1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (Part B)

Limitations in seductions.

They go outside of free will. That's why Paul says I do that which I will not do that is a sinful nature and you will not lose your salvation. There is no sin that can take your salvation from you except if you decide you no longer wanted.

This is scriptural, and it is an experience. Many people have been used in the Gospel of falling away from the faith walk. No more. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with today's edition of cross reference radio in first Thessalonians chapter 1, you could see the shepherd with the sheet leading them in a opposite direction and as the sheep is leaving.

He looks back at the flock and then he continues to leave heads out toward the wilderness. Jesus said, are you two going to leave he gave him a choice.

You're free to go. You want to go have that I love that the Lord has it this way. It makes me stronger.

Makes me say no Lord where else am I going to go. I'm staying right here with you thick or thin things I don't like I don't want them that's not enough to chase me from you. So again, we cannot say that God has endowed us with free will and then say we can exercise and exercise it to the end and then this is strength and I think one of the reasons why we have such a weak church and the church in America is getting weaker and weaker day by day because more of the world is in the church and less of the churches in the world. They are calling the shots to see how Christians how quickly they crumble over the silliest things that they don't know anything you know some Christians have less material than than what you need to beta official to make a decision about what they believe in because they just following other things there following the crowd and not listening to the word themselves and approving these things and not digging into them. This idea of predestination that comes up in the Scriptures we are predestined in Christ.

When did the word predestination become synonymous with the word forced it's not were not forced to help or forced to heaven.

If you choose to follow Christ. That path leads you to salvation, eternal. If you choose no longer to follow him. That path is predestined for doom see is very simple sovereignty sovereignty is God being unmatched totally in control at the mercy of no one. It has come to mean tyrant is tyrannical's will be done on his believers, whether they want it or not, nonscriptural not found in Scripture that he does influence us. Jonah the disgorged profit. God never forced Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he did influence him strongly, I might add. What do I got to have a fish gobble you up what you have to puke you out on the beach. What has to happen to get me to listen to you to get you to listen to me as part of and so all who believe in Jesus are predestined to be saved, elected to salvation by faith that is the gospel that is the good news that you have a chance. What you wanted to know if it you tell people listen God's already decided who's getting safe then why does he need me to evangelize. You would think this would be so simple why I've had said more than I and I have so much more I could say to refute the silly things but but it's like blowing against the wind. So many Christians have stampeded into this line of thinking that they don't even want to change or give it a chance to say hey wait a minute free will. It's a special thing from the Lord. It's not the same thing when you're struggling with certain sins see temptations in seductions. They go outside of free will. That's why Paul says I do that which I will not do that is a sinful nature and you will not lose your salvation over that there is no sin that can take your salvation from you except if you decide you no longer wanted. This is scriptural and it is an experience you there. Many people have been used in the gospel of falling away from the faith and who walk no more. I just find it heartbreaking. People come to church with the word of God is preached with the people in the congregation will love them will minister the to them because they love the Lord and they can endure. They can stand the word of God, the come to a church like that and then over such a silly thing is this the leave and there go to church with the word of God is not upheld where the people are or are not loving and kind tolerable. Perhaps so what is a man like me supposed to do when I know these things are going on, we come to such a versus this I'm going to take my shot said that's what I'm going to do less.

The Lord tells me not to free will is taught. It is declared as illustrated in Scripture. Leviticus 1915 if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will is not a separate does not two categories of free will, one for doing what you want to do and another when you don't have when it comes to walking with Jesus Christ. So it's across the board looks gospel chapter 10 verse 42 Jesus speaking about Mary who chose to sit at his feet and receive the word he said one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her, you catch that last part. Nobody is taking this from her nap.

She wants to throw it out the window fine, but not not taking it from and I never let anybody else take it from her.

I've never felt my salvation was in jeopardy.

I've had moments of doubt, but I've never had Gee I wonder if I'm going to be lost now. Jesus died for me, there is now therefore no condemnation on me know it's going to snatch me out of his hand, but he will not make me a hostage.

Either he will not do to me what Islam does, he will not say once herein you can't get out. I don't care about your free will. God does not treat me that way. God loves us first, and goes far out of his way to reach us while we are sinners. He does this say will when you get good then I'll die for you. Do you know there are those that teach that when you say the word elect this at all. Those are only he only died for the ones he chose what, how did he choose them, or that sovereign you don't know you have to just accept it while that's not what the Bible teaches me Bible teaches me that God is sovereign and that his sovereignty is balanced and tempered by his love and in his love. He instructs me because love must correct that which is wrong.

That's what parents do with the children is even doing something wrong.

They say it because they care. My God is this way and that's why parents are that way. First John chapter 4 verse 19 we love him because he first loved us. John's gospel chapter 4 verses four and five.

