 I'm glad to do it. They gave me two waters here, so this is a double portion. Thank you. I appreciate that. Sometimes when we train young men at our church to preach, on a Saturday we'll get together and we have something called the Preach-a-thon. And they all get to preach and there's about eight sermons and people come and go and so I feel like I'm in my own Preach-a-thon right now. Session three, we have the next hour to talk about cheap grace and the dearth of new birth. A dearth means a scarce supply, a lack, or famine. As one man said, modern evangelicalism is so watered down and weak that even the non-elect end up accepting the message. It's been said, give me a man of passionate, abusive, headstrong temper and with only a few words of God and I will make him gentle as a lamb. Give me a greedy, covetous, selfish wretch and I will teach him to distribute his riches with a liberal, unsparing hand. Give me a cruel, bloodthirsty monster and all his rage will change into love. Give me a man guilty of injustice, full of ignorance and lost in wickedness. He shall soon become just, prudent and holy. In the single labor of regeneration he shall be cleansed from all his badness. The only way this can happen is through sovereign regeneration. One study I read this week said 36% of Americans are born again. That was interesting. I thought, you know, that's kind of a white lie. We used to use that word a lot growing up, white lie. I studied white lies this week and it said they're trivial, diplomatic, well-intentioned, untruths. White lies. You say them so you can keep good tact with people or politeness and it's kind of a minor or a harmless lie or a fib. Now how do I look in this dress? We respond with a white lie maybe. And so this morning we're going to look at some white lies about regeneration. But they're not harmless, they're not fibs, they're more like satanic delusions. Some are worse than others, they're not any particular order. We'll be looking at John chapter 3 and white lies about regeneration. And I just have a list that are anything less, anything but harmless. Number one, the first evangelical white lie about regeneration. Some Christians are born again. Some Christians are born again. I call that theological stuttering. Born again Christians. Born again is a big term in our society. Maybe it started to be big back in the 70s when we had a Southern Baptist lay person running for presidency of the United States. Lots of love songs are talking about being born again. Athletes resurrect their careers and they have a born again kind of experience for their career. But in Christian circles today, being born again seems to mean to them, I've made a personal decision to accept Jesus in my heart. That's what means to be born again. I think that's a white lie. J.I. Packer said new birth is an inner recreating of fallen human nature by the Holy Spirit. It enlightens the blinded mind to discern spiritual realities and liberates and energizes the enslaved will for free obedience to God. Justification is the external declaration, not guilty. Regeneration is the inward work to make a life, to be born again, to be born from above. Regeneration and every person ever born will fall into two categories in their life and that's either they're regenerate or they're unregenerate. They're either saved or they're lost. They're heaven bound or hell bound. Or as we like to say maybe to some of the young kids at church, you're either a saint or you're an ain't. There you go. And regeneration is the same in every single believer. As justification is, every believer is regenerated the same way and is just as regenerated as every other believer. Some people think regeneration is kind of a reincarnation or maybe a moral reformation, a deification, Copeland or Hagan, dogs beget dogs, cats beget cats, and God begets little gods. But closer to home Roman Catholics and Episcopalians think that man is regenerated through baptism. Matter of fact for me growing up as a Lutheran, I always knew I was born again and no one ever told me you had to be born again because the church I was at taught me that you were born again through baptism. Protestant liberalism talks about regeneration as self-reformation or renewal. We're not so animal as we used to be. But fundamentalists and evangelicals are right when they teach. Regeneration is solely the act of God's will. Sadly though, they're teaching these days and you're experiencing this and this is why we have the conference, Cheap Grace and Regeneration for the topic today. Many people, I probably could say most people, think that regeneration is synonymous with I accepted Jesus in my heart. I prayed a prayer. I went up to the front of the altar. But let's see what the Bible says. John chapter 3, a very familiar passage. But one of the things we do is we try to teach you what you already know and reaffirm that. My problem with my Christian life is I forget what I'm supposed to remember and I remember what I'm supposed to forget. It's said that George Whitfield preached a thousand times you must be born again. Why do you preach so much on John 3? You must be born again on Whitfield's response? Because you must be born again. Verse 1, now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher. Come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, truly, truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, truly, truly, verse 5, I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Now these days when we say the word regeneration, it's right when we mean it's a divine act by which the sinner is endowed with new spiritual life. But I do want some of you to know, especially some of the people I've talked to that study a lot and look at the Puritans a lot, in the old days many reformers talked about regeneration as regeneration plus conversion. And so when you read some old reformers and they're talking about regeneration and it spills over into a converted life, you'll know the reason. But the