Saving Thoughts

Introduction

The offer of pardon and peace to all. And that’s really where this lesson begins this morning. And may the words that we hear and the things that are done in this place truly woo us to heaven. Thank you for allowing me to be away in my final at least full-length gospel meeting of the year in Brownsburg, Indiana this past week. I will be preaching in Vider, Texas, on Monday and Tuesday night of this week. And then my preaching journeys will be completed for 2013. I appreciate Jared preaching on my behalf. Last Lord’s Day, I always hear such glowing reports of his work. And last week was no exception. And something happened just a minute ago that I must apologize for. I realize now I’m preaching part two.

And I did not preach part one. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, but I realized that I really needed to preach another sermon before I preached the one that I’m preaching this morning. But I’ll preach it later. We’ll do them in backwards order. So I want to take your attention this morning. And by the way, the clock is broken. You’re in trouble. But I do have a watch. I will try to observe the time. As announced by the Decker Prairie Church Facebook page, I was working on a sermon, and some of you weighed in, and I appreciate your efforts in that regard. I included those thoughts. This morning’s lesson, which I’m doing something unusual right there. I’m throwing out the title right at the very beginning of the lesson Saving Thoughts from Romans 10.

There’s a lot going on in the context of Romans 10 that we’re not going to get to. That’s part one. That I’m going to preach on a later time. But I’m going to catch this right in the middle of the stream here. Jew and Gentile both, God has reached out to all men, abounding in riches for all who call upon him. Paul’s love for the Jews did not supersede his love for the Gentiles and his wanting all men to embrace the provisions of the gospel. And that’s really the context of Romans 10, as well as going all the way back to something Moses said in the law. In Deuteronomy chapter 30, and that will be a part of Sermon 1. But Deuteronomy 30 and his plea for the people to choose life as the way of life and the way of death is set before them.

And there’s a quotation from Deuteronomy 30, with which we’ll begin with this morning. Romans 10, verse 8. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we are preaching. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness. And with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation, or unto salvation. While God has provided salvation to anyone who will comply with his will, only those with hearts so inclined will receive the benefits. And so, how does this work? The message of the gospel. The information that comes from God, the information regarding what God has done in salvation and what we must do, that information must be contemplated.

It must be wrestled with and thought about and pondered. That information must be contemplated and then received. And when that happens, saving Acts follow. If you’ll notice back in Acts chapter 2, perhaps a familiar text to most of our audience, where the gospel is first preached on the day of Pentecost, and Peter and the apostles spoke in tongues, and everyone heard the message in his own language, and all the dramatic events that unfolded Acts 2. The conclusion of that sermon was the challenge for every sinner to repent and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and they would receive the long-promised and long-awaited gift of the Holy Spirit. And then in verse 40, and with many other words, he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation.

Here are people who have already been pierced to their heart and have asked, men and brethren, what shall we do? And he says he kept on exhorting them with many words, as preachers are good at. Be saved from this perverse generation. So then those who had received the word were baptized. And there were added that day about 3,000 souls. That being so, the thoughts that we entertain are critical in the saving process. With the heart man believes. The text says in Romans chapter 10. In verses 9 and 10, there’s an emphasis in both passages. Believe in your heart. And then in verse 10, with the heart man believes.

So that they can become religious and be satisfied with a religious response to God. A properly correctly informed mind that leads to the right affections and actions toward Jesus are the key to salvation. Jesus said in John 8, if you abide in my word, then you are disciples of mine, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. We seek people’s conversion not just to religion, not just to a response to God that somehow satisfies their conscience. But what we seek first and foremost is a heart that believes in Jesus. What we seek is conversion to the Lord. Would you flip over to Acts chapter 11? We don’t want people to merely commit to baptism for baptism’s sake because the scripture says baptism is essential to salvation.

We want them to commit to the Lord. That’s what gives baptism its significance. We die with Christ and we rise to walk with him in newness of life in his likeness. We seek people’s conversion to the Lord. Like what was happening in Antioch. When the word was being preached down there, it says in verse 21, the hand of the Lord was with them. And a large number who believed. What did they do? They turned to the Lord. And when Barnabas came down, he witnessed the grace of God. Because these people had been enabled to turn to the Lord. He witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all. What? With resolute heart. His heart was resolute. He wanted their hearts to be resolute.

