So, for the purpose of recording,
I'm going to read this passage again. So, Zechariah chapter
8, verse 13, And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse
among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so
will I save you. And ye shall be a blessing, fear
not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the Lord of hosts,
as I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,
saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not. So again have
I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the
house of Judah. Fear ye not. These are the things
that ye shall do. Speak ye every man the truth
to his neighbor. Did you notice that? These are
the things ye shall do. Speak ye every man the truth
to his neighbor, execute the judgment of truth and peace in
your gates, and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against
his neighbor, and love no false oath. For all these are things
that I hate, saith the Lord." Now, we'll spend some time on
those verses of Scripture, but I'd like to spend some time,
particularly tonight, on this verse, the first verse that we
read, and that's verse 13. I cannot tell, because I have
never taken the time to count the number of times and how often
in Scripture that God, the God of the Bible, shares with the
readers, you and I, and anyone else who reads the scriptures,
and particularly sharing with the church. And the church is
the only one that will admit that this is the truth. People
who don't know the gospel will not admit this. They'll always
look at someone else. They'll always blame someone
else. But the church will admit this very thing, that by nature,
we are what we were because of the fall. It wasn't somebody
else's fault. It was our part in the fall.
And it tells us in that verse of scripture, and it shall come
to pass that as ye were a curse among the heathen. Now I realize
that the church was only cursed in Christ. Christ became a curse
for us. God did not hate us and then
begin to love us. I realize that's what the scriptures
teach. That he never had a time that he didn't love us. He loved
his church with an everlasting love. It was a love from eternity. It was his love that wrote our
names down in the Lamb's Book of Life. It was his love that
chose us before the foundation of the world. It was his love
that had a lamb slain. He never had a curse for his
people, but he uses this type from time to time because at
the time of hearing the gospel, we didn't know that. We could
have very easily have been cursed, and yet we find out in our regeneration
that God did not curse us, but he left the curse upon Christ. Our sin was imputed to him. But
as we look at this, we find that there's so much in the scripture
that shares with us the position that we are by nature, that we
did fall in Adam, that we are sinners because Adam's fall and
because of our own nature, and that we're sinners by nature,
but we're also sinners by choice. And the scriptures teach us that
the trouble began when Adam disobeyed God, and we got his heart out
of the whole thing. If you'll turn with me to the
book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. 1 Corinthians, chapter 15,
we find that the apostle Paul, a prophet of God, a minister
of the gospel, a preacher of righteousness, was led to write
this letter to the Corinthians. There were saints there. And
what an encouragement it was to get a letter. Now we have
all the letters that God intended to be in the book. We have all
the letters that God ever intended for the church to have. If there
were any others that He intended to have in this canon, they would
have been there. So we have what He intended for
us to have. And the book of Corinthians,
1st and 2nd Corinthians, are part of what God intended for
us to have. He writes it today. We read it today as it is to
us as a church. It was written to them many years
ago, but we find the truths that are found here over and also
in the Old Testament. So here in the book of 1 Corinthians
chapter 15, There in verse 22, we have this statement about
our position in Adam. And I would remind myself, I
would remind each of us, that only the church truly admits
what God has to say about our nature and how we got in the
mess that we're in. and also how God gets us out
of the mess we're in through the preaching of the gospel.
So here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 it tells us there in verse
22, for as in Adam all die, That is what is passed on to us. Now,
he is a representative. He is a federal representative
of every human being that shall ever be born, past, present,
and future. He represented every man, woman,
boy, and girl that will ever be born on the face of the earth.
And as a representative, what he did was passed on to them.