word regeneration, we're not using in the broad sense, we're using in the narrow biblical sense to be born again, to be made alive, the Spirit's implantation of new life in man. You could make it a factual calling, identical with that very thing. And so number one, white lie, some Christians are born again, I want you to know and you already know this, if you're a Christian you must be born again. Don't call yourself a born again Christian anymore. I meet people all the time and they'll say, what do you do for a living? In the old days I used to say I'm a pastor. People don't understand that now, so now I have to say I'm a Bible teaching pastor. Because most pastors don't teach the Bible. And if I say to people, I'm a Christian, I don't say I'm a born again Christian, I might say I'm born again. But I'd never say I'm a born again Christian because that's theological stuttering. Regeneration with Charles Wesley who understand this at least, long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke the dungeon flame with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and what? Followed me because if you've got a new nature you will now love God and follow him. Number two, regeneration is merely an external change. Some Christians are born again, that's the first white lie. Number two, regeneration is merely an external change. If you look back at chapter three, verse three of John, he says unless one is born again, literally born from above. This is language very similar to what Jesus would say in John chapter six. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me what draws him. Unless it's been granted by the father, you can't come. And the Pharisees in Jesus' day what our friends seem to do is externalize religion. We've got the dos and the don'ts and the external things and that was happening then and it happens now. Man-made regulations and holding fast to these things. Jesus says elsewhere of these folks, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites. As it is written, this people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, neglecting the commandment of God you hold to the tradition of men. Now Jesus answered verse three, do you see it? But Nicodemus hadn't asked a question. That's interesting. Jesus knows what he's really asking in his mind even though it didn't come out of his mouth and now Jesus answers the question he was thinking but didn't say, that is Nicodemus. And you know what I love about this? I just love to study Jesus because I say to myself no one talks like him, no one preaches like him, no one acts like him, who is this man? Remember in John 8, they said, who are you? Remember in Matthew chapter 8, what kind of man does this? Even the winds and the sea obey him. Who is this? And here's what Jesus says here. Nicodemus, you need no more instruction. You don't need a teacher. You don't need more religion. You need to be born again. The time for teaching is over. You need to see yourself as a sinner who doesn't need moral improvement, who doesn't need to be able to keep the laws better but you need a new you. So you say, well I've got an anger problem. The second you realize as an unbeliever you don't have an anger problem but you are the problem then you can't say well I go to counseling to get my anger management classes so I can take care of my anger but when you realize I am the problem. How do I get a new me? I'd like to order a new me please. When I need new life from God it has to come from Him at His own sovereign good pleasure. Jesus goes on to say in verse 14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up. See it's all what God has done that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. It's what God has done. God loved the world in this way that He gave His only Son that He could have eternal life. I'm not just a religious teacher I'm a savior and I'm going to be lifted high in the cross for you to look at with faith and repentance. With one verse, verse 3 Jesus completely knocks down the house of Nicodemus' card life. Corruption is everywhere. You need to be remade by the power of God. That's why when you talk about religion today with people and being born again, what do they do? They default to this work thing. They default to I've been a member of the church. I'm a lifetime member. I have this service. I'm an usher. I'm a deacon. I work in the nursery. Religious ceremonies, externals. Nicodemus is verse 4. How can a man be born when he's old? He asks these questions. And Jesus says most assuredly with emphasis this is a necessary condition. The Spirit gives life and the flesh profits nothing. He goes on to say in John 6, you're not born a Christian. First birth is of the flesh and flesh begets flesh. Luther said the flesh profits nothing and that nothing is not a little something. I like that. The flesh profits nothing and that nothing is not a little something. Maybe my favorite regeneration story, Bishop John Taylor. He used to be a chaplain general of the British army and he was preaching on the passage. You must be born again. My dear people do not substitute anything for the new birth. You may be a member of the church but church membership is not new birth. Except a man be born again he cannot see the King of God. The rector was sitting on his left pointing to him he said you may be a clergyman like my friend the rector here and not be born again. Except a man be born again he cannot see the King of God. You might even be a bishop like myself and not be born again except a man be born again you cannot see the King of God. Three days later Archdeacon letter it read in part Dear Bishop you have found me out I have been a clergyman for over 30 years but I have never known anything of the joy that Christians speak of I could never understand it but when you pointed to me and said that a person could be an Archdeacon and not be born again I understand what trouble was would you please come and talk with me and of course Bishop Smith did you