from the hymn is taken from Psalm 45. What a beautiful psalm that is. I've preached that many times. Maybe the next couple of weeks I may get at it again, because it's a sure, a beautiful message concerning God's heart. God's heart is about his son. If you hadn't realized that, you've not read scripture correctly. all the word of God is concerning his son. All of it. Our Lord testified that, didn't he? Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures things concerning himself.

We pray that God would magnify Christ this morning and by doing so, comfort our hearts. That's, Christ is the, is the one that comforts us and strengthens us, encourages us. And I pray you'll do that this morning. I ask for your prayers. I desire that God be with me as I declare the word of God to you. It is always my desire never to stand here by myself. You don't want me to stand here by myself. I don't want to stand here by myself. Pray that the Lord would speak through his word to everyone.

I was thinking about that this week. The task that I am given to do is daunting, to say the least. To speak in the place of God for you. And as an ambassador, I dare not speak my own thoughts and opinions. That's treason. I'm to speak what God says, and nothing more and nothing less, and to convey to you what God testifies in His Word to you. And by God's grace, He'll give me the ability to do that. That's my desire. And if there's anything outside of that, I pray you'd cut it off and never let you hear it. But I do pray you would hear Him.

Remember those churches without pastors, ask God's mercy upon the churches to keep the lights in those places shining. And I'm so thankful that he has, in many places, without a pastor, yet there's still faithful people who desire to hear the gospel. And I know they're having men come in from all over. It takes great expense for that. It does, it takes great effort on their part. And God has put it in their heart to do it. And I'm thankful and it encourages me that they still do. many of these places. So pray for them that God continue to be with them and have men come. But I know they long for a pastor. I know they want one. So pray that God give them one.

Again, I'm thankful for the unity and the blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is astounding. I know we're like in a little bubble, and I don't want it to bust. I like to stay. Lord, hedge us about. You know, Satan said that about Job. He said, you've hedged him out. You've hedged him about. I can't get to him. That's where I want to be. I want to be hedged. Hedge me. Hedge us and keep us. Thank God for the unity that we have and the love for the gospel.

Let's go to him in prayer. Our Father, thank you again for this opportunity you've given us. The desire that we have, the need to hear. This is something you give by the power of your spirit. I have no strength in myself, Father, to deliver this word. By the power of your spirit, do it for your own glory. Strengthen us, encourage us in the gospel. Be with us, hold us, cover us. Be our strength and refuge, even as you promised. Sustain us, heal us, keep us. I pray, Father, this day that if any be outside of Christ, that you would even this day call them to faith, to behold the glory of the Son of God, to abandon all self-righteousness and cling tenaciously by faith to him. And then in all the grace and power of the Spirit, give glory unto thy name. for our salvation and none to ourselves. Help those churches without pastors. Give them pastors, Father, after your own heart to feed them. Forgive us our sins and cast out the cares of this life and the thoughts of the flesh. And by the grace and power of the Spirit, let us hear again your voice. not only here, but to obey, to believe, and to trust. We pray these things in Christ's name and for his sake. Amen.

All right, take your Bibles, turn with me to Ezekiel chapter 36. Ezekiel chapter 36. Our text will be found in verse 7 through verse 11. Verse 7 begins by saying, Therefore thus saith the Lord God, I have lifted up my hand, surely the heathen that are about you shall bear their shame. But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel. They are at hand to come. For behold, I am for you, I will turn unto you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. And the city shall be inhabited, and the waste shall be builded. And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit, and I will settle you after your old estate, and I will do better unto you than at your beginning, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

Now my purpose this morning is to comfort God's people. To comfort God's people. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord.

Now, as that is my purpose, what then is the means by which God's people are comforting? And this is the title of my message. Thus saith the Lord. Without this, there is no comfort. There is no assurance. There is no peace, there is no settling unless we have this, thus saith the Lord.

Now in this chapter in Ezekiel 36, it is said no less than 14 times, thus saith the Lord. 14 times in one chapter, God wanted you to know the source of this word. Why? Because this is the source of our comfort, thus saith the Lord.