With resolute heart to remain true to the church. That’s not what it says, is it? Oh, they’ll be true to that. But first and foremost, he says to remain true to the Lord. And they were first called churches in Antioch. No, they were first called Christians in Antioch. What is supposed to happen in our heart? With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation, is that person’s conversion to the Lord. Their undaunted commitment to Jesus will be the key to an enduring faith. Did you hear what I just said? Their undaunted commitment to Jesus will be their key to an enduring faith. My daily focus on him, my constant dependence upon him is the key to my spiritual survival and the reception of all the blessings of heaven.

Abounding to the riches of all. As Paul would go on to say in Romans chapter 10 and verse 12 to all those who would, in fact, believe. To know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, the height and the length and the depth, Ephesians chapter 3, verses 17 and following fills a person up to all the fullness of God. You shall find rest for your soul. With the heart man believes.

1. Destructive Thoughts

So what kinds of thoughts are those that lead to salvation? And conversely, what are some things in our hearts that would prevent a proper response to God? And so I got this idea of saving thoughts, but first I want to explore some destructive thoughts. Thoughts that don’t lead to salvation, but instead lead to destruction. It was interesting in our Bible class, Steve said that often the path to destruction begins without warning. Oh, there are warnings there. We just don’t detect them as he was indicating. And then Mike, right behind him, said, it starts with a thought. And that’s exactly right. We find ourselves thinking a certain way, not really paying attention to that warning. We find ourselves thinking a certain way, and then we head down a path toward destruction.

What started so simply undetected has now grown into a destructive path in life. What are some of those thoughts that people have that are destructive? One is, this is what I want. The danger is irrelevant. The problem is that when that is a thought in your heart, this is what I want. We have immediately turned to a bankrupt source of power. Because the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps. You know where that’s at, right? Jeremiah chapter 10. Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 23, in an era where that’s what people were doing. Wholesale, most of them were following their own wants and desires. We’ll conclude in the book of Jeremiah this morning. This is what satisfies and pleases me.

And the wisdom of Proverbs addresses this.

In Proverbs 14 and verse 12, and in Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 25. But similar to it is Proverbs 12 and verse 15 that says, the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. The wise man of Roman sin listens to the word that is preached. He listens to the counsel. The foolish man says, Oh, that’s what I want. Or the sermon that I preached recently that I will be preaching tomorrow night, Lord willing inviter. This makes me happy. This is going to guide my behavior. What I want to do, of course, they don’t see scriptural approval in their actions, but this is what makes me happy. God wants me to be happy. And when somebody goes that particular route or has that kind of thought, their circumstances may actually become a little more favorable.

They may experience some temporary, momentary betterment in their circumstances that raises their countenance a bit. But it is very temporary. And if it is not that which pleases God, ultimately, it will not satisfy as they thought that it would. And it will not certainly eventuate in eternal bliss. Here’s another destructive thought that people have.

Listen. The issue is never. This is a destructive thought. The issue is never what other people have done or have not done. Everyone else in the world could be a hypocrite. But that doesn’t mean that I should be with them, nor does it invalidate the truth or the standard of righteousness to which Jesus calls us. Forever etched into your mind, Revelation chapter 3 and verse 4. Sardis. The church that had a name that it was alive, but it was what? Spiritually dead. But you could not take comfort in the fact that here I am with all these Christians. And maybe I’m doing some things that are wrong, but so are they. Maybe they’re doing worse things. But there were only a few who had not soiled their garments.

Only a few of the group. And Jesus said, they shall walk with me in white. Perhaps there is comfort in numbers. And a majority of people walk toward destruction. Ultimately, there will be little comfort in that. Well, other people have done worse than me. So you’re in eternal torment and you look over and oh, there’s Judas. He did worse than I did. There’s Adolf Hitler over there. He did worse than I did. And we can start pointing around to the homosexual and the adulterer and the effeminate and all the people of 1 Corinthians 6 describes. The murderer, the thief, and all of those things. Well, I didn’t do as bad as they did. But there was sin on my account. You will not find any comfort in that day because you are in a large group of people in hell that is prepared for the devil and his angels.

And those who practice unrighteousness, according to Matthew 25, verses 41 through 46. And again, like unto that. Well, I’m better than others. The issue again is never what? What other people do or don’t do. If I have excelled more than others, that’s only because that’s what I should have done. That’s what Jesus said in Luke 17 and verse 10. I’m still an unprofitable servant. It doesn’t matter that if you excel more spiritually and grow more into the image of Christ than anybody else that you worship with or any other Christian in Houston. You have more Bible knowledge. You have engaged in more acts of service. We have only done, as was said at the Lord’s Supper table, we don’t deserve this. This is only what we ought to have done.

