to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." So, if you believe the gospel, what do you receive? Remission of sins, just like the Bible says. That's what you receive. Verse 44, while Peter yet spake these words, Peter's preaching. He's speaking to the people. And as he's preaching, nobody's running to the altar at the end of the sermon to get saved. In the middle of his preaching, watch what happens. "...the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word." People are getting saved in the sermon. Praise the Lord for that. Verse 45, "...and they of the circumcision..." Who's that? That's the Jews. Those that got circumcised. which believed were astonished. Why? As many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now that gift of the Holy Ghost is what you receive when you get saved. But wow, we're in the book of Acts and the Jews, the circumcision, guess what they can't believe. that Gentiles, those of the uncircumcision, are actually receiving the same things that the Jews received. Salvation! They're receiving the Holy Ghost just like the Jews. Just like the circumcision. That's a beautiful thing. We see that played out through the book of Acts. Jews first, and now to the Gentiles. Look at v. 46. "...For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." So they're receiving this gift of tongues. And the circumcision is like, wow, the Jews are like, wow, the Gentiles are receiving that too? Jews and Gentiles are now being placed into the body of Christ. And then Peter answered, and watch what he says in verse 47, Then any man forbid can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized Which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we now why aren't they forbidden water? They're not forbidden water Because why? Because they heard the word and they believed that's why so believers would get water baptized and Okay, great. Amen. Isn't that a beautiful picture? Now, look at verse 1. Flip your page if you need to, but get Acts 11. And let's pick it up there. It should be right there over on the next page. It should be right there, verse 1. Watch what is happening now. And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God. Why is it saying also received? Because who was receiving it first? The Jews. The Jews received it first. Now it's going to the Gentiles. So it doesn't matter if you're a Jew or a Gentile, what are we going to preach to you? The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Great. Awesome. Praise the Lord. But watch what happens. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him. The Jews are fighting with Peter because they're upset that the Gentiles are receiving the same thing they're receiving. And they're contending with him. Now go all the way to verse number 15 and watch what it says. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. Well, it fell on, who's the them? That's the Gentiles. It fell on them, the Gentiles, as on us. Who's the us? The us is the Jews. So the same Holy Ghost is falling on Gentiles and Jews, and it says, "...as it fell on us at the beginning." Well, what do you mean, at the beginning? Well, at the beginning of Acts, who was receiving it first? We already established that. The Jews. So at the beginning, the Jews are receiving it. Now they're contending with Peter because, wow, it's going to the Gentiles as well. You see who the Gospel's for? Everybody. Jew or Gentile. It doesn't matter. So going forward from Acts chapter number 10, all the way forward from Acts 10, we see Gentiles being saved the same way going backwards into the book of Acts to the beginning the same way the Jew that's being saved. In other words, from the beginning, the Jews get saved. By the time we get to Acts 10, now we see Gentiles being saved, and we see they're being saved the same way. There is no difference whatsoever. All right, verse 16. In Acts 11. Verse 16 in Acts chapter number 11. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. John did a man's work and put somebody in water. God is going to do a work and put the Holy Ghost in you and place you into His body. So it's not by works, it's not what John does, it's what God does. It's God's salvation, it's God's work. Verse 17, for as much then as God gave them, here's the phrase I want us to see, the like gift. Now after all we said, What is the like gift? Not tongues. Holy Ghost, which equates to what? Salvation. When you receive the Holy Ghost and you're baptized by the Holy Ghost, when you trust Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit, right? You're baptized in the Spirit. That's the one baptism that we all receive. So the like gift referred to is that Gentiles, just like the Jews, will receive the same gift, the same salvation, the same Holy Spirit. It's the like gift. There's no difference between the Jew and the Gentile and how they get saved. It's a like gift. Make sense? Do we get that doctrinally? Acts 11, verse 18. Let me read it like a Calvinist would read it, because that's where we're going to go tonight. When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God only given the ability to repent to the unconditionally elected before the foundation of the world. Now, does the verse say that? Then why do some people read it right but think it wrong? That's a problem. The verse says, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Why? Because the light gift, not just the Jew, it's also going to the Gentile. And if you receive him, if you hear the word and you receive him, you will receive the gift of repentance. God will give that to you. Jew or Gentile, it does not matter. If you see a Calvinist preaching the gospel, they're not preaching it because they believe whosoever can be saved. They're preaching it because they're viewing it as, well, you just never know who's elect. So in their mind, when they see people, they see people as, I don't know if you're elect before the foundation of the world. and I don't know if