Now if I or any other man come to you without this, don't listen. Please, I beg you, without thus saith the Lord, we have no grounds to stand before you and say anything. And so if you need comfort in your troubles, if you need assurance of your salvation in the midst of your doubts and afflictions and pains and fears, then don't listen to me. Hear him. Isn't that what God said? This is my beloved son. Hear ye him. He told Moses that he's going to raise up a prophet like unto Moses. And he said to him, shall the people come. Hear Him, not me. Hear Him. I am just a voice. I am just a vessel. I am not the Word. The Word is His Word. Thus saith the Lord. And without that, there is nothing else. There's nothing else.

Don't rely upon your feelings. How unstable is that? I feel like this. Who cares? Because that changes, right? It's going to change. When you feel like this today, you may not feel like that tomorrow. That's unstable as water. Don't trust how you feel. Well, I think, well, that changes. Don't trust your logic or your reason or your ability to think. You may lose that ability to think, right? What then do you have to stand on?

Consider this fact that God's word is eternally tied to his glory. When God says, thus saith the Lord, you understand this, he puts his name on the line. When you swear something before a judge or before a magistrate and you say, I swear, you put your name on the line, your character. God says in our text, I lift up my hand. What is he doing? He is making an oath. And now listen to what God says about his word in Isaiah 55. He said, so shall my word be. He said, like the rain, it comes down from heaven and waters the earth. And then what happens as a result? Life comes out. And he said, even so, just like that. He said, my word goeth forth out of my mouth and listen, It shall not return to me empty.

Now, listen to me. This word is going to do something this morning. I have no idea what it's going to do, but it's going to do this. Whatever God intends for it to do, that's what it's going to do. Now, if He lulls you to sleep, and you die in your sins. It's exactly what God intended for a dude. That's it. What are you going to say about that? What are you going to do about it? You ain't got nothing. You can't do anything about it. God says, my word is not going to return to be void. It shall accomplish what? The thing where to I send it. That's what God's word is going to do. And verse seven, God says, I've lifted up my hand. He said, I'm making an oath here. So whatever God says in our text today, God has lifted up his hand and said, whatever I said, I swear it's going to happen. I swear it.

I lost men like the people of Babylon in this chapter. Now God says the people of Babylon, Israel was captive. They were captives and Babylon said, now, where's your God? They said, aha, verse two, this is what God said, I'm gonna deliver you because of this. They said, aha, they got you, they got you. Where's your God, Israel? We possess you and that holy temple, we now possess it. Now, where is God? This is what lost men say today, where's your God? They say, aha, if God's Word, they always think they got you. Every time I talk to a lost person, they try to quote the Word of God to me and say, well, that didn't work. That didn't happen. It's failed. They say, aha, we got you. Somebody come to me one time and said, you know what? If God is so good, then why are all these suffering? Aha, we got you. If God is so great, then why do men suffer? Oh, man, that's an easy answer. Sin. That's why? Because God judged this world and condemned it. That's why? God is holy and righteous and He'll do with you as He pleases, whether to starve you or feed you. See, I have an answer. That's the Word of God. God says, listen to what God says. He said, I'm God, there's none with me. I kill and I make a life. Who kills? And who makes a life? God says, I do. There's no gotcha. God is sovereign, he'll do with you as he pleases. You can kick and spit all you want to. Thus saith the Lord, I kill and I make alive. That's what God said, I raised my hand to that.

People often question the word of God concerning Israel, right? They say, well, God is God and he promised to save Israel, then why did they kill the Christ? Well, the apostle deals with that very, very plainly, doesn't he? In Romans chapter 9, he said this, the people of Israel were just a type. They were just a picture. They were a shadow of the true Israel of God. See, God didn't fail to save Israel. Why? Paul said this, not all Israel are of. Jacob, Israel. Neither are they, because they're the sons of Abraham, are they children of promise? He says. But in Isaac shall thy seed be called and explains it, that is, they which are the children of promise, these are counted for the seed.

Friends, the reason that not all men are saved is because not all men are children. See how easily the Word of God answers itself? This is no complicated matter. False religion starts on a false premise that Jesus died for everybody. That's a false premise. And then they take that thought and they cram it into the Word of God.

Well, it's easy for us to answer. God's going to save Israel. Who is that? His elect. Who are they? As many as the Lord our God shall call. I don't know. As many as. They're the ones Christ died for. He didn't die for everybody. If he did, listen, everybody would be saved. Otherwise, you're worshiping a failure. This is what false religion does. We worship a Christ that tries to save. But that's not what we worship.

