Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Mark Twain once said that the trouble with the world is not that people know too little, it's that they know so many things that just aren't so. There is a barrage of opinions available to us. Plenty of voices claiming to have the answers. Where is your truth coming from? We all want to know truth. We crave a higher purpose and an ultimate good.
It's part of being made in the image of God. Thankfully, God gives the truth of His Word. Truth that transcends all boundaries.
It's the truth for all people. You know, a robust memory of His Word is vital to a meaningful life because in it, He tells us who we are and why we're here. His Word tells us our greatest need and heaven's most beautiful answer to that need. Let's listen to this message titled Transcendent Truth. This is part three of a message first preached on August 13, 2023 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem.
I don't really consider Him, what is He talking about? He's talking about creation. The Creator God who created ex nihilo, out of nothing, God spoke and it came into existence. That God, God who said let light shine out of darkness has done what? He's shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God has made Himself known to us in person and that person is Jesus Christ. Truth has a name.
The one who said I am the way, the truth and the life. That's what makes this unique. That's why it's accurate and it's authoritative. And this is why Peter says to his readers, you need to remember so that you're not led away.
Because we will have a tendency to be led away and he knows that there will be people coming in who call themselves Christian and they will be twisting the written word and leading people away. So it's unique. Let's not lose its uniqueness.
Here's the fifth point. It's compelling. It's compelling. Look at verse 19. You will do well to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart. It's compelling. All the founders of other religions have a grave and that grave is what?
Occupied. Christianity begins where all of the religions end and that's at the grave. So this gospel is compelling. This one, Christ, the one who said I am the way, the truth and the life. This one, founder of biblical faith, because biblical faith existed long before he walked on the earth, but he is the eternally existent one, right? So he is, yeah, the founder of faith, but he's the eternally existent one. But he didn't come to earth to establish faith. He came to earth to what?
To fulfill all the truth that we needed to have the foundation for our faith. So he's the fulfiller of it. He's the God-man and here's the good news. He died, but he's alive.
He's alive. There's a historic witness that he's alive. He is the creator. He is the redeemer. He is the one by whom and for whom are all things. He came to rescue and he came to reconcile and he's coming again to judge in righteousness. I just gave you the gospel, folks. That sets this truth apart, historically and contemporarily. Peter said this, what should I do then with this truth?
What should I do? As he was preaching on the day of Pentecost, Peter said this, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. You see, the triune Godhead, the Father sent the Son to rescue us and then when the Son sends back, what does he do? He gives us his Holy Spirit to indwell us.
Isn't that just fascinating? You, we, I, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let's not ever call this building the church.
A building is not a church. We are the church. We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. That is a powerful reality and he is the same Holy Spirit who carried along the authors of Scripture. He is the same Holy Spirit who rose Jesus from the dead. That Holy Spirit.
He lives in us. So this gospel is very compelling. Let me bring this down and land this airplane. It was a short flight today.
All right. Paul said this. He was speaking in Athens.
Very, very philosophical city. All kinds of thinkers, philosophers, teachers coming together and they love to hear something new. And here comes Paul along and he's going to give them something new. And he notices the statue to the unknown God and he says, let me tell you about this unknown God. He's the one that made everything else. And let me give you the short version of it, okay? Because it was a pretty long sermon, right?
But here's the short version of it. This is the God who will judge us in righteousness. He will come again. His son, Jesus Christ, will come again and judge in righteousness. And here is what he says. He has given us assurance of this by raising him from the dead.
So what's the point? Here's what Paul said. God commands all men everywhere to do what? To repent. How many people are included in that?
There are no exceptions, are there? God commands all people everywhere to repent. Do you understand who God is? Do you understand who this God is who's revealed himself to us? In the person of Jesus Christ who came to rescue us. And then when he ascended he sent his spirit to indwell us. Do you understand that he died for you so that you can have the righteousness of God by faith? And be reconciled to God. What is your response to that this morning? We've seen some beautiful pictures down here. I was there at chapel that night when Richard ran forward and he just did a face plant right down there in front of the chapel.
He's been unstoppable since. This man loves God. What is your response? This is the light.
This is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Three possible responses. One, you can be blinded to it and deny it. You can't stay that way. It's impossible to stay that way. Secondly, you can ignore it and be ambivalent to it. You cannot stay that way either. Or thirdly, you can surrender to it.
That's that word isn't it Richard? That's the word surrender. There's only one appropriate response to sovereignty. Surrender. Have you surrendered to the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ? These men stand and sit before you here this morning as testimony to the transforming power of the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ. That's why we're here. That's why we do this. This is God's mission.
And we need to be actively a part of His mission in doing this. So my invitation is if you're visiting here, you're a regular tent or whatever, you say, Rich, you know, I have never truly surrendered. I know the gospel. I've been to church and I've done things and this.
Christian things, but I've never truly surrendered in faith to Jesus Christ. That's something you need to do. I want to pray for these guys. I'm going to ask Pastor Shawn to come up and these guys, if you would stand then from the mission, if you're here visiting from the mission, if you would just stand right down in the middle of the aisle here, let's all of us stand and we will surround them with prayer. And the musicians are going to come forward for our closing song today before the benediction.
Just a little tradition that we like to do. If you would, congregation, would you all just come towards the middle here? If you feel led to put a hand on somebody, feel free to do that. If you don't, just pray in the Spirit with us. Praying in the Spirit's okay. That's not a phrase that the Pentecostals have completely taken from us.
That's a biblical thing. Would you just join in this prayer with me? Father God, these men represent a mighty work that you're doing. Your sovereign hand requiring surrender. And regularly in this place, men are surrendering to you. To your glory, to your will, to your healing, to your power, to your majesty.
We are so, so very glad. We are so full to have heard this testimony of your mercy, of your grace. Father, would you now, as they go back to the Rescue Mission, would you extend the grace of your people? Would you extend the prayers and the blessing of your people on them?
That it might go back to the ministry of Winston-Salem Rescue Mission? That it might permeate every man that calls, that walks by, every man that's in need? Father, would you just continue to bless the needy in our city through this God-ordained ministry? For your glory, for your will.
And Lord, we once again, in your sight, we're just humbled by the chance to be a small part of these things. Father, I pray specifically, I know there's another gentleman here with them and I don't know his name, but I pray specifically for Rich. I'm so glad that grace got him, both the church and your grace. I pray your deepest blessings on him. I pray that you would do mighty things through him. I pray that you would raise him to a place that people would barely believe where he's been. And Father, for Ron as well, I pray these same things. I was so deeply touched by this brother's love for you, by his knowledge even now of the word. I pray, Father, that you would bring him to a place where his daughter sees him as the leader, the spiritual leader. I pray that you'd be glorified in what you do in his heart. I thank you for Dustin.
And I know he's not been at the Rescue Mission long. He represented you well today, Father. Would you increase his ministry?
Would you increase his territory? And would you please let us not leave this place and forget that we would speak highly of the name of Jesus and that we would speak often of the name of the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. In these things, of course, we ask for you to be glorified in Jesus' good name. Amen. Thanks for joining us here at Delight in Grace. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.
