Turn with me back to Psalm 39. Psalm 39, and let's read verse 12. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not thy peace at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

I've mentioned to you a few times recently that we have many brethren, not just here, but in many places scattered around, many congregations scattered around, who are going through some real trials and sicknesses right now. We have loved ones right here. I'm so thankful I have the privilege of having a good amount of communication with brethren from a lot of places, but you hear about what brethren are going through, and it can be a lot. It can be a lot.

We have just many, many brethren. We get caught up in the world, and we get caught up in life, and we get caught up in ourselves, we tend to forget about the world around us sometimes. But I've heavily had some dear brethren on my mind, in my heart, and the reason is because I love them. That's the first and foremost reason, I love them.

Another reason is because every soul here will have his or her turn. I really do think about this. I really do think about this. Every soul here is going to have his or her turn enduring these trials and these sicknesses. We hear about one brother or sister in particular who may be going through a certain difficulty at this moment, and we're all, they're on our minds, they're on our hearts, we're thinking about them, and then before long, it's some other brother or sister in the next moment.

But we will all have our moment. Our moments will be different. They will be different. but we will all have our moment. And I hope that somebody will think on me and will pray for me when I'm having my moment. That's my sincere prayer.

We have brethren and we're all gonna have our turn, but we have brethren experiencing some real pain, and some real sadness. And what comforts me in all of this, what comforts me in knowing all of this and in knowing that we have some brethren experiencing these things right now, and what comforts me in knowing that we're all gonna have our turn is knowing that this is temporary.

That's what comforts me is knowing that this is temporary for God's people. This is temporary. It comforts me to know that we are not permanently attached to these things and these things are not permanently attached to us. You're not permanently attached to that stroke. It's temporary. We are passing through these things. We're just passing through them.

All right, we're passing through the world. We're passing through life. We're passing through the trials. Am I getting, am I being clear? We're just passing through the sicknesses. We're passing through the sadnesses. Our Lord said that we're just strangers and pilgrims here. He said this is not our continuing city. And the more that he would let us get a hold of that in every way shape and form the better off we will be.

In thinking about that and in thinking about some of our brethren right now. I went searching for some scriptures that talk about passing through this world and this life that we're living right now, and I read quite a few of them. And when I got to this one right here, one line just, ah, it just slayed me in a good way, in the best way. It just really reached me. And that line is this, Psalm 39, verse 12. It says, hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not thy peace at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee. I'm a stranger with you. I'm a stranger with you. That word stranger means sojourner. That's what he said right here. I am a stranger with thee, a sojourner. The word and is in italics. As all my fathers were. I've titled this message, A Stranger with Christ. or it could be titled a Sojourner with Christ. But what got me about it was with Christ. I don't know if I ever really thought about it like this before. I knew I was a stranger. I knew it was a pilgrim. But what got me this time was with Christ. With Christ.

We are not in this by ourselves. I'm telling you, in the world, you're going to have tribulation after you suffer a while. Hard times are coming. Get ready. It's not going to be easy. Listen, we're not in this by ourselves. We're not in this on our own. We're in this with Him. That just, buddy, that comforts my heart right now. I could go home. As we are, so is he. And the reason is because as he is, so are we. We are what we are, but we are that with Christ. with the Lord Jesus Christ. He has joined himself into union with us now, right now.

See if this really hits you. We're not walking to him. We're walking with him. We're not sojourning and pilgrimaging, trying and trudging and hoping and waiting to get to him. We're going through all of that with him. And we're going through all of that. We are going through all of that. Verse 12 says, hear my prayer, oh Lord, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not that piece at my tears. Why do you, why are you crying? Why do you have tears? Because of all these trials and troubles. And he said, for I'm a stranger with me. We're going through all of this. But He's going through all of this with us. Everything we're going through, He's going through it with us.

Turn with me over to Psalm 23. Verse four. Psalm 23 verse four. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Four. Yep. Thou art with me. I'm not just a stranger in a sojourner walking through the valley of the shadow of death. I'm a stranger and a sojourner walking through the valley of the shadow of death with Christ. I don't know if I've ever been more comforted in my life. We're walking right there with him. He walked with me, therefore I get to walk with him. He walked with us through the great valley of the shadow of death, the valley of the shadow of death that was required for our sin. He walked with us through that.

