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Why are only a few called? By Albert N. Martin

On Tuesday morning, I sought to set before you the scriptural warrant for what we called at that time a
sincere and universal call or invitation to faith in Jesus Christ.
We considered the biblical evidence that such a call is warranted,
that such a call is indeed based upon the command of God,
the expressed desire of God, and the adequate provision of God on behalf of sinners.
However, the teaching of scripture confirmed by human experience is that only some heed that call
and embrace the gospel offer. In fact, both scripture and human experience confirm that
relatively few of those who hear the universal call do indeed embrace it as it is given.
Now the question to which we address ourselves today is simply this, why?
Why? The general call comes to all men indiscriminately.
It finds all men in the same condition as we heard yesterday.
When we pull the report out of the pocket of any sinner, the coroner's report,
the physician's report, and then the summation and the autopsy, it's the same.
Now the stink of death may be more strong in some than others.
The open sores may run with a bit more pus in some than others.
But nonetheless, they're all in the same condition.
And yet as that gospel comes, some embrace it.
The blindness goes, the deafness goes, and life is imparted. Why?
And an answer to that question, it's ultimately resolved by one of two ways.
Either we say there is something different in the people to whom the call comes,
which makes the difference, or there is something in the way in which the call
comes to those who respond, which differs from the way in which the call comes to those
who do not respond. We're right back to the basic issue that theologically we
crystallize in the words, monergism or synergism.
Either the answer lies in something different in the activity of the God who sends the call,
or in the creature who receives the call, who makes them to differ.
Now this is not an impractical subject. I perhaps can already read the thinking of somebody,
oh, here we go again. Back to ultimate causes, back to reason.
Why can't we just be simple Christians, preach the gospel?
Some believe, some don't believe, and get on with the job.
All this impractical theological reasoning.
Well, there's nothing more practical than this issue.
Has great practical implications.
There are great practical implications in terms of our concept of the God who issues the call.
Great practical implications to the one who responds to the call.
Great practical implications in terms of the instrument through whom the call has come.
Great implications.
And so I want you to gird up the loins of your mind and to think with me very seriously
on this subject and the manner in which we're going to try to think our way through the subject
is as follows. First of all, we're going to clarify and delineate our terms. Secondly,
clear away some caricatures and misunderstandings, and then consider some biblical data,
and in the last place, draw some practical conclusions from that data.
First of all, then, a clarification of terms.
My part in this conference for this morning was announced as irresistible grace.
What does that term mean? We hear the term effectual call. What does that mean?
We heard yesterday morning that the state of all men to whom the gospel comes is one of blindness,
ignorance, death, rebellion. They are bound. They can't even get to the remedy.
That's the saddest state to be in. To be in a place where you can't help yourself
and to be in such bad shape, you can't even get to the remedy by yourself.
No man can come to me. He's the remedy. But he says you can't even get to the remedy.
The father draw.
If such people are to embrace the gospel, they must be given sight in place of their blindness,
light in place of their ignorance, life in room instead of death.
And there must be a state of submission of the will in place of that rebellion.
They must be released from bondage that they might embrace the offered mercy.
This indisposition of the heart and the will and the affections,
this disinclination must be overcome and conquered.
Now the same grace that was operative in the design of salvation and in the objective
provision of salvation is the grace that is operative in the application of salvation.
Now we've heard much in the conference by inference, direct statements of the sovereignty,
of the design of God in salvation that encompasses the words predestination, election,
foreknowledge. We heard so graphically last night and in past nights the objective provision of God.
God set forth his son of propitiation. He did it. Uncoerced, freely out of the infinite love
of his own heart. And I submit that scripture teaches with equal authority that the same God
who acts sovereignly in the intent and planning of salvation, in the objective provision of
salvation, acts sovereignly in its application so that the blessings of redemption are actually
conferred upon and appropriated by those for whom it was purchased in keeping with the eternal
purpose of the Father. So you have a Trinitarian salvation, the Father purposing, the Son
purchasing, and the Spirit applying with power. Now the moment we move into that third realm of
redemption applied, having considered its purpose and purchase, when we get into the realm of its
application, then we confront such terms as irresistible grace, effectual calling,
regeneration, and then the outworking of those in conversion, repentance, and faith, progressive
sanctification, and these other biblical doctrines. And that grace then, which actually applies
redemption, overcoming in men all of that natural resistance that is found in them when the gospel
comes, that grace is an irresistible grace. It disposes men to freely embrace the Savior
and thereby to enter into the blessings of their purchased salvation.
