The message of the Gospel is one that leads in the liberty of Christ and freedom from the Law. For this reason, Satan does all that he can to invalidate the grace message. His attacks are designed to make us familiar with all God has done. (Galatians 1:15-17)

Speaker(s): Pastor Thomas Schaller, Pastor Renaldo Brown
Sermon # 11294
6:30 PM on 7/9/2017
P. Renaldo Brown

Rom 8:28, the first place I served God in Africa was Uganda. In the first year, I used to do a hospital visitation, particularly in the terminal ill ward. People don’t care what church you go to, they just want you to give them Christ. Even Muslims would say pray with me. There was a verse you would hear over and over again. This was the great rescue verse. How many of you run to this verse when you want a rescue. It’s a long verse not a quickie like “Jesus wept.” It’s not one they write songs about. If you’ve been in a few trials, this verse is gold to you. Paul begins it with confidence. He begins with a phrase common to him. It’s presenting a principle that should be common to everyone else. And we know. He says it like you know and I know what I’m getting ready to say is true. It’s supposed to elicit this response: Oh, yeah. That’s right. Or if someone told you God loves you. Oh yeah, that’s right or in June you should come to Convention or we are the church. We should pray. Oh yeah, that’s right. We possess absolute, positive K that God is actively working together all the things he is allowing in our life to happen for good. Notice the goal of God’s working. It’s good. Not just good but good according to his viewpoint.

Like in Ge 1, 2, and 3. He didn’t just finish the work. He judged it and said it was good. He said it ten times. As if God needed someone else to tell him it was good. He kept saying it was good. He knew sin and man would corrupt the garden but at that moment in time it’s good. The goal of God is good. It’s something he decides is good and when it is good. It’s his viewpoint. The goal of God is goodness according to God and he is the only one who can make my situation good. No other methodology can get me to “good.” If it’s not good to God, it’s not good. If I’m doing the working, the end of my work is not good. The method is his working and the goal is good and the beneficiaries are us. Notice the beneficiaries. They are defined two ways. Talk about the second one first. Them that are called. That’s God doing the calling and me doing the responding. It’s easy for us.

Jn 15:16, Gal 1:15-16 God is calling. That’s easy to ascribe to me because God does all the work. The second determination of this group that are beneficiaries are to them that love God. That is me focused. Every time you see me-focused principles it begins with faith.

Heb 11:8 faith pleases God. We live by faith. Me-focused and faith is not mentioned. 60 times in Romans faith or believe or trust is mentioned but not once in this chapter or verse. Love is mentioned six times. In this verse is the only time it mentions me loving God. That’s a challenge for us. If I start evaluating how I love God. I know I should love God. How do I love God? If this is my rescue verse, I need to love God to get the rescue. If I approach this verse that God is going to rescue me, it seems in our deepest crisis with God, our deepest struggle with God, our love is less fragile than our faith. Our life is about faith, faith in God. It seems my faith can fail before my love does. Notice in a relationship with a person, your faith goes before your love will. Our loving God has great value in our relationship with God. When we go through crisis, our love is very valuable. Me loving God in a crisis is valuable.

Jn 21:15-17 Jesus met Peter backslidden and in the greatest crisis. He didn’t say do you trust me? He said do you love me Peter? He never mentioned faith. But faith is important. Don’t underestimate the value of loving God.

Gal 5:6 the greatest expression of our engagement with God is faith but underneath it is love. It seems if God is saying if I can get back to love, I will find my way to faith. He doesn’t mention faith here in the chapter but he mentions love. We loving God is a continual practice, a lifestyle. Loving God in a crisis but more in a reality that I do love God. No one goes through a crisis and says am I loving God right now? It’s that relationship of love that opens my experience with God in the crisis. My faith will fail but my love relationship with God doesn’t shake so much. Goal is clear, the method is certain, the beneficiaries are defined and Paul says this we know. Our response to that is, oh yeah. That’s right. Our crisis comes. We turn the pages of our Bible or go to your app.

You find Rom 8:28 to the rescue! I’m saved. God will bring about the good. Yeah, God! Maybe the only thing in the situation that is bad is not just the situation. Maybe there is more to that.

In Proverbs 20:6, many come to proclaim how good they are. Sometimes we are good and calamity comes and we’re victims. Sometimes we bring the calamity.

Most look at Rom. 8:28 as a Christian book when bad things happen to good people. We default ourselves to being good. Maybe in life we thought we were supposed to get apples and get lemons. Take the lemons and make lemonade. I deserve the good. What if I didn’t get lemons instead of apples? What if I stole the lemons? Maybe I’m the villain.

Does Rom 8:28 work for the villain? Does God work everything together for good even when I’m not good? Sometimes in life I’m not good. Is God still working it together?