We’re unprofitable servants. And so we can’t rest our laurels on the fact that I have achieved and excelled more than everybody else. My spiritual status may be better than other people, but if that is the case, blessed is he whose sins are forgiven, whose iniquities are covered. Psalm 32 and verse 1. That is only because by the grace and mercy of God I have received the information and let it dwell in my heart and thus save my soul, but the credit ultimately belongs to God. Another destructive thought. The Bible is not relevant to my life. It’s out of date. It’s contradictory. It’s too complicated. The facts are that nothing is more relevant than this word that was preached. It abides forever. According to 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 25, it is the sword of the Spirit by which we will have success on the spiritual battlefield in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17.

And then, next to that one. This message that this guy is preaching, well, I’m not going to listen to him because I don’t like him. And there may be some things about him that’s not very likable. Voila.

But this reminds me of a story in 1 Kings 22. Jehoshaphat and Ahab are going into battle, and Ahab brings in all the prophets. You know, you’ve got to have a message from God before you go into battle. So he brings in all of his prophets, all of his cronies, and they all say, Yeah, go up. You’re going to be successful. And Josh Phat’s looking around, going, These guys are fake. They’re not real. Is there any prophet of the Lord? And then Ahab says, Well, there’s this one guy. My Kai. But he never says anything nice about me. And Jehoshaphat says, Let not the king say so. And so they bring in Micai, and he says before this audience and hosts of kings and other diplomats and the other prophets, he says, Go up, you’ll be successful in battle.

But there was something in the way he said that Ahab detected. This isn’t good. And so he inquires further. And Micai says, Yeah, there’s going to be success in battle, but Ahab, you’re not coming home. And if you come home, the Lord has not spoken by me. See, did I tell you? Ahab, he never has anything nice to say about me. He’s even struck in the face by another prophet, a false prophet. So they go off into battle. And Ahab says, okay, I’m going to have to do something here. He disguises himself. God can see through disguises. And then we’re told about the random arrow that strikes Saul. And he is killed. Don’t let the message of truth not be embraced in your heart because you don’t like the message.

And finally, this is a destructive thought. I still like it. I’m not going to stop. Whatever it is that sin is providing for you is short-lived and temporary and ultimately unsatisfying. Do not be filled with wine, that is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. It’s prolificacy. It’s riot. It’s not going to produce anything positive ultimately in your life. Don’t be filled with wine, he says, but instead be filled with the spirit. That has eternal implication. That fills your heart and life and brings the treasure of God. It’s the passing pleasures of sin. And so I thought of all these destructive thoughts. But let’s get now to the saving thoughts. The things that the heart believes that leads to salvation. And here they are quickly, and we’ll be done.

2. My Life Without God Is Bankrupt

Number one. My life without God is bankrupt. Empty. Hopeless. I think one of the first things that drives us to obedience to the Lord and conversion to him is our desperate need for him. You know, this life isn’t going anywhere. Not for very long. And without him, I have no hope of immortality. In Ephesians chapter 4, when Paul talks about the past of these believers. And he encourages them not to go back to that lifestyle. He talks about the way Gentiles walk. He describes it as the futility of their mind. People that come to the Lord and embrace him realize the futility of life without him. It’s the futility of our mind. Those destructive thoughts, that’s futility of the mind. Darkened in their understanding. There’s no real life going on there with those destructive thoughts.

Only darkness and death. Darkened in their understanding. Excluded from the life of God. Oh, yeah, you’re alive physically, but not for very long. And then that’s going to be it. You’re going to be with the devil and his angels, as we talked about in Matthew chapter 24. Excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Notice this. Because of the hardness of their heart. And they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way. I need something outside of myself. And what I need is Jesus. No one else in history could say these words. No other person that’s ever lived. Would they be applicable to him?

I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. What a dramatic statement Jesus makes in John 14 and verse 6 to his disciples. On the heels of many disciples withdrawing from him in John chapter 6, and Peter saying the words, we can’t go.

3. I Believe in His Word

Thou hast the words of eternal life. We know that you are a holy one, come from God. Indeed, Peter. And that’s with the heart, man believes. I believe in Jesus. And because I believe in Jesus, I believe in his word. And that word contains ultimate wisdom for living. This isn’t just the message that leads us to heaven, though that would be enough. This leads me to walk on my high places. Remember when I referenced that text in the sermon recently on Christ’s intervention from Isaiah 33? Actually, that was my favorite sermon of the week that I preached in Brownsburg. It went much better there than it did here. I dwell on my high places. That’s what the wise writer said in Isaiah 33, verses 15 and 16.