Now what we're going to do this morning is to focus upon one major aspect of that general theme
of irresistible grace, namely the doctrine of calling. If we thought more biblical, we could
drop the adjective irresistible, I mean, I'm sorry, effectual calling, for the very term
call, if we thought biblically, would convey the whole concept of a call that actually affects
something. It is more than a summons or invitation, it effects a change in the one to whom it comes.
So we're narrowing down the field, we're taking a sub-point under the general theme of irresistible
grace, which would include the matter of regeneration, and we're focusing upon the issue
of calling. So much then for a clarification or delineation of our terms. Now, just very briefly,
I want to clear away two caricatures that are often found when one begins to discuss the
aspects of grace that is irresistible. One is the caricature of the sinner saved against his will.
It's the picture of a youngster who's just been deposited in an ice cream parlor,
candy parlor, with three dollars in his pocket, he's ordered his banana splint,
he's at the counter picking out his candy, and all of a sudden his mother comes in and grabs him by
the back of the neck and the seat of the britches and hauls him out, and sits him down at a table
spread with spinach and half-cooked liver, and says, now eat.
The term irresistible lends itself somewhat to this caricature.
No, what God does is what a mother would do if she had the power, and so operate upon the judgment
of that boy regarding ice cream as opposed to scooping liver in terms of its nutritive value.
And so operate upon his taste buds, so that when she said, Johnny, you're in the ice cream
and candy parlor, but we've got liver and spinach at home, that he says, wonderful,
and he runs away from his ice cream and candy and sits down and devours his spinach and his liver.
Now that's the doctrine of irresistible grace, you see, that God effects a change in the mind
and affections, the spiritual taste buds, so that we gladly come to that which he has spread
at his table. This is brought out, of course, very clearly in the confessional statements
and the catechetical statements on what effectual calling is. The little phrase occurs so that they
come most freely and willingly being made so by his grace. And then the second caricature is
that if we talk about irresistible grace, we conjure up the idea that there is no form of
resistance whatever to any of the overtures of grace and the strivings of the Spirit.
And immediately, if we know our Bibles, we think of verses like Acts 7 51,
ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers
did, so do ye. We read in the Old Testament, they vexed his spirit. We read in Hebrews 6,
of those who tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come.
Some say, well, there where then is your irresistible grace? Well,
we're not saying that there are not mighty, powerful at times, operations of the Holy Spirit,
which are resisted by men who ultimately perish, or in case of those who are effectually called,
strivings of the Spirit that are resisted for a period of time, months, sometimes even years.
No scripture teaches that there may be deep and powerful workings of the Holy Spirit that fall
short of that irresistible grace that brings men unto salvation, particularly in times of revival.
When it's as though there are geographical effusions of the Holy Spirit, and people come
into certain geographical areas, and they are gripped with an awesome sense of the presence
of God, and the conscience is made sensitive, and it is all the day of judgment is drawn near,
and they tremble at the thought of having to stand before such a God.
Professor Murray has a great statement on this in his chapter on perseverance, in his book,
Redemption Accomplished and Applied. This is my second copy. I just wore the other one out until
it fell apart, and this one's begun to fall apart. Can't commend it too highly, and he has a great
statement on this fact in dealing with the subject of perseverance. No, we are not saying that there
are not certain operations of the Holy Spirit which may not be resisted. So much then for
a delineation of our terms, a clearing away of the caricatures. Now let's come to the core of
our study, a consideration of the biblical data on effectual calling. Now the word call,
and its derivatives, is used in two general senses in the New Testament. There is a general usage
which breaks down again into two definite categories. The word call is sometimes used
as a synonym for designate. Thou shalt call his name Jesus. His name shall be called
Emmanuel. He shall be designated. Sometimes it simply means to summons.
Herod called the wise men, Matthew 2-7. Matthew 25-14, a master called his own servants. Well,
it's obvious that when we're talking about the application of redemption to men, we're not
thinking of the usage of the word call in its general sense. Then there is the second great
category of its usage where it has reference to the offers of grace and mercy through the gospel.
