Psalm 116, we were here last
Wednesday night, and I mentioned to you that I felt led to have
a series of messages going through this Psalm, and we're gonna do
that today. We're gonna continue that today. For this Bible study, our text
will be verse six, which says, The Lord preserveth the simple. I was brought low and he helped
me. The Lord preserveth the simple. I was brought low and he helped
me. Do you know what David said right there? He said, I'm simple. That's what he's saying. The Lord preserveth the simple. I was brought low and he helped
me. For this Bible study, there's
something that I want to greatly emphasize and I want us to greatly
focus on. I'm very excited about all the
messages today. I just love it when I wake up
on a Sunday morning and I'm so excited to tell what I have to
say. And it's starting with this.
This is serious. It's so critical. I want us to
really, really get a hold of this. The Apostle Paul declared
what it was perfectly in 2 Corinthians 11. Go with me over to 2 Corinthians
11. Second Corinthians 11 verse one. He said, would to God, you could
bear with me a little in my folly and indeed bear with me. Or I
am jealous over you with godly jealousy. Or I have espoused
you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ. That means Christ alone. Verse
three. But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity
that is in Christ. This is what I want to hound
to us this morning. The Lord preserveth the simple. I want to hound that. The Lord
preserveth the simple. Paul said, I want to guard our
simplicity. And I do too. I want to guard
our simplicity. And by God's grace, I do guard
our simplicity. I guard our simplicity. I want all of us to guard our
simplicity. Verse three, I fear lest by any
means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ as the serpent beguiled
Eve. Peter said, our adversary as
a roaring lion is constantly seeking whom he may devour. Our adversary as a roaring lion
is constantly seeking whom he may devour. And I know that it
would be a common thought that he is seeking and devouring in
the bars and in the, you know, the drug alleys and the prostitution
houses. But what I want us to really
get ahold of is His main devouring takes place in religion. His main devouring takes place
in religion. False religion. And when I say
religion, pretty much that's what I mean. The truth is the
truth. The gospel is the gospel. The
scripture constantly speaks of man's religion in a bad way. False religion is where men and
women are spiritually drunk on lies. Just delusionally drunk on lies. High on self. and in bed with, as the scripture
words it, the great whore which corrupted the earth with her
fornication, spiritual fornication, leaving the first love of Christ
for something else. Paul said, I want to present
you as a chaste virgin to Christ, Christ alone. Religion, false
religion, is the number one place of our adversaries devouring. And this is how he does it. And
this is what makes it a false religion. This is how he does
it, and this is what makes it a false religion. Verse three. I fear, lest by any means, as
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. It's so subtle. It's so subtle. This, this is like, I just want
to, I want to just scream this to everybody. It's so subtle. It's not obvious. It's not always
obvious. It's not always obvious false
religion. There's some false religion that
is obviously false religion. It's not obvious devouring. It's subtle. I fear, lest by
any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity, the singularity that is in Christ. This is how the adversary devours. He corrupts the mind. He confuses the mind. You ever
hear religious things and people talk about religion, it's so
confusing. You ever hear that? People get
on some subject and say they're gonna talk about some religious
this or that, and it gets so confusing. He confuses the mind
with all kind of unnecessary, irrelevant, unscriptural thoughts
and feelings and emotions about God and about salvation. He complicates
with divers and strange doctrines that carry about men and women
to the point that their heart is far from being established
with truth. And he does that. He leads men
and women away from God in the name of God. He does it in the
name of God. He claims that his word that
he's whispering is the word of God. Hath not God said? He claims he's a spokesman for God. He claims to be a minister of
righteousness. Look right here at verse 13.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. False apostles. Verse
14. And no marvel For Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light. Angel means messenger. Light is Christ. Light is truth. He said, I'm
the light, a messenger of Christ. That's how he presents himself,
a messenger of Christ. Verse 15, therefore, it is no
great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
The adversary devours men and women away from God in the name
of God. He comes to people in the very
name of Jesus Christ. The very one he's trying to steal
people away from, that's the name he comes in. And here's
the good news. The foundation of God standeth
sure. It stands sure the adversary
will not be able to steal one soul away from Christ that God
the Father gave to Christ. Not one soul. But Peter said,
don't think he won't try. That's what Peter said. He said,
you trust me on this. He sifts people. Peter was delivered in the end,
wasn't he? But even God's people, he sifts them like wheat, even
God's people. And his main way of doing that
is through the corruption of the mind, the confusing of the
mind, causing men and women to look somewhere else for salvation
rather than Christ. Look at verse four right here. If he that cometh preacheth another
Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit
which you have not received, or another gospel which you have
not accepted, you might well bear with him." That means sometimes
they can be very convincing. Sometimes they use most of the
proper words. Well, you know, he said this
and he's saying that. Sometimes the elect are almost
deceived. If it was possible, they would
be, but thank God it's not possible, but almost. He leads men, he
leads God's sheep sometimes down a very tough path. So here's
the thing. Here's the thing. I don't want
to go down that path. That's the whole point of this.
