Ezekiel chapter 34. Ezekiel chapter 34 again, while
you're turning. Let me say, I'm not going to
read first. I will make a few statements and read some verses
as I go along. As a way of reminder from last
Sunday's message, the enemies of God trod down the pastures
and they foul the waters of God's truth. We read it. Look at it. Verse 18. Seemeth
it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture,
but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures,
and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the
residue with your feet. God's enemies will trod under
their foot his truth. That's what he's talking about.
He's not talking about actual pastors and actual streams. He's
talking about the truth of God. The messianic promises, that's
what he's talking about. That's what all the Old Testament
is about. It's saying there is someone
coming. All of it could be summed up
as that. And listen to me, his second
coming means nothing apart from his first coming. Now he did, and there was no
doubt that he would, but had he not accomplished what he accomplished
in his first coming, his second coming could be nothing but damnation
and condemnation for us all. We hope And it's a good hope, it's a
sound hope, it's a confident expectation based on the promise
of God. We have hope in Him who is coming
again, but only because of what He did the first time when He
came. Because apart from that, apart
from that first coming and what He did, had He not done it for
me, I will stand before the great white throne of God to be judged
according to my works, and I don't want that. The enemies of God tread down
the pastures and foul the waters of God's truth. But not only
that, Ezekiel says. Not only do they tread down the
good pastures and they foul the good cool mountain streams of
God's truth, but they would keep others from the truth as well.
Yes, sir. See it? Therefore thus saith
the Lord God unto them behold I even I would judge between
the fat cattle and between the lean cattle because because You
have thrust with side and with shoulder and pushed all the diseased
with your horns Till you have scattered them abroad not only
did they try to underfoot the truth of God But they try to
keep other people from the truth of God as well. I It would be one thing if men
and women would just say, I don't believe like you do, and just
go on their merry way. But they cannot do that. They
can't. They have to tread on it under
their feet, and foul the waters with their feet, and then come
along and try to keep others from it as well. You see it shoved
with side and shoulder. You can see the picture of a
big cow or maybe a big ram in this sheepfold and he's got his
horns and he's just knocking everybody else out of the way,
only to what? Tread down the good pasture.
And to foul the cool waters. Our Lord spoke something to this,
didn't he? Look at Matthew chapter 23 and listen to what he says.
Just one verse here. Matthew chapter 23 and verse
13, but woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for
you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. How is it that they
would attempt to do this? Not that Joe, they can actually
lock and bolt the gates. No. It's by lying about God. It's by declaring a false message. It's by trotting underfoot the
truth of God. He said, you shut up the kingdom
of heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither
suffer ye that are entering to go in. The religious world says see
there are some people who could keep others out of heaven. That's
not what he said Because we know what God promised
through Ezekiel and We know what Christ the one who was promised
said when he came but nevertheless there are those who would do
these things and And to the extent that they can, to the extent
that they can, they do do these things. They use various methods. And
I'll just mention three. And I mentioned not that there
are only just three, but I mentioned these three because those three
we have all experienced right here in this little small group
of people ourselves. They use various methods of this,
trying to keep others from the truth of God. They threaten with
the loss of ministry. That's one of the first things
I was told years ago when I began to publicly try to declare the
gospel of God's free reign and grace. Well, your ministry's
over. And you know what? It was. My
ministry was over. And God Almighty put me in the
ministry. Now it may not look like much, but it ain't about looks. It
ain't about looks. One thing about God's men, they
don't have their ministry. Those who are talking about their
ministry, my ministry, they don't know about the ministry. You will never find any of the