And here again the word breaks down into two usages. The first one is only found in two,
possibly three, texts in the New Testament. It is by far the infrequent use, the exceptional use,
and in those cases it means a mere summoning, a mere inviting of men to the provisions of the
gospel through the preaching of the truth of God. It's this sense in which the word seems to be used
in that well-known parable of the marriage feast found in Matthew 22 and again in Luke 14. And you
will notice in Matthew 22 verses 3 and 8, and he sent forth his servants to call, there's the word,
call them that were bidden to the wedding and they would not come. Verse 8, then said he to
his servants the wedding is ready but they that were bidden, same word in the original, they that
were called were not worthy. Here were people called, invited to the marriage feast, but they
did not come. This call was an invitation, sincere, yes, indiscriminate, yes, but a call that was ignored,
resisted, and despised. It may be in this sense that the word is used in Matthew 22
14, many are called, invited, summoned, but few are chosen. Now when you've exhausted those passages
you've exhausted this very limited sense of the word call. And the moment you come to the epistles,
I believe it's accurate to say without exception this word when it's referring to that call related
to the preaching of the gospel and the application of redemption never means to simply summon,
to simply invite, but it always means that call which actually translates sinners from darkness
to light and ushers them into the fellowship of Jesus Christ.
Now that's the focus of our study for the bulk of our time that remains before I come to application.
That special call to his own. We've looked at the text which deal with the general invitation,
now the special call to his own. How will we study the many verses? Well, we're going to make
several general observations and then a specific analysis of the use of this word.
Several general observations. In the first place, we notice that this term call or called
becomes one of those distinguishing titles of the people of God. The term holy ones,
the sanctified ones, became a term by which the apostle often identified the people of God. He
writes to the saints that are at Ephesus or to the disciples that are at Ephesus, and he writes to
the saints at Corinth. Well, this word called became a word, a peculiar descriptive word of
the people of God. You will notice this in Jude verse one. As Jude sits down to write
concerning this common salvation, he addresses his letter to these who are designated in the
following way. Jude the servant of Jesus Christ, the brother of James, to them that are sanctified
by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called. The called ones
are paralleled with the sanctified and preserved ones. Well, you see, if you weaken the word to
mean mere invitation, you've got everyone who's ever been invited, sanctified, and preserved.
Universalism, at least as far as the preaching of the gospel has extended, can't mean simply
summoned. It means those who've actually been translated out of darkness into the kingdom of
light, brought into union with Christ. It's in that sense that we find it used in Revelation 17
and verse 14. One of these days I'm going to preach a sermon on that description of a Christian,
one of the most comprehensive descriptions anywhere in the word of God. Revelation 17 14.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and
king of kings, and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful. And here you have
calling tied together with chosen and faithful. They are the called ones. Why are they called?
Because God chose them. Well, how do you know God chose them and they're called? They persevere,
they're faithful. And there you have the whole compass of salvation brought together. One of
the descriptive titles of the people of God is the called ones. And then, of course, that classic
text in the eighth chapter of Romans with which all of us are familiar, more over whom he did
predestinate than he also called. Well, if you stop there, the word might possibly mean
summoned, because anyone who's predestinated before he actually comes into life, he's got
to be summoned. But you have problems when you continue on. More over whom he called,
then he also justified. This calling always issues in a conferral of the blessings of grace.
So you can't use the term invite as a synonym. It just absolutely breaks down in the light of the
rest of the biblical revelation. Whom he did predestinate, then he also invited, and whom
he invited, he justified. No, those whom he actually brought into vital union with his son
were justified in whom he justified, he glorified. So we may, and I'm using now the definition given
by Professor Murray in dealing with this subject, conceive of this call as, quote,
an act of God whereby sinners are translated from darkness to light and ushered into the fellowship
of Christ. An act of God whereby sinners are translated, not just invited and summoned,
but translated from darkness to light and ushered into the fellowship of Christ. So much then for
these general observations as to the weight and intent of the word, now let's consider a specific
analysis of this call by simply taking verses in which it finds and seeing what it tells us about
the various aspects of the call. In the first place, who is the author of this call? And
scripture answers with clarity, God the Father. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9.
1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9.
God is faithful by whom he were called unto the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And
the Father and the Son are set in distinction so that it's the Father who initiates the calling
which results in this vital union with and fellowship with the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
We find essentially the same thought in 2 Timothy 1 verses 8 and 9. Who hath saved us and called us
with an holy calling? Well, who is the who? Well, if we just look back to verse 8, I quoted a part
of verse 9, we have the answer. 2 Timothy 1 and verse 8. Be not ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God who hath saved us and called us. So again, the author of this call is God the Father.