Case study: 1 Sam 1:25+, we meet Eli. I believe he was saved. His testimony was horrible. Glutton, poor father, carnal, life was cursed by an unnamed prophet…his situation was not good. It was of his own making. He walks as the villain. He’s the high priest of Israel.

Does Rom. 8:28 work for Eli? If my life is like Eli, does Rom. 8:28 still work? Is God still working for Eli? Yes. The work of God doesn’t stop because of the work of men.

Rom 8:28 the only variable state is us. The consistency of our love may change. My love can change towards myself and God at times. My calling on my life in Rom 8:28 doesn’t change.

Even my love in Rom 8:35, 37, and 39 does not change. My character does not change. If you love me, I’m working. I’m working and working and calling good. I will work and I will bring the good.

The end of the thing is better than the beginning in Ec.7:8. God is working. After he been prophesied twice by an unnamed prophet and then Samuel himself, I love his statement.

vs. 18. 1 Sam 3:18 He says it is the Lord. Let him do what is good to him. Let him do what seems good to him. I may not get what I want. God will bring the good. When things are bad, if I see God, God will bring the good. Maybe I’m the victim or I’m the villain, in either case God is working and God will bring the good.

P. Scibelli

Gal 1.

These three persons I recollect back in 1984 and that’s 33 years ago. I remember P. Stevens preaching this message the Sunday morning I was ordained. They gave a few other dates to be ordained and he couldn’t make it. I said if he doesn’t do it, I don’t get it. He comes, I get ordained or if not, I will wait. It was a phenomenal message.

vs. 15 when pleased God…why did he call me by his grace? To reveal his Son in me. What’s that for? To preach him among the nations. Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. I wonder how often when God speaks and calls and initiates to me, I confer or lay it up in my mind and resolve what I believe God has said rather than hearing God speak and say yes God. That’s not talking about being independent and un-submitted but it’s talking about receiving an initiation from God’s life and word and not conferring with flesh and blood. I’m the first one that will come up against the initiation of God when he speaks. Come out with some form of behavior and attach praise the Lord to it. Immediately I confer not with flesh and blood.

I think of 1984 June and being trained and going to Bible school. I have such an awesome reflection in my heart about the grace of God. We are such a privileged people to be in a ministry of grace. Grace is elevated and we receive a grace word which builds us up. Paul said you’ll never see my face again. That made them weep. He said I commend you and give you over to God and the work of his grace…set apart to receive the grace of God. We have a Christian school so students can receive the Word of grace.

I read something from Spurgeon. He said the greatest soul winner on the face of the earth is Satan. What is he talking about? 90 percent of the people are lost and he speaks with his mouth, a roaring lion, walks with his feet and seeks to devour people. He captures people at his own will. He was talking about the Gospel.

Ten things. I got it from this message that was 155 years old. He said some interesting things. He said the Gospel did not come to educate people or make us one with other religions or entertain or amuse us. He was talking about what the Gospel of grace came to do, give us life.

We have a ministry that begins in Maine and penetrated almost into 80 countries and 655 churches. Down through the decades this Gospel is incredible.

Paul defended this Gospel of grace. If you are attacked in any way, it’s the enemies plan to attack the messenger to invalidate the message. Nothing to do with me. If I sin and fail, I need to repent. The attack by the press, the media, all these groups and many Christians that don’t understand eternal security and grace, the attack is to invalidate the message. Paul did everything he could to defend this Gospel of grace. People were creeping in. He called them creeps. Creepy crawlers.

Did you ever see how ants get into your house when you leave a cookie out? Ants come flying. Can they smell or what is it about ants. I have a way of disturbing ants by eating them. Cheap protein. Good protein! Make sure you kill it cause you don’t want them crawling around in your stomach.

P. Shibley in Silver Spring. All opposition will come against people planting churches with the gospel of grace and P. Shibley, it has nothing to do with you. For me to be a receiver of God’s grace. To be a constant receiver of the very life, nature, and character of God.

P. Steve scared me when he said someone will come in and get this for $3. It’s not happening! When I was a kid, I dreamed of robbing an armored car. I got saved! We wouldn’t do that to pay the bills. I’ve been saved a long time so it’s too late!

It’s not common in Christianity, this message of grace. It’s not a common message. I was speaking to a man at Aldi’s and he said how do you have more than yourself evangelizing? I am the head of evangelism in a certain church and can’t get anyone to go with me. I said come and visit us and we can talk and pray and believe God. You can come with us any time you like. Bringing this Gospel message to people.

How many don’t want to hear the message of grace because of an attitude of pride. Grace says you are nothing…I’m a big zero. It’s all God. It’s all J.C.

