Turn with me if you would back
to Psalm 96. Psalm 96. On behalf of us. Me being. I guess you could say the mouth
of this congregation. Whatever happens here is is us. This is the Lord's ministry,
the Lord's doing the Lord's people and. But having this opportunity
to preach to some brethren in the morning in Malawi, Africa.
Over this means that the Lord has provided using the Internet.
This event has consumed me this week. This has really consumed
me in a very good way, in a good way. I prepared a message for
the brethren on Monday for the brethren in Malawi. I prepared
a message for them on Monday. On Tuesday morning, I had a video
call with brother Willie, who is the pastor there. And we talked about how the service
would be conducted. You know, how do you all normally
do your service? And we read some scripture and I
would read a lot. Obviously, I'm preaching in English.
He is preaching in their native language, Chichewa. And so I
would read a line and then he would translate that line and
I would read a line. He would translate that line. The whole
process has just truly touched my soul this week. It has really
made a big impact on me. And it makes me think, do I realize,
do we realize how amazing this is? You know, I'm announcing
these things, it's one of the announcements. Oh, and by the
way, I'll be preaching to a group, of believers. I believe they're
believers. I've not met the people yet,
but I've met their pastor. I've been talking with this man
for nine months, weekly. And I stop and think, do we honestly
realize how amazing this is? Number one, that God would give
us the truth to preach. Number one, that We are sitting
here right now with this message that we are endeavoring to proclaim. Number one, that he would give
us the truth to preach in the first place, that he would just
entrust his truth with us, that he would give us a heart to preach
it, that he would give us the means to preach it. And then that He would give men
and women, not only here in Kingsport, but on the complete other side
of the world, a heart to hear it and believe
it and love it. That's amazing, isn't it? I came to this portion of scripture
tonight because I've been consumed with this thought right here.
Verse one, Psalm 96 verse one, it says, Oh, saying unto the
Lord, a new song saying unto the Lord, all the earth, all
the earth. All the earth, we get so consumed
with our own little world that we live in right here, don't
we? We get so consumed with just
what's going on right here. We forget the glorious blessing
of the fact that God has a people all over this world. Like the disciples said, Lord,
are there few that be saved? There are few scattered abroad. It is a remnant. But God has a people all over
this world. And if they are his people, they're
our people. If our God is their God, that
makes us family. That makes us brethren. All the
way on the other side of the world. Brothers and sisters in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Worshippers together of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Seekers of mercy together in
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, all the way on the other side
of the world, worlds apart in every way, shape and form. But
side by side as followers and believers on and bowers to our
King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Scroll with me through some scripture
here, go to Revelation five. Revelation five, verse one, it
says. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside,
sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof. And no man in heaven, nor in
earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon. And I wept much because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look their own. And one of the elders said unto
me, weep not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root
of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven
seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst
of the elders, stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God
sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And
when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps
and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof, For thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and
priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld and I
heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beast and the elders and the number of them was 10,000 times
10,000 and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy
is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every
creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,
heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever
and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen.
And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that
liveth forever and ever. All of God's people cry the same
thing no matter where they come from in this earth. Worthy is
the Lamb. Thou art worthy. Thou alone art
worthy. That's what our brother and our
fellow pastor in Malawi cries. I've heard it with my own two
ears. Christ alone is worthy. Worthy is the lamb. Worthy alone
is Jesus Christ, God's provided lamb. There are a redeemed people who
cry that out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation
on that earth. Isn't that glorious? That's so
glorious. Turn with me to Colossians chapter
three. Colossians 3 verse 1 says this
is speaking of those who are risen with Christ. Verse 3 says it's those who died
with Christ and are hid with Christ in God. Verse 4 says it's
those who have been given life in Him and it's those who shall
appear with Him in glory. That's who this is talking about.
Now look at verse 11. There is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor
free, but Christ is all and in all. In Christ there is neither
American or African or Australian or Mexican, or English, or German,
or Russian, or Asian. In Christ, there is no red, yellow,
black, or white. You know that little song? Red
and yellow, black and white. In Christ, there is no red, yellow,
black, and white. In Christ, all who are in Christ
Or one in the same? One in the same, truly. Turn
over to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, this is speaking
of the body of Christ. All who have been made to be
members of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4 says, There is one body. And one spirit. Even as you are
called in one hope of your calling, every soul in Christ has the
same hope. And it's Jesus Christ alone.
It doesn't matter where you come from in the world. Verse five
says one Lord, every soul in Christ has the same Lord and
it's Jesus Christ alone. And they didn't make him to be
Lord. He is Lord. We don't make him to be anything.