And then in the text we quoted earlier, Romans 8.30, the same God the Father who foreknows and
predestinates, Paul says, whom he predestinated them he also called. Now you say, what difference
does it make? Well, if God's revealed that he is the author of this call again, it must be
significant that he has revealed that. And may I suggest two things that flow out of this? He is
telling us, first of all, the sovereignty of the call. It is God's word to call. We no more call
ourselves than we elect ourselves, purchase ourselves, regenerate ourselves, justify or adopt
ourselves. God is saying to us that the work of redemption is just as sovereign in application
as it was in provision and in determination. It's God who calls us. Then in the special sense,
he lets us know that it's the Father. It's the activity of this particular person of the dead
in order that we might not think that, well, God's involvement in salvation was very active
in eternity when he was the peculiar agent of foreknowing and electing he chose us.
And the Son was the peculiar person through whom redemption was purchased. And now the Spirit
applies it with power as though the Father sort of drifts off into the shades. Oh, no. Right here
in initiating the application, the Father is active in initiating the call. And I quote now
from Professor Murray in Redemption Accomplished and Applied, it is God the Father who is the
specific agent in the effectual call. We think of the Father as the person of the Trinity who
planned, et cetera, thoughts that I've just conveyed to you, but we fail to discern other
emphases of scripture and we do dishonor to the Father when we think of him simply as planning
salvation and redemption. The Father is not far removed from the effectuation of that which he
designed in his eternal counsel and accomplished in the death of his Son. He comes into the most
intimate relation to his people in the application of redemption by being the specific and particular
actor in the inception of such application. We're more or less cursed in our evangelical circles
with a Jesus-only cultism, whereas the way to biblical evidence in the New Testament is that
biblical Christianity is a Christocentric but vigorous thingism. We come to the Father by the
Son. He is able to save all who come unto God by him. In that sense, you see, the motions of our
heart in love and worship do not merely terminate upon the Son, but they mediate through the Son
to the Father. And this will help check that tendency if we remember, are we one of the
called ones? It's not merely because the Father chose an eternity and the Son purchased in time
and the Spirit is powerfully wrought in my heart, but the Father was there, as it were,
anxiously concerned that that work be initiated that would open my blinded eyes and unstop my
deafened ears and bring me out of darkness into marvelous light. So much then for the author or
originator of the call God the Father. Now, what is the means by which the call comes? And I would
suggest that scripture teaches it's the gospel of God's salvation in Christ. Second Thessalonians
chapter 2, please. Second Thessalonians chapter 2. And if from here on in I don't turn to the
references, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm afraid to have you actually looking and
checking, but I've looked at my watch and I want to be a realist and I feel I want to get through
this material. So please understand that if I quote the verses and just give the reference and
don't take time to turn to them from here on in. Second Thessalonians 2, 13 and 14.
We are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth. Whereunto here are the privileges that he has designed for us
and he's called us to them by our gospel. Whereunto he called you by through the instrumentality of
our gospel. As the general call comes with its universal overtures, it's in the midst of that
general pronouncement that that special activity of the Father is initiated, which actually brings
men out of darkness into light and union with Jesus Christ. But the gospel must come, but to
some it comes not in word only as Paul says, but it comes also in power and in the holes it
roasts and in much assurance and something happens to them and ye became, ye became.
Flabel has a great statement on this and I just will read a paragraph from volume four of his
recently reprinted works. He says there is the external voice of Christ, there is the internal.
The external voice of Christ we may call his ministerial voice in the preaching of the gospel.
The scriptures are his word, ministers are his mouth, he that hears them hears Christ.
Now I'm going to read, use his terminology. I don't know what there is. I like some of this
antiquated terminology. It just falls very softly upon my ears so I'll pass it on to you. There is
an internal, energetical voice of Christ consisting not in sound but in power and
betwixt these two there are two remarkable differences. One, the external or ministerial
voice of Christ is but the organ or instrument of conveying his internal and efficacious voice
to the soul. In the former, the external, he speaks to the ear and in or by that sound
conveys his spiritual voice to the heart. Secondly, the external voice is ever more
ineffectual and successless when it is not animated by that internal spiritual voice.
And then he gives an analogy. It was marvelous to see the walls of Jericho falling to the ground
at the sound of the ram's horns but there was certainly more than the force of an external blast
to produce such an effect. But more marvelous it is to see at the sound of the gospel not only the
weapons of iniquity falling out of sinners hands but the very quality itself falling out of their
hearts. Here you see as a voice within a voice an internal efficacy in the external sound without
which the gospel makes no saving impression. By what means does this effectual call of God come
through the general call he called you by the preaching of our gospel. Having then considered
who is the author of the call, the father, the means of this call, the gospel of his son,
let's address ourselves to the question what are the results of this call.