Why? Because thus said the Lord. Christ is no failure. He's a successful Savior. He died for all Israel. Therefore, when the gospel is preached, all Israel shall come to Him. Why? That's what God says. Christ said, of all that the Father giveth me, I should lose nothing. How do I know that all Israel is going to be saved? Thus saith the Lord. That's how I know. How do you know that there's such thing as an election of grace? Thus saith the Lord. How do you know that Christ redeemed his people? Thus saith the Lord. How do you know that they'll be quickened and come to faith in Christ? Thus saith the Lord.

It's the word of God. He said, thy people shall be willing. Are you willing? Now, that's a silly question. Do you believe? Are you willing to believe? Duh. Of course I am. Well, why? Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. You see, I believe because of his power. Not the volition and power of my will. That's silly. That's silly. We believe because of the power of his grace.

The apostle writes this concerning God. God says, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. Now who is he gonna have mercy on? Whom he will have mercy. That's it. I'll have compassion. That's great. On who? On whom I will have compassion. What's the conclusion of this word of God? So then. Listen to this. So then, it is not of him that willeth. Oh, man, that just does away with all free will religion. One verse. I mean, one verse just crushes it. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. But what? God that showeth mercy. Mercy. This is the word of God. This is the word in which we trust. And in our text, we trust what God says here. Thus saith the Lord. This is the word of God.

Therefore say unto Israel. Now this whole text is for Israel. Look at the first one. Look at the first verse. Also thou son of man prophesied to the mountains. What? Of Israel. In verse 22. Look at this, therefore say thou unto the house of Israel. In our text, therefore they say to the Lord, I've lifted up my hand, surely the heathen, surely the heathen that are about you shall bear their blame, but you, oh mountains of who? Israel. Who's the word of God directed to? Is it directed to everybody? Well, it's directed to heathens saying, look, I'm gonna damn you. That's the word of God to the heathen, to those outside of Christ. If you're outside of Christ, God has a word for you. I'll damn you. There's your word.

But you, I like that. Isn't it wonderful, this great conjunction here? But you, I'm gonna do something totally different for you. Who? Old House of Israel, Mountains of Israel. I'm gonna do something different. Behold the elect of God. The elect of God are no different than anyone else. You know that? The elect of God are no different. Israel, by nature, is no different than anyone else. We were born among the heathen and by no means any different than any Adam of Adam's race. Isn't this what the apostle tells us in Ephesians 2? He said, and you had the equation who were what? Dead. You were dead just like everybody else. He said, you were dead in trespasses and sin, walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Where among we also had our conversation in time past, walking according to the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature what? Children of wrath, haters of God, even as others. That's the nature of God's Israel.

God says you're the same as these heathen, but, here's the word of grace, but for you, I'm gonna do something totally different. Instead of damn you, I'm going to save you. Instead of curse you, I'm going to bless you. God swears, he lifts up his hand and he says, I'm going to do for you what you don't deserve.

This morning, why do you believe? You that believe, why do you believe? What's the root cause of your faith? Is it not the grace of God? It's not the grace of God and something else, is it? It's the grace of God. You believe by the grace of God. We confess that we are sinners and we have profaned his name. We confess by the grace and power of God that we believe on Jesus Christ alone.

I will not superimpose any of my so-called righteousness on his. Christ is all. He's all my wisdom, he's all my righteousness, he's all my sanctification, and he's all my redemption. And you that believe, have you not found the word of God to be true? I have found it to be true every time, even though, listen, everything is opposed to God's word. Have you noticed that? Providence seems to be opposed. Our feelings, our thoughts, the world, its religion, everything is opposed to thus saith the Lord. Yet we know this, it's true. Regardless of how I feel or what I think, God's word is true. We say, let God be true. And every man, even this one, a liar.

I've got this quote from, thought of it this morning again, from Luther. Martin Luther said this, feelings come and feelings go, Feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the word of God and nothing else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned for want of some sweet token, there is one greater than my heart whose word cannot be broken. I'll trust God's unchanging word till body soul shall sever. For though all things shall pass away, his word shall stand forever.