And then we also find that Christ is a representative of his family. He is a representative of all
that he will save. And it says there, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. Everyone that he represents,
we shall be made alive in Christ. Now the point that is brought
out here is in Adam all die. And it goes on in the book of
Romans so often and shares with us that we're all sinners by
nature. We never had any love for God
by nature. We never had any respect for
God by nature. We appeared to be as cursed as
anyone else. Then we find that when God saves
us, he had this all planned ahead of time to save his people from
their sins. So in this verse of scripture,
we find that God just reminds us that we are by nature the
children of Adam. And as children of Adam, we all
are dead by nature. Well, it also goes on in that
verse of scripture there in in the book of Zechariah chapter
8 and verse 13 notice with me here too he says he he was a
curse a curse among the heathen O house of Judah and house of
Israel I was talking to that young preacher today that I've
been visiting with for over a year now and bringing out that so
often in the Old Testament we find words like Judah and house
of Israel they're a representative of the church that God is speaking
to us about the church and what the church is, and here that
representative is also going on. You can read so much in commentaries
that have no foundation because they never have Christ as the
center of their message. They're always looking for something
else. Well, the center of this is Christ is the center, and
he says here in in the latter part of this verse so will I
save you now that's the gospel that God would save us that's
the gospel and the scriptures are so plain on this as plain
as the scriptures are on our position by the fall the scriptures
are playing for us on what we have in Christ Jesus he said
in this verse of scripture and he'll say it so many other places
in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament So will
I save you. Now he doesn't say that we're
going to participate in that because dead people don't participate
in it. But I will save you. So let's
look at this a few verses. There's a couple that I want
to look at. One's in Exodus and one's in Deuteronomy. But the
crux of this matter is brought out, we're going to spend some
time in the book of Isaiah tonight because the same word in Isaiah
is translated so many ways and it's just an encouragement to
see what the Lord has done for the church. I will save you. Now there is a typical part that
God delivered Israel, delivered Judah and Benjamin from The Babylonian
captivity and allow them to come back to the land. But if that's
all we have here, we have nothing It's only to them but since it's
speaking to the church and speaking to the blessings to the church
The church today can relish and delight in these wonderful verses
of scripture So turn with me if you would back to the book
of Exodus chapter 14 Exodus chapter 14 In Exodus chapter 14, we're
gonna look at verse 30 there, and we're gonna have a number
of verses to read tonight, but they are, the scripture has so
much good commentary about the scripture. The scriptures are
the best commentary about the scriptures. So, here in the book
of Exodus chapter 14, Exodus chapter 14, and there in verse 30, read this
with me. Exodus chapter 14, verse 30, Moses was led to write this.
He's a prophet. He's a minister of the gospel
He's a preacher of righteousness and here in verse 30 says thus
says thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the
Egyptians and Now, what a glorious statement about the church here,
too. We know from a historical standpoint
that as God had them perform the Passover and all of the things
that were about that, then he delivered them that very night. And it also tells us in Scripture
that it was four hundred years to the day, and that's exactly
the time that God said to Abraham they'd spend in captivity. So
at the appointed time, 400 years in this instance and just the
same it is with you and I that at the appointed time God's going
to bring the gospel God's going to preach the gospel to us. God's
going to regenerate us. We're going to acknowledge that
Christ is the Savior. We will be imparted faith. We'll
be given a faith and repentance and all those great gifts. Here
it says here in the book of Exodus chapter 14 and verse 30, Thus
the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. How great is Christ's death on
the cross when it comes to our sin? He will never bring them
up against us again. They're like the Egyptians laying
on the seashore. Yes, we know that they're there.
The Egyptians could be seen, that they were there, they were
piled up there, but they were no longer a hazard to the Israel,
they were no longer a problem to Israel, they were put away.
So our sins were put away by Christ on the cross. Well, let's
follow this just a little further. In the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
chapter 20, we find this again. And this is the same word that
we find over there in the book of Zechariah, translated sometimes
a little bit differently, but always carries with it the meaning
of salvation, being saved, being delivered, hearing the gospel,
good news. This salvation that God gives
is good news. It's all in His hands. It's not
in ours. It doesn't rest in us. It's not
dependent upon what we feel or how we feel today or what happens. It's all dependent upon Christ.