He makes us to be everything. Verse five says every soul in
Christ has the same faith. There's one faith. They're all
looking to the same thing. This is what struck me about
my communication with this man. Naturally, he speaks English
very well, but by nature we speak two different languages. But it's like I'm talking to
one of us. He says the same things we say.
He quotes the same things we quote. And it just strikes me
that all of God's people are taught of God. They're all taught
of God. The same. They're all looking
to the same thing. They're all believing and believing
on the same thing. And it's the finished work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where the faith of all
of God's people lies. It's in the finished work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse five says one Lord, one
faith, one baptism. No matter where you come from
in the world, there's one baptism and that's God's Holy ghost.
God's Holy spirit. immersing us into the blood and
the righteousness and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, immersion
into him. Verse six says, there's one God
and father of all who is above all and through all and in you
all, no matter where you are in this earth. God has a people
and they are all one in the Lord Jesus Christ. One family, one
brotherhood, one mind, one heart, one image. Romans 8 says all of God's people
in glory will bear the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
will all look just like the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what
they look like on this earth. Romans 8 29 says whom he did
foreknow his elect scattered all over this earth. Whom he
did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. the likeness of his son. David
said, I'll be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. The
apostle John said, when he appears, we will be just like him because
we will see him as he is. And we'll all look and be just
like him. No matter what we looked like
on this earth. No matter where we came from
on this earth. We have all been made to be one
in him. Go over to Psalm 133 with me.
Psalm 133 verse 1, it says, how good and how pleasant it
is for brethren to dwell together in unity, no matter where they
are on this earth. We can be on this side of the
world, they can be on that side of the world, and we can dwell
perfectly together in unity. And it's because Christ is our
unity. His works are our unity. His will is our unity. His sovereignty, His holiness,
His lordship, His right, His judgment, His honor, His glory,
His praise. That's our unity. That's our
unity. Go back to our text, Psalm 96. Verse one says, Oh, sing unto
the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord. Bless his
name. Show forth his salvation from
day to day. That's the fellowship of God's
people. That's what unites God's people together. His salvation. I told you whenever I first mentioned
all of this to you a few months ago, I told you that what struck me
about his conversation was he constantly mentioned God's free
and sovereign grace. He said it over and over again.
He'd talk about God's free and sovereign grace. He would sign
the bottom of his emails with a sinner saved by God's grace. He would quote scriptures like,
not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according
to his mercy, he saved us. It didn't take long before I
realized we're going to, we're going to have fellowship. There's
unity here. There's unity here. Verse three says, declare his
glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For
the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is worthy to
be praised. He is to be feared above all
gods. For all the gods of the nations
are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." The gods of this
nation are idols. The gods of that nation are idols. The gods of this entire world
are nothing but idols. There is one true and living
God and savior. There is one who is just and
the justifier of his people, Jesus Christ the Lord. Verse
six says, honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty
are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds
of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give
unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Bring an offering and
come into his courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty
of holiness. Fear before him all the earth. That is the desire of my heart
for in the morning. I'm serious and I'm asking you
pray about this with me. Pray about this with me. May
this be the desire of our heart and the desire of their heart
that we might worship the Lord in what we're doing, that we
might worship the Lord, us and them together in the beauty of
his holiness. Let's bring an offering. What
is the only offering we can bring to him? The offering of our lips. Thanks the thanksgiving of our
heart. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for what you've done
for us. Now, let me give you a little preview of what I'm
going to say tomorrow. Okay. This is not the text, but
it's still a little preview of what I'm going to say. Verse
10 says, say among the heathen, who are the heathen? We are,
and they are. We all are. Verse 10 says, say
among the heathen that the Lord reigneth. I get so excited about
lines like that. The sovereign God in his sovereign
mercy has provided free and sovereign grace to all of his people. Sovereignly. The sovereign God
did it sovereignly. I don't believe there's anything
I love preaching to men and women more than that right there. Verse 10 says, say among the
heathen that the Lord reigneth. The world also shall be established
that it shall not be moved. He shall judge the people righteously. He will save his people. He will secure his people righteously
according to the law. Verse 11 says, let the heavens
rejoice and let the earth be glad. Let the sea roar and the
fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful and all
that is therein. Then shall all the trees of the
wood rejoice before the Lord. For he cometh, for he cometh
to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with
righteousness and the people with his truth. Righteousness
is Christ. Truth is Christ. He shall judge
the world with Christ and the people with Christ. If left to
themselves, this world is going to be judged by Christ. But every
soul who has been called into the body and the blood of Christ
has already been judged in Christ. Already. And it's over. And we're free. We're free. The righteousness and the truth
of God, Christ himself, has made us free. Verse one says, O sing unto the
Lord a new song. Not our works, thine alone. We're
not worthy, thou art worthy. Sing unto the Lord a new song.
Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Wherever God's people may be,
may we all with one heart