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Lighthouse Baptist Church
Our Salvation
(upbeat music) - Thank you for listening to this message brought to you by the audio ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church. It's connected in New York. For more great content, please visit us at lighthousebaptist.org. Now let's open our hearts and minds to the word of God. (upbeat music) - Ephesians chapter. For those of you who are guests, what? Oh, little kids. Do we have a helper with little kids? Little, huh? Two to five year olds. Follow Mr. Travis. So if you're a two to five, Mr. Travis has got this. So two to five, the littles. Thank you, Jess. As you can tell, we are a moving commodity here. So Ephesians chapter one. If you're a first-time guest with us, we are actually in a sermon series on the book of Ephesians. It's a great book. And understanding our unity is what the title of that series is. And we're actually going to continue that this morning. And we're going to look at verses 13 and 14 this morning. So let's all stand. We're going to read just a couple of verses in Ephesians chapter one. We stand out of respect for the reading of God's word. In the Bible, in Josiah's time, I believe, they found the documents, they found God's word, and they all stood and read the whole thing. Aren't you glad I'm not reading from Genesis? All the way through Malachi this morning, you have to stand. It's just two verses. We can do this. I'm going to stand much longer than you. And you'll be sitting down in just a bit. But Ephesians chapter one, verses 13 and 14. In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the day of, until the redemption of the purchase possession unto the praise of his glory. I thought I had it memorized, I did not. So there you go. So church this morning, we're going to talk about the word of truth. We're going to talk about the gospel this morning. What is this? What is he talking about here? By the way, that in whom, if you just look back a few verses that is talking about none other than Jesus Christ. So if you look at verse 12, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ, and then it goes in whom, in whom, in whom, referring back to Jesus. And so we're going to talk about that this morning. Let's ask the Lord to use this message in our hearts and in our minds and help ask the Lord to use my words to impact you, even though I may stumble and I may stutter. It's all right, we'll get through it. And I think God's got something special for us this morning. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, Lord, I'm so grateful for the opportunity that once again we have to open up your word. But you are such a good God to us. And I'm so thankful, Lord, for this book of Ephesians. And I'm so thankful, Lord, for that earnest of our inheritance, the Holy Spirit. What I ask for that this morning, this message, would impact our hearts in a very real way. Lord, if there's anyone under the sound of my voice that does not know you as a personal Savior, Lord, I ask for that this morning they would get that settled. And they would realize that they don't have to get it resettled later, that it is something that is already done. And I'm so grateful for that. And Lord, I ask that this message would impact our hearts or that the words that are said or who go to where you want it to go. Lord, I ask that you'd use this message in a mighty way. Lord, we pray all of this in the wonderful, precious, holy name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen, thank you, may be seated. So Sharon didn't, Sharon, raise your hand for a quick second. That's Sharon didn't, in case you're wondering. She told me that because of the smell that she expects me to end a little early. If you know me, probably not gonna happen. And the fact that lunch is just downstairs, and we don't even have to travel, it's not gonna happen. So Sharon, I'm sorry, but it's not going, we're not going there. (laughing) Point number one this morning. We're taking notes, and I encourage our church body to do this, point number one, you trust it, okay? You trust it, it's kind of how we're gonna break down the verse here, we're gonna break down our verses. So you trusted, look at our verse again, in verse number 13 of Ephesians 1. In whom also, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So as we're gonna break down this verse, the first thing I wanted to kind of think about, and with this, you trusted point, is that you heard. If you are here this morning, and you're a first time guest, hopefully someone brought you, someone invited you. What that means, they cared. You know how scary it is to bring somebody to church with you? That's scary. Sometimes people don't respond very nice to that, but someone cared, someone invited you. But also someone shared, for you to hear, guess what someone has to do? They have to talk. I know, this is mind-blowing. I know, this is all new information. For you to hear something, someone has to talk to you. Someone wanted you to hear the message. Someone wanted to hear, well, we're gonna talk about this morning. Someone wanted you to hear the gospel, the good news. And that's what we're gonna talk about this morning. And let's continue on in version 13. Hey, in whom also, in whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth. If you wanna know what that word of truth is, continue on, the gospel of your salvation. Gospel simply means this, it means good news. That's what it means. And I'm grateful for good news. If you've ever watched news, not much of it is good, right? We agree, you can respond, it's okay, I'm not that scary, okay? It's not always good news. And I'm thankful that we have good news, and I'm gonna share it with you this morning. But first of all, to get the good news, you gotta understand the bad news, and I know it's negative, and that's all we need to hear, right? But go to Romans chapter three, and your Bible's go to Romans chapter