must be born again and it's not external it's internal let's keep building number three the 30 evangelical white lie about regeneration since you're required to be born again to get to heaven you must have the ability to make yourself born again since you're required to be born again the lie is you must have the ability to make yourself born again if God requires something shouldn't you be able to do it doesn't responsibility imply ability doesn't a command imply ability but you can't make yourself born again even though you're required to be verse 7 it goes on to say you must be born again do not be surprised do not be amazed that you plural verse 7 you all must be born from above you must, it's a Greek word to have necessity you've got to, it behooves you it's right, it's proper but this must is all too often misinterpreted it somehow means in evangelicalism that when I say you must be born again you've got to bear yourself again it means not that at all you must be born again does not mean make sure you bear yourself again it means something's got to happen to you from God when I say to someone you must be born again it's a statement of fact, it's not a command you've got to be born again there's a moral necessity for you to be born again or you're not going to heaven something has to be done to you you must be born again something sovereignly has to be done to you and only one person can do it lots of people say with Pelagius as he argued with Augustine if I ought I can if I ought I can oughtness means ability I ought to be born again therefore God would never tell me to do something that I couldn't do that seems bad now friends think about this for a second every theological conundrum can be traced back to an inadequate understanding of the fall and the garden, by the way why do we think so many people attack Genesis 1, 2 and 3 today because of that exact reason so before the fall Adam true or false was responsible to obey God true, guard I mean tend the garden be fruitful multiply before the fall true or false able to obey God the answer is true had a nature that he could obey after the fall true or false Adam and all those who would follow Adam like us are responsible to obey God's holy, good and righteous commands of course true or false now we sniff out any Pelagians here after the fall mankind even though they are responsible to obey God's law are unable to obey God's law true that's why we need the last Adam that's why we need a representative that's why the Calvary has to come in now think about this inability does not negate responsibility Arthur Pink said inability to pay a debt does not excuse a debtor who has recklessly squandered his estate nor does a drunkard excuse the mad are violent actions of a drunkard but rather aggravates his crime as Kurt Daniel says God doesn't declare bankruptcy chapter 11 for people okay you don't have to pay man got himself into moral inability because God declared Adam's work to do that but we can't get ourselves out the inability is self-imposed through Adam and when you look at this text again you must be born again you ought to be thinking to yourself when you tell people it behooves you to be born again you should also be thinking in your mind without me Jesus said you could do nothing and as I'm preaching to people you must be born again and here's who Jesus is and here's what he's done you should also be praying as well God give them new life God open up Lydia's heart God save them, God make them alive God give them new natures remember the unregenerate are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins the unregenerate can't repent they don't have it in them to repent the unregenerate doesn't seek God they don't understand spiritual truth they're under the power of Satan the age has been blinded by the God of this age so that they do not believe so when you hear a sermon title like this sinners bound to change their own hearts what do you think? well you think it's either a play on words or it's a heretic Charles Finney who preached that sermon sinners bound to change their own hearts if that's true then what a masochist God the Father was for punishing the son for people who could end up saving themselves when you think you can get to heaven by your own good works what a tragedy it was to kill the son and the father then imposing the wrath on the son and the son saying my God my God why have you forsaken me especially when the people could earn their own salvation by being good Charles Hodg said a living man may be persuaded not to commit suicide but a dead man cannot be persuaded under life and you hear it in preaching today God's done everything that he can he's up to you God had his son die on the cross and now you activate that by coming up with your own repentance Warfield said sinful man stands in need not of inducements to save himself but saving and Jesus Christ has not come to advise thinking in academia our urge, our woo are to help people save themselves but to save them let's keep building this next one's fun Saturday's conferences maybe a little more humor maybe a little more fun at least this is fun to me you're not going to probably think it's fun but I'm going to think this one's a lot of fun sometimes I show up at conferences just to see what I'm going to say alright fourth white lie God votes four people salvation Satan votes against and you cast the deciding ballot we've got the man's will we've got devil's will and we've got God's will and who's going to win can I just say this as far as God concerns when it comes to voting he doesn't have a get out the vote pledge you're not even registered but I guess you can vote in America now without being registered so maybe that doesn't work who knows on a side note why aren't we so involved in politics as Christians if somebody's going to get mad at me I want them to be mad at me because I believe Jesus is the only savior you can do whatever you want vote and all that stuff but do you think I'm going