We rejoice in the blessed gospel doctrine of God's electing love. We rejoice to hear our Savior say, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." We say with the psalmist, "Blessed is the man who thou choosest." But election alone never saved anyone. Election is not salvation. Election is unto salvation. It is not enough that we should be chosen to salvation. Before God almighty, in his holiness, justice and truth could save chosen sinners, those who were chosen by him must also be redeemed. Election is the work of God the Father. Redemption is the work of God the Son.
How we rejoice in and give thanks to God for our redemption by Christ! Precious blood indeed is that blood which put away our sins! Every God taught sinner has learned to give thanks to God for that glorious gospel doctrine of limited atonement, particular, effectual redemption by Christ. Yet, even our redemption by Christ, though it guaranteed and infallibly secured the salvation of God's elect, is not salvation. Salvation involves the work of the Father and the Son; but it also involves the work of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration and effectual calling. The work of God the Holy Spirit in effectually calling will be our subject for the next few weeks.
The effectual call of the Spirit is the Holy Spirit's work of effectual, irresistible grace by which he draws all chosen, redeemed sinners to Christ, creating faith in them, granting them repentance, and converting them by almighty grace.
The work of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling must be understood in two aspects: (1.) The outward, external call of grace which comes to sinners by the preaching of the gospel; and (2.) The internal call, which is the effectual operation of the Holy Spirit by which sinners are infallibly converted. Tonight, I want to show you what the Word of God teaches about the external call of the gospel.
Turn with me to Matthew 22:14. The title of my message tonight is THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL - The External Call Of The Holy Spirit.
Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
In this text, our Lord Jesus Christ declares that many, not all but many, are called to repentance and faith in him by the preaching of the gospel, and that few of the many who are called are numbered among the chosen.
Proposition: Tonight, I want to show you that the means by which this external call is given to sinners is the preaching of the gospel.
Divisions: I want to show you seven things from the Word of God in this message.
I. GOD CALLS SINNERS TO LIFE AND FAITH IN CHRIST BY THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL.
Every time a true servant of God preaches the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ, electing love, redeeming blood, and saving grace, sinners are thereby called to Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).
2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
The preaching of the gospel is not an offer of Christ, and of his grace and salvation by him. No preacher has the power to give grace and salvation. And no dead sinner has the power to receive God's grace and salvation in Christ. The preaching of the gospel is not an offer of Christ, or an invitation to sinners to receive Christ. The preaching of the gospel is a proclamation of the unsearchable riches of Christ, of his grace, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and life, and salvation by him (Isa. 40:1-2).
Isaiah 40:1-2 "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."
This is God's appointed means of grace. God does not save sinners through the lies of false religion, but through the word of the truth of the gospel (Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 10:17; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).
Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
1 Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
1 Peter 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
II. THE GOSPEL CALL IS UNIVERSAL IN ITS SCOPE (Matt. 28:18-20).Matthew 28:18-20 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
I mean by that that we preach the gospel to all who will hear us indiscriminately, calling all to repentance and faith in Christ, just as our Lord commanded us. Yet, as we have observed already, even the outward preaching of the gospel is not absolutely universal. In the Old Testament, God sent his Word to Israel alone. During his earthly ministry, our Lord and his Apostles went to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In the Book of Acts, God's servants were frequently prevented from going to some places and sent to others. Even so, today, our God sends the gospel to some and hides it from others. "Many" are called, but not all.
III. THIS CALL OF SINNERS TO REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST IS AN UNCONDITIONAL CALL.
I mean by that that there are no conditions, qualifications, experiences, feelings, or anything else you must meet, go through, or measure up to before you can trust Christ.
A. God almighty commands you to come to Christ (1 John 3:23).1 John 3:23 "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment."
If God commands you to do something, I presume it is all right for you to do it! God does not say, feel, do, get, experience, but "believe"!
B. The only terms of peace God sets before sinners unconditional surrender to King Jesus.
I stand before you as God's ambassador. He has sent me to you with his terms of peace. I have no authority to change his terms. I simply proclaim them to you. You must either surrender to the King or be destroyed by the King.
IV. THIS CALL OF THE GOSPEL IS GIVEN BY DIVINE AUTHORITY.That man who is sent of God to preach the gospel with a God given, divine authority, a divine authority which cannot be obtained by any means except the call and gift of God. It is an authority that cannot be obtained from any source other than God himself.
A. If I am this night sent of God, if I stand before you as his servant, with his message, I am speaking to you in God's stead, by the power of his Spirit (Matt. 10:40).
Matthew 10:40 "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."
When God speaks by a man, God strives with men (Gen. 6:3). When men resist the message delivered to them by a man who speaks in the power of God they resist God the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51-52).
Acts 7:51-52 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:"
B. This divine authority makes the preaching of the gospel a matter of urgent responsibility (Pro. 1:23-31).
Gospel preaching leaves you without excuse. If you would obey the gospel call, if you would trust the Lord Jesus Christ, he would save you. May God graciously cause you now to trust his dear Son.
Proverbs 1:23-31 "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices."
V. THE CALL ISSUED TO SINNERS IN THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IS A SINCERE CALL (Rom. 10:1-4).
Romans 10:1-4 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"
Arminians, free-willers, who despise the gospel of God's free grace, often attempt to repudiate the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ by saying, we are not sincere in preaching the gospel, or that belief in the doctrines of grace will dry up the zeal of God's people and make them anti-missionary. To that, I simply reply, "Come and see!"
VI THIS GOSPEL CALL IS A MOST GRACIOUS CALL (Isa. 1:18; 55:1-7).Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isaiah 55:1-7 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
God Almighty has sent me, once more, to proclaim mercy, grace, and salvation in Christ to you! If you will hear his voice and harden not your heart, the holy Lord God will save you for Christ's sake!
I am calling you, reasoning with you, pleading with you, in God's name, with God's authority, in Christ's stead, to trust Christ and be saved (Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11).
Ezekiel 18:23 "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?"
Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."
Ezekiel 33:11 "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
Were it not for the obstinate hardness of your heart, you would see that only spiritual madness and utter insanity makes it necessary for me to plead with your soul. Why will you die? God has sent me to proclaim to you…
VII. THOUGH IT IS, IN ITSELF, INEFFECTUAL FOR THE SAVING OF ANY, WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY THE POWER OF GOD'S SPIRIT, THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION (Isa. 55:11; Rom. 1:16-17).
Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
I have often been asked, "If only the elect are going to be saved, why preach the gospel to all?" Let me give you five answers to that question.
1. My Master has commanded me to preach the gospel to all (Matt. 10:27; 28:19; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8).
2. God has chosen to save sinners through the foolishness of preaching.
3. I have no way of knowing who God's elect are until they believe the gospel (1 Thess. 1:4-5).
4. When I have faithfully preached the gospel to all, I am pure from their blood (1 Cor. 9:16; Ezek. 33:7-9).
Ezekiel 33:7-9 "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."
1 Corinthians 9:16 "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"
5. I preach the gospel to all because God has promised by this means to save some.I preach the gospel freely to all men, with earnestness, zeal, and unabated fervency, and with absolute confidence of success, because I know two things:
If you now believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, if you trust the Son of God as your only Lord and Savior, I want you to hear one more word from God this evening (2 Thess. 2:13-14).
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
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