I don't want to go down that path. We do not want to be deceived. You know, the longer you sit
under the gospel, how many times have you seen men and women get
caught up on some who knows what, and it just, they make such a
tangent out of it, like, oh, this is now an issue of salvation,
and they, no, it's not. The issue of salvation is singular. The issue of salvation is simple.
One word, Christ. That's not it. I don't want to
go down that path. I don't want any of us to go
down that path. So here's what we need. Simplicity. We need simplicity. We need the
simplicity that is in Christ. Our Lord preserveth the simple. Our Lord preserveth the simple. The word preserveth in our text
there, it means he keeps, he guards, he protects, he saves
the simple. The word simple there in our
text means the foolish, the base, the weak, what natural man would
consider to be foolish. Those who others would look at
and say, that's foolish. You're foolish. That's just too simple. That's
not deep enough. That's not complicated enough.
That's not educated enough. I have a doctorate in my doctrine. A baby could understand your
doctrine. My doctrine is a doctrine of
Latin and Hebrew and Greek. I'm confronted with this stuff
all the time. Your doctrine is just the doctrine
of Christ. Literally, that's it. That's not enough. I need more. That's just too simple. That's just too simple. I'm sorry.
Verse three, Paul said, I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. Would it be okay with
you if I just talk about Christ for the rest of our days here? He preserves the simple. He preserves
the simple. I'm not good at sparring with
these fellas. Really. I'm just too simple. And that's how I feel come the
end of my conversation with him. I can't help it. That's all I
got. David said, I was brought low
and he helped me, not high. Low. I was brought down and he
helped me. John the Baptist said, I must
decrease. How low, John? About as low as
a little baby. That's how low. Turn over to Matthew 11. Matthew 11, verse 25. At that time, Jesus answered
and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast
revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. When He said, Thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes,
what things was He talking about? He was talking about the things
of God. He was talking about the things of salvation, the
things concerning Christ. They are hid to the natural man. by way of natural man's own thoughts. Natural man can't see them. They're
hid. He can't see them because his
own thoughts just get in the way and just cloud the whole
thing. Which man naturally thinks is
wisdom, but it's actually foolishness. Man professing himself to be
wise is actually a fool before God. But God in his grace, in
his mercy, in his kindness, if he ever brings a man or a woman
low to the point that he or she says, I am a fool before God. I'm a fool before God. I'm base. I'm weak. I am. I'm not. I'm nothing before
God. If a man will ever profess himself
to be a fool, God will make him wise in Christ. Wise in self,
foolish in Christ. Foolish in self, wise in Christ. The Lord preserves the simple,
the simple. Even the words of our Lord are
simple. Even his wording is simple. For
the sake of his simple ones, there are no isms, no schisms
in any of his wording. Just look right here at verse
28. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Our babies can
understand that. Could our babies understand that?
Come to me. Come to me. Verse 29, take my yoke upon you
and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly and hard, and you'll
find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light. Simple. Simple simplicity. Go over to first Corinthians
one. First Corinthians one verse 18,
it says. For the preaching of the cross,
and that's what we preach. We preach the cross, the cross
of Jesus Christ, the death of Jesus Christ, the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ. The preaching of the cross is
to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved,
it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach
Christ crucified. Unto the Jews a stumbling block,
unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks. Christ is the power of God and
the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God
is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise. And God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and
base things of the world. And things which are despised
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to naught
Things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.