And scripture sets before us three basic results. First of all, the immediate effect of that call
is fellowship or union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 1 9. God is faithful by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. The issue of that call is holiness of life.
He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling. 2 Timothy 1 and verse 9. Romans 1 and
verse 6. Called to be saints. 1 Thessalonians 4 7. He hath called us not in uncleanness but unto
holiness. 1 Peter 2 9. He hath called us out of darkness into light that we should show forth the
praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. So it effects immediately
fellowship or union with Christ. It issues in holiness and it will culminate in glory
hereafter for whom he called he justified and whom he justified he glorifies. Romans 8 30
and 1 Peter 5 10. Peter calls or designates God as the God who hath called us unto his eternal
kingdom and glory but the God of grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.
So this is the result of that call. Effect in fellowship with Christ issuing in holiness
culminating in glory. God the author the gospel the means these results and then we ask the
question well what's the source of this call from whence does all of this flow oh yes from God
his person but what is there in the heart of God that would move him to make such a call to do more
than just summon men that he should summon men is an act of infinite condescension and grace
but they should actually seize upon some and bring them to embrace the summons and scripture
answers the question of the source of the call it is eternal purpose rooted in the springs of grace
and focused in electing love it is a call of grace Galatians 1 15
but when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace
to reveal his summonment it's a call of grace it's a call of eternal purpose Romans 8 28
even to them who are the called according to purpose the his is supplied in italics in our
bibles it's a calling according to purpose and that purpose then immediately flows on and suggests
to Paul moreover whom he did predestinate then he also called 2 Timothy 1 9 states essentially the
same thing he hath saved us and called us not according to our works but according to his own
purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began and then it is a call
that focuses upon or issues in this electing love of God 2 Thessalonians 2 13 God be thanked
that he had from the beginning chosen you to salvation then he goes on to say and he called
you by our gospel but the calling was consistent with the electing love and purpose we saw that in
revelation 17 14 those that are with him are called why called because chosen and the issue
of it in experience they are faithful we see it stated differently in the words of our Lord John
6 37 all that the father giveth me in the covenant between the father and the son as the doctor spoke
of it last night and you read much of it in the old writers there was this gift or grant of a
people to the son and of that people Jesus says all that the father giveth me shall come to me
there's the effectual call there's the grace that's irresistible well suppose there is blindness
deafness bondage indifference indisposition standing between the sinner and Christ the Lord
says all of that must be swept away for all that he gives to me shall come well suppose there are
thousands of miles between one of those given and the nearest gospel preacher I'll get the word to
him all that the father giveth shall come and whatever stands between an electrified inner
and a gracious savior God will overcome whether the obstacle is within his own sinful disposition
whether the obstacles are there in natural surroundings whatever they be all that are given
shall come all the sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and when the one
who says that says I have all power in every realm heaven and in earth and over every sphere
whether the obstacles are moral spiritual physical natural national international
he controls all of it isn't that what he precisely meant when he said in John 17
you've given me authority over all flesh to what end him that I should give eternal life
to all whom you gave me
that then in brief compass is the teaching of scripture on effectual
calling I would suggest for an interesting study that you go through 1st Corinthians 1 and trace
the the way the apostle ties together these thoughts he says in verse 18 that the gospel
is the power of God and preaching of the cross is the instrument God is used to bring salvation
some are saved some are lost to those who are lost it's foolishness to those who are saved the power
of God then he goes down in verse 21 and says it becomes the power of God to those who believe and
then someone asks the question but who are those that believe and in verse 24 he introduces the
word calling for you see you're calling brethren well who are the called and then he traces it
back beginning in verse 26 to election he hath chosen so he moves from the fact that we see
continually some believe some don't believe well who are the ones who believe the call who are the
called the chosen and what should this issue in he says verse 30 and 31 that of him are ye in Christ
Jesus it is God's activity beginning an election coming to light in your experience in your
effectual call but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness
sanctification and redemption that according as it is it is written him that gloria let him glory
in the Lord now in the time that remains will you think with me and trying to work out some of the
implications of this doctrine that we've just briefly surveyed as I intimated earlier there
are many practical implications great theological implications since all of the truth of God is of