And He changes not. He is ever a blessing to His
people. In the book of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
chapter 20, Deuteronomy chapter 20, here in verse 4, Deuteronomy
chapter 20, verse 4, it says, For the Lord your God is He that
goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies to save
you. It is the Lord that goeth. The Lord your God is He that
goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies to save
you. You can't put in words better
than what we read there about what God does for his people.
Now, yes, he's speaking about Israel here, but Israel is typical
of the church. The antitype is the church, the
salvation of God's people, the salvation of the elect. These
Jews were elect in a sense. They were chosen out of Abraham. Abraham was brought out of Ur
of the Chaldees. He was chosen by God, and his
son was chosen by God, and his grandson was chosen by God, and
these twelve sons were chosen by God that became the twelve
tribes of Israel. God was in charge of this whole
thing. He was in charge of Joseph. He
was in charge of the time that the children of Israel would
be in captivity. And he was in charge of the day
that they would be set free. And he pictured it all by the
Passover. It's such a blessing to look at from a standpoint
of Christ being our Passover. And that's exactly what Paul
brings out over in the New Testament. So, we find that wonderful passage
of Scripture. about God saving His people.
He is the Savior of His people. He's promised salvation to His
people, promised deliverance to His people. In this same chapter
of the book of Zechariah, in this chapter, verse 7. So if
you turn back with me to the book of Zechariah, chapter 7.
Zechariah chapter 8, excuse me, verse 7. Chapter 8 and verse
7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from
the west. I will save them. God never says
he would make them savable. If they would turn to Him, He
always declares that He is the Savior and that He would save
His people. And also, if you would look with
me in the book of Zechariah, we're approaching this chapter,
we're getting close to this chapter in the book of Zechariah chapter
9. Zechariah chapter 9, we find
that there's a prophetic statement about that was fulfilled by the
Lord in the book of Matthew chapter 21. You know, to a whole bunch
of people, it didn't mean a thing. But this is what God said. This is that the scripture might
be fulfilled. And what's that scripture? Zechariah
9, verse 9. It says, rejoice greatly. And God's people do rejoice in
the great salvation of the Lord. We rejoice. We are not worthy. We don't deserve what God gives
us. And I have found that there's
only one place or group of people that meet around this very truth. I'm not worthy of this. I'm not
worthy of grace. We are not. But grace is gracious,
and God saves his people by grace. Zechariah 9, verse 9, Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto
thee. And this is fulfilled over in
the book of Matthew, chapter 21, verses 4 and 5. It mentions
that there. He is just and having salvation. lowly and riding upon an ass
and upon the colt the foal of an ass and if you read that passage
over in the book of Matthew it says that the scriptures might
be fulfilled this whole scene took place the interesting part
about that passage in the book of Matthew is that that was a
colt that had never been ridden and the Lord got on it and He
wrote it and he's in command just like he is when he saves
his people from their sins He is the Savior and he is in command
and he is in charge and he saves his people and he comes upon
us and then there's great rejoicing because he would do that we do
not deserve that in the least and Well, the gospel according
to Isaiah uses this particular word many times. I'd like to
read just a few of them that share with us that as Isaiah
was writing, he's writing to the church about God's great
salvation and a great Savior that saves us from great sin.