apostles talking about my ministry. They always say T-H-E ministry. But they will, they'll threaten,
well, boy, your witness is over. They threaten with the loss of
ministry. Some of you have experienced
this. Some even, right here recently, they accuse you of being in a
cult. That's how they threaten. Yeah, you're in a cult. The blindness
and the ignorance of humanity in this world concerning the
truth of God. We're not a cult. We're preaching thus saith the
Lord. We're preaching what's been preached
by the church of God for 2,000 years and even beyond that in
many types and forms and symbols. And then sometimes just straight
out as we see here in Ezekiel with metaphorical language. The accuser, a fella told me
one time that I was a, what was that, a hard shell Campbellite. You know, I was like a primitive
Baptist Campbellite. How do you be one of them? They also threatened by pushing
upon men and women peer pressure. Peer pressure. And you know,
in the world in which we live right now, LUV is the top dog. Conformity is the top dog. We all, you've heard this recently,
if you've watched the TV, we all need to get along is the
top dog. And we cannot. We cannot. pure pressure. It's been said, sadly, I'm not
saying this happily or joyfully, you people talk about love but
you preach hate. Well let me tell you something,
God said I will judge between fat cattle and lean cattle. That's what he says, doesn't
he? The scripture speaks of the hate
of God, not in one isolated text like Romans 9, but all throughout
the book of God. So much so that even his people
were told by Christ, if you don't hate mother, father, brother,
sister, you ain't worthy of me. And this is not a hatred of malice
or self-righteousness, it's a hatred of priorities. Christ is first
and everything else is way down the line. It's not even second
or third, Mac. Christ is first and then all
the things about him come in second, third, fourth, fifth.
Everything else is way down the line. Here's the fourth thing, that
they just flat out lie about the truth. And yet we are declared
to be the pariah. Are we not? They don't have the
nerve to say, I don't believe what Walter preaches. They come
around and they want to threaten you. They want to mock you. They
want to jeer you. Just ain't got the nerve to say,
I just don't believe what that book says. Then they want to
take, as Peter said, they take the Holy Scripture, they take
the book of God, and they rest it. Like this. Twist it to their own designs. And Peter said they do so to
their own, what? Destruction. Now you either believe
the book of God and God means exactly what he says. Metaphorical
language often, yes. Symbols and types, yes. But still
God means exactly what he says. Whatever the reality is behind
the metaphor or a symbol must at least equal the metaphor or
the symbol or God nothing is a big exaggerator. And God don't
exaggerate. That's right. Exactly. They accuse
Vulcan. That's how they threat. on all
kinds of other various ways. They would try to do it politically. All kinds of ways. They try to
do it in a community. Make people feel like you're
on the outside. Well, let us always remember
we are on the outside. He has called us out of darkness
and translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. We're in a different
realm. That's right. Yes, sir. Christ
said, you're not greater than me. If they hated me, they'll
hate you. And he said, they hated me even
without a cause. Do you think they got to have
a cause to hate you? They have cause to hate us. We're
just like they are. By nature, we're just like they
are. That's why they really don't like us. Because they will say,
I'm just like you, apart from the grace of God. And then that's
where the thorn comes into the rug. No, but they shove and they
gore. Isn't that what this is using
here? He uses the illustration of sheep or cattle or any of
the cattle actually here, if we have it translated, shoving
and goring other people around and it's shoving and goring the
diseased. Can you take your place with the diseased? Oh no, but
I'm a fine, fit individual in God's sight. No, I'm diseased. And I've been scattered. I've
been scattered before. And let me tell you something,
if you can't take your place with the diseased, then you're
one of the fat cattle. You see, it's the fat cattle,
the big, bulky, hefty ones that are pushing all the lean ones
out of the way, not letting them to the good pasture, not letting
them to the cool mountain streams of God's truth. So they shove and they gore the
disease, they scatter them. In other words, they drive men
and women away from the truth. That's their intent. And we see
it all around us. All you have to do is just come
up with a little peep of truth and they'll start goring you.
