only an all sufficient Savior, brothers and sisters, that is a wonderful statement on repentance and faith but you can use that in counseling a new believer, I just understood all that a few months ago and I'm still understanding more about but if you explain to them in counseling from the Scripture. Jesus is our prophet and he's revealed his wisdom is truth from the word messy Jan I know I need more.

And Jesus is our our priest. In other words, he connects us to God and only this death press and the cross can we be forgiven pastor. I know that's true. Jesus is our Teagan and we ought about before him as Lord of all felt that so much of what I want to be that way. Simpson they get the doctrine as you teach it to them and understand they see their need for Christ. I think one of the things that we ought to look for is they they run to him. This is all in dry and more Marcy muddy press they run to him in time of trial.

He's just the one we run to when crisis comes that it would come to know him, hate it. It's it's amazing how how we grow in things, but at the beginning.

We don't have them. I try to discipline myself to pray about my material stuff this way God you on my farm where you and the bank could you all my cars you own the house you all my clothes. She on the first Jewish now. I enjoy and I'm grateful I get to enjoy but it's yours cannot be transparent with you. I leak I find myself some days not quite there and have humble myself and kinda fight my way back there and as of the unbeliever. I member distinctly.

I could really pray that I just, when they are but if you asked me brother Jeff, is that is that in your heart while I will be like that. That's where I want the so you're looking for the seed of it, not the full blossom of it on the full-blown moment I'm asking the Lord. Now, as I've just turned 60.

The prayer is God.

I want to be effective for you in my old age will be effective for you. My old age now, I'd like to have good health. If you see fit.

I'd like to enjoy my grandkids for 23 decades of each see fit. I like to have suburban vacations with my wife and kids or grandkids if you see fit. But if you don't see fit. If you just let me be effective for you. That's the main thing I had always been able to do that and sometimes today if I haven't stayed up-to-date and humbling myself and seeing the things that matter. I'll get I'll leave it to leak out. I gotta get back in again so don't look for full or maturity you're looking for the seed of these things. Number four. More and more I hate what God hates why think this is an important more and more I hate what God hates. I've growing in my contempt for the war. This is evidence of spiritual life, I'm talking about you increasingly you see this world system is just vain and worthless and you see the values and the pleasures of this world your burden about the shallowness out there in this world and all the pride in the idolatries and just the overall vanity of it all the ought to be a seed of that in a person is received new life. First John 215 says do not love the world nor the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love the father is not in him that the love the world here doesn't mean that occasionally you have too much enjoyment and things that don't matter for eternity. And by the way God intends for us to enjoy.

Common grace gifts. Sometimes guys just product to spiritual it's obnoxious. I'd rather a guy enjoy a common grace gift greatly, but praise God for guidance. It's around looks like he's been sucking on a percent green persimmon and just you know just what I don't do that I'm too holy, but there's not a settled pattern of love for this world and the child of God, that you get that a settled pattern of love for this world and it grieves us, I'm a I'm a I'm a Tennessee volunteer football, basketball, United that's what I meant. I heard a minute I don't I don't get many of those renting. I've never going to kneel in stadium.

God is my witness know you're not less spiritual, this could happen to you. Okay I'm never going to kneel in stadium to a football game went to three times in the game. I look around the site. This not the stupidest thing in the world. All of this money come motion stuff is true about the Aggies to confessing to the times is not true about the ethics essay to graduate and here's what I'm saying there's something in you that says thank God we can enjoy these things but thank God this isn't my joy is the seed of something that look for that see that evidence of more and more I hate what God hates us and God hates a clean football game, but there are things in the world. God certainly does hate, and that's the world system of dishonoring God and living for skewed deliverable for pleasure. So mom 119, 113, the psalmist said I hate those who are double minded. But I love your law hate. There's an indignation that begins to grow as we grow closer to God. We get indignation toward those, especially those who give themed obedience to the things of the Lord. Psalm 101 verse three I was sent no worthless thing before my eyes.

I hate the work of those who fall away, it shall not fasten its grip on me while strong goodness. I think that's the righteous hate is a righteous anger. You're to be troubled about those who play in toyed with the things of God. Psalm 69 verse nine zip for the zeal for your house has consumed me. We my daughter played college basketball and there are several lesbians on the basketball team and the way I had them stay in my home not shared a bedroom, but we love them. We hugged their necks and especially in a clear, faithfully share the truth with them and they loved her fork and see all the stuff about their going to hate you but they will respect you if they know your genuine and then one of the girl's just put on social media that she has broken up with her girlfriend and repented of that sin and she said we can't we can't. For Christians, we can't say all these other things are sins, amplifying what she said here but God only whispers about this. She said that was wicked and seemed to pull Tomas to how much danger is being done when men of high influence in Christendom tell us to minimize the wickedness of sins that little girl might not been saying she heard that kind of testimony. I know God's sovereign salvation, but we have a responsibility but she's come out now and repented of that and you can see in her heart. I'm beginning the love what little God loves and I begin to hate the things God hates you should see us either that a person is born again. Well number five. More and more I do love what God loves. Of course we said enough about it on not belabor it. We love his church does insist you should go how to get your heart and mind.