one fabric and there's an interrelatedness of truth the man who's not clear on calling won't
be clear on the other doctrines God's truth is not woven on a loom it's knit
please turn over the type
as I intimated earlier there are many practical implications great theological implications
since all of the truth of God is of one fabric and there's an interrelatedness of truth the man
who's not clear on calling won't be clear on the other doctrines God's truth is not woven on a loom
it's knit and you've got a piece of fabric that's woven on a loom you can pull out threads and still
have the substantial fabric before you something that's knit I don't care where you pull a stitch
eventually you'll destroy the whole fabric and you pull the stitch of effectual call and make
it something less than this and eventually you'll undo the fabric of the biblical teaching of the
design of the atonement the terrible state of man the eternal purpose of the father you're not clear
on the state of man and God's electing grace and pull the stitch there eventually you'll pull the
stitch of effectual call and all the rest there is a great interrelatedness of truth you come at
any one of these doctrines and you end up tracing them backward to the others or forward to the
others why because God made it that way and I'd like to work out some of the theological
implications but we can't do it great implications to the individual saint of God
do you bow down to a shrine of free grace or free will
in essence that's to ask do you truly bow down and worship the Lord
or in some degree yourself great implications for the church but I want to limit
my application of the implications of the doctrine to the realm that is very real to
all of us here that of evangelism and the propagation of the gospel the theme of the
doctors closing message is going to be the subject of evangelism I want to relate it to that subject
what practical implications does this doctrine of effectual call which comes under the general
canopy of that grace which is irresistible what implication does it have upon our methodology
and the content of our evangelism I want to suggest four things number one it slays the
objection that a salvation holy of grace kills the nerve of evangelism carol knocking gay in a paper
delivered at the world congress of evangelism in berlin made some of the most blatant statements
that I've ever read and if I hadn't had them in writing before my own eyes I'd have said somebody
who didn't like him quoted him wrongly he said in essence this that the nerve of evangelism
is a practical synergism if we hold that in the impartation of spiritual life
God art sovereignly and exclusively and that man in that sense is morally passive he says we kill
the nerve of evangelism and he said I'll go on record I'm paraphrasing as one who is committed
to a practical synergism it's not only unscriptural it's an unsound conclusion
poor Whitfield all his nerves of evangelism were killed weren't they
God give us some dead nerves poor Spurgeon poor Edwards poor Kerry poor Brainerd if his
nerves of evangelism were dead and he knew what it was to lay in the snow and sweep and pray until
the snow melted around him what would he have done if he only had some living nerves of evangelistic
passion
no this doctrine slays the objection that a salvation holy of grace kills the nerve of
evangelism why because acknowledging the sovereign God who chose men and the sovereign God who sent
his son to purchase a people that same God is ordained to call them out by the preaching of
the gospel and his mandate is upon me I'm not here if I preach not not because of the poor
God theology if I don't preach poor God will be frustrated if I don't preach poor me God is spoken
who am I to do anything but fall at his feet and say here Lord take this unworthy wretch
faltering stumbling lips and make this instrument an instrument of mercy for you've chosen to call
out the precious of your heart through the fumbling mumblings of the lips of your redeemed servants
kill the nerve of evangelism no that is the nerve of evangelism illustrated in scripture all right
and I want to do this in each case from the best book on evangelism the book of the acts
act 16 the Lord has one of his sheep in the certain area of the great Roman empire and as
the gospel is spreading out in ever widening circles of influence there's one of those sheep
that he wants to bring to himself now the messenger of the gospel who has general orders
from the Lord that he's to bear witness to the gentile world is out preaching and as he surveys
the situation he feels well the next place I believe I ought to go is and he starts to go in
that direction and listen to what God did in act 16 read verse 6 now when they had gone through
Fergia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia
who said all right we'll go down to this next place and when they came to Missia they assayed
they attempted to go into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not this gives me great
comfort that Paul didn't bat a thousand in this matter of guidance
and if he didn't I ought not to feel that I'm going to or be disappointed when I don't
as he used his rational faculties in the light of the general commission of God and the circumstances
he said this looks like the door and when he began to push on it God slammed it shut and said no not
there so what is called he's a godly flurry and a frenzy and say all those souls are going to hell
without me have got it no no apparently he said all right Lord I'll wait for my next orders and
goes to bed and in the middle of the night he gets a vision and he sees a man a Macedonian praying
apparently from his dress and his countenance and the rest Paul recognized him as a Greek a
Macedonian and the man says come over and help us now I can't help but interject this in the light
