The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want. He maketh me, now I want you
to notice, he maketh. The Lord is the one who maketh
me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou
art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life. and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever. Amen. So tonight we're gonna
look at the characteristic of God's grace in comforting grace
and the way the Lord comforts us through his grace. And I wanna
begin with 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 and 4. Blessed God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the
God of all comfort. Now I want to stop there for
just a moment. I don't care how much money you have. I don't
care how much joy there is surrounding you in this world. You cannot,
you cannot have comfort outside. You cannot have true comfort
outside of God Almighty, the God of all comfort. going on,
it says, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we
may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble. How can we
comfort them? By the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. How can I comfort my dear brother
Mike and Shirley Loveless? By the only way I know how, and
that is pointing them to my Savior, the Lord Jesus. where all of
our comfort is. He is our conqueror. He is our
provider. He's everything we need. He's
my all in all. Anything I am at a point of being
so uncomfortable with that I can't deal with it in my own mind,
I take it to my Lord and I lay it at the feet of Jesus. That's
what my mom always told me. She goes, put it in your hands
like this and lift it to the feet of Jesus. in our handout
right underneath that first paragraph of Scripture, through the grace
of our great Creator, God's people are brought to an understanding
of peace. You can't earn this peace. You
can read Scripture all you want, but if God doesn't bring you
to an understanding of that Scripture, then you're not taught of God.
And the Scripture tells us that we all are taught, all of God's
people are taught of God. We are brought to an understanding
of peace, comforting our souls in the turmoils of this world.
And even more important, the turmoils of this flesh, the sin
that is within us. We sing this hymn, trusting Jesus. I put the words in there for
you. Simply trusting every day, trusting through a stormy way. Even when my faith is small,
trusting Jesus, that is all. Brightly doth his spirit shine
into this poor heart of mine. While he leads, I cannot fall,
trusting Jesus, that is all. Seeing if my path is clear, praying
if the path be drear, if in danger for him call, trusting Jesus,
That is all. Trusting Him while life shall
last, trusting Him till earth be passed, till within the jasper
walls, trusting Jesus. That is all. Trusting as the
moments fly, trusting as the days go by, trusting Him whatever
befall, trusting Jesus. That is all. Colossians 2 verse
5, we read these words, for though I be absent in the flesh, writes
Paul, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding
your order and the steadfastness, that's the trusting Jesus, the
steadfastness of your faith in Christ. I receive strength for
my soul when I witness the strength of our Lord in you. And that
comforts me as I sojourn through this valley, a shadow of death
to the believer. It says to the God or the God
of all comfort who comforted us, us and all of our tribulation
and all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them,
which are in any trouble by the comfort where with we ourselves
are comforted of God. Simply put, and this is just
as simple as it gets, folks, we trust. the Almighty. We believe. We believe what? We believe the
sovereignty of God. He who rules all that even rules my heart, my mind, every part
of my being, he is my Lord. Therefore, his very word is most
precious to this poor sinner. And his word has much to say
about the comfort of his people. In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1,
we read this, the Lord is instructing the prophet to, comfort ye, comfort
ye, my people, saith your God. In verse 2, he says, speak ye
comfortably to Jerusalem. Now, Jerusalem, they're the people
of God. Jerusalem is a picture of spiritual Israel. They are
the people of God. They are his chosen people out
of all the world in those days, showing that he has a chosen
people throughout all time. Spiritual Israel. He says, speak
to her very heart what will be warming words to her troubles. acceptable to her and comfortable
to her. And it says under her and cry
under her. In other words, let it be proclaimed
aloud that all may hear and that God may bring an understanding
of it, that her warfare is accomplished. And this is where our comfort
comes in. Our warfare is done. It's accomplished. The Lord on
the cross said it is finished. Therefore it is finished. Folks,
this life is a warfare. The saints of God have many enemies
that we war against. We war against sin. We war against
Satan and the devils of darkness and the world. Many battles to
fight, great battles and great afflictions. And the good fight
of faith, that's a battle too, the good fight of faith. This
is accomplished, it says. Not that it will come to an end
before this life is over, while our fleshly life goes on. There
will be a continual conflict, yet all of our enemies, including
the ones that plague our mind, are now conquered by Christ,
and in a short time will be under the feet of his people, the captain
of our salvation, who has got the victory and has gone on before
us. The crown is laid up for them.
