Turn with me, if you would, back
to Psalm 27. This song that we just sang. I love this song. I love this
song. I need thee. Oh, I need thee. All of God's people can relate
to this. Every hour, I need thee. Oh, bless me now, my Savior. I come to thee. I need thee every
hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like thine can
peace afford. And that's so true. When the
gracious Lord speaks to us, peace comes. There can be so much going
on in the world and so much going on in our lives. But when the
word of the gracious Lord comes, peace comes. I need the every hour. In joy
or pain. Come quickly and abide or life
is vain. And that is so true. That is
so, so true. Without him, this life is vain. This life is empty. Do what you
want to do, whatever you accomplish, it means nothing. It means nothing. I need thee. God's people say,
I need to be with you. I just want to be with you. We've looked at Psalm 27 many
times together tonight. I really just want to look at
one line out of it. I just want us to enter in and
I pray the Lord will will reach us and bless us. I'm begging
for his spirit. We need his spirit and may the
Lord bless us with this line right here. If you look at the
end of verse 9 Psalm 27. The end of verse 9. David said, Leave me not, neither
forsake me, O God of my salvation. Just leave me not, neither forsake
me. Please don't leave me. Please
don't forsake me. That is the prayer of a child
of God from the time that the Lord reveals himself to that
child. Till the time that that child
leaves this world, that's the prayer. All the days of a child
of God. Please don't leave me. Please
don't forsake me. Please don't leave. Please come
be with me. That is our prayer as we worship. I'm telling you that is my prayer
as I preach. Don't let me stand up here alone. Speak to your people. Don't let
me speak to your people. Would you speak to your people
and let me be one of them? Speak to me. And I know you do
the same thing as you sit there, you come to hear the word, you
come to be fed and you pray, Lord, please feed me. Please
be with me. Don't leave me, don't forsake
me. Do you know why that is truly
the cry of a child of God, all of his or her days on this earth?
You know why that is? It's because the child who has
had the God of his salvation revealed to him. With that revelation. In seeing
God, I mean, when you see God, there comes a point when men
and women see God, and as soon as they see God, they see sin. They see man. They see what they
are. They see their need. As soon
as they see God, they see their need of the God of their salvation. And that center knows that center
sees that center is convinced of the fact that if it was left
up to him or if it was left up to her. Seeing this sin right
here, they know they would leave the God of their salvation. They
would forsake the God of their salvation. If it was left up to us, we would
leave and forsake the God of our salvation. That's amazing,
isn't it? But we know it's so. That's amazing. We are that sinful. But we know
that so if it was left up to me. And he didn't keep me and
he didn't stay with me and he wasn't faithful to me. I would
leave him. I would forsake him. We're that sinful, so we spend
the rest of our days crying Lord, please don't leave this in my
hands. Please don't leave me and don't leave it up to me.
Please don't ever lay the responsibility of our salvation in our hands. You are the God of our salvation. We need you every hour of every
day. Please don't leave us. I've known
men and women who at one point claimed grace. Claimed truth. Claimed Christ. Claimed, and they're gone. And if God doesn't bring them
back, they're gone. Lord, please don't leave me. Please
don't let me go. Please, Christ must be the God
of our salvation. He must be the God of our salvation.
You say, why do you say Christ? That says, Oh, God of our salvation. Why are you saying Christ? Here's
the reason why. It's because verse one in this
psalm says that this God of our salvation is our light. That's Christ. It says the Lord is my light.
Revelation says in heaven there's no sun, there's no need of the
sun. The Lamb is the light thereof.
All the light you need. All the light there is. That's
Christ. It goes on to say He is our salvation. That's Christ. Salvation is of the Lord. Call
His name Savior. He shall save. It goes on to
say, he is our strength. That's Christ. The right hand and the holy arm
of God. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse four says, he is the beauty we behold. That's Christ. The king and his beauty. I love
that verse right there. David said, one thing have I
desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. Does anything
sound better to you? Does anything sound better? Verse
five says we are hiding in his pavilion in the secret of his
tabernacle. We're hiding in him. That's Christ. The rock that we're hiding in
and standing on that rock was Christ. Verse six says he is
our head. Now shall mine head be lifted
up. That's Christ. the head or the
body, that in all things He might have the preeminence. Verse 8
says, it's His face that we seek. When you said, seek my face,
my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. That's
Christ. The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Verse 11
says, it's His way that we are taught and led into. That's Christ. He said, I'm the
way. I am the way. Verse 13 says he is the goodness
of the Lord. I would have fainted unless I
believe to see the goodness of the Lord, if I did not have in
my heart faith that was waiting, believing and hoping and waiting
to see the goodness of the Lord, I would have already fainted.