4. I've Come to Hate Every False Way

This is a message. God’s word is a message that rescues me from the shallowness and putridity and triviality and incarceration of sin. And that leads me to point number four. A saving thought is.

5. I Need to Observe God's Wisdom

And I’ve come to hate every false way. That comes from Psalm 119. I love thy commandments above gold. Yes, above fine gold. And therefore I realize that the course of sin is destructive and incarcerating. I need to learn to hate every hurtful way. Number five. I need to observe God’s wisdom. All of his commands I shall observe. You know that in Matthew 28, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature? Teaching them what? To observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Somebody pointed me to that this very week. The word observe. It doesn’t mean that we understand it all at the very beginning. He’s making disciples, making followers. And here’s what you’ve got to be committed to. Here’s a saving thought.

When I learn something, when the lights go on for me, and it all won’t be at the moment of conversion. But I’m committed to Jesus. And so when I begin to understand things better and grapple with them, I will observe whatever it is. We are trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. We’re still at that. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 10. That’s why we must abstain everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good and abstain from every form of evil. You know, times have changed a lot since the first century. Paul wasn’t on Facebook. Did you know that? Paul didn’t have a computer and he didn’t use visual aid. Well, he might have, but not like this in his preaching. Times change.

Our circumstances. What does Christianity mean in our culture, in our times?

6. I Need God to Work in My Life

Because life changes in the world. And so I have to take the principles of Christianity and look at my life and my circumstances and make decisions. What should I do to please the Lord? I don’t understand yet what obedience to Him fully looks like. And so I keep plugging away. And because I believe in Jesus and I belong to Him, I need God to work in my life. I need the Spirit interceding for me, as we are promised in Romans 8 and verse 26. And later in verses 33 and 34, I need Jesus interceding on my behalf, and he ever lives to make intercession. And he is able to save forever those who draw near to him. I need that. That’s a saving thought. I can’t do this on my own.

Who can be saved? The disciples asked. With men it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible in the context of the rich young ruler walking away. I need God to work in my life. I need daily dependence upon him. And finally, serving God and trusting Him are essential even when I hurt.

Even when I’m in trouble, when people disappoint me, when I’m confused or upset. If we would just embrace these thoughts in our hearts and let these thoughts remain with us. Then our faith will endure unto the end. These are saving thoughts. Really two diverse paths. Sherry was doing what she loves to do recently. She was riding her bike at the park. And she was quoting Psalm 23 over and over again as she was doing that. And she thought about writing that psalm in regard to the devil. And she came up with an interesting title for her psalm that she wrote.

And here it is.

Conclusion

He leads me beside dangerous waters and tries to drown me in my sin. He destroys my soul. He leads me in the paths of wickedness for my lust’s sake. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he has no pity. But charges me and bites me, trying to bring me down. He makes me fear evil as he roars about. He makes me a fool before my enemies, making them laugh at me and persecute me. He anoints my head with depression and despair. My cup stays empty. Surely temptation and judgment shall follow me when I give in to him, and I shall dwell in the fires of hell forever. That’s pretty crazy. Thinking about the devil’s activity can be a saving thought. Well, I want to conclude this lesson about destructive thoughts versus saving thoughts with one final thought of each.

With the heart man believes, resulting in salvation. The one saving thought is.

He had pleaded with them earlier in chapter 6. Stand in the way and see and ask for the old path wherein is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. I want to tell you, those old paths outlined for us by Jesus and his apostles in the New Testament are the paths that we need to seek, and the promise is just as real as it was in the days of Jeremiah. You shall find rest for your souls. And as the gospel is preached to you, the word that is near, that gives you the hope of eternal life. Don’t let the devil’s destructive thoughts intervene or interfere. And here’s one of his favorites. Don’t worry about the judgment. It’s not going to be any time soon.

It’ll be okay, but listen, judgment is certain. Just as certain as when Paul said in Acts 17 and verse 31, he has appointed a man in which he will judge the world in righteousness. And he furnished proof to all men in raising him from the dead. And we can rest assured that day is closer than it’s ever been. And are you ready to meet the Lord? Have you embraced him with the saving thoughts that lead to the satisfaction of the soul and eternal salvation? Won’t you come while we stand and sing if we need to?