and assured unto them." Some interpret it this way, her set
or her appointed time. As we read in Job chapter 7 verse
1, is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? Are not his days also like the
days of a hireling? Accomplished. Accomplished can
be understood either of the time of deliverance from captivity,
or of the time of the Messiah's coming, or of the fullness of
time, when he should appear afterwards prophesying of this. We could also apply this as well
to the servitude of bondage, of the law being put to an end.
The law being put to an end has been accomplished. And from all
the fatigue of it and all the labors that we put into trying
to follow the law, the trouble of that dispensation, and it
can be applied to the gospel dispensation taking place because
of what comes next. It says that her iniquity is
pardoned, which is God's act. This act flows from his free
and sovereign grace. It was obtained by the blood
of Christ. It is full and complete, and
it yields great relief, great comfort to guilty minds. The punishment that was bore
by our surety is accepted. God is just in pardoning us from
our sin, for God has provided himself a lamb for a burnt offering,
as we read in Genesis 22. He hath bore the sins of his
people in his own body, a body that was prepared from old. Listen
to these words in Hebrews 10, verse three through 10. But in
those sacrifices, the sacrifices of old, there is a remembrance
again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when
he cometh into the world, he saith sacrifice and offering,
thou wouldest not, But a body hast thou prepared for me. A body that would be born through
the seed of the Spirit. Not the seed of Adam, full of
sin, but the seed of the Spirit, holy, holy and perfect and righteous
in every way, born into a virgin. That's the body that was prepared
by God Almighty for His Son, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God,
who has always been the Son of God. He just wasn't flesh yet. This body was prepared in burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin that has had no pleasure.
Then said I, lo, I come in the volume of the book as it is written
of me to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin, thou wouldest
not, neither had his pleasure therein, which was offered by
the law. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first. What
was the first? The first was, if you do this,
you do that, that he may establish the second. What's the second? I, saith the Lord, hath done. It is finished. By the which
will? We are sanctified, set apart,
made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.
Now notice these last words, once for all. Folks, when the Lord Jesus does
something, he doesn't have to do it twice. Does that not bring
peace to our souls? How often do we have to do things
over and over again? I remember somebody just recently
was talking to me about something And he said, oh, I know what
it was. He said, oh, yeah, that's right.
I remember. You keep telling me, John. And I said, don't worry
about it. My mom had told me things 100
times over. And we both laughed about it.
He says, yeah, I understand that. I said, no, no, I'm talking about
when I was growing up. She still had to tell me 100 times before
I would remember things. Sanctum, oh, for once for all.
When our Lord Jesus does it, he does it once. That's all that's
needed to be done. He doesn't have to do it over
and over again. Going on, the second paragraph before the bottom
of page three, this is very comforting to a sinner. Not only do I have
a substitute, that substitute, that sacrifice is God himself
in the flesh, perfect in every way, pure and righteous. We go
on to read in Hebrews 10, 11 through 14, and every priest
standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. Are you troubled
with the sin that's in your body? Are you troubled with the sin
that's in your mind? Our Lord says we've been perfected
forever in Him. Continuing in our text in Isaiah
40 verse 2, the last part it says, for she, Jerusalem, spiritual
Israel, God's chosen people, have received the Lord's hand
double for all her sins. Now I ask for you to allow me
to lean on our brother John Gill for this meeting. He writes,
which may be understood either of a sufficiency of chastisements
for sin, they have received double for all their sins, that could
be a chastisement for all their sins, though they are not more
but less than are deserved, yet are as much as their heavenly
father in his great tenderness and compassion thinks are enough,
and though they are in measure and do not exceed, yet are in
large measure often and least in their own apprehension, or
else of the large and copious blessings of grace and goodness
received instead of the punishment for sins that might be expected,
or rather at the complete satisfaction made by Christ for her sins and
of her receiving of the Lord's hands in her surety, full punishment
for them. Not that more was required than
was due, but that ample satisfaction was made, and being infinite,
fully answers the demerit of sin. And this being in the room
instead of God's people clears them and yields comfort to them. So as we understand it, we receive
double, the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Our Lord has
cleared it completely. He says, He says, I have purged
your sins, cleansed you, white as snow. This word of our troubles
being conquered by our substitute is comforting indeed, is it not?