to put a sign of a republican a libertarian Ralph Nader anybody else on my front house saying vote for this person because politics are built on compromise and you can be a republican libertarian green piece or democrat and you go to hell when you die you're born again somebody's going to be mad at me it might as well be for that who's going to win God, Satan, or me the easiest Puritan maybe to read is Thomas Watson and you don't lose any depth in his easy reading God rides forth conquering in the chariot of his gospel he conquers the pride of the heart and makes the will which stood out as a fort against him against grace God makes the stony heart bleed oh it's a mighty call why do some men seem to speak of a moral persuasion that God in the conversion of a sinner only morally persuades if God in conversion should only morally persuade and do more then he does not put so forth much power in saving men as the devil does in destroying them did you get that the devil's trying to destroy people woo and come when you got to do it on your own a gentleman Jesus knocking behold behold I stand at the door and knock knock knock because you know what if Jesus just does something then maybe I'm like a robot maybe like I'm a robot I'm an automaton you know what you are and we're going to look at just quickly in a minute you're like clay and he's the potter look at the sovereignty of regeneration verse 8 this is the sovereignty of regeneration in God doing the work the wind blows where it wishes you don't really know where it comes from where it goes the wind has complete independence oh man tries to harness it some thought it was interesting we got to go to universal studios yesterday and they have some older kind of rides and demonstrations and they have the old twister ride from the movie twister about tornadoes and so you stand there and watch the sign break down and fire and then they have a little twister have you seen it? of course you've seen it you all live here although I've probably done more tourist stuff than you have but it's kind of chintzy it's an old ride by the way whoever gave me those tickets yesterday for free I'm not saying it was chintzy for you to give thank you by the way for doing that first class treatment there but there's a sovereignty here you might control some little thing on universal but you can't control the wind and there's something about the spirit that resembles the wind here in the sense that there's independence and sovereignty you hear it sound but you don't know where it comes from or where it goes so it is now he makes a connection so it is with everyone who was born of the spirit sovereignty of the Holy Spirit God has sovereignty on whom sovereign grace on whom he wills as he wills as often as he wills now turn to Romans 9 just for a second let's just flip over there for a moment I want to make sure that when it comes to the sovereignty of God you like Paul don't make defense for it don't make apologies for God it's the authority of Scripture that should be enough for you that should be enough for me is God wrong when he with holds undeserved grace is God ever wrong when he with holds unreserved grace are you sure? because I know people that think you go to heaven because you die saved by death and you just go I have four kids and I don't know if the miscarriage was the baby was alive or what happened and I hope to see that baby someday I don't have any idea but here's what I do know if there was a baby that we had that Kim lost in the womb that baby's not going to go to heaven because that baby deserves to go you just can't do that because our mind is innocent cute babies they haven't done anything well first of all God gave them credit for Adam's sin and if God would like to bypass faith and give them regeneration or give them justification or bring them to heaven that's all fine and good and you know the judge of the universe will do right won't he you get to heaven you'll go God you did it all right are all babies are some elect are none elect that's not my point right now here's my point when babies die we think of course they go to heaven why because in our mind we're thinking cute little babies and they deserve grace we're a grace built people of course I want babies to go to heaven but God has mercy upon whom he has mercy and God is God and if you'd like to boil the essence of God down into one attribute you know what that attribute is the utter sovereignty of God I'll prove it verse 15 Romans 9 for he says to Moses we're moving from nations to individuals here singular language not plural of nations and he's not backing up when it comes of sovereignty he's not cowering he's not saying anything of the sort nobody's wrong when God judges sin for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion aren't you thankful he didn't say I will have mercy on none but I'll have mercy on whomever I will and the way this is phrased in the Greek is unspecified force so you preserve the freedom of God on anybody I want I'm going to do what I want to do I am who I am and I'll do what I want to do now think about where this came from Moses is put in the cleft of the rock and remember Moses is like I want to see your glory show me who you are and the Lord said to Moses I will also do this thing of what you have spoken for you I found favor in my sight and I have known you by name I pray you God Moses said show me your glory and God said I will make it for you and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion is God love of course is God holy of course but when Moses says I want to see you at your essence God show me who you are God move past him and said I'm the sovereign God of the universe and I do what I want as often as I want only what I want the nature and essence of what it means to be God is sovereign and don't we know this we're all little sovereigns we're image bearers aren't we when I was a kid we played in sandboxes because we didn't have any kind of electronic ps14s or