That is a message for the simple. It's Christ alone, that's what
he's saying. It's the cross of Christ alone. It's the blood of Christ alone.
It's the death of Christ alone. Yeah, but now also, no. It's the work of God alone in
the person of Christ alone. This right here is the uncorrupted
mind of simplicity. All right. This is what God calls
is his simple to believe. And this is what helps us. This
is what encourages us and comforts us when we're brought low. This
is a simple message for the simple right here. Look at verse 30.
Here it is. But of him are you in Christ Jesus. Look, everybody
in Christ will be saved. Everybody outside of Christ will
be damned. How does a person get in Christ? Of God are you
in Christ Jesus? That's God's business. You mean
I don't get to make the choice? No, it's God's choice. You mean
I don't get to earn it? No, God earned it. Of him are
you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us? Christ is our wisdom. What do I need to know to be
saved? Christ. This is life eternal. He's my wisdom. Of God is made unto us wisdom
and righteousness. He's my good deeds. He's all the, I mean, you're
telling me that what Christ did, that's all the good deeds you
need? Yes. He's all the good deeds I have.
He is my sanctification. He is my purity. He's my holiness. And he's my redemption. That
according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord. He is the one singular object
of all glory. The soul that is clinging to
Christ alone, his person, his work, his glory, that's a preserved
soul. I pray the Lord will never let
us leave the simplicity that's in Christ. The Lord preserveth
the simple. I was brought low and he helped
me. Is that too simple? Not for us. Not for us. This Huckster Jack was a poor
wicked fella who had gone about from village to village swearing,
drinking, huckstering, and perhaps pilfering. I don't like that
guy. I don't like thieves. I don't
like people who steal my stuff. Some thought him half-witted.
Some thought he was simple. but the story would show his
wind to be sound enough. He heard a poor woman sing somewhere,
I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my
all in all. He remembered the words and what
was better, he felt their sense. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. and he kept on humming
them to himself till God's good spirit engraved them on his heart.
So he assayed to join himself unto the church, but the brethren
looked suspiciously at him and inquired, what is your experience? He had no experience but this,
I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my
all in all. The good elders very properly
asked, are you converted? Have you been born again? And
Jack replied, I do not know much about these things. Ask a believer
that and see what they say. When did God save you? I just hope I'm saved right now. I tell everybody it was somewhere
over the span of 20 years for me. This is a really good illustration
for what we're looking at. He preserves the simple. They
said, are you converted? Have you ever been born again?
Jack replied, I do not know much about these things, but I do
know and am sure of I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but
Jesus Christ is my all in all. They put him back for a while
to try if he would grow in his knowledge, but he never went
an inch beyond his first standard. He knew what he did know, and
to that he held fast. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. Well, they must take
him into the church. They could not well refuse a
man with such a confession of faith. And when he was in the
church walking with the brethren, he was happier than the rest
of them, at which they greatly marveled. And one said to him,
Brother Jack, don't you sometimes feel doubts and fears? Doubts,
he said, what do you mean? I never doubt that I'm a poor
sinner and nothing at all. For I have daily proofs of it. And why should I doubt that Jesus
Christ is my all in all? For he says he is and I must
believe him. I will, said one, sometimes I
enjoy good frames and feelings and feel very happy and then
I lose them and sink in spirit. Jack answered, I never get lower
than I am. I'm down at the bottom. A poor
sinner and nothing at all. I cannot get lower than that,
can I? But I'm also at the top. For Jesus Christ is my all in
all. I cannot get higher than that,
can I? They tried him many ways with their blessed experience,
of which you and I have got cartloads, perhaps wagon loads, but he could
not be drawn out of his one firm position. They tried him with
various attainments, depressions, anxieties, quibbles, and questions,
but still the huckster would not budge. He had bought the
truth and would not sell it. So he stuck to, I'm a poor sinner
and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my all in
all. Is that too simple? Is that too
simple? It's not for us. Save us, Lord. Save us for Christ's sake, amen.