In the book of Isaiah chapter 19, the next few verses that
we're going to have is going to be in here in the book of
Isaiah. So if you join me there in the book of Isaiah chapter
19. Isaiah chapter 19. And we'll be reading several
passages of scripture that use the same word, the same word
that's found here in Isaiah chapter 19. And it's translated various
ways. Isaiah chapter 19 verse 20. Notice this verse of scripture
with me. Isaiah chapter 19 and verse 20. The scriptures share
this. And it shall be for a sign and
for a witness unto the Lord, O hosts in the land of Egypt,
for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and
he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall
deliver them. He shall send a Saviour, send
them a Saviour, and a great one. Many people did not know Jesus
and Jesus. They stood around him. They argued
with him. They presented arguments to him. They tried to confound him. But
the Messiah was in their midst. He is the great Messiah. He is
the great Savior. He is about the business of saving
great sinners. The Lord shall be known to Egypt. Where does he find us? Some places
he's called, he found us in Lodibar. Where does he find us? Some places
he's called being in Egypt. He finds us in the most horrific
places because that's where we are by nature and we are always
attracted to some sort of religion. But God is so great. He saves
us out of that He gives us his his very salvation and as is
brought out in this verse of scripture It says there in isaiah
in verse 20 there chapter 19 verse 20 The lord because of
the oppressors and he shall send them a savior You know, they
didn't take a vote on this He sent them a savior and he He
didn't let them choose the quality. He sent them the very best, the
great one. He sent them a Savior and a great
one. And then He promised that this
is what He would do for them. He would deliver them. What great
news! What glorious news! that God
gives to the church that He would deliver them. He would deliver
them from the oppressor. He would deliver them from Egypt.
He would deliver them from Lodibar. He would present them spotless.
How glorious is that? Well, just a little bit further,
here in the book of Isaiah chapter 25, we have the same word that's
used there in Zechariah chapter 8. Verse 13, but here in the
book of Isaiah chapter 25, Isaiah chapter 25 and verse 9, the scriptures
share this about our savior, about the great one, the one
that was sent. We could have had no interest,
we had no interest in this one coming. We had no interest in
what he had. We're not interested in the gospel
until God gives us a new heart. And then the interest is raised. We have all interest in Him.
He is the center, heart, and core of our salvation. here in the book of isaiah 25
and it shall be said in that day lo this is our god we have
waited for him and he will save us this is the lord we have waited
for and we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation that's where
our rejoicing is In His great salvation, we rejoice in a great
Savior. We rejoice in a great salvation.
We rejoice in a great deliverance. We rejoice in what God has given
to us, in those spiritual blessings that we have in Christ Jesus
the Lord. So as Isaiah uses this word, he brings it up in various
manners and various means. But the sum and total of it is
that this one that God sends Will be the Savior and this one
that God sends will save and save completely we have waited
for him We'll be glad and rejoicing him. You know, we didn't know
we were waiting for him But he sends him And then we find out,
oh my goodness, how great is this salvation. I've mentioned
this a number of times. When I was first saved, I used
to wonder, why didn't he do this sooner? And then we find out
when it pleased God. That's when it is. That's when
it will happen, when it pleased God. In the book of Isaiah chapter
33, another one of these great verses, these blessed verses
of scripture. Isaiah 33 and verse 22 The scriptures say
For the Lord is our judge The Lord is our lawgiver The Lord
is our King. He will save us Now there's look
at that outline right there The Lord is our judge The Lord is
our lawgiver The Lord is our King. He will save us. He has everything necessary. He is the King. He is the Lawgiver. He is the Judge. he has taken
care of everything everything against the church everything
against the elect has been taken care of by the lord jesus christ
he fulfilled every demand that god had for his people he fulfilled
everything so there's an outline he's the judge he's the lawgiver
he's the king he will save us he will save us completely he
will do it correctly there will be no Well, I should have done
something different. No, God will do it absolutely
correct. Isaiah chapter 37 verse 35 Isaiah
chapter 37 and verse 35 as we look at this word Salvation or
Savior or saved that God brought up there in the book of Zechariah.
I'll save you I will save you here in the book of Isaiah and
many many other times as it say things with regard to this word,
but we're just picking out a few. Isaiah 37 verse 35, the scriptures
share this. Isaiah chapter 37 verse 35 says,
for I will defend this city to save it for my own sake. And for my servant David's sake,
the city, the church, New Jerusalem, Mount Zion, whatever you want
to call it, Old Testament terms, New Testament terms, we have
that he will defend the city to save it for my own sake. You know, in religion, we're
taught we're doing God a favor. In salvation we find He did everything. I will save it. And why? For David's sake. Who's the David
that is there? We often close our prayers for
Jesus' sake. We pray this for Jesus' sake.
