(YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND THE LATER UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND THE FORMER)
Ezekiel 36:22-27; Matthew 13:44
Paul Washer
Posted by Grace Community Church in San Antonio, TX (www.gccsatx.com)
Open up your Bible to Matthew 13, verse 44. The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Let’s pray.
Father, I come before You in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and I know that You hear me. Lord, this day, I am weak and I’m trembling. Lord, You’ve given me a great privilege to be here in front of brothers and sisters far more advanced than me. In weakness, show Yourself to be very strong with the foolish and the untaught. Show Yourself to be wise. Help us this day. Let this not be a vain exercise. So much preaching, so many words. Lord, I would rather keep my eyes closed and throw rocks at Your door until You answer. Rend the Heavens and come down. Show Yourself mighty. Bring reformation and revival. Make Your bride glorious. Help her. Help her. Help the men to whom you have entrusted her to take good care of her. Lead us in a way everlasting. Make us wise scribes. Bring forth good things from old and new. Put it in all our hearts to present her to you a spotless bride. I would rather stay here. Lord, help me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Before I get started, I have to tell you that I feel almost just speechless. This is not drama. I fear God too much to use drama with you, but I have labored for the last week over what I am to say. I have labored and labored and written and torn up what I have written, even until last night. Last night at 11 after a meeting, I went to my study, and my wife came in and she said, “What’s this all about? I thought you were going to bed.”
I said, “No, I’ve accomplished nothing with what I’m supposed to say. Absolutely nothing.” She said, “Well, I’ll see you in the morning.”
You see, I’m to teach on self-denial, but there are so many things in Scripture that you cannot teach because there are so many other things that they must be built upon, and so many of the foundations have fallen. So many of the columns around us have been smashed and destroyed that it’s almost like where do you begin? Where do I even start? Where do I even start? Selfdenial. How do you teach it?
And as I was listening to my brother preach.…never heard him preach before….and he kept saying a word over and over that’s the same word that kept coming for weeks to me, and I was going, Lord, how can I teach on self-denial unless they understand this one doctrine? How can we even begin to share self-denial with all the churches in this nation if they first do not understand a primary doctrine that they no longer understand because the pastors do not understand it, and that’s the doctrine of regeneration.
And then as I was sitting there, and my dear brother said, “Now, I know that I’m not supposed to speak on regeneration, but it’s all about regeneration.”
I said, “Yes, yes.” I want to just briefly look at this passage so that no one can say that I didn’t speak on self-denial, but then I want us to look at something, and especially you young men, if you can grasp this truth, it will empower your life, empower your ministry, empower your preaching. You see, young men, listen to me. There is a reformation going on in this country. There is a real reformation. I’m not talking about the church growth, six flags over Jesus entertainment type of reformation or revival. I’m not talking about the media, charismatic type of revival, but I travel all over this country. I travel all over the world. I visit many universities, and I am seeing quite an amazing thing that, even in secular universities when I go there to speak, I see a hundred, a hundred and fifty young men and women reading Edwards and Spurgeon and, more importantly, the apostle Paul and reading him rightly.
There is a reformation occurring and God has done it, and He will do it, but there are certain doctrines that are key if we are going to see a reformation and a revival. And if it is to be sustained, it will be sustained not by zeal but by truth. And not just by truth, but Spiritempowered truth. Biblical terminology with biblical definitions applied and empowered by the Holy Spirit is vibrant Christianity. Biblical terminology with biblical definitions without the application and power of the Holy Spirit is nothing more than dead orthodoxy and intellectual Calvinism, which is a demon in itself.