three. Keep your finger in Ephesians one, if you can. Or use this cool little ribbon thingy. That's how I do it. There's probably a fancy word for it. I don't know what it is. I call it ribbon thingy, so go for it. If you wanna do that, that's fine. Do you wanna call it that fancy name? If I do, I'll never remember what it was. Romans three, we're gonna look at verse number 23. Romans three, 23. For us to understand the good news, the gospel of your salvation, we need to understand why we need the good news. In Romans chapter three, verse 23, it says this, and I want you to look at it. It says, "For all I've sinned, "and come short of the glory of God." Guess what all means? All means all, I know, it's super complicated. It means all of us. Myself included, just because I'm a pastor, does not make me sinless, shocker. Okay, just ask my wife, she'll tell you. Okay, I'm not sinless, I've got issues. We've all sinned, we've all come short of the glory of God. If you go over to James chapter two, he kind of breaks it down even more. 'Cause sometimes as we, and by the way, if you don't have a Bible, there are Bibles in front of you. Feel free to use it this morning, but James two, verse number 10. Sometimes when we think of sinning, we go, well, I'm not as bad as Jim. Okay, I'm doing pretty good, but I'm not as bad as Jim Kirby. Okay, like he's the worst, and I'm just kidding, he's not. Okay, he's the worst. I'm doing pretty good. I'm not as bad as so-and-so, and that's what we kind of do, we kind of compare, but in James two, verse number 10, it kind of removes the comparison. It says this, for whosoever, meaning everyone, okay, anybody, you're all included, for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, okay, you're doing really good. You kept the whole law, everything that God has commanded, and you break one. By the way, one of those is lying, and I think all of us can agree we've done that before, okay? Then in one point, he is guilty of all. Look at verse number 11. For he that said, do not commit adultery, that also do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. He's saying, okay, the same person that says, you can't commit adultery, said you can't kill. By the way, you can take it a step further. The same person that said, you cannot kill, said you cannot lie, and so he's saying, hey, if you offend in one point, you're a breaker of the law. That's what transgressor means. It means to willfully break the law. It's when you know that God has told you not to do something, and you're like, I want to do it anyway. Think of a kid, right? Hey, don't touch the stove, and what do they do? Oh, ah, that's what happens, right? You tell them not to do something. They want to do it anyway. They have transgressed your law. That's what God is saying here. Hey, you are a transgressor of the law. You have broken God's law. If you go back to Romans chapter three, Roman chapter three, and I guess I could change the order, but I'm not going to now, because it's too late, Roman chapter three, verses nine, and we're gonna read all the way down to verse number 18. Roman chapter three, verses nine through 18. Again, we like to compare ourselves with others, and we like to say, well, I'm not as bad as so-and-so. And by the way, we never go the opposite, okay? Everyone compares himself to Adolf Hitler, and go, I'm not as bad as him, okay? He may not, but he'd probably be one of the worst, right? I don't compare myself to him, but you know what we also don't do? We also don't compare ourselves to the best example, Jesus Christ. Nobody goes, well, I'm not as good as Jesus. Nobody ever does that. We always go to the worst, okay? So look at Romans chapter three, verses nine, all the way down through verse number 18. It says, what then? Are we better than they? No, and no wise, where we have proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Okay, for us to understand this, Jews think of a religious person. Someone that is a good person. In the Gentiles, think of somebody that is not trying to do anything, that's right. By the way, everyone in here looks like a good person. You're all dressed nice. Okay, hopefully nobody's committed murder, okay? Okay, we good. Nobody's laughing. Nobody's interacting. Okay, that's fine. That hurts, but okay. Look at verse number 10. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. By the way, that's you included. There is none that I understand it. There is none that she gets after God. They were all gone out of the way. They are together, become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Verse number 13. Now he starts to get mean, okay? Their throat is an open sepulcher. By the way, sepulcher is like a grave. With their tongues, they have used deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips, a poisonous snake whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood. We see that in our culture today, yeah. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known? Verse number 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. All of us are unrighteous. In Romans, it is very clear that we are all sinners, right? I think we can all recognize that. We've all violated God's law. I've already mentioned lying, and you go, well, it's a wildlife, it's not as bad. Well, Jesus kind of takes it a step further. He says, hey, you look on a woman to lust after, you've committed adultery in your heart already. And by the way, that's not just men, looking at women, women can look at men and do the same thing, okay? He says, hey, you've hated your brother without a cause. You've committed murder in your heart. Okay, I'm kind of struggling now. I'm a liar, I'm an adulterer, I'm a murderer. And then he says, hey, you have covetousness, and you know what he equates covetousness with? Idolatry, he says covetousness, which is idolatry. So we are liars, adulterous, murderous, idolaters. That's who we are. And I think when we understand that, we go, yes, I