They'll start shouldering and siding you. You'll see it. They feast on religious opinion
and human reasoning as fat cattle and they would shove those in
need of the truth to the side. He got one disease that says,
I need free reign and grace. I need something done for me
outside of me. And they said, don't work that
way. God only helps those that help themselves. Don't they teach
that out here? In so-called Christianity. These
are not the pagans that are saying that. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe
they are. Maybe we should call it like
it is. They are indeed the pagans. They are infidels. It is true,
Joe, it's a false faith. And false faith is of no value
no matter how long it lasts. Matter of fact, false faith just
adds to a man or a woman's condemnation. So again, I say they feast on
religious opinion and human reasoning as fat cattle, and they'd shove
those in need of the truth to the side. But God says, I will
judge. You know what he says? Therefore,
thus saith the Lord God unto them, behold, I, even I. And why that? Behold I, and then
if you look at it, I. Behold I, I. So that we know
God says, I will do this. I will judge between the fat
cattle and the lean cattle. And what does that mean? Because.
Some are shoving others away from God's truth. That's what
he's talking about. That's what Ezekiel is getting
at here under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. But God
says, I will judge. And God has decreed and announced. Now he could have just decreed
it and just, it kind of happened, but God didn't decree for it
to happen that way. He decreed and announced that
he will save his people. Isn't that what he says? Look
at it. Therefore will I save my flock. One, why? Because they
can't save themselves. We don't have more power than
them out there. We don't have more authority
than them out there. We just don't have it. We're
right, they got it, Neil. And that's the way God's ordained
it for this. You think God couldn't have just stopped all this way
back then and even now? That ain't the way God's ordained
it. He's ordained it this way because he's gonna be the one
that saves his people. It ain't gonna be his people saving themselves,
and it ain't gonna be the world saving them, it's gonna be him
saving them. You see? That's why God does
it this way, you know? Therefore will I save my flock
and there they shall be no more prey and I will judge between
now notice cattle and cattle And I will judge between cattle
and cattle Here's my title the Lord God and notice as I said
right there therefore thus saith verse 20 the Lord God All of
that's capitalized now. I'm not even going into that
Study that sometimes He says, behold, I, the Lord God. And
then what's the content? I will save. Isn't that what
this is saying? Everything's against his people, even themselves. They're diseased. I got nothing
in me to offer myself to God. I've got no great strength to
make it to the green pastures. By nature, I'd turn away from
them myself. I'd go ahead and feed on brush,
Mason, and sticks and twigs and briars. That's what I do by nature.
Plus, I'm diseased. Some of you know here what it
means to be diseased. You can't do nothing about it
yourself. Right? That's why we call it
a disease. It's not just a bad state of
mind. It's something that has invaded
you and you can't get rid of it by yourself. diseased, but
yet God says, I will save my people. And I'm going to judge
now between cattle and cattle. So God has decreed and announced
that he will save. In other words, he's made it
clear in his word. And he's made it clear through
sending out men with this message. I will save my people. We see
it. It's decreed, but remember, it's
always announced. Do you remember, I think it was
Paul that said, this thing wasn't done in a corner. You know, Earl used to mention
that something along this line, you know, there are no secret
disciples. You know, one or two out there
by themselves that refuse to fellowship with anybody else,
and I got my Bible and me and Jesus and got it all going on.
It don't work like that. It don't work like that. One reason it don't work like
that is because everybody else will be against you. They're going
to be shoving you, and pushing you, and goring you, trying to
get you away from the truth. Even after he saved you, they're
going to still try to do that. Give you one of these, won't
they? You've been going along and things seem to be doing fairly
well, and out of the blue, boy, they come in with a horn, or
a shoulder, or a side. Don't they? The Lord God will save. That's
the title of the message. Of course, that's the truth of
the gospel. The Lord God will save. This is the promise of
Christ's person and Christ's work and Christ's gospel. Let's
look at it. Four things I want to give you.
I would say briefly, but I don't know that it'll be that brief.
First of all, God put all his people on equal ground. Verse
22. Now I'm gonna judge between fat
cattle and lean cattle. He said that before. Why? Because
the fat cattle are shoving the disease and scattering them.