In 1986 I was coming out of a cheap hotel, about $7 a night, you have a lot of visitors in those hotels: mosquitoes, ants, cock roaches. I come out of the room and they said breakfast comes with the hotel. A hard roll. It was about a week old. A man said why are you here? I’m here to evangelize and start a church. He said for what. That’s the most ridiculous idea I ever heard in my life. He has a head as hard as that roll. He was from America. He said it’s nonsense to try and start something here. This is the enemy going against the Gospel of grace. When we try to impart grace to people’s lives, there is resistance. It’s the message being resisted. We want to encourage people and love people. How many times was Paul attacked? God raised him up and goes back into the same city. He was so much for this message of grace.

I think of Dee’s face to face service. She loved the message of grace. It’s what we are all about. Here we are thinking what is going on here and negativity coming from a born again Christian pastor.

If the enemy can use Peter in Mt 16, then he will use all kinds of situations and people to put a blockage or hinder.

If Paul could be hindered by Satan in 1 Thes 2:18, what about me? Satan hindered me Paul said. He cut into my path to prevent our progress. Maybe taking a Bible class, evangelizing on Saturday, etc. Usually the enemy gives me something good to do but it’s not God. You have to cut the grass. Cut it at night. He’s always trying to hinder us. Hinder me from being a receiver of this nature and character of God. This is the Gospel we brought to Africa.

I remember a man stood up in Liberia and said we are no longer going to listen to this ministry anymore. We are going to preach the gospel of law and works. P. Alfred said I will be under that tree and if anyone wants to stay with grace and the message of grace, come across the street. Everyone said we want the message of grace. There are 26 churches in Liberia. He took a stand for the Gospel. I am set for the defense of the Gospel.

We are not to back off or put off or walk away from it. Legalism is always on the move to get us to back up, shut up and put up. All the time. The “get in the car” man, Jerome. We said get in the car. We saw him in Delaware. A Muslim was trying to get him to listen to him. Jerome got saved and was here this morning from Delaware. Remember “hang up the phone” Eric? He was “get in the car” Jerome! That’s the message of grace. Paul said it.

Gal 2:9, we should go to the nations and they to the Jews. Galatians is such a freeing epistle. It’s called the magna carter of the N.T. I have been saved by grace, called by grace. We have a purpose in grace. We are drawn to a grace church. We have a Gospel of grace to bring to a lost and dying world. Baltimore needs a Gospel of grace. God is not sending angels to bring the Gospel. That is for another time. He has you and me as messengers. Intimidation.

Man said get out of my yard and used a bad word. He was a motorcycle guy…swearing vulgarities at me. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I said say hello to the devil when you get to hell. He said what did you say? God gave me by grace a perfect statement for that individual. He was interested. The words we speak to people penetrate. We have this amazing message.

In India 123 churches, in China or South East Asia, the Far East. Do you have holy Bible? I have holy Bible full of grace and bringing it into you country. Just go they said.

Hindering the Gospel of grace. Hindering me from coming to church and receiving grace. We can be receivers of the grace given to them.

1 Pet 4:10 manifold, many sided grace of God. We have this amazing message from God because of the nature and character of God. A woman at the well can get delivered. A man with 38 years infirmity, delivered. Nicodemus, delivered. Lazarus raised from the dead. We behold his glory, full of grace and truth. Out of his fullness we have received grace for grace. You see people in Africa preaching legalism. Standing on a corner with a white garment on screaming at people. There is not one person listening. We stand and give people the message of grace and the response is amazing. God set you free. God wants to reveal his Son in you. We are ambassadors. What are we here to do? What am I on the earth to do? Not to get educated, make money, hold a job, and be on a health food diet. I’m here to receive grace from God and give it to people. What a privilege it is. It’s easy. During certain times of the year, the initiations of darkness come. Churches close their doors for the summer. Devil takes a vacation too so don’t need to be open! No, that’s not the case. Satan is a roaring lion. I said who is one of the greatest soul winners? Satan, roaring lion, speaks with his mouth, walks about with his feet, and seeks with his heart. When we come with the message there is freedom. A Lydia set free. A jailor been delivered.

It worked in Rom 1:5-8. Paul says I’m a debtor. I’m not ashamed of the Gospel…to those simply believe. Let’s not get familiar with the grace of God that saved us, called us, brings us a purpose, will bear fruit in our lives. Let’s be a people who continue to be receivers.

2 Cor 6:1 do not receive the grace of God in vain. Don’t receive it for no purpose. God has given us a purpose and here we are in this place, in this ministry, a ministry affecting people around the world. We have 3,800 Bible college students. We have 32,000 people coming to church around the world. Training up people who are receivers of who God is. They glorified God in me. That’s because we are receivers of grace.

Ps 85:11. They glorified God in me in the church and in us personally. Jesus is in them. God is in them.

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