of all the foolishness that goes on in the name of Christ today didn't say come over and preach
to us he said come over and help us now what conclusion did Paul and his companions draw from
that when you look at verse 10 and acts was seeing the vision immediately we endeavored to go into
Macedonia surely gathering that the Lord had called us to reconcile alienated brethren
to clear up the social ills of Macedonia to penetrate the structures of society
no sir when he saw a man saying come and help us he said we concluded one thing the best help we
can give them the help God's commissioned us to give will come through declaring the message so
we we immediately assayed to go forth assured that the Lord had called us for to preach to preach
to preach the gospel unto them
that's their idea of evangelism and all this other business is nothing but a lot of religious garbage
and God help us if we get brainwashed like a lot of evangelicals
into trying to parrot that kind of terminology
we have no social consciousness in all of this business
you preach a gospel that Paul preached under the power of the Holy Ghost that changes men
there'll be a social consciousness which is simply in the individual Christian's life
an expression of the second table of the law
now why did God do all of this well verse 14 tells us and a certain woman named Lydia
seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worshiped God heard us whose heart the Lord
opened that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul God had a Lydia down here in that
region and he had a preacher up here he had chosen her in eternity and when the son of God
died of a broken heart Lydia was in his heart
but the call had to come through the message and God got the messenger to that electioner
and effectually called her by his grace cut the nerve evangelism that is the nerve of that
second this biblical doctrine forms the basis of and gives encouragement to
prayerful thorough and scriptural evangelism both in message and in method
some of you are taking notes i want to repeat that i have carefully chosen my chosen my words
this doctrine forms the basis of and gives encouragement to
prayerful thorough and scriptural evangelism both in message and in method
if it's the call of God rooted in eternal purpose if Jesus said i must bring them then i don't
need to run about in this helter skelter flurry of dust kind of activity feeling that if i don't
do something quickly no matter how shallowly somehow God's purposes will be frustrated
illustration from the book of acts let me suggest it time won't permit working it out in detail
in acts nine you have the record of Paul's conversion and his commission
he was going to be a minister to the Gentiles and there was the Gentile world in the
stinging darkness of pagan night tell them what does Paul what does God do
he shoves him off after a brief visit to give his testimony to his relatives and down to Jerusalem
shoves him off in the wilderness for a period of time then he sticks him down in a church where
some men were further along than he to work on perfecting his gifts to learn how to get along
with other people to learn how to be a follower so that he earns the right and privilege of being a
leader and then one day scripture records that this man called to minister to heathen in the
terrible darkness of paganism is not even teaching Christians to help them not even witnessing to the
loss to try to save them but it says they're ministering to the Lord and fasting that's a
waste of time isn't there a Roman world to be conquered for the gospel of Christ shouldn't we
have a committee meeting on the latest methods we can use in order to get this job done to the Lord
and fast in a context of careful preparation and proving himself and then the Holy Ghost says
separate Saul and Barnabas to the work where unto I've called there it is all in that chapter
prayerful waiting upon God for direction it's my own conviction that Paul and these others were
praying and fasting in terms of that commission asking the Lord precisely when and where but they
weren't going to move till they got directions he was the head of the church he had his sheep
he would call them therefore they could afford to wait prayerfully and then when they go out
to evangelize what do they do take a minimal structure of truth and spread it amongst the
maximum amount of people in a minimum amount of time not on your life he says I preach the whole
council of God 18 months at current three plus years at Epaphys thorough evangelism
then he goes back periodically and visits all the churches to see that sound biblically oriented
structured churches are established with true elders and deacons it sounds so contrary to so
much of the missionary evangelistic endeavor of our day why because the theology that undergirds
it is rotten to the core I shall never forget sitting in the chapel of a school that I attended
on one occasion and the head of that school was belittling the reports that had come of a revival
in a certain mission field where missionaries had been held in the grip of God for a period of two
or three days brokenness getting the backlog of sin and the garbage of carnality cleared out and
getting right with God and one another and he was mocking this thing he said all night prayer three
days four days in prayer do you know how many souls could have been won during that time and
he had calculated that five thousand souls could have been won by the x number of missionaries
I heard it with my own ears
what's behind that I'll tell you what's behind it
no understanding of this doctrine and of the doctrines which are intricately tied to it
third implication it provides a powerful deterrent to discouragement in the difficult circumstances
of ministry what are we going to do when we preach and pray and no fruit comes I'll listen