anything sandboxes and after you clean up stuff from the cat then you'd build your little force one that's probably why I'm like cataphobic or something catatonic some of you think I'll probably be catatonic by 4 this afternoon building and for me I had civil war characters the Yankees the communists I'm sorry where am I wait the Yankees and the Confederates that's right we don't sing battle him of the republic here for lots of reasons besides bad theology and so I was this one special little general all the other guys died and I was the one rescuing fighting and I won the day I was a little sovereign I was the one who won matter of fact I'm sovereign in the sense that I picked my wife I picked all kinds of things I pick what I want to eat and how to eat and all that because I'm sovereign I'm an image bearer and what we love in ourselves the ability to make choices sometimes we're not careful we despise in God the essence of what it means to be God Moses understood is he's sovereign no external constraints are conditions sovereign freedom this universe is big enough to have only one entity with sovereign with free will why doesn't God show mercy to everyone why doesn't God save everyone God doesn't know an answer it's none of our business God should save everyone often for us means God ought to God must but I want justice oh really you really want justice Thomas Arnold said the distinguishing factor between Christianity and every other religion consists largely in this that in these others men are found seeking after God while Christianity is God seeking after truth has inferences verse 16 so then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who has mercy God's effort God's purpose God's readiness to do something not on running God doesn't oh pardon to anyone God votes yes we vote no Satan votes no and you go to heaven how's that because then when God changes your nature your old vote of no has turned into of course I don't want to get ahead of myself Luther said if any man ascribes anything of salvation even the very least of thing to the free will of man he knows nothing of grace and he has not learned Jesus Christ rightly so as S. Lewis Johnson says let's get this down now in classes on earth so when you get to heaven you don't have to go to salvation 101 remedial school and learn about sovereign grace regeneration is solely an act of the sovereign God only a spirit can enable a person to believe if you're a Christian here today it's because God renewed your heart by a sovereign grace if you've got a twin sister who's not saved the reason why you're saved and she's not she could be saved someday of course but it's because of God's sovereign grace only the spirit of God can open hearts only the spirit can soften the soul the inward change in man has to be by the supernatural power children's shorter catechism what is a sexual calling answer question 31 a sexual calling is the work of God's spirit whereby convincing us of our sin and misery enlightening our minds and the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered in the gospel by the grace of God I am who I am no self made men no self made women in the world I don't finish the work of Jesus white lie number 5 this is even more fun that last one I thought was fun this is even more fun number 5 white lie faith precedes regeneration faith precedes regeneration turn your bibles to first John chapter 5 please same man who wrote John the gospel of writes first John of course second John third John revelation but let's take a look at first John chapter 5 in cheap grace here's what we do you believe therefore you've done your action now you've let God save you you've allowed God to work you now think it's okay for God to do a work in you what comes first faith or regeneration regeneration our faith and it's very simple that regeneration proceeds faith we could look at Ephesians 2 but let's take a look at first John 5 verse 1 the backdrop of this is I think people hate God alone regenerating because it highlights man's lack of sovereignty and it highlights God's choice will and pleasure first John 5 1 everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah Jesus is the Christ has been born of God if you believe that Jesus is the Christ you've already been born of God because He makes you alive your response like a baby born is cry you cry out with faith and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him faith it does not proceed regeneration say well how close do they go together I don't know but it's just an instant response when you're regenerated you respond right away with faith turn to John James chapter 1 please and I want to continue to highlight this and show you how good God is to give us this very thing and how He is the one doing the work and then we respond with faith faith doesn't save by the way true or false faith lived a perfect life on earth true or false faith died on across true or false faith was raised from the dead false faith is coming back unless you have a kid named faith faith isn't coming back anytime soon the soon return of faith faith doesn't save faith realizes I'm nothing but a sinner I have nothing to do at all except to take God at His word that's a good definition of faith I take you at your word and when you take God at your word something happens better said something's already happened and I love James chapter 1 17 and 18 we don't get a lot of the work of Christ in James it was a sermon 52 imperatives 104 verses but it does highlight sovereign initiating regeneration here monogistic regeneration God alone works God alone works we don't believe in synergy SYN working with we believe in monogistic regeneration and James 117 says every good and perfect gift is coming from above everyone coming down from the father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows he chose don't you like this to give us birth he chose to through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created the great giving God