I would have already fainted. That's Christ. That is the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said, I'm the way, verse 13,
he's the goodness, verse 14 says he's the one we're waiting on.
Wait on the Lord, it says. Wait on the Lord, that's Christ. He said, if I go, I will come
again to receive you to myself. The God of our salvation is the
Lord Jesus Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead
is made known to us in the person of Christ. And I just want us
to see that for just a second. And I want to see the fact that
not only is he the God of our salvation, but he's the God that
will not leave us and will not forsake us. He'll never leave
us, never forsake us. David said, leave me not, neither
forsake me, O God of my salvation. Now, the comforting thing about
saying he is the God of our salvation. Is. It means he's able. He is able, that's what Abraham
believed, Abraham believed. That what he had promised he
was able to fulfill it. He is able to save us. He has saved us, he will. Save us. And this is what I want
us to enter into for the comfort of our hearts. This really did
comfort me. This truly has comforted me.
There has never been a time When Christ, who is our God, has not
been with us, and we have not been with Him, there has never been a time.
I know that right now He is in the heavens. We said that this
morning. He's in the heavens. We're on the earth. I know that. I know that our old sinful nature
is naturally separated from God. I know that. But for every soul that God chose,
every soul that God set his affection on, we are with him in mind,
we are with him in heart, in will, in purpose, in desire. Now, And we have always been with
him in mind, in will, in heart, in purpose, in desire. Since
eternity past, since before the foundation of the world, we have
been with him at all times. How do we know that? Turn with
me to a few places here. Let's go to Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31 verse 3 says, The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. He did not say I will love thee
with an everlasting love. Although he will. But he didn't say I will, he
said I have. I have, as far back as eternity
goes. As far back as eternity goes. As long as never beginning is, if you can
get your mind around not beginning, everlasting, eternity past, not
beginning, you were in the mind, in the
heart, in the desire. of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
were with him individually. Individually. He knew his people
by name. Isn't that amazing? He knew every
single one of His people by name. And God doesn't deal in time,
but it's the only way I know to say it. And it's the only
way we know to think of it. But for eternity of time, He
has thought on His people. He has loved His people. That's
the reason why he drew his people. Verse three says, The Lord hath
appeared of old unto me saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee. That's why I've drawn you. It's because I have loved you
and loved you and loved you and thought on you and desired you.
And that's why I have drawn you to myself. Here's another scripture. How do we really know that he
knew his people? And loved his people and had
his people with him in his heart all the way back then, how do
we know? Turn with me to Revelation 13. Revelation 13 verse 8 says. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him and that speaking of the adversary. All that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him. Whose names are not written in
the book of life. Of the lamb slain. from the foundation
of the world. That word from means before.
He is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.
Why would God need a lamb slain before the foundation of the
world? It was to appease himself and
to put away the sin of his people. Somebody will say, well, he didn't
have people before the foundation of the world. Oh yes, He did. That Lamb slain was His everlasting
love for them. Ephesians 1 verse 4 says, He
chose us in Him, in that Lamb slain. Christ Jesus, our Lord,
our Lamb slain. He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love. Before the foundation of the
world, He was the Lamb slain, dwelling on His people in Him. holy and without blame before
him in love. How did he do that? Ephesians
says he predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself. That means he provided a lamb
slain. That's what it means. He paid the price. We were with
him. He was with us all the way back
in eternity past. David said, the thoughts that
you have had time to think about concerning me, if I could count them, they're more than the sand. They
are more than the sand. I just love thinking about that.
They're more than the same. How could he love me? How could he love me? We've been with him in his mind,
in his hearts, in his thoughts since the beginning. Since the
beginning. And then in time, our Lord came
to this earth. And while He lived on this earth,
He went to the cross and He died on this earth. And in all of that, we were with
Him. We were with Him. That's why
He did it. We were with Him. That's the
reason why He did it. We were with Him. Look with me
at John chapter 13. John 13 verse one says. Now, before the feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should
depart out of this world unto the father, having loved his
own, does that mean his own, which were in the world at that
time, having loved his own, which were in the world? No. All of
his own. all of His own that were in the
world or would ever be in the world. Turn over to John 17 and
look at verse 9. John 17, 9, He said, I pray for
them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given Me. For they are thine, and all mine
are thine. And thine are mine, and I'm glorified
in them. All of them. Verse 20 right here,
he said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word. I'm praying for all of
them. In John 10, he said, Other sheep
I have which are not of this fold. Them I must bring. Them
also I must bring. From the cross as he was paying
the sin debt for his people when he said, Father, forgive them. He meant all of them. This is
just an a unfathomable thought to me, but as he hung there,
he hung there in the place of. Every single one of his people.