know what we're tempted to do find a new method take off the right angles of the message
make it a little rounder so it'll slip through a little easier
pare down the humbling demands of the naked embrace of saving faith
throw out the moral implications of faith that it involves the subduing of the heart to Christ
Lord as well as the resting of the heart on him in faith
you know just tear that away streamline it we've got to have fruit no no listen I'll not be wiser
than God if he's given me a message and a method and he'll call his sheep according to that message
and method I can keep praying on preaching on no fruit God will give it in his own time
you see the example of this in acts 18 I can only quickly summarize Paul's having a rough time down
in Corinth and he had fears at times and he got disturbed and how does the Lord comfort him verse
9 of 18 of acts and then spake the Lord to Paul in that night by a vision be not afraid
trim down your message to make it a little more palatable to the intellectuals of Corinth
you can't talk to them about these jagged antiquated old testament Jewish terms of
justification and all the rest make your message contemporary not on your life
men brethren I plead with you don't be deceived by all this stuff that comes at us we've got to
be contemporary and all the rest sure we've got to talk in the language of the man in the street
any man his right mind does that you don't talk to Chinaman in Arabic
love will make you accommodate your speech to the level of your people I wouldn't talk to
10 year olds with the vocabulary I use with you that's common sense I don't need a PhD
in communications to tell me that
the Lord comes to him and what does he say be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace
I'm with you you know that who can be against you and I have much people in this city
Paul I'm not done calling out my sheep here it might look like I am not much fruit past few days
and weeks I've still got many more to call out so what does he do look at the next verse
and he continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God how is God going to
call his sheep by the teaching and preaching of the pure word of God from us and if you won't use
that then they won't come and we refuse to budge from the centrality of preaching
from the platform of the holy life oh yes preaching with literature books all yes
but communicating a message this is our task what a deterrent to discouragement
I saw something in studying this in our Lord's life that I never saw before in Matthew 11
just this morning here he's seen the unbelief of those cities where he's preached in Matthew 11
and he abrades them because of their unbelief that'd be discouraging perform miracles and
people still don't believe what is his comfort it says at that season verse 25 he's prayed
I thank thee father lord of heaven and earth you have hid these things from the wise and prudent
revealed among the babes for even so father it seemed good in thy sight all then he goes on to
say that all things are delivered unto me of my father no man knoweth the father saved the son no
man knoweth the son saved the father and he to whomsoever the son willeth to reveal he comforts
himself in this doctrine and what does it lead to what's the next verse come unto me all you believe
you see the unbelief you're preaching pouring out your heart what am I going to do quit no lord you
have your own you'll reveal yourself to them in your way in your time so you come from that place
of aloneness with god thinking of this glorious truth and once again you're encouraged to stand
and say come come lord you have them out there and when it pleases yourself you'll reveal yourself to
them great deterrent to discouragement and then my last implication is this it cuts with the sword
of great power and great sharpness all pride and jealousy in the face of fruitfulness some men are
ruined by lack of fruitfulness more are ruined by apparent truthfulness but if you believe this
doctrine there's no room for pride if you're the instrument of fruitfulness or jealousy if your
brother's the instrument why first corinthians three who is he that planted in water god says
he's a cipher so then neither is he that planted anything nor he that wore it but god that giveth
the immigrants so the lord is pleased to call home some of his sheep and what do you do
begin to say well you know i kind of thought maybe i was preaching better recently
i kind of thought that maybe my outlines were a little clearer my illustrations a little more
lively no when god gives you fruit that's just to remind you you're nothing get on your face and own
it get on your face and own it and lo and behold you and your brother meet and gather to pray god
revive the doctrines of your grace in our community congregations very similar background very similar
you pray earnestly he prays earnestly you preach fervently he preaches fervently you seek to preach
clearly he preaches clearly lo and behold you get together that next monday morning in his eyes
well up with tears he says oh brother god answered prayer sunday in the middle of my sermon i looked
out and there was that old hardened sinner tears coming down his face and monday night one of my
young people came said they didn't sleep much last night the pressure of god was upon them
they're seeking mercy you didn't have that happen to you sunday what are you going to do
if you don't understand this doctrine and lay hold of it you'll begin to burn with jealousy
they tried to get john the baptist hung up that way in john 3 they said hey john
everybody's going after jesus
that what they said he's baptizing over there everybody's going after him
how does john answer a man can receive nothing except to be given him from heaven
if god was pleased to give me a period of fruitfulness he gave it he can withdraw it