This is when Jesus was headed north and he had to go to Samaria, Samaria was a region that was corrupted in the mind of the Jew, the judge of the Jews had been mingled with the Gentiles and they did not even want to set foot in that territory.

But yet Jesus is going to go through that territory because he is going to reach those who are lost and it tells us what he needed to go to Samaria so we came to a city of Samaria, which is called sidecar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And you know the rest of the story. There was the woman of shattered romances and Jesus preached to her she became a Christian and see was used by God to go to the village and tell everybody come see this man rose told me my whole life. This prophet of God. Could this be the Messiah and they all came out and they got saved, free will is the very thing devil doesn't want you to have you, want you to be this little auto truck that just goes around doing the things he's told you to do in your own voice instead of submitting to God's word. Romans 58 God demonstrates his own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Anybody says well when I get good enough I'll become a Christian.

You'll never be good enough to be a Christian is the goodness of Jesus Christ that makes us Christians that saves us. Luke 1910 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. This is our God is not a tyrant is loving you.

Sometimes you know when we share the gospel of the person who is guilty and is listening to us may think were being harsh and brutal towards them. God is never that way. But is that way towards the, the individual, but he is toward the lives so when we look again at this verse four and he says knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

He's not saying, beloved brethren, you have been forced to be believers and you will be nothing else, regardless of what you want to be.

This is it, that is not what you say he is saying you have been chosen by God because you receive the invitation. Now you his. That's how it should be well certain 20 more I can such that more than I care to about it already because I hit it again because it's in the Scripture every time we come to the words predestined in foreknowledge. You know this because God knows what's going to happen doesn't mean he caused it to happen by that line of thought you you don't have to blame the devil for anything is blame God everything to God's foreknowledge. He knows everything before it happens and he controls it also but in the midst of his controlling what human beings do does not force them does not force them to come to him, but he sure makes it sweet. Sure with Paul the apostle, he made it so Paul, he would have been a fool to have said no you say will then that's not free will. He gave Paul such an opportunity. Wait a minute, what about Judas Iscariot had same opportunity more he saw more miracles than Paul saw he saw Jesus walk on the water, he saw him multiply the bread he saw him stop the storm and in the end he said I'm going to turn them in for 30 pieces of silver. Madness of sin is not a joke. It's not a game, and we who have who can look back at our lives have been around this planet long enough you look back at our lives.

We see so many things that we've done that we wish we would never had done sin. That's the cause of it. Finding opportunity in my sinful nature.

My folly so what is our response to it is the church. It is the preaching of the word is the teaching of the word. It is the fellowship is the presence of Christ. Of course with power, which were now going to come to verse five says for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance. As you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. When Paul came to Philippi with Silas and Timothy. There were no Christians there. They were the Christians that came when caught Paul showed up to this little city wall was a big city actually he brought with him the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

He was burden for the lost and he was still bruised from preaching in the last city but was so important to him to make disciples to give people an opportunity to come to Christ that he was willing to risk being beaten yet again. If not killed, and he did.

They became believers. He practiced what he preaches is for our gospel did not come to you in word only, how many people have you met that taught Christianity and that it there's no evidence of it in their lives is no practicing of it. They seem to only use it to club others never use it power of the Holy Spirit listen to second Corinthians chapter 2 Paul now is going to leave Thessalonica eventually will he did when we wrote this letter from current, but he leaves Thessalonica, he heads out to Berea and then he makes his way down to Athens and then finally to Corinth and then using current for a long time year and 1/2 and then he heads, Lee's leaves current and by the time he writes them. The second letter, much Christianity is taken place in the in that region.

What he says to the church in Corinth. He says we are not as so many peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as from God we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

This is how the man lived his life. They want to Paul's. It was one man, and in the way he lived the same way he preached. That's what I want my life you know when I'm driving in the church on a Sunday or Wednesday night whenever I'm going to be in the pulpit. I say Lord please I don't want to say anything.

I will regret later.

I want to be able to communicate the truths you've given me with clarity and at the end of it when I'm driving home. So many times I feel God did not answer my prayer completely with his first of is not obligated to, secondly, it's part of my development.

Thirdly, he is sovereign and I accept that and forcefully.

I'm his slave.

He can do or not do with me as he pleases. And they have been some intense times lesson. Why didn't you let me say that God's like what you stupid said I know what I asked you not say what doesn't work that way.

Wow does it work well you finding out how it works you like that, no I don't okay go get away from that part he never does.

So the next time I'm coming in. Sometimes a farm in the Lord, you know I've asked you to make sure I don't say silly things in the pulpit.