recognizing how good God is to give in the context here of sinfully being tempted we can't blame God for any kind of temptation because he's good he gives the comprehensiveness of his giving every good giving and every perfect gift in the original it's useful and beneficial salvation food enjoyment laughter friends shelter beauty clothing it's complete lacking nothing with the highlight of course redemption I love the story about a king who died and they tried to figure out who would be the next king he had infant sons that were twins how do we decide which ones the king they'd watch these little boys sleeping and one of the boys had hands tightly shut fist shut while he was sleeping and the other slept with his hands wide open and they chose the latter saying this man with open hands will be king when it comes to giving God's hands are wide open and generous Psalm 145 you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing and look at the passage coming down from the father verse 17 of heavenly lights the greek as it just keeps coming down over and over and over descending from a continual stream of the good hand of God God the father the father who creates the father who has compassion and care the father who redeems how great is the love the father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God he redeems he doesn't tempt in kind of sin he's the father of lights the father that doesn't change he's never going to cause any sin great is thy faithfulness oh God my father there is no shadow of turning with thee but the greatest gift he gives verse 18 he chose to give us new birth who regenerates God by his sovereign choice not in response to what we have done but by his initiation ESV translates it this way of his own will he brought us forth it's like the disciples isn't it you did not choose me but I chose you Romans 11 if by grace then no longer works grace would no longer be grace true or false you were born not of blood nor the will of man nor the will of flesh but of God I hope you say true because that's John 112 whenever I speak to Arminians and I know you're not I like to say true or false God caused you to be born again and the answer has to be true because it's first Peter chapter 1 verse 3 now you might redefine the terms but it's true why did God choose this way this is pleasure and will Ephesians 1 the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it John 5 21 number 6 evangelical white lie about regeneration number 6 sinners prayers save sinners prayers save now when we as evangelicals we would deny that when we realize they're regenerated made alive through water baptism but we pretty much fall into the trap that we think sinners prayers save people I want you to understand that the active prayer doesn't save are there any people in the Bible that got saved without praying you could think of the thief on the cross maybe you think that's a prayer remember me okay maybe but some people are saved even though we pray Lord Lord didn't we do all these things prayer isn't the switch that activates salvation is there a prayer in the Bible of course but is there a sinner's prayer in the Bible that if you pray this salvation is guaranteed no how about this if someone says now pray after me and if you pray like you really mean it you'll become a Christian well friends if you pray this like you really mean it I know Jesus is the only way I know I've merited hell but I get heaven based on free grace through his representative substitutionary work confirmed by the resurrection expressing itself through faith and repentance if you pray even a core of that friends that doesn't save you only a Christian talks like that you already are saved you're not saved because of a sinner's prayer but you will pray after God saves you and you'll pray God I love you thank you I remember one time it's four in the morning I get a knock at our north Hollywood door in California and I thought oh no here we go four o'clock I look outside and somebody from our Bible study he just come a couple times well dressed young man his name was David and I thought okay do I get the gun honey you get the gun and cover me honey somebody's at the door and I'll get the gun and then I said David will be okay but I didn't want to let the guy in the house because I didn't know what was going on so I went outside and he hadn't slept for four days he hadn't eaten and he said I'm going to go straight to hell when I die and he said I prayed the sinner's prayer fifteen times and it doesn't work and I said David who saves God does well then why don't I pray for you that God would have mercy on your soul and save you do you think that would be good it took about an hour and we were talking and he was talking suicide as well and so I remember someone telling me if someone ever talks about suicide or murder or something they could be attacking you as well so I remember saying let's pray and when I bobbed my head I kept my eyes on him because all I need to do is have him hit me and then Kim empties the chamber this unbelieving man even knew I say all these kind of things but that's not the switch that flips anything remember the leper turn there for a second go to Matthew chapter 8 it's the sovereignty of God in everything your skin color, who your parents are where you live, what your job is when you were born, how old you are but heaven too of course God is sovereign over heaven and hell he's sovereign over everything answer it. Matthew chapter 8 this man knew knew the sovereignty of God not in salvation here but he knew he was sovereign it says in chapter 7 verse 28 after the Sermon on the Mount the result was that when Jesus had finished these words the multitudes were amazed at his teaching for he was teaching them as one having authority not as their scribes well now he's going to authenticate who he is as Messiah by what he says, by what he does and Isaiah talks about healing in chapter 35 and 61 and when he had come down from the mountain