am guilty, but I think we need to understand something more because that's not where God ends. He doesn't just say, hey, you're guilty. There is a payment that has to be paid. Go over to Romans six, you're already in Romans three, just go over a couple chapters here. Romans six, verse number 23. Romans six, 23. He says this, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God has eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Okay, a wage is simply a payment. You work a job, you have a wage. If you don't have a wage, then you probably shouldn't be working that job. Anywho, okay, you have a wage, right? We have minimum wage in our society. When I was young, it was five bucks. It has now changed drastically. And so we have minimum wage. We know what a wage is, it is simply a payment. What you're going to be paid for what you do. In Romans six, 23, it says, for the wages of sin, the payment for sin is death. This is not just physical death, which we all will experience, but it is spiritual death, separation from God forever in a literal place called hell. By the way, he did not make that for you. He made that for the devil and his angels. But as a sinner, that is where you deserve to be. Heaven is a perfect place. You can't be just good. You have to be perfect to enter it because the Bible very clearly tells us that nothing can enter it that can defile it. And if I'm just a good person and I've got some wrong, I cannot enter heaven on my own. I cannot. There is no way I could ever get there. So far it's pretty depressing, isn't it? But that's not where it ends. Go back one chapter in Romans five. Go back one chapter, Romans five. (congregation mumbling) Verses six through eight. I want you to see these, these are so good. Romans five, verses six through eight. So so far, I found out I am a sinner. I am a wicked violator of God's law. And because of that, there is a very real payment that has to be paid. And that is separation from God forever because I am a sinner and he is not. Look at Romans five, verses six through eight. Four, when we were yet without strength, meaning you cannot save yourself. You cannot do this on your own. Look what it says for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, verse number seven. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet per adventure for a good man, somebody even dared to die. But God commended his love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You know what commendeth means? It means he demonstrated, he proved his love. He didn't just say I love you. He proved it with his life. That's what he did. He said, okay, I'm not just gonna say I love you. I'm gonna show you it. And that's an amazing thing. I deserve death. I was without strength. But in due time, Christ died for me. Go over to first John, first John, chapter four. And I know we're all over the place. You're getting your finger exercise. We're working up an appetite. We're good. First John four, first John four, verse number 10. We're gonna jump back a verse, 'cause I like to do this. And it was a shocker. Verse number nine, a first John chapter four. In this was manifested, the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. Verse 10, here in his love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. He is the initiator of this and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means it is the appeasement of the wrath of someone. So God's wrath is what we deserve. Hell. Jesus died in our place, meaning he sacrificed the wrath of God himself in his body so that you didn't have to. That's propitiation. That's what I want you to understand. I know it's a big word, but I think we can get it, okay? Look at John 3, 16. This is probably the most familiar verse of anyone in our world. And if we got this verse and we actually understand it, I think it would change our world in a very real way. John 3, verse number 16. In John chapter 3, a very religious man, Nicodemus, had come to Jesus at night, and he wants to find out who Jesus really is, and find out what his message is really all about. And Jesus talks to him and he says, "Hey, you must be born again." Nicodemus is confused and he goes, "What, can I enter into my mother's womb a second time and be born?" And Jesus goes, "No, you're missing the entire point. You have to be born of the flesh and also born of the spirit." And so in John chapter 3, verse number 16, we jump into the middle of this encounter that Jesus has with Nicodemus. And he says this, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And if you continue on, it says, "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. Jesus is saying, "Hey, God loved the world so much. He gave his son for it." Of course, speaking of himself. And Jesus is saying, "The whole reason why I am here is to be the sacrifice that the world means." That's the reason why he came. Jesus didn't come just to show us how to live. He came to die for us. By the way, we already read these verses. But you know what that means? Look at this verse again, John 3, 16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." Great verse, great part of that verse. But look what it says, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." You know what that means? You have to respond to what God has done. You can know that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. And you can understand it, but you must respond in faith. You must respond. And if you read it, we already read these verses. "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn, the world the world was already condemned." That's not the reason why he came. "But that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. The Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, but he's also talking to you this morning. You must respond. Jesus paid the price that you deserved. But you must respond in faith. Ephesians 2, 8, and 9 are a great couple of verses. Go over to Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 8 and 9. Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9. We're talking about how you have to respond to what Jesus did. Jesus died on the cross for you, and that is great. But you must make a decision. Ephesians 2, 8, and 9 says this. "For by grace God giving you that which you don't deserve, are you saved through faith? And then not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. We know that we don't deserve it. We just talk about how wicked we were. We don't deserve being saved, but we are saved through faith, complete dependence. And now of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of worse, let's say any man should boast. You may tell me, "Hey pastor, I have given thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars to my church." That's great, but that's not how you go to heaven. You can show up to church every single time the doors are open, and that's great, and you should, but that's not how you go to heaven. You can be baptized, that's great, but that's not how you go to heaven. The Bible is very clear, it's not about what you have done, it's about whether or not you have placed your faith in what has already been accomplished. Go to Titus, Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3, it's kind of a similar verse, kind of, but it kind of helps us understand it. Titus chapter 3 verses 5 and 6. I'll wait for you to get there, I still hear pages turning. I know Titus is harder to find than Ephesians. We're good, Titus 3 verses 5 and 6. It says this, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done." Right? We saw that in Ephesians 2 and 9. "By the way, mercy is God not giving you that which you deserve." Grace God giving you that which you don't deserve salvation. Mercy God not giving you that which you deserve which is hell. Okay? So let's continue on. "By the according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost," look at verse 6, "which he shall on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior." Verse 7, "That being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Do you see what he says here? It's not about what you've done, it's about what he has already accomplished. "I cannot earn salvation, I never will, because I am a sinner and my sin has separated me from God. I must accept the price that has been paid in full." Go to 1 Peter chapter 2. I read this in Sunday school, but some of you weren't there, so I'll read it again. 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 2, verses 22 through 24. Actually we'll start in verse 21, because you get the who, you get to understand who the who is when you read 21. I'll let you get there. 1 Peter 2, verses 21 down through 24. For even here on two were you called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin? Neither was Gile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him the judge with righteousness, pause here for a second. The reason why Jesus can pay your penalty is because he did no sin. If Jesus ever sinned, then his death on the cross was meaningless. Verse 24, "who his own self bear our sins and his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed." You know what he says? He took your sin upon himself. When he was hanging on the cross, he took David's sins, Christine's sins, Jones's sins, Daphne's sins, Darryl's sins, Jim Kirby's sins. He took my sins upon himself, Debbie's sins. He took all of our sins upon himself, and his death paid the price that we should have paid. So let's continue on. If we go back to Ephesians chapter 1 in verse number 13, I love this little ribbon by the way. This thing is so cool. If you don't have one, find one. It's really cool. Ephesians 1 verse number 13, it says this, "Whom in whom, Jesus, you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, by the way, you just heard it, and whom also that, after that ye believed, meaning you responded, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." So point number two this morning, you believed, you believed. So we see that you trusted, that you heard it, you trusted it, you believed it. Now we're going to continue on. We're going to dive a little deeper. You believe, first of all, in the truth. Go to John 14, John 14, verse number six. John 14, verse number six. It's a great verse. Jesus talking about who he is. And I want you to get the wording because the wording is very important. I get some people today say that Jesus is a way. He is one of many different ways to God. That is a lie. If you heard of that, it is 100% wrong. Jesus says in John 14, verse number six, he says this, Jesus sayeth unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Look at what he says. Look at what he finishes out. No man comeeth unto the Father, but by me. Do you think Jesus is pretty clear? He doesn't say I'm one of the ways to God. He says I am the only way. Jesus says I am the truth. Can I tell you something? God tells us in his word, let God be true, but every man a liar. You know how I can know this book is true? Because it comes from God himself. It's not words of men that they're kind of like, oh, this sounds good. No. This book from cover to cover 100% agrees with itself. There are prophecies that are written and thousands of years later they are fulfilled to the letter. I couldn't do that. You couldn't do that. God can. It's an amazing thing when we understand that God's word is truth. You don't believe me, go over to John 17. So God says I am the truth. Jesus says I am the truth, the way, the life. No man comeeth unto the Father, but by me. In John 17, Jesus says this. I'll wait. He says this in verse number 17. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Jesus says I am the truth. And because he is truth, his word is truth. I can trust it. I can depend on it. And so when God says this is the only way to come to me, to know me as Savior, guess what? He is the only way. There is no other way. You're not going to find some secret path to God. That's not how it works. He says very clearly in his word that he is truth. His word is truth. The world will tell you, people outside these doors, if you can find your truth, and I have my truth, baloney. God is truth, and his word is truth. And I can depend on it. I can rest in that fact. And I'm so glad in a world that is so confusing, I don't have to be, because I have his word. Amen. So you believed in the truth. You believed in the Savior. Go to Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three. This is a cool verse. Philippians chapter three, verse number 20. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence, also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is the Savior of the world? His name is Jesus. And then if you look, it talks about the changing that's going to happen in us who know Christ as our Savior. But the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Go to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. I want you to understand something this morning, and I think this has been abundantly clear in the message so far. Jesus is our only hope. I cannot work my way there. If I ever sin, I'm going to hell. That's what I deserve. I cannot defile heaven. Heaven will not be defiled. And if I am a sinner, I cannot go there on my own. I have to accept the payment that Jesus Christ paid. By the way, the amazing thing is when you place your faith in Jesus Christ, God takes your unrighteousness and places Jesus's righteousness in his place. That is an amazing, amazing thing. When Jesus looks at me, when God looks at me, he sees his son, not the vile sinner that I am. Ephesians two, verses 12 through 13. That at that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, meaning you didn't know what God was doing. Okay, having no hope. That's the world. That's you. If you don't know Christ as your savior, you have no hope. And without God in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, you who are sometimes who are far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. What that means? You had no hope, and now you do. This morning, if you don't know Christ as your savior, you are hopeless in that state. But you can't have hope. By the way, hope in the Bible is not a finger cross kind of thing. It is an earnest expectation, meaning I know what God is going to do. It's not like I hope to be a billionaire. I know. I know. I know. I know. 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Verses 3 and 4. Again, we looked at this this morning. So if you were in Sunday school, I apologize. A lot of these verses are the same. It's okay. Maybe you got it this time. You didn't get it this morning. It's okay. 1 Corinthians 15. Verses 3 and 4. Look what it says. "For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how the Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. You must believe in his payment." Meaning, it's not I have my good works and I add Jesus to it. And how it works. Oh, it talks about all of our righteousness, our good works, are its filthy rags. And if you want me to go into the gross details, I will. Shake your head and know if you don't. Okay, we're good. It's gross. I'll kind of share this. Think of disgusting, puss-filled bandages. I didn't go in all the details, but I went to some. That's what he calls your righteousness. The things that you do, that you expect to be God to be pleased by, that's what God calls it. And that's disgusting. You must believe in his payment. Go back to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. And you guys aren't taking advantage of the ribbon thingy. Like I hear a whole bunch of patrons. I was like, bam, dum, anyway. Ephesians 1, verses 13 and 14. Let's read them again. "In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, which ye heard, and whom also that ye believed. Ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory." Now, that's a whole bunch of words. Can I tell you something? When God tells you that you are sealed, you know what that means? You are secure. You are secure. Do you see this in this verse though in verse number 13? "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise." You know what that means? Belief comes first. God doesn't seal you without the belief. He doesn't make you secure in his kingdom as a child of his, until you believe. Go to Romans 10, Romans 10. Keep your finger in Ephesians 1. Maybe you didn't. I always say it way too late. Romans 10 verses 13 through 15. Romans 10 verses 13 down through verse number 15. Well, I should include verse 12, because it's never included. I'm terrible. I do this all the time. In case you're wondering, wow, this guy is totally lost. No, I don't know about it. "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord overall is rich unto all that call upon him." Meaning, there is no difference between the religious and the unreligious. And there's no difference between the religious and the intellectual. For they are all, what does it say? For God is, overall, is rich unto all that call upon him. Now look at verse 13, "For whosoever, anyone shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And then if you read verse 14, it says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" So which happens first, church? Belief happens first. Call happens second. How can you call on someone you don't believe on? And how shall they believe in him, whom whom they have not heard? That's why we're having a missions conference. People can't come to know Jesus Christ as they're saved around the world unless someone shares it with him. "And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things." I don't call feet beautiful, but God does when you share the gospel. Okay, belief happens first. To be sealed, you must believe. Look at verse number 14 of Ephesians chapter 1. It's still here, pages turn in pan, guys, they're missing out on the ribbon. The ribbon is so cool. Ephesians 1, 14. Look what he says. So let's