God's word endures forever. Peter said that, didn't he? He said, all flesh is grass. Well, you know what you are? You're just grass. You're here for a little while and you're gone. Well, I thought of that this week. I thought about that. I looked at a picture of me and my parents in a certain time. And then I saw that at that moment, my mother was younger than me. At that point in time. And now I'm where she was. My children. That photo, my children are the same age as I was. And if God's great, soon they'll be just like me. If God lets them live that long. And pretty soon, we'll be gone. And nobody will even remember you were here. That's how important you are.

How important is God's word? All flesh is grass and the flower, the glory of man is the flower of the grass. The grass withered, the flower faded. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. When you're gone, this word will still be here. And it still will be saying the same thing it said before I got here. So what do you trust in? What are you trusting in? God's people trust in God's word.

Now then, I'm gonna give you five things that God's word says to everyone that believes. To everyone of you in Christ, God says something to give you comfort in this text. First thing, look what God says in verse nine. Now this is God's word, this is not mine. Again, cast aside what you feel and what you think. If you belong to Christ, if you are in Him, listen to what God says to Israel. Behold, I am for you. I'm on your side. I'm with you. Not just with me, He is for me, for me. Oh, you weak, saint, you fool, foolish and slow of heart to believe what God says. It's not my word. This is God's word that cannot fail. I am for you. I am for you.

Look at Romans chapter 8. Go over to Romans chapter 8. This is exactly what Paul says in his chapter, in this chapter. Listen to what he says in Romans 8 verse 31. What shall we say then to these things? Listen to this. If God be for us, who can be against us?

Now the word if is not to denote doubt. It is a conclusion. What are we going to say to these things? This is what we're going to say. Since. That's a better word to use than if. Since. I've already proven it. Since God is for you. Since there is therefore now no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus, who can be against you? Can the law be against you? Can it? Can the law stand against you? No. Scripture says there is therefore now no condemnation.

What about now? Now, no condemnation. And now, no condemnation. You just keep doing this until you die. No condemnation. Why? Because the law of God is fulfilled in us who believe in Christ. Paul says that now we are the sons of God. Is God for you? He made you his son. Whereby we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. We're his sons.

If God be for you, then who can be against you? The Spirit of God constantly intercedes for your prayers. Isn't that wonderful? When you pray that the Spirit of God tears off all the garbage and exalts what's really good into the presence of God and He answers yes all the time. Paul said, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. You've been called according to his purpose. Therefore, all things work together for your good.

Why don't feel? Who cares? Why? Since God is for you, can that be against you? Can that be against you? Is it possible? No. If God's for you, then nothing can stand against you. Now do things stand against us? Yes. We have many enemies that stand against us. Satan stands against us. Satan stands against us. The hosts of hell stand against us. If they were possible for them to pluck you out of his hand, they would. If they could find some way to accuse you before God, they would. Christ died, they would have to accuse him. Can't do it.

I like old Joshua the high priest standing before in those filthy garments. Satan, the scripture says, Satan ready to accuse him. You know what Satan said? Nothing. The Lord intervened and said, is this not a brand plug from the burning? Is this not mine? He has nothing left to accuse you. So if God's before you, then how can he stand against you?

The world is against us. False religion is against us. I had that this week. I told a man that there was no such thing as free will. And boy, you talk about getting yelled at. Boy, they'll do anything in their world to hang on to that will. Oh, God, I have my way. God's not sovereign, I am. Okay, go ahead. The world and its religion despises the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they will stand against you.

But you know the worst, the worst thing that stands against us is self. You that believe, you understand that more than anybody else, you know the greatest enemy is self. Why? Because if I didn't have self, then Satan and the world wouldn't have any hold at all. But because of self, they do. Self is the greatest enemy.

How then shall we ever stand to oppose these great enemies? Listen, because God is for us. How do I know God's for me? God said, I'm for you. He said, I'm not for them, the heathen, but you. Thus saith the Lord, I am for you. I am for you. God is our strength and our shield. God holds us in his hand, and Christ said this, no one is able to pluck them out of my hand.

All right, then it's a challenge, isn't it? It is though the Lord God challenges anyone to try. I like that, and we read that often in Psalm 23. He said, thou preparest a table before me, Where? In the presence of my enemies. You ever seen a shepherd lead his sheep into a wolf's den? That's exactly where our Lord leads us. Right in the greenest pasture you can find, and he leads us right in the middle of a wolf den. It is though he dares them to even try to touch one of his anointed. Why? It's for me. It's for me.