And he knew exactly who he was hanging there for. And we were
in his mind. And I think, how could all of
his people from all over this world throughout all ages of
time be in his mind? How could he think on all of
us? I can't fathom how we're all going to sit at his feet.
But this is the God of our salvation. And we were with him. All of
his people, the Apostle Paul was not called until our Lord
was already ascended back to glory, but he said, I was crucified
with Christ. I was crucified with him. All
of God's chosen people were. We all died with him. We were all buried with Him. When our Lord arose from the
grave and ascended back to glory, we all ascended with Him. We were with Him. Ephesians 2
says, He raised us up together with Him. Look with me at Hebrews chapter
2. Hebrews 2 verse 10, For it became Him, for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth,
and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause
he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church will
I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust
in him. And again, Behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. That's how he entered glory
again. Saying they're all with me. I
and the children, none of them are lost. In eternity past, we
were with him. When he came to this earth and
lived on this earth, we were with him. We walked with him. In Him. When He died and rose
again, we were with Him. When He ascended up into glory,
we were with Him. And I absolutely love this. I
love this. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians
4. I get excited when I read this.
1 Thessalonians 4, look with me
at verse 13. But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Now watch verse
14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so,
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. I just love the thought of that.
Will God bring with Him. When God comes back to fold this
whole thing up on the final day, He's bringing us with Him. We're
all coming with Him. He is never going to leave us. He's never going to leave us.
I've heard that parable so many times of the ninety and nine
which were left. He went to seek that one. That
one is all of God's people. Because I used to think, don't
leave me for a minute. Don't leave the pen unsupervised. I'm not going to make it. He hasn't. He hasn't, and he
won't. One of these days when we are
finally in his presence, we're going to be with him. He will
never leave us. We'll never be out of his sight.
Never. If he comes, that's just like
this morning, we saw Elijah went and said, you tarry here. Elijah
said, I'm not staying right with you. Everywhere he went, Elisha
went. Everywhere Christ goes, His people
are going. Even on the day when He comes
back to fold this whole thing up, they're all coming with Him.
We're all coming with Him. Verse 15 says, For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, meaning you can count on this.
This is a faithful saying. I don't want you to be ignorant,
brethren. This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall
we ever be with the Lord from that moment on. Wherefore, comfort
one another with these words, so shall we ever be with the
Lord. God's people want one thing.
I want to be with you. I want to be near you. Never
will we be without him. Never will we be away from him.
And we're not right now. We weren't. He's been with us
all the days of our life. And he's with us right now when
he said, I will never leave you and never forsake you. He meant
it. That's not a figure of speech
with him. The God of our salvation meant
it. No matter what we go through.
No matter what we go through, he says, I am right beside you
holding your hand. These dear, precious brethren
who are going through great, great trials. I want them to
hear that. I want them to know that. Whatever
we go through, he says, I'm sitting right here beside you. I will
hold your hand. I won't go anywhere. I want there's
nothing more important than this right here. I will not leave you. I will
not forsake you, even though you walk through the valley of
the shadow of death. Fear no evil. I'm right here
with you. I'm with you always, even unto
the end of the world. That's our comfort. Honestly,
that's our comfort, like that dear brother, Hubert, I've told
you about so many times. That man, he had a condition
where he couldn't stand upright and he ended up needing care,
his wife had to take care of their daughter. And so he didn't
want to overburden her. He checked himself into a nursing
home and some brethren went to visit him. And when they walked
into his room, he'd just been in half looking out the window. And they said, Brother Hubert,
are you all alone? And he said, no, brother, the
Lord is with me. Every day, the Lord Himself is
near me with a special mercy for this hour. He'll never leave
us. He'll never forsake us. What
a comforting promise. That gives me the warm and fuzzies
to know I've always, from eternity, I was with Him. On this earth,
on that cross, in the grave, in the ascension, I was with
Him. He's with me right now. He's
with us right now. And I'm never going to be out
of his sight. I never have been out of his sight. His people
have never been out of his sight. Never will be. May the Lord comfort
our hearts with those words. All right, Brother Eddie.