He loves his church so much more than any thing house fires.

It's possible were to do good to all men but especially the household of the faith. You should see a seed of love for the church when I was first converted I lived in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. I was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Larkspur. One thing for some good godly people that encourage me there. But always do not know buddy went to church but I did a Wednesday night I went to church with about 18 senior adult ladies, I just had a son in my heart I want to be in church.

I want to be with God's people know to be a seed of that in their VI. More and more the spirit helps me in Bible study and prayer. More and more the spirit helps me in Bible study and prayer course.

Have you ever noticed when you start praying you can start out so cold you can start out so lifeless.

But if you'll stay at it. The spirit warms your heart. It becomes a joy.

John 1426 reminds us with the help of the Holy Spirit and the father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I've said Holy Spirit helps those who belong to the Lord to talk to that sequence that you find that your prey sometimes.

But if you start praying your heart gets warm only child of God gets that the seated that I'll be in there the same with the spirit helps our weakness. Romans 826.

We do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too big for words and I be just transparent to you with you. Sometimes preparing to study, to preach is a woeful drudgery. It's hard because I have an OCD idolatry problem.

I'm prone to over study. I'm prone to just have a joke with all the guys to do the screens and stuff around here the salon to get it to us earlier I said because I never get a sermon finished. I just run out of time and honestly I get some of the best insights in the last couple of hours. I can literally have 20 hours in it in the best insights come together and I don't that outline Artie set on that land be last.

But I'm telling you, if you do that for a while.

You have a break. Thankfully my elders of my church allows me to take breaks when I need them. Sometimes studying is just a woeful drudgery and I don't care how tired I am. How worn out I am for the Jonathan open that book and prayed study that takes just not long before I'm saying practice, this is good stuff. Praise the Lord. This is wonderful stuff and you know how sermon preparation is it's got to be born in the study than you. When you preach initially born again well. Romans seven more and more.

I look forward to his return should be the seated that child of God as he grows.

It's going to get stronger, but don't you see that that I long to be stripped of my own righteousness, and be clothed with his again wretched man that I am who will set me free from the bottom. The body of this to thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. One day he return and save me from me if save me from me, but you get sick of you. We get sick of each other. Sometimes I get sick of me more than I get sick of you all.

Praise God when Hill closely, and his righteousness.

Don't be the seat of that enough new child of God's experience in the birth.

Blessed are those Matthew, five, six Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied in Hebrews 1110 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God is looking for something more.

I'm think it's great to enjoy the stuff God gives us and at the same time know that we got something far better than this stuff on my farm. There's a creek it's called may branch and runs down the edge of the property there and may branch never runs dry it to get a little lesson the late summer, but may branch never runs dry. And that's kind of a picture of of of the indwelling presence of God he's the fountainhead of our soul. You might get a bigger list, but it's always there. Now there's a hillside coming down in the may branch and I have many freshwater springs that come out and they flow into may branch and this time of the year.

They're all flowing there, all flowing in their but for the child of God. The many springs, that flow into the major spring in the valley of our soul, their polluted once polluted with pride once polluted with conceited once polluted with lust with praise God they minimize at times and they lack lipid times and they go dry at times, but there's one main stream that never runs dry fountainhead of Jesus Christ indwelling presence of God as we mature in Christ. Those other little tributaries that are polluted should get drier and drier birds. All you know what I found out time. I think they get dried up. Good one. Start gushing again and I have to follow my face and say wretched man that I am.

But, thank God. Thank God. Thank God the father God always flows down the main valve hit never runs dry.

That's what you're looking for a child hears what will happen in counseling. The put all their attention a little streams like I must not be saved because the stream of conceit of the stream. A private stream of lust is there well is the stream of God's presence there. Now I've given you seven things to look for and let me say this, don't make this a mathematical type equation like they gotta get 4/7.

They may only have to. I don't know and be really saved all and continues the Bible didn't give us enough to make this a little formula but this is helped me greatly because it's a joy beyond Joyce when that man or that woman that teenager who gives list of things is Pastor that's me and they tell me from the word of God. They have truly been born again and have new life. Hope these things have been a help to you as we do the best we can for the glory of God and his church to unmask the tragedy of unregenerate church members know there is a absolutely essential balancing truth and that's called corrective church discipline because you can't keep them all cleared out on the front end is going happen in, you make a mistake if you think you will be hundred percent there. God has a provision for removing from his church.

Those who, in effect, remove themselves by open brace and unrepentant sin Bolzano CMC just got built that he's uniquely qualified because the twenty-year sees Pastor, he is been totally faithful in this discipline his church and his church, and he himself to receive the blessings of faithfulness there. So you preach that force tonight