God says you know there's some things you ask for me to fulfill. I have to take you out of this world like that about right now not to cross this bridge. I want to go into the water that is known to so part of being a Christian servant is accepting decedent that he's God if he is let me this way. He is no less God of you did this summer press I way I wanted to be still, my God, who makes me his slave, a bondslave see the difference between the bondslave and the slave and the Jewish mind was that the bondslave wanted to remain a slave. That's what makes it love but in the world.

A slave has no choice has no rights is not love his chattel is just a piece of possession. See the difference when we go back to the free will I choose I choose to have him all my ear to the post because I love him enough and all of them anywhere nearly as much as he loves me.

I love them enough to make a difference in my life and this is power to be able to accept from the hand of God. Harsh things and still preach with power is the mark of a believer. We judge God by how much pain he allows or disallows in our life. Who are we to judge God. We are to accept it.

Understand where he is going with it.

This is why this man Paul was able to take the beatings that he took and still preach with the power that he had so he goes to fill from Philippi to Bethel and Micah still bruised and he preaches with power. So Christ came to Thessalonica to Paul never would've gone there without a man like Paul would've had to raise somebody else up. Paul was the one we speak of the coming of Christ, we speak again of his coming into view is always here when he comes he comes into view coming of Christ to earth his birth, his life, his death and resurrection the ascension. These are scriptural and Paul took advantage of that and so he had goes in the Thessalonica lid we read about it next chapter 17 verses two and three, which is the account of him entering into the city. He says this is Paul as his custom was went into them, and for three Sabbath reasoned with them from the Scriptures explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead and saying this Jesus whom I preached to you is Messiah is reaching out to the Jews as this is the one that Isaiah talked about Christ is him become Christ to us because that's the Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah.

So the coming of Christ. Scripturally that's what we believe. That's what we preach. Whether the is through thick and thin inside the gospel is the coming of Christ when you preached God loves you your your preaching. He really came here really suffered and died.

God has one son, one child with no sin, this Jesus Christ.

He has no child without suffering that's us and that was him to coming of Christ is into my heart, that is salvation. So the preaching of Christ that Scripture, the coming of Christ in my heart that is salvation. That's what happened to the Thessalonians. That's why is it beloved brethren, you are elected could not say that before he got there and the coming of Christ is upon my life after I am saved.

That is sanctification is a process that is all the difference between mature Christians and immature Christians. That is all the difference between mature Christians who have pockets of immaturity. Still working on still being worked out, then the coming of Christ upon my life goes from sanctification to through my life, which is service as we mature we not serving in God's house because we think we can do it all. That should be part of it. But if you come to church if you want to get involved because I like being active or because I have I can make this a better place. Those are good things, but they're not first the first thing is I a slave of Jesus Christ. I am here to serve as a willful slave whatever he wants me to do this Thessalonian letter one and two is about the coming of Christ on all these levels scripturally salvation sanctification service. The coming of Christ for his church. The rapture coming of Christ with his church to return of Christ. The second advent in the end all of this belongs to this Jesus Christ is come into view for us that we could do something with this information widely. Why do you come to church hopefully to be built up again like do that on my own. Never that's outside of how the system is been designed by the designer of the system you come to Christ is no longer owned and operated by me is owned and operated by the Lord. This is a concept that seems to be rejected by so many people sitting in pews that he is not my Lord is just my Savior preach on this all the time very problematic. I would have to answer with. I don't want to stand before the Lord, and he says to me you saw the Christians that were brought into the presence of your speaking, you saw the problems and you ignore them. Why aren't you ignored on a plan is I'm not going. I don't want to get on that shot, I don't want to be able as that of me want to be able to say Lord put on my heart those things that were unsaid that needed to be said or spoken, and I want him to say well done.

That's what I'm talking about. I don't want I can listen we cannot impress Jesus Christ, but we can try – with beauteous the pursuit of holiness when he said be perfect like I am perfect, be fervent like my father never that heaven is perfect.

They could sit there, that's too much standards too high would never do that when he said it. They stood for the challenge. All right, let's go after it is the pursuit of righteousness. It makes us righteous is the going. It is the very thing that the unrighteous person will not do, they will not pursue righteousness. They will pursue some other lifestyle because there owned and operated by some other than God. So when he says, but also in power to be successful in preaching the gospel. There has to be the power of the Holy Spirit in operation. Just go try to convert your community.

Find out why cause Orion in Thessalonica, he would go on to cause a riot in Ephesus and Jerusalem. I haven't started any riots that I know about that like to do it have that on my resume move thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of first Thessalonians cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from pastorate. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app as well. That's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. It's pastorate continues to teach through the book of first Thessalonians, right here on cross reference rate