It's our only peace in this world and in this flesh. The words
of the prophet Zechariah declares this comfortable statement to
the Israeli captives of Babylon. And in Zechariah 1, verses 12
through 14, Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O
Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem
and on the cities of Judah? They were in Babylon, not all
of Jerusalem had, but all the smart ones, all the ones worthy
of anything. King Darius had taken the best of the Jews and
taken them to Babylon, and they were in captivity there. Daniel
was one who was taken there. And so the angel of the Lord
answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not
have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against
which thou hast had indignation these three Ten years you remember
the Lord had predicted before they were even captive and taking
captive into Babylon He predicted they'd be there for 70 years.
That's what that three score is and The Lord answered the
angel that talked with me and how did he answer with good words
and comfortable words Oh The good words of the Lord that comfort
his children listen to what these words are and So the angel that
communed with me said unto me, cry thou saying, thus saith the
Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem. Think about that. Jealous means he won't let anybody
else have Jerusalem. You can't take Jerusalem, spiritual
Israel, away from God. He's loved them with an everlasting
love, a love from before the world was. and for Zion with
great jealousy." Listen to those words. Is that not comfortable
to know that our Lord looks upon you and I and is jealous for
us? I'm not going to leave you to yourself, he says. I'm not
going to leave you to the devil. You're mine. You're so much mine
that I'm sending my son to be your propitiation, your payment,
your blood sacrifice. The Lord of glory is jealous
for his people. The Apostle Paul puts it in a
very clear way, writing to the church at Rome and to all the
saints to come. He says in Romans 8.31, what
shall we say then to these things? If God before us, who can be
against us? Does that not bring comfort to
one who knows our depravity? When you come to, when the Lord
has brought you to understand that you're dead in trespasses
and sin, that he must give life And that if you live, it's because
of Him. What can you say? What can you
say? If God before me, who can be
against me? One who knows our inability to
do anything about it. One who knows that there's nothing
we can say or even think of ourselves in any way that pleases God,
page five. Romans 8, 32, he that spared not his own son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things? Oh, how I pray the Lord will
lay this to our hearts. Not to yours, to ours. I'm included. I need it just
as much as anyone else. Lay these words to my heart,
Lord, when we consider his majesty, when we consider what our God
portrays himself in scriptures as being the sovereign of everything,
creator of all that is, ruler of everything, including the
particles of dust, the little, whatever you want to call them,
mice that you can't even see, molecules, all of those parts. of what we have in this world,
our Lord has created and works out according to his own purpose,
according to his own will. When we consider his holiness,
when we consider his holiness, the one that God delivered up
for you and I was so perfect and so holy, he knew no sin. When you consider his perfection
and everything he did, you know, my father, my stepdad was a perfectionist. He called himself a perfectionist.
He said, don't ever grow up to be like me, son. He goes, I spend
all my time trying to do a job perfectly, and I never get there.
Christ never said that. Our Lord never had to say that.
He didn't have to say anything. He was just perfect in what he
did. perfect in what he thought, perfect in every aspect. His
perfection, his sovereignty, he rules over everything. I put
a little article out. Mike Lovelace did one of his
Free Willard postings, and it had Willard declaring how we
all have our own pet little sins and stuff. And Mike said, yeah,
but we have one thing in common, and that's the sin of unbelief.