great multitudes follow him and behold, Matthew's way of showing the amazement here and look and listen a leper came to him now what do lepers normally say unclean unclean they're living over there he says something different he bows down to Jesus all saying Lord any minute if you are willing you can make me clean now how about that I know you're powerful I know you're the Messiah I know you do great miracles wonders, healings, casting out demons you are the Messiah but one thing I know about the Messiah the Messiah is the sovereign king and you maybe don't want to heal me but if you would be willing to heal me take it that is amazing to me this man had enough sense to understand the Godness of God and what happened probably the first time he'd ever been touched by a man and how long by another person you wouldn't touch somebody like this and Jesus stretched out his hand by the way he could just say you're clean but with an act of compassion the Messiah stretches out his hands and touched him saying I'm the sovereign king and I am willing and I've got sovereign power be cleansed and immediately his leprosy was cleansed it's amazing the sovereignty of God in salvation now let's talk about the sinner's prayer could you tell people would you please pray that God would save you could you say that sure think about Luke 18 now our Bible's translated sadly a sinner but it's the sinner Lord have mercy on me the sinner that word mercy means Lord be propitiated have your anger assuaged by putting it on your son and not me I'm not comparing myself to that tax collector the Pharisee rather I'm just before you and it's just me and you it's like Isaiah remember Isaiah before God holy holy holy Isaiah wasn't a murder or a rapist or anything else he's probably the most holy man in Judah and he stands before God and he says I'm undone woe is me and here this man says Lord have mercy on me the sinner be propitiated and when you think of propitiation what do you think of you think of the ark of the covenant that box and in that box were the manna and the rod of Aaron and the ten commandments and on top is the gold and the seraphim coming over the cheraphim rather down at that box he sees ten commandments and he sees them broken when there's a sacrifice and the blood's poured on top of that box God looks down and sees our broken laws but he doesn't see them because they're covered in blood somebody else has already paid and that man says God have mercy on me be propitiated I am a law breaker I am a sinner so I think you can have people pray but you don't let people think this that if they pray then God must save them because Luke chapter 8 verse 13 says many receive the word with joy and when trials come then what happens how do I know if it's fake how do I know if it's false how do I know they don't know I don't know only the spirit of God knows repent believe trust follow this is the object of your faith cry out to God God save me God deliver me God justify me God reconcile me but salvation isn't because of a sinner's prayer salvation yields itself in prayer but never the two meet think of cause and think of effect nothing causes salvation except sovereign grace but the effects of salvation repentance prayer just pray this prayer when I'm preaching I'm sure your pastor pastor mark does the same thing I know the Bible says so we preach so they believe I don't have to close the deal and by the way I'm a deal closer I've been trained in sales IBM sales matter of fact 1984 summarize the situation state the idea explain how it works reinforce key benefits close that was good training to remember that I don't have to close can I beg you to be reconciled to God can I proclaim you must believe please believe be reconciled to God the answer is yes but we preach the Bible and God then think about it two people listen to the same message and it's a Bible message guilt grace and gratitude substitution atonement one person believes in the other doesn't why with Bible preaching that's exactly the same one believes and one doesn't what's the answer one guy's a worse sinner sovereign regeneration the word of God applied by the spirit of God Spurgeon when he invited men to come to Christ that's what we do I don't invite him to come to an altar by the way there's no altar here Spurgeon said here's what he'd say to people before you leave this place breathe in earnest prayer to God God be merciful to me a sinner Lord I need to be saved save me I call upon thy name Lord I'm guilty I deserve thy wrath Lord I cannot save myself Lord I would have a new heart and a right spirit but what can I do Lord I can do nothing come and work in me to do a thy good pleasure another time Spurgeon said but now I do for my very soul upon thy name trembling yet believing I cast myself holy on thee Spurgeon said go home alone trusting in Jesus no but I'd like to go to the prayer room Mr. Spurgeon I dare say you would but we are not willing to pander to popular superstition we fear that in these rooms men are warmed into a fictitious confidence very few of supposed converts of inquiry rooms turn out very well go to your God at once even where you are now cast yourself upon Christ at once ere you stir an inch what have we substituted that with the 14th stanza of just as I am by the way do you know Charlotte Elliott wrote just as I am in 1836 just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidest me come to thee O Lamb of God I come we think that means come down the aisle but it couldn't be for Miss Elliott because she wrote to him for sick and infirm people especially for invalids who couldn't walk all that the Father gives me shall come to me Jack Hiles said many of us in our preaching make such statements as now in conclusion finally may I say my last point is Hiles said these statements are dangerous the sinner knows five minutes before you finish hence he digs in and prepares himself for the invitation so that he does not respond however in your closing if it's abrupt