Therefore will I save my flock and they shall be no more prey
and I will judge between what now? Cattle and cattle. That
don't make no sense, does it? Yeah, it does if you know the
truth of God. What's he saying? I put all of my people on equal
ground. That's what he's saying. Now
where'd I get that from? This book. One thing you need
to understand is you come to my house and look at my library,
I don't have a lot of books. And I don't read a lot of books
other than this one. And I don't read it much as much
as I wish I could, should. And I don't say this to be mean,
but I'm not, you're not gonna hear me up here quoting what
Gil said this and so and so said that, because I ain't reading
them. Because I don't care what men say. What I want to know,
what's God talking about in this book? And you know what, you
have his spirit just as much as I do. God puts all his people on equal
grounds. Now I'm going to save my people
and I'll judge between cattle and cattle. And what's that?
Paul said it, Galatians chapter three. Let's see if this don't
ring a bell. Galatians chapter three. Verse 27, for as many, and that
means all. When it says for as many, you
see it? For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there's neither male
nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be
Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the
promise. Now there are a lot of distinctions
that God still makes between his people in our common practice
in our everyday lives. But when it comes to being in
Christ, when it comes to being saved by grace, when it comes
to being accepted of the Father, we're all on equal ground because
it's all in Christ Jesus. No one goes into glory. No one is accepted of God on
the coattails of another. As Joe said, it don't rub off
on you. You don't get it from another diseased sheep. You get
it from the shepherd. I used to hear this stuff all
the time years ago in religion. Well sheep bear sheep. Not in
God's ordination they don't. God bears sheep in God's ordination. See that's human reasoning. Well
sheep bear sheep, no. Sheep don't bear sheep. God says
I'm the one that's judging between cattle and cattle. And how does
he judge it? He says, judge us all as one
in Christ Jesus. Now, if God gives us the grace
and the faith to lay hold of that, then we can deal with everything
else that comes down the pike. Can we not? Our differences,
our separations, our maleness, our femaleness. You see what
I'm saying? Because we realize the proper
perspective of these things now. You see? If God tells a woman,
woman, you reverence your husband. You do so because God said so.
Not because he's a man, but because God said so. And if it says to
a husband, you love your wife, even as Christ loved the church.
And look what kind of state the church is in physically in this
world. And yet he loves us, Mason. And the husband does it, why?
Because Christ said so. To honor him is the thing. And
I remember what Tim James says, and I've never seen it that way. I knew that's what it was, but
the words God gave him, it says, husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ loved the church. It doesn't say, wives, you see
to it that he does that. He said, that's up to God to
make him do that. And it says, wives, you reverence,
and that's what it says, wives, you reverence your husbands.
But it doesn't say to the husband, you see to it that she does that.
Does it? That's God's business. That's
the shepherd's business to see to it that she does that. If
she don't, that's between him and her, not him and you, or
you and her. Right? That's the truth of scripture.
Because do we believe God's able to save? And to ordain for good
works or not? Or do we believe he has to have
our help? Now remember what kind of sheep we are. We're diseased
and scattered sheep. I will save. No, God has put
all his people on equal ground. Here's number two. God decrees
his son's responsibility for the salvation of his people.
Do you see it right here in Ezekiel? God decreed and announced that
his son would be responsible for the salvation of his people.