Well, that's what we have here. For Jesus' sake, this is going
to take place. He has a lot at stake. Have you ever thought
about that? If one whit of God's promise ever failed, who is accountable? God is accountable. Christ is
accountable. And He will not. He will not. He's not going to lose any. Every word of His Word will be
fulfilled. And He will stand by His Word. He will stand by the Word of
God. So, I will defend this city. The battle is not yours, it's
the Lord's. I will defend this city. To save it for my own sake,
for the glory of God, for the glory of Christ, for the glory
of the Godhead, for the glory of the covenant of grace. I will
save it and for my servant David's sake, for Jesus' sake. He came
into this world born of a virgin, immaculate, without sin. No tarnish upon him. Nobody could
get him to commit a sin. He was impeccable. Some preachers
got the idea that he could have sinned. No, he's impeccable.
He could not have sinned. He is a perfect son of God. And
he did not sin, and he did not become a sinner. He took our
sins upon him. Just as we read there, for my
servant David's sake, I'll do this. Well, the scriptures go
on. Over in the book of Isaiah 43 the same word is used there
about being saved God saving his people He had a purpose to
fulfill he has much at stake to deliver every one of his church
Without spot or wrinkle he has a great deal at stake and he
has promised and he will keep his promise here in the book
of Isaiah chapter 43 in verse 3 it says for I am the Lord thy
God the Holy One of Israel and There's look at that outline.
Look at what is said in that very first part of that verse
of Scripture thy Savior For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One
of Israel thy Savior I gave Egypt for thy ransom Ethiopia and Saba
for thee he said I gave everything for thee I gave the ransom price
required and that is the death of the Son of God I am the Lord
thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. Hallelujah. The church is, we can't say enough. We cannot extol him enough. We
cannot honor him enough. We're incapable in this life
of doing justice to this. But that's why it's so valuable,
so important that the scriptures speak for us. The scripture says
the exalted one, the high lifted up one, that's the one we worship.
We don't have the capabilities. I'm reminded again that the simplest
thing that we think we could possibly do is pray to God and
then he says through his prophet, through his preacher of righteousness,
we know not how to pray as we ought, but the spirit, so God
puts the spirit to work on our behalf to pray as it should be
prayed as it must be prayed and we're thankful that he takes
over for us because we truly don't know how to pray as we
ought. In the book of Isaiah again as we found just a few
more verses here Isaiah chapter 45 Isaiah 45 in verse 17 The
same word is used here Isaiah chapter 45 and verse 17. The
scripture is brought out again. This word is used again That's
one that we find that's saved or Savior here in Isaiah chapter
45 and verse 17 but Israel shall be saved in the Lord and So much
is said about national Israel being saved in some, oh, you
know, Israel, whoever is going to be saved is going to be saved
in the Lord, in the work of the Lord, in the ministry of the
Lord, in the salvation of the Lord, nowhere else. Israel shall
be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. This is
a salvation that was not just set up in time. God did not start
to save people because they fell, but he already had everything
taken care of. ahead of time. He took care of
it. Names were written down. Lamb
is already slain. Everything is taking place. Covenant
of Grace is in order. And then we find, Israel shall
be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Ye shall
not be ashamed or confounded, world without end. You're not
going to be confounded. God's not going to leave you
in a loop. He's going to save you from your sins. That's His
promise that He will do that. He saves His people from their
sins. They are without spot or blemish. They're going to be presented
in that manner. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 45, just a little
bit further down that same chapter, in verse 21, tell ye and bring
them near. Let them take counsel together. Who hath declared from ancient
time who have told it from that time have not i the lord and
there is no god else beside me a just god and a savior there
is none beside me no with our uncircumcised ears we can't hear
it But when God saves us, we can hear it. We can hear that
there is no Savior but Him. He is everything. He is all our
salvation. He is all our sanctification.