you're a reprobate and decreed to hell from the foundation of the world." That's how a Calvinist views you. And so, if you do find them preaching the gospel, that is in their mind. That's how they see you. So they just don't know if you're elect or not elect. So they're just waiting on someone that's elect to hear it and then be saved, which, why would you need to go and preach the gospel anyway if God decreed it? They don't see everyone as whosoever. And if you would repent, you could receive it. They don't see people that way. And to me, that's a big red flag. They believe that God only will save a predetermined group of specially elected people before the foundation of the world. And no one can repent until God gives it to them. Why don't we rephrase it and say, it's not that... Why don't we say this? We're preaching a whosoever gospel and we are just trusting that someone would put their faith and trust in the elect one, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then they will be placed into his body and then they will become elect. Acts chapter number 10 and 11 show that the Jews, who by the way are God's elect, There's about six designations for the word elect in the Bible. One of them is that the Jewish people, God's chosen nation is God's elect. And what did we see in Acts chapter 10 and 11? Did the gospel just go to the elect, the nation? Or did it go to the Gentile as well? And did they get saved the same way? Look, they're God's chosen nation, but every individual from every other non-Jewish nation who's a Gentile can trust Christ and be saved. So there's no difference, even though the Jewish people are God's elect. Isaiah 45 says that, for Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel, mine elect. So if a Jew or a Gentile hear the gospel, repent, and believe and put their faith and trust in Christ, what happens to them? They're regenerated. Amen? Alright, Acts 16. Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter number 16, look at verse number 30. Paul and Silas are praying. They're in prison. The earthquake comes. Doors are shaken. They're opened. And they don't run away. They don't run out of there. But there's a jailer there, and he cries out. In verse number 30, he cries out to Paul and Silas, and he says, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And Paul and Silas said, you know what? I really don't know if you're elect or not elect. I really don't know if you're part of the decree of election or the decree of reprobation. But he asked this question, what must I do? Do. And Paul and Silas don't say, well, you can't do anything. You just have to trust that you're part of the decree. No. What does he say? And they said, that's the both of them. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And the Calvinist will say, you can't believe because believing is a work. You're going to have to go back. You can search the sermon archives for, is faith a work? And it ties all that in and it explains what that means biblically. But the Calvinist does not understand conditions. They don't understand conditions. What must I do to be saved? Well, you can't save yourself by works. What is excluded is man's works. Believing on Christ isn't a work that man would do to save himself. What's the end of verse 31 say? And my house. What must I do to be saved? He said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. But you know what? He goes home. And he's going to give the gospel to his whole house. and his whole house is going to get saved. Now, you think if you're a mama and you have four children, and your husband comes home, he just got saved, and then he says, well, I don't know if this one's elect, or this one's reprobate, or this one's elect, or this one's reprobate. I guess we'll never know. That's not what happened in Acts 31. That jailer went home, and his whole house got saved. I hope you preach a whosoever gospel, not a whosoelect gospel. And if you receive Christ, if you trust Christ, He will grant you repentance, He will give you the gift of salvation, and you will be regenerated. We preach whosoever, and the whosoever become the whosoelect. but you must receive, you must receive Him. That's why you have these religious denominations that create doctrines to make it convenient for their whole house to be saved. That's why the Presbyterian church has come up with, well, if you're saved, then all of your family is in the covenant. So if you're elect, then all of your family is in the covenant of that election, and so now they're all saved. We know they're elect. Well, that's nowhere in the Bible. You have to personally come to a point in your life where you know you're a sinner and must trust Christ. And if you don't come to that point in your life, you're not gonna be saved. I don't care who your mom or daddy is. Bible says, all men everywhere must repent. Look at Acts 17. Let me ask you this question. Acts 17, verse 30. Bible says, and the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commendeth all men everywhere to do what? So you mean to tell me that a man that was non-elect was commanded by God to do something that he has no ability to do? Okay, you're not elected. You're elected to reprobation before the foundation of the world. Yet in Acts 17, we hear a command from God that says, I'm commanding all men everywhere to repent. Well, you're not elected, so God's really giving you a command to do something that you can't do? You have an opportunity to receive Him or reject Him. And it doesn't take away any of God's glory. Jesus said, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. But he says, except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Jesus wouldn't command people to do something that they can't do. Why was Jonah sent to all the Ninevites? You mean to tell me the whole town of Nineveh was all elected before the foundation of the world? Why would God even have to send Jonah to the Ninevites? You see how ridiculous that philosophy is? They know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4, 19. They know not at what they stumble. No other name given among men whereby we must be saved. No name on earth, but given among men. Where am I? Watch me say. There was a name from heaven that was given. That's Jesus Christ. Given. God gave. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He gave a name from heaven. He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at John 3. John chapter number 3. Look at verse 27. John 3, 27. John answered and said, a man can receive nothing, period." No. There's a condition. Calvinists miss the conditions all the time. A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. What did we get from heaven? We got a name above every name whereby you must be saved. We have God giving his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and except it be given. Was it given from heaven? Did we get Jesus Christ? Is he the initiator? Then look, the condition is that that condition has been met. Now it's up to you. Receive him or reject him. That's the call. That's the gospel invitation. You would not need the gospel as an invitation of itself. You wouldn't need the gospel as an invitation if there was a decree before the foundation of the world. Let me ask you this. In Mark 6, Jesus marvels at their unbelief. Why in the world would he have to marvel at anybody's unbelief if he decreed something before the foundation of the world? That's odd. That wouldn't happen. In Luke chapter 19, Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem. Why, Lord? Why would you weep over Jerusalem? Didn't you know? You elected them the reprobation rather than salvation? In Mark 16, Jesus rebukes his followers for unbelief and hardness of heart. Again, look, Lord, why would you be rebuking your followers for unbelief? I mean, you decreed it before the foundation of the world. You mean to tell me you don't know which one? Come on. It's ridiculous. Jesus rebuking them for their unbelief as if they have any control over that. No. God set it up where you have an opportunity to receive the free gift or not receive the free gift. Alright, go to 2 Timothy 2 and we'll get where we wanted to go. That was the first sermon. We'll get the second one now. It's the two-for-one. BOGO. They call it BOGO nowadays. Buy one, get one. 2 Timothy 2. You got your spot? 2 Timothy 2. Here's something interesting. Look at verse 16. But shun profane and vain babblings. Is that my responsibility for you? Or is that my responsibility for me? If God tells you to shun some things, that's your responsibility. Look at verse 17. And their word will eat as doth a canker, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some. So, my job, my responsibility as a preacher I guess it could be yours, but it's primarily the priest's job. My job is to upset people who would even think about worshiping man. Hymenaeus and Philetus, and they're going to mess stuff up and they're going to draw a following to themselves. So my job, my responsibility as an individual is to shun some things, verse six, God's not gonna force me. And my responsibility is it just to upset people so that they, if they even think about following a man that they don't. But it's my responsibility as a preacher to do that. I'm responsible for what I say to you before God. And if I say something wrong, God's not going to hold it against you, He's going to hold it against me. Amen? Amen. Look at verse 22. We're talking about responsibility. Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace. That's our responsibility to do that. But here's the condition. with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Fathers, mothers, adults. Whose responsibility is it for you to find a body of believers that has pure hearts? Yours. If you're a father, Whose responsibility is it for you to get your family in an assembly of believers that has a pure heart? The head of the home, that is your responsibility. God's not going to force you. As an individual, He's not going to force you to flee youthful lusts. As a preacher, He isn't going to force me to preach against, to warn people against following after man. It's my responsibility. As a parent, as a head of a home, God isn't going to force you to find an assembly of believers that have a pure heart. He's telling you to do it. He's commanding you to do it. But you have a choice if you're going to obey it or disobey it. There's conditions. We can't forget conditions. Verse 25, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, If God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. I missed a verse. And the servant of the Lord, verse 24, must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. Now, do you see apt to teach in there? Is that given to the local church? if you have to outsource your Bible training to a seminary, something's wrong with the local church. Because the local church should be made up of men who are apt to teach. Amen. That's why we want to be in the Bible, so that men, men learn how to teach the Word. So that the local church births more local churches and more believers and so on and so forth. Now, verse 25, look at that word, peradventure. It's so archaic. Per means it can mean through. You ever hear the word perforate? Perforate, through pierce or to pierce through. Per, P-E-R. Per also means by means of. Perception. It's the means of becoming aware. Perception. Per also means by. Percent. By the hundred. A proportion multiplied by a hundred. That's a percent. You ever hear the phrase per diem? Per diem. By the day. So when God says, if God peradventure. Adventure is something that really doesn't have a lot of direction. An adventure is going somewhere that includes, it could be exciting and fun, but it includes some risk. It's an undertaking that has some chance to it. So when the Bible says, per adventure, it's an old-fashioned way of saying, through chance, or by means of, per adventure, by