read the last part of verse 13. You were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which, begin the Holy Spirit of promise, is the earnest of your inheritance until the redemption of the purgest possession, until the praise of his glory. The earnest of our inheritance. That means this down payment or deposit. When I bought my car, I had to make a down payment. But I did. Why? It's proof that you're actually going to pay for what you tried to purchase. The Holy Spirit is that down payment for us. See what that means? You didn't pay the down payment. God did. It's not up to you to keep it. God's keeping it. God paid the down payment. God paid the price. And that means you can't lose it. Because guess what? He can pay for anything. He is the one who's paying the bill. You're not. It's no longer about the wages of your sin. He's already paid it. And so now he's saying, "Hey, to prove it, I'm giving you my Holy Spirit." Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purgest possession. You know that is heaven. Heaven. This was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ in 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 18 and 19. We see this. So 1 Peter chapter 1, keep your finger in Ephesians if you want to or use a cool ribbon. I'm going to give someone to take advantage of that. And then you'll be like, "Wow, that's so cool." What you're all going to say, I'm sure, before you eat. Pasture. That was so cool. That ribbon thing. Okay. 1 Peter 1 verses 18 and 19. Look what it says. "For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain traditions, from your vain conversation received by tradition, from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blunish and without spot. You were purchased, this purchased possession, you were purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ." Remember, it's not about what you could do. Because whatever you can do will never be enough. But what Jesus did will always be enough. Say, "Well, pastor, you don't know what I've done in my life. You're right. I don't." But you know who does? God, and He already paid the payment. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter how wicked you may have been or how wicked you are currently. It doesn't matter. We all come the same way. I grew up in a Christian home. But you know what? I would say the same way as the person who didn't. By the blood of Jesus Christ. Did you catch the end of that verse of verse number 14? Under the praise of His glory. You know what that means? It's not all about me. It's not all about the person that brought you. It's not all about this church. It is about the praise of the God who deserves it. So here's my question for you. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you have any doubts this morning, if you say I pastor honestly, I don't know. I don't know where I'm going. You know what the Bible tells us? I want you to go here. This is the last passage. 1 John 5. 1 John 5, 13. God wants you to know when I want you to see this. Okay? If you're just waking up, welcome to the service. I'll restart for you down at lunch. 1 John 5, 13. I want you to look at this. This is so good. God doesn't want you to doubt and I approve. God doesn't want you to walk out those doors and eat lunch with us and have doubts of where you're headed. He wants you to know. Look at what it says in 1 John 5, 13. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." God wants you to know. If you can't tell me pastor, I know 100% that I am on my way to heaven this morning, you need to get a settle. The pastor I worked under before I came here told us this. He said, I'd rather be saved twice than lost once. You know what that means? If you have any doubts, get saved this morning. We're in all stand and we're going to have what we call a time of invitation. Really, when you talk about an invitation, you know what it means? It simply means to invite. Okay? Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to invite you to come forward. And our church has been trained. We've been working on this for weeks. We're not going to have anyone looking around. Okay? Nobody's looking around. There is a reason why you are here this morning. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, here's what I'm going to ask. I'm going to ask that you come forward. You get my attention and I'll get someone to take you into a private room and share the gospel with you. And you say, well, I want to eat. I can tell you this. There will be plenty of food. Don't let your stomach hinder you from getting it settled this morning. The pianist is going to play. I'm going to pray before she starts playing that the Lord will use this message in your life. Again, if you don't know Christ as your Savior, come forward, get my attention. I'll turn off my microphone. They won't hear us. And we will send you to someone who could take you into a private room and share the gospel with you. Okay? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, what are you so grateful for what you've done in our life? What I'm so grateful for this morning for the gospel, for the fact that yes, I am a sinner. And yes, I deserve help. But you love me enough to send your son to die for me. But I ask that if there's anyone here this morning that does not know you as your Savior, for that today, this moment will be the moment that they get it settled. We know in your word that you're not willing, meaning you don't want anyone to perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's our desire too. But I ask that you would work in a very real way among us this morning. We pray all this in a wonderful, precious home in the heart, please. We hope that message was an encouragement to you. To stay up to date with us, please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook and LBC's connected. If you would like more information on how heaven can be your home, please visit LighthousePaptist.org/TheGospel. [Music]