Turn with me over to Galatians 2. Galatians 2, verse 20, Paul said, I am crucified. Oh, that's bad news, isn't it? Oh wow, that's bad news. No, no it's not. Because he said, I am crucified with Christ. He said, I was crucified, but not by myself. I didn't have to go through that by myself. Thank God he joined me to Christ. I was with Christ in the darkness of the death of the cross. I was with Christ.

Turn over to Ephesians 2. Verse four says, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. That's what he did for us. He quickened us together with Christ. And I didn't even put this in my notes, but it's just occurring to me right now that Verse 12 says that at that time you were without Christ in the flesh, never without Christ in his will and purpose and election, but walking through this world in our own foolishness and our own sin and our own selves until he said, I am. Verse 4 says, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Those two words, with Christ, all right, those two words, they make the worst possible news that could ever be told the greatest possible news that could ever be told. You just add those two words to it and it's immediate change. It goes from awful to wonderful with Christ.

Learn with me to Colossians 2. Verse 8 says, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. That means he was cut off in our stead.

Verse 12 says buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Paul said, when Christ died, bearing the punishment for your sins, you were with Christ. You were with Christ. And when he was buried, you were buried with him. And when he arose, you arose with him. When he blotted out all of that sin against the law with his own blood, by nailing himself to his own cross, you were right there with him. You were right there with him. You were forgiven right then and there because you were with him. And because we were with him then, he's with us now. He's with us now, right now.

And this is what he said to us about our pilgrimage with him right now. Go with me to John 17. Verse 14, our Lord said to his father, I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. He said, Father, I do not pray that you would take them out of the world, but I pray that you would keep them from it because they are not of this world, even as I am not of this world. They're just passing through. Everything that the sin of this world has brought to them, that sin has been taken care of and they're just passing through.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians 4. I love this scripture every time we read it, every single time. 2 Corinthians 4. Verse five says, For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

Now watch this. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. Why? Him. It's because we're with him. Paul said, we're perplexed. Are you ever perplexed? Boy, I wonder why in the world did that happen? We're perplexed, but we're not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Look at verse 15, he said, for all things are for your sakes. I would love to learn that. All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God, for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

What we can see is perishing because it's temporary. What we can't see is being renewed day by day because it's eternal with Christ. Eternal with Christ.

Philippians 3 says, our conversation is in heaven. Our life, our hope, our glory, it's not here. It's not here. Colossians 3 says, if you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth, for you're dead, dead to this world, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Turn with me to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 13, it says, these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country that is in heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.

You know, this will dry tears. This will dry tears. This will support weak knees and strengthen weak hands. Fear not, you're not alone. Fear not, you are not alone.

Our Lord said through Isaiah, he said, when you pass through the water, I will be with you. And when you walk through the fire, when you do, what he's saying is you're going to, you're going to pass through the water. You're going to walk through the fire. But that water will not overflow you. You're not going to be burned. because I'm gonna be with you. I'm gonna be with you.

And in Isaiah 41, he said, the whole time you're going through it, I will sit right beside you, holding your right hand, saying unto you, fear not, I'll help you. Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.

There will come a time when we need those words. There will come a time when we're gonna need those words. And that will cause, in that moment in time, that will cause a very fearful, pained, saddened heart to be of good cheer.

All you have to do is tell me that I have cancer. All you got to say, all you got to say, one little sentence, you have cancer. And I'll be full of fear and pain and sadness. All you got to say. And in that moment, you know what's really going to help? Fear not. I'll help you. Be not dismayed. Remember, I'm your God. I'll give you aid.

I want to close with what I just quoted from Isaiah 35. Turn over to Isaiah 35. I just quoted one quick line from this. The heading at the top of my page says, this is the joyful flourishing of Christ's kingdom.

Isaiah 35 verse three, it says, strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, Behold, your God will come with vengeance. Even God with a recompense, he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as on heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert, and the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes, and an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those the wayfaring men. Though fools shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Now, would you mind quoting that to me the next time I have my turn? Honestly. Would you mind strengthening my weak hands and my feeble knees when it's my turn? It's gonna be my turn.

Hear our prayer, oh Lord, and give ear unto our cry. Hold not thy peace at our tears, for we are strangers with thee. Strangers and sojourners, as all our fathers were before us, all of them, amen.