chance, perhaps, Peradventure. Something happened without directions being drawn up, get this church family, without something being drawn up beforehand. I think God put it in the Bible to annoy anybody who would come up with the philosophy of predeterminism. How about that? How about that? Peradventure. peradventure." In other words, if a man receives the instruction, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, but if he rejects the instruction, God isn't going to give him repentance. And this philosophy of unconditional election that happened before the foundation of the world, it has thrown out and has disregarded the context of conditions. You see that? To the acknowledging of the truth. They are given the ability to acknowledge truth and to acknowledge wrong. Did God give you a conscience? We're going through that in Sunday school, right? God has written in your hearts the law. You don't need the law. It's in your hearts, in your conscience. It'll bear witness. We're told to shun profane babblings. Well, what if you don't? What if you don't shun profane babblings? But then you get with somebody, or you're studying the Bible, or you're with some Christians, or you hear some preaching, and all of a sudden you know what? I have not been shunning profane babblings. I need to start doing that. You receive the instruction. What's God going to give you? Repentance. If you disregard the instruction, guess what He's not going to give you? Repentance. There's conditions, and those conditions offer a simple, simple biblical understanding. Hebrews 12 gives a picture. Let's go there when it talks about profane. Watch what it says concerning Esau in Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12, look at verse 14. Follow peace with all men in holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Look at verse 15, "...looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." Here it is, "...lest there be any fornicator or profane person who is profane, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Esau took something sacred and he sold it. And after he did that, he realized, I did wrong. And he couldn't find repentance. He couldn't give back what he gave up. And he's considered a profane person. So what are we trying to learn here in 2 Timothy? Man, don't be like Esau. Esau squandered his opportunity and he's not going to get that. It's done. But that doesn't have to be that way with you. Shun profane babblings and all the stuff we're told to do. And man, we really messed up in that area. You know what? if you receive the instruction, if God peradventure will give them repentance. You don't have to be like Esau. You can have another opportunity. If you repent, God, if you're willing to repent, God will give you repentance if you receive the instruction. Children, receive instruction. Sadly, many Christians will acknowledge truth. Look at verse 26, "...to the acknowledging of the truth." A lot of them know they've done wrong. They think, man, can I get my blessing back? Can I get my reward back? Maybe not. on some things, especially this side of heaven, maybe you won't get that opportunity to do what you so longed and prepared to do if you don't follow instructions and you mess it up. There's a lot of men who have done wrong and they've acknowledged they've done wrong. and they've repented. But they're not going to get the opportunity back to do what they wanted to do. On some things, maybe not. But, if God peradventure, that's what it says, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. It doesn't say they certainly will in verse 26, and that they certainly will recover themselves. You see that in the next verse? If God, peradventure to the acknowledging of the truth, give their repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, verse 26, that they certainly will. No, it says that they may recover themselves. I'm gonna tell you some ways we can recover ourselves. And this is a preacher preaching to himself. And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, and patient. You better make sure you have a pastor that does these things. Because if he doesn't, you may not recover yourself. under someone who is not apt to teach. You may not. That's why this is so key for the preacher. Paul's telling young Timothy, how are you going to deal with people that oppose you? And he tells him, this is how. Don't strive. Be gentle. Be apt to teach. Be patient. In meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves How are you gonna lead? You got a stubborn unbeliever in front of you. How are you gonna deal with them? This is what God says. You have a stubborn believer in your midst, and they're just stubborn. God says, how are you gonna deal with them? That way, patiently, in meekness. Why? Because you want them to recover themselves. and you want them to make better choices, and you want to give them the opportunity to repent. God isn't decreeing who will and who won't repent. That's not what this is about at all. I have life from God today. Are you saved today? Right now, are you saved? Did God give you eternal life? Are you responsible for what you do today? with that gift that God gave you. You are responsible. This is what Paul is trying to teach Timothy. You're responsible. The condition was that they would receive the instruction and when they do, every time, all the time, God gives those repentants to who is willing to receive it. It is not Why would you need gentleness, meekness, or patience if God just decreed who was going to repent and who wouldn't repent before the foundation of the world? Why would that be necessary? It wouldn't be necessary. I give all three of my kids a horse. We're in the Wild West. I buy all three of my kids a horse. And the first child I give that horse to, the first child decides to become a bank robber and knock off banks. The second child I give the horse, he don't do nothing with the horse. It just sits out and isn't taken care of and ends