and a lost person does not suspect that you are about to be finished you have crept upon him and he does not have time to prepare himself for the invitation many people may be reached using this message method I have a book at home called the soul winner and it says when you get a person at the door when you're doing door to door evangelism and you're about ready to pray pray this prayer after me kind of push hard on his shoulder so his head kind of goes down I kid you not there's a slay me in the spirit I just push my head even farther religion is not the work of man alright I've got a couple minutes left so we're going to just do these last couple number seven faith actually saves I alluded to that earlier but I want to make explicit now what was implicit that faith actually saves we do use theological shorthand I understand it but Jesus is the one who saves faith doesn't cause salvation it is the non meritorious instrument of salvation he saved us through the washing of rebirth Titus chapter three Lord opens Lydia's heart two more I'm just speeding up now number eight regenerated people live exactly the same lives as they used to white lie number eight regenerated people live exact same lives as they used to John Murray regeneration is the renewing of the heart mind and the renewed heart and mind must act according to their nature see non lordship says you can be saved and get a new nature but you don't have to live a life according to that nature I'm not after perfection but there will be a change regeneration is known by its effects true or false true the wind is known by its effects same thing when the God of the universe indwells you and declares you as righteous and regenerates you it's not just a turning over a new leaf and for Nicodemus I think he was saved and he comes by night the first time and then John 19 he goes and gets Jesus's body positively why don't you turn with me to first John chapter two I got six minutes so let's do it first John chapter two born again people do what is right as a lifestyle as a habit as a practice I'm not after sinless perfectionism or perfectionism but we have a change here's the problem we now recognize what sin is and who God is by his holiness so even though we think we sin more we're actually sinning less but we think we're sinning more because now we recognize sin did you get that I have people come to me and they say my assurance of salvation is wrecked because I sin more than when I was first saved now if that's really true then you weren't saved but probably what it is or it could be you recognize God's word and God's commands and God's holiness and now things that you didn't think of were sin before you just thought sins were don't don't and now you realize sins are I haven't loved God with my heart, soul, mind and strength today and so you think I'm sinning more and now I tell that kind of Christian listen Jesus in your place love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength Jesus is your righteousness friend your righteousness has been in heaven for 2,000 years look at what people do in 1 John chapter 2 verse 29 if you know that he is righteous you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him your religious righteous works confirm you've been born again you see no works in people no fruit you should say how could they be born again you're not an authoritative mallet you're not but this is the proof negatively people don't keep on sinning if they've been born again chapter 3 verse 9 1 John 3 9 no one is born of God will continue to sin because God's seed remains in him he cannot go on practicing the same debauchery because he has been born of God chapter 5 verse 18 of the same book if you're a new creature you can't live like the old person regeneration is instantaneous but its evidences are gradual its evidences are over maturation but there are evidences we know 1 John 5 18 that anyone born of God does not continue to sin the one who was born of God keeps him safe and the evil one cannot harm him we can see the fruit of being born again look at chapter 4 verse 7 people love each other by the way my wife and I just said last night I don't know if I've been at a more loving church people I watch you love one another and the love that we've experienced convicted I gotta go home and start I don't know being more loving I guess whacking the people you gotta be a little more loving just in a church that loved better than you but one of the evidences that you're born again 1 John 4 friends let us love one another for love comes from God everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God and that good born again people overcome the world verse 3 and 4 of 1 John 5 this is love for God to obey his commands and his commands aren't burdensome for everyone born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that he has overcome the world even our faith so it would be wrong are you born again I didn't ask you to be baptized I didn't ask you to come to bible conferences I didn't ask you are you member are you born again you must be born again one man said he that is born once dies twice but he that is born twice dies once you must be born again born again let's pray Father we thank you that you did make us alive together in Christ solely based on your good pleasure solely based on the eternal council of God and eternity past which manifests itself in bible history culminating at the cross we're thankful that we serve a risen savior and he hasn't left us alone he's sent the spirit for us and to us and I just pray for this dear congregation I pray that you'd increase their love for you and one another I pray that they would increase in their love for the lost Father how refreshing to hear so many testimonies of evangelism and people proclaiming we must be born again you must be born again and I pray that there's anyone here who's not alive in Christ that you would sovereignly grant them mercy Lord have mercy on them the sinner in Jesus name amen