Look, the father set up the son as the one shepherd. Isn't that
what it says? And I will set up one shepherd
over them. Now, we believe that's gonna
happen or not. We believe that did happen now. Go to John chapter
10. You had to know I'd eventually
go there with this. You remember what our Lord said,
John chapter 10? Think about the father set up
the son as the one shepherd. John 10 verse 16. Another sheep
I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. You know, it's not about God's
sovereignty and human responsibility. No, you're right. It's about
the responsibility of Christ to save his people. Amen. Now, but look, look. Them also
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall
be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love
me. Now, think about this. Now, one Mason, didn't he love
him intrinsically? He was one. They're one. They're
one God. But he's saying as the servant,
as the son, being sent of the Father, therefore does my Father
love me. Why? Because I lay down my life
that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment. Now just stop right there. This
commandment. If the father says, I'll set
up one shepherd over them, that means that shepherd is responsible
for them. Christ come along and took the
responsibility verbally, didn't he? He said, it's up to me. It's
up to me. And then look, this commandment
have received to my father and immediately, look at what it
says. There was a division therefore among the Jews for these things
and it still happens today. All you got to say is God's responsible
for the salvation of a soul and people will start horning you,
goring you, and siding you and shouldering you. Now won't they?
All you got to do is deny human responsibility and lay all, or no, declare that
all the responsibility's been laid on the shepherd, and they'll
call you a heretic. They'll say you're a part of
a cult. But the one shepherd declared it himself when he got
here, did he not? And then look, and many of them
said, he hath a devil. That's the same thing they'll
say about you when you say that about him. And he's mad. Why do you listen to him? Others
said, these are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can
a devil open the eyes of the blind? But you know what? Blind
people don't mean squat to them when another blind person's eyes
have been opened when they're still blind. You know that? As a matter of fact, Joe, they
may become a little disturbed. Why aren't my eyes open? And
they're at that point that we're so corrupt, we don't even realize
our eyes are shut. We don't even realize how blind
we really are. We're truly blind. Not only that, the son shall
feed his sheep. Isn't that what Ezekiel said
that God said to do? He'll feed them. And then look
at what Christ said. John chapter 10 again, and look
at verse one. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber, but he
that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Now, is this, it's not coincidence that Ezekiel's talking about
this sheep, shepherd, one shepherd? To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name,
He leads them out. You see it? Who's doing all the
work here? The shepherd is. And when he
put forth his own sheep, he goes before them. That's why I says
we follow him, Joe. We don't push him along. Most of so-called professed Christianity,
they're trying to lead Jesus. They're not following him. And
when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the
voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto
them, but they understood not what things that they were, which
he spake unto them. Then said Jesus again to them,
truly, truly, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Now you cannot get any clearer
than that. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door, by me, not through me. And there's the difference
between free grace and free will. Free will says through Jesus,
free grace says by Jesus. And it's not just a choice of
words, it is the word. I am the door, by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall what? Go in and out
and find what? Pasture. They're gonna find it. Now there may be people shoving,
horning, goring, everything else, but God Almighty the Father said,
my shepherd, my one shepherd, I'm gonna set him up and he'll
feed them. God's people will find pasture. There's a third thing here. Remember
God decrees his son's responsibility for his people's salvation. The
son shall shepherd. That's a verb, right? Verbal
noun, whatever they call it. The son shall actually shepherd.
Look at what he says. Go on. The thief cometh not but
for to steal and to kill and to destroy. Isn't that kind of
what we say about shoving and pushing out of the way, right?
I am come that they might have life. and that they might have
it, what, more abundantly. I am the good shepherd, the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, but he that is a hireling,
and not the shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeeth the
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf
catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hiring flees because
he is a hiring, he doesn't care for the sheep, but I, I am the
good shepherd, I know my sheep, and am known of mine. In other
words, he will protect us from the wolves. Right? Now, if, Joe, if a wolf wants
to take a good chunk out of me, who do you think suffered that
to happen? The Good Shepherd did. If he
did, if he does, who suffered that to happen? He did, because
this servant is also, what he's going to send is his servant,
David. Now you know, he's not talking
about David the king, the son of Jesse. He talked about Jesus
Christ back there in Ezekiel. But you remember even the illustration
of David? A bear came and what did David
do? Killed it. Didn't the wolf come? Am I remembering
right? What did he do? He took care
of the sheep. The sheep was his responsibility, Joe. It wasn't
the sheep's responsibility to take care of themselves