up dying. You don't want to do nothing with the horse. But the third child gets the same gift. You know what he decides to do? He decides to become a circuit riding preacher and he uses that horse and he rides around the different towns in the old wild west and he preaches the gospel and you know what? Does it damage my character if the gift that I give isn't used properly. That doesn't damage my character. I have given the gift to all three of my kids. It's up to them. They're responsible to do something with that gift. And if they do something wicked with it, it doesn't affect my character. You know what would affect my character? If I give them the gift. but it's decreed that they would do something wicked and they couldn't do anything about it. That damages my character. You have four kids and you give all four kids the same inheritance and three of them squander it, one of them invests it. It doesn't damage your character. You're the giver of the gift. It is up to those that receive the gift to do something with it. And if you mess up, you have an opportunity to repent. And then if peradventure, God will give them repentance. If, if they receive the instruction, it only damages your character. If you give them the gift, but it's decreed that they would have done something wicked and evil, and they had no choice about it. Now that's a whole different character of God. A whole different character. God doesn't need to give irresistibly in order to receive more sovereignty or more glory. If you think that God is going to judge or punish someone for lack of repentance, when he at the same time withholds from them the ability to repent and believe. When you teach that, all you are doing is diminishing God's glory. Does that make sense? And someone could rightfully say, you know what? God just didn't give me the ability to repent. But God receives maximum glory. God receives maximum sovereignty, if you will. I know that word isn't in the Bible, but we can use it. He receives maximum glory because He offers gifts to every man. Even to those who are going to refuse it, and even to those who are going to use it inappropriately. That's a good God. Verse 26, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. Well, why? I mean, if you hear the truth in verse 26, 2 Timothy 2, verse 26, and that may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. Why would you need to be concerned about the snare of the devil if you're just non-elect from the foundation of the world? The devil, who cares? You don't need the devil to mess you up. Why do you need the devil to snare you? You've been decreed. What does it matter that the devil's there? Bunch of nonsense. I'm not in luck. Like I really need Satan to blind me. No, I've been decreed before the foundation of the world, the reprobation. What do I care about the devil? What does anybody care about the devil? If I can't hear truth, see truth or repent when truth is right in front of me. I'm telling you, there's this guy I was watching. He's given his testimony and he said, you know, he's just an atheist now. And he was, he got out, he was in Calvinism. He got brought up in Calvinism and he's saying, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm just, I'm just a dead corpse in a, in a grave. And, um, I'm done. Like I'm sunk. Like, I'm just going to go to hell. And he's talking like as if he's dealt with it, because based on that doctrine, he's like, yeah, I guess I'm just decreed. And he's lost his faith in God because of this fatalistic mentality. And in people's zeal to want to try to give God more sovereignty, and in their zeal to try to give God more glory, they end up diminishing and damaging His character, and people that sit under that. It becomes a very prideful thing, a very intellectual gymnastics argument. And they make all of these sermons about how we're so wicked and we're so, uh, estranged from God and we're dead in our trespasses and sins. And we all are, except if you have my secret Gnostic knowledge that nobody knows about Calvinism, then you can never be wrong about anything. It's false humility. God wills all to be saved. That doesn't mean all will be saved. Let's finish in Romans 10 and we'll close out. Romans 10. Romans chapter 10. Look at verse number 14. Romans 10. Alright, where are we at? Romans 10, verse 14. And how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? Well, if they're decreed reprobate, it don't matter. And how shall they hear without a preacher? God sends the gospel witness so that people would hear the truth. That's why he says, Jesus said, and ye shall know the truth And the truth shall make you free. Jesus says that in John chapter eight, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. But when the preacher comes, you can either suppress it, brother, you're going to preach the truth and someone's either going to suppress it or they're going to trust it and accept it. But you've done your responsibility. They heard it. They heard it. God, peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Paul is teaching Timothy. The truth of the gospel must be heard if they have any hope of believing it. But if he's rude and if he's impatient and he's not apt to teach and they're in opposition to you anyway, I got news for you. That type of attitude is not going to help them receive any truth. So he's telling Timothy, this is why this is so important for a preacher. He's teaching them to act right before people. so that they can receive the instruction and God can give them repentance. But if you act like an arrogant jerk all the time to people and you teach them wrong, guess what? They're already in opposition to the gospel. Now you're making it worse for them. Here's how I want you to deal with people that oppose you. And the reason I want you to deal with them this way, Timothy, is this, because God says he wants to give them repentance, but they're not gonna receive the instruction if you're just an arrogant guy.