He is all our righteousness. He is our total sin bearer. We
contributed nothing. We are given. Salvation by a
great almighty God. He brought us out of a horrible
pit and placed us upon a solid rock. There is none beside me.
Don't look anywhere else. There's none under the name under
heaven whereby we must be saved. That's he's the only one. So
this theme through the book of Isaiah. Yes, Isaiah speaks a
whole lot about the natural man's condition and the need That we
have and that God will save his people from their sins There
is it just as we just read there in verse 22 of Isaiah 45 Look
unto me and be ye saved All the ends of the earth for I am God
and there is none else. Why does he use that all the
ends of the earth? Because he's got people there
He's got lost ones there He may not have anybody in this specific
area of some country right now, but he has in the past, or he
may in the future. And that's why he said he saved
all the ends of the earth. The writer of the book of Revelation
summed it up, you know, every tribe, kindred, people, and tongue. That's what he summed up. And
that's who's gonna praise him in the end. In Isaiah 49, Let's
move just a little further with me in this great, great book
of the Gospel according to Isaiah. In Isaiah 49 and verse 26, the
God of heaven had this written, And I'll feed them that oppress
thee with their own flesh, and they shall be drunken with their
own blood, as with sweet wine, and all flesh shall know that
I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One
of Jacob. what a great savior he continuously
shares with us through the scriptures what it was and what it took
to save his people from their sins but the promise is good
news because he said he would save his people from their sins
just as he promised there in the book of Zechariah he promised
that alright turn with me to Isaiah Isaiah chapter 59 verse
1 Isaiah chapter 59 verse 1 as we look at the same word that
was used over there in the book of Zechariah and Isaiah uses
it time and time and time again what a great statement he makes
about our Savior as God leads him to write in his book these
glorious truths about God our Savior and for his sake He saves
us and because of the savior because of christ he saves us.
This is his business in isaiah 59 And there versus verse 1 isaiah
59 verse 1 behold the lord's hand is not shortened that he
cannot save Neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear, you know
We read about the god of the babylonians. No with the babylonians
Anyway, the god was dagog You know, when they put that mercy
seat in there with their God, he had his head broke off, and
he had little short hands. You know, they might have been
as long as ours, but that's still too short. Cannot say, cannot
say. But his hands are not short.
They can say they can reach down and snatch people out of the
parapets if you please Snitch snatch him out of the of the
pit if you please bring us in as it's written about David fetching
Mephibosheth he fetched him out of Lodibar and that's what God
is his arms are not short that he cannot save they're just the
right length he knows how to reach his people and bring them
the gospel and give them salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord that
same chapter chapter 59 and also in verse 16 and I saw that there
was no man and I wondered that there was no intercessor you
know nobody can intercede for us now we pray for one another
we pray for health, we pray for the salvation of our friends,
our family, but nobody can intercede. There's only one intermediator,
one intercessor. There was no intercessor. Therefore,
His arm brought salvation unto Him. Oh, what a mighty arm is
God's arm. It's the arm of salvation. And
His righteousness, it sustained Him. My goodness, the righteousness
of God, the righteousness of Christ, and to have that righteousness,
none other but that righteousness imputed to His people. I'm speechless. I'm just speechless when I think
about that righteousness is my righteousness imputed to me.
So Isaiah, and finally, in chapter 63 of the book of Isaiah, we're
going to stop almost every chapter and found this word used, but
notice with me here in this last reading, Isaiah chapter 6 verse,
excuse me, 63, Isaiah 63 in verse 1. Who is this that cometh from
Eden? Now, a lot of symbolism in this,
a lot of metaphorical speech in this verse of scripture. Who
is this that cometh from Eden with dyed garments from Basra? This that is glorious in his
apparel. Now, this is just a wonderful
picture of our Savior. He's the toiling Savior. He's
the working Savior. He's the one that is taking care
of all the work. Traveling in the greatness of
his strength in that I That speak righteousness now notice this
last one mighty to say oh This dream he is the strong man He
is truly the strong man when it comes to our salvation. He
is the strong man. He is able to do exceedingly
abundantly I haven't come to the conclusion of how that much
that is and Exceedingly abundantly above that which we ask or think
he is able to do that so they as it tells us there in Isaiah
63 and verse 1 and then in verse 5 and I looked and there was
none to help You know by nature. Nobody can pull us out of the
pit I remember a preacher mentioning one time the various applications
down in that horrible pit. And this preacher came along
and said, you know, if you could get up to the edge of this, I
could get a hold of your hands. Another preacher said, if you
hadn't gotten into that mess to begin with, I could help you.