I don't feel like He's for me. What does that have to do with it? My logic says that if He's for me, then why is this and why is that? What does that have to do with it? Can't you just fall down on what God says, does say to the Lord? I'm for you. Regardless of your circumstance, regardless of your condition, I'm for you.

Look at Isaiah chapter 43. Isaiah chapter 43. But now. But now what? Thus saith the Lord. Regardless of this other stuff. But now. Thus sayeth the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, that formed thee, O Israel. Fear not. Why? I am with thee. I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. When thou passest through the waters, listen, I will be with thee. Through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle on thee, for I am the Lord thy God.

Do you need any more evidence? You need any more security than that? How much more security do you need? If God is for you, who can be against you? Therefore, rest thyself upon the word of God, you believer in Christ. For all that happens to you is nothing more or less than for your good. Why? God says I'm for you.

Look at this second thing. God says, I will turn to you. I will turn to you. Now, I know this. You think in your mind, listen, Pastor, I know God's good to you. I know God's for you. I know God's for you. I can believe that. I can believe God is on your side. Man, as for me, how do I know he's on my side? How do I know he's for me? Here's the proof. God says, if I'm for you, I will turn to you.

Now, what is this? When God came to us, We, like Adam, ran from him. Now listen, when I was lost, I didn't want anything to do with him. I was busy about having fun. I was busy about the world. I was busy about my flesh. I was busy about what made me happy, what I wanted to do. I ran after this world. I ran to hell like it was heaven and ran from heaven as though it were hell. You talk about a horrible person. That's what we did. We ran. Until when? Until God came to us. Until he turned to me, I never would have turned to him. No way. No way.

But because he was for me, he came to me. came to us in our sin, and what did He do? He exposed us, didn't He? When God turns to a sinner, the first thing He does is expose us. No place to hide. Nowhere to run. God shows us His holiness, and our sin And we lay before his feet as dead, can do nothing. I found I had no hope in myself. I was hopeless. I was without help. I could not save myself. All my knowledge was useless to me. Why does God do this? Does he do it to kill us? Well, at first, he does. He has to show us we're dead. Have you ever been dead? You that believe, have you been dead? If you've never been dead, then you've never been quickened. If you've never been lost, you've never been found. Gotta be lost before you're found. Gotta be dead before you're made alive. That's what God does when he turns to us.

But listen, he doesn't do it to kill us, but to quicken us. Behold how he came to us and showed us Christ. That's what he does. If God's for you, he's going to show you his son. He's going to manifest the glory of his son. He's going to show you your worthlessness and show you Christ's riches. That's what he's going to do. And in a moment of grace, he washes us from all our sin. All the guilt and shame of my sin is washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ. and I am clothed in his righteousness, and by grace I believe on him."

In this chapter in our text, this is what he says that's going to happen to Israel. He said, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from what? All your filthiness. When God turns to a sinner, he cleanses him. From what? All this. All this. And then what do we do? By the grace and power of God, we turn to Him. When God turns to us, the first thing we do is we turn from ourselves and we turn to Him. Have you turned to Him? Why? Well, because He turned to you. He said, I will turn to you. I will turn to you.

Thirdly, look what God says to His people. He said, you shall be tilled and so on. You see, we, by nature, have hearts of stone, thorns in our very spirit. When the Word of God is preached, many people, when they immediately hear it, reject it. Don't have any desire for it. Not that they don't have a tickle in their ears every once in a while, but you know, really when they're in trouble or when they're in pain or when they're sick, they'll want to hear something about God. Just till they get better and then whoops, they're gone. This is those that our Lord said when the seed is cast, it hits the stony ground and bounces off. and the fowls of the air come and quickly grab it and it's gone. Some of you will hear this word right now and in about 15 minutes after it's over, it's gone. Why? Because you're dead. You have no heart for it.