And I mentioned it, there's all kinds of people who say they
believe God, that they believe in Jesus, but they deny his power. They deny his power over man's
will. They deny his sovereignty over
the will of man. They say, my will is above God.
They say all kinds of things. They deny their depravity. And I went on to go on and bring
out how they deny the truths of the Lord, yet they say they
believe. Our biggest Commonality in all man is our unbelief. God in his own word shows us
a man who cries out, who cries out, Lord, I believe, help thou
my unbelief. When we consider his majesty,
his holiness, his perfection, his sovereignty, his power in
giving of himself for us, is there anything that can come
between God's people and the one that loves them with an everlasting
love? What is of more value than his
only begotten Son? God gave us everything there
is to give. He gave himself for you and I. Romans 8, 33 through 34, we read,
who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. who is even
at the right hand of God, who will also make its intercession
for us. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. Our
God in his Son, the Lord Jesus, has conquered everything we need
to be in his presence for eternity. That's what we read in Romans
8, verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation. That's what
separated us from God. Our condemnation. We were condemned. Condemned by sin. But there is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
God cannot condemn that which He has already condemned. And
He condemned His Son. Listen to the words of Isaiah
53, 5. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised
for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. I brought this
out last Sunday. Have you ever noticed when it
comes to the Lord's people Sin is treated as a sickness. To
the natural unregenerated man is referred to as a crime, punishable
by death, eternal death. But to you and I, to those he
is loved from the foundation of the world, we are to be pitied,
a sickness to be healed, restored to health. That's because Christ
died in our stead. The holy justice of our crime
was laid upon him. justifying us in his love. Finishing off the eighth chapter
of Romans 35 to 39, Paul writes, who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted
as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come." Folks, this
is all comforting. This list of things that Paul
writes off here Comfort me as I struggle through this world,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Page six. Folks, tribulation,
distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword,
some or all of these are going to be part of life in this world. You're not alone. My perils may
not be as yours, and I doubt your nakedness is as mine, but
we are not alone in this. God has given us each other to
give comfort to each other in our times of weaknesses. Again,
I read the opening scripture for you, 2 Corinthians 1, verses
3 through 4. Blessed God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God
of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by
the comfort wherewith we ourselves comforted of God. Through the
loving grace of our great and mighty Savior, you and I have
been brought together to comfort one another, pointing each other
to our only great comforter, Colossians chapter two, verse
one, we read, for I would let you know what a great conflict
I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as
have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts, verse
two, might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto
all riches of the full assurance of understanding. To the acknowledgement. of the
mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest
any man should beguile you with enticing words, for though I
be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying
and beholding your order and steadfastness of your faith in
Christ. As ye therefore have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up
in him, established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving. Beware, lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit, after it's a 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 ye
are complete in him. How are we to comfort those who
are going through trials? The same way God comforts you
and I. For in Him, in Christ, dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in Him, which is the
head of all principalities and power. He who rules all things
according to the purpose of his own will. That's who we're in.
That's where our comfort is. Page seven. Verse 11 of Colossians
2, in whom also ye are circumcised, with the circumcision made without
hands, and putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision
of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye 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, that
means made alive, together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances
that was against us, which is contrary to us, and took it out
of the way, nailing it to his cross. He is our comfort. We are comforted knowing this,
that He is sovereign in all things, and He is gracious, and He is
life. Let's close tonight's study with
John chapter 6, verse 63. Our Lord said in His own words,
it is the Spirit that quickeneth. Remember what we just read a
moment ago in Colossians 2.13, hath He quickened together with
Him? It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not and who should betray him. And
he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto
me except who were given unto him of my father. No man can come unto me except
it were given unto him of my father. From that time, many
of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then
Jesus said unto the 12, noticed he said unto the 12, will ye
also go away? Simon Peter answered him, said,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. Thou hast the words of comfort.
Thou hast the words that put away our tribulation. Verse 69,
and we believe and are sure that Thou art the Christ, that Christ,
the Son of the living God. Amen.