But you know what? The preacher. Lord the Savior
came down into that horrible pit and Lifted his people out. That's the glorious thing He
saved his people and I looked and there was none to help and
I wondered that there was none to uphold Therefore my own arm. What does it say? Psalm 14 it
says God looked down from heaven to see if there were any that
didn't seek after him here. He says I looked and There was
none to uphold, therefore my own arm brought salvation unto
me, and my fury it upheld me." Salvation is of the Lord. What a wonderful statement is
found throughout the scriptures. If you'll turn with me back to
the book of Zechariah, Here in Zachariah chapter 8, the latter
part of that verse of scripture now, the latter part. We've looked
at the first part where it says there that we're sinners by nature. We're children of Adam. We fell
in Adam. In Adam all die. In Adam there
is this seeming curse upon us. Now we've never been a cursed
people. We find that out. never been hated by god we find
that out always been uh... the promise of salvation we find
that out but by nature we don't know that here in the book of
zachariah chapter eight and there in verse thirteen it says it
shall come to pass that as ye were a curse among the heathen
oh house of judah and house of israel so will i save you and
ye shall be a blessing fear not but let your hands be strong You shall be a blessing Unknown
to the world the message of God's free grace in Christ is the preserving
salt The preserving salt of this world God's preserving salt the
preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ The one that had his interest
upon his people before the foundation of the world the one who wrote
our names in the Lamb's Book of Life, all of this great eternal
work of God, this preaching of this is the salt of the earth,
and not one thing will hinder all of God's people from being
saved. They all shall be saved. Time will tell. All shall be
saved. Ye are the salt of the earth.
The preserving salt, that message is no longer needed. When that
message of free grace is no longer needed, and the only time that
will be is the last elect has been saved, when that message
is no longer needed, guess what? This will be over. It will be
over. Turn with me in closing to the
book of Matthew. Would you turn with me to the
book of Matthew 5.13? And how important it is, as it brings
out in this passage of scripture, how important it is to continue
with this message. The salt of the earth, what is
this? The message of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ
Jesus. And it mentions here in this
great sermon on the mount, Matthew chapter 5 and verse 13, says,
ye are the salt of the earth, talking to the church. But if
the salt had lost its savor, Now the Lord told the seven churches
of Asia that there's always this possibility of having the candlestick
taken. What would cause that? Well,
we found something else that's more pleasing to humanity. It's
more pleasing to people, not pleasing to God, though. He said,
I will say by this message. So keep this message going. the
free and sovereign grace of God. Keep this message going. Keep
preaching this message. Keep bringing this message up.
It will be the only message that God will ever use to save His
people from their sins. And the only time that this message
will not be applicable is when the last one is saved and we're
in glory and we're worshiping the King face to face. Up to
that time, people come in and say, well, we've got this message.
Don't take it. It's off limits. We don't want it. But this message,
you are the salt of the earth. What is that message? I will
save you. I will save you. Christ said
that. I will save you. You are the salt of the earth.
But when that salt has lost its savor and that candlestick is
removed, what a sad day that is. The great day is that he
will continue to save his people from their sins. And as we go
on through the book of Zechariah, he's going to bring that up.
We're going to eventually get to that ninth chapter and see
again that wonderful, your Savior coming lowly upon a donkey, upon
an ass. The Savior's coming. All right. Remember these prayer
requests that were mentioned tonight? continue to pray for
one another.