Other people, they'll have a hunger for it. They got a need. They're sick or they're in trouble and bad circumstances. These are the ones who receive the word on shallow ground. And they spring up, they sing, oh, this is nice, this is wonderful, being saved, wonderful, I love it. And then when trials and tribulations come, what? They're gone. You know, I'm not a used car salesman. If you believe on Jesus Christ, your troubles are just beginning. Matter of fact, you're asking for a cross. You're asking for difficulty, you're asking for affliction, you're asking for trouble when you come to Christ. That's exactly what's gonna happen. But those who have no real root, no, who are not born of God, they'll just go away. Have you seen that? You've seen people come, and then just as quickly as they came, they went.

Other people receive this word on thorny ground, and when they have it, they receive it, they spring up, they stay in the church, they give, they support the ministry, they sit in the pew. Spurgeon said they pay seat rent. That's what they do. They just sit there, and they don't have any real interest. They just, you know, There's no fruit. There's no real life. They acknowledge it academically, but the world chokes it. The world chokes it out. Just as soon as it goes in, when they go out in the world, where does it go? It chokes it.

But there are some, and these are ones that believe God turns to. He said this, I'm going to till and to sow. In other words, he takes all our objections and he throws them out. I had objections to the sovereignty of God. I had objections to God's salvation until God threw him out. He broke my heart. He cast out that stony heart and he gave me a heart of flesh and I now love him. I believe on him. That's because God turned to me. He tilled out the old man and put in a new one. Now, the old man's still here, but he doesn't have the power he once had. You know, I cannot not believe. It's impossible. Now, my faith may be weak. My faith may be low, but it is impossible for me not to believe on Christ.

What's that? Again, I've told you this. Believers never pray for less faith. Have you ever heard anyone pray for less faith? No believer's ever prayed that. Why? Because we long for more faith. Man, I wish I loved those people less. Never said a believer in his life. Why? God has tilled out that stuff. And he's putting us a heart of love for himself, his gospel, and his people.

How do you know if God's for you? Has he turned to you? Has he tilled it? Is there any fruit? What's the fruit that we look for? Faith and love are the main fruit. It's the main, it's like breath to life. Faith is like breath to the life. Love is an outpouring of what God puts in us.

These fruits are generated in us and then worked out of us. The world has it backwards, don't they? They think, if I do this, then I will generate fruit. No. God works in you, and this is the result. Fruit comes out. Why? It's the fruit of the Spirit. It's not my fruit. It's the fruit of the Spirit. It belongs to him. He generates it. He produces it.

You ever feel compassion for somebody and then do something for them? Where'd that come from? You? No. No, it didn't come from you. That's the Spirit of God working in you. That's God telling out and putting in his word and it produces fruit inside of his people.

And now then we must have his word. You that are tilled and plowed, sown, don't you need his word? Is this optional for you? Can you take this or leave it? Can you go without this? I don't know.

The more I, the longer I believe You know, as your kids are young and they grow up, they become more independent. But in spiritual terms, as we grow, we grow more dependent on Him, not less. That's how you know if someone's mature, depending on how much they need Him. How much do you need Him? Do you need Him more now than you did before? him more now than ever before.

Well, this is God working in you both to will and do of his good pleasure.

And the fourth thing, move quickly now, the fourth thing, thus saith the Lord, I will multiply on you men upon you all the house of Israel, even all of it. What is God promising here? He's promising this, that he will gather all Israel. Why does he do this? Because we often feel discouraged by the smallness of the church, by how few believe. Scripture says, despise not the day of small things. Why? Because the church is always full. You understand that? The church is always full. Scripture says he added to the church daily what? Such as should be saved. So what's he gonna do? He's gonna add to his church, who? Just as those that should be saved. God promises his church this. He said, I will bring all of my church, all of it. Remember, believer, the church doesn't belong to us, it belongs to Christ. It's his church. We are His body. We are His building. We are His church. And our Lord, as He sits upon the throne, He squarely has built His church. Now, I know this. When they built this building, they laid a line, made it true. They poured that concrete. I noticed that some of that concrete would flow over on the outside of the boards. You know what they did with that concrete? They cut it off. Why? Make it square. This is exactly what God does for his church. Anyone, every one of his people are built squarely upon him. And they'll never be cut off. But those outside of him, listen to me, they will be cut off. I don't care who they are. I don't care what they professed. If they're outside of this building, if they're not this building physical, they're outside of Christ, they'll be cut off. But our confidence is this. If we are built upon Christ, we shall never be cut off. Why? They'll save the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. He said, I'm going to call all of Israel. None of them shall be lost. Our Lord Jesus Christ said this. He said, of all that the father given me, I should lose nothing. He said, I pray not for the world, but for them, which thou has given me out of the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved his people and they are all going to come. Every one of them. So don't worry about how many come. You know who's gonna come? As many as the Lord our God shall call. Even all of it. Isn't this astounding? Not one of God's elect is gonna miss it. There's not a chance. Why? Thus saith the Lord. The Lord said it.

Now look at this in verse 10. He said this. Go back to your text. Look at verse 10. He said, I will multiply upon you men, all the house of Israel, even all of it, and the city shall be inhabited, and the waste place shall be built.

What is this? This is talking about God creating in his people a new nature, a habitable nature. By nature, we were wasteland. By nature, we were buried. By nature, we had no righteousness or goodness by which the spirit I'm going to do something. I'm going to build something. I'm going to build a habitation for myself. This is what he's done for us. He has built a habitation for himself.

In that chapter in Romans 8, Paul said, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Why? Because everyone who is born again has the Spirit of God dwelling in them. Do you know that? Do you see that? Do you believe that? I didn't ask if you felt that. Do you believe what God says? That his spirit dwells in us. How can that be, seeing what kind of man I am? Well, because God has made in me a holy nature. by which the Spirit of God dwells. He's given us the righteousness of Christ. He's given us the holiness of Christ, by which He dwells in everyone.

Therefore be comforted, that all Israel shall be saved, and all of his people shall have his Spirit dwelling in them.

Lastly, thus saith the Lord, look at this, in verse 11, He said, I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit, and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginning.

What was your beginning? My beginning was I was dead. Hasn't he done better for me than at my beginning? Yes, he gave me life. Whereas I would not believe, now I can't help but believe. You see, he's done better for me than at my beginning. And all along the way in my life, God has always done better for me.

How often have you wanted things and something to happen and God forbid it, and yet you found out he was so much better. You found that out? Why? Well, God's for you. He's not against you. He's turned to you. He's tilled the old ground and given you the word of life. He's called you like he's going to call all of his other people to himself. God has given you life and faith and he will multiply that. And he said this, I'm going to do better, even better than now.

The Apostle Peter says this, Peter chapter 1, he says this, wherein you greatly rejoice in your election and your sanctification and your salvation you greatly rejoice wherein though for now for a season if need be you're in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith being much more precious than gold it perisheth though it be tried with fire might be found to the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Christ whom having not seen you love in whom now you see him not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your salvation the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

What is the end of our faith? You that believe, what is the end? The end is the full measure of salvation. Now we see through a glass darkly. Now we experience difficulties. Now we are in trouble. Now we need to constantly be reminded of His Word. Thus saith the Lord. I'm with you. I'm for you. You go away in 15 minutes, what are you going to need? You need to hear it again. I'm for you. I'm with you. I turned to you. I saved you. I called you. I gave you life. I gave you faith. And in 15 minutes from now, what are you going to need? You're going to need it again. You need to hear it again and again.

But there's coming a day where you're not going to have a need for it. It's going to be given to you in full measure. When? At the end of faith. One day, I'm not going to have to believe anymore. I know that just sounds impossible to me. Isn't it then going to be better than it is now? God has much better things for us in the end than He did at the beginning. John said this, Now are we the sons of God. That's pretty good. That's good, isn't it? I'm for you. Why? You're my sons. We are the sons of God. Yet it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Look in the mirror and see if it appears what you shall be. But when He shall appear, when He comes and receives us unto Himself, He said, then we shall be like Him. Isn't that better? Isn't that better? For the believer, it's the best thing there is.

Peter said, is reserved for us in heaven. How do you know all this? Thus saith the Lord. What do you care what I think? What should you care about what you think or what men think? Or how you feel? Thus saith the Lord. I'm for you. Who can be against you? I turned to you. I saved you. I called you. I keep you. I gave you my righteousness. I pardoned your sins. Who then can stand against you? The answer is there is nothing that can oppose us if God's for us.

May God help us to stand on his word and not how we think and feel. Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer. Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Bless the word. To our hearts, forgive us of our sins and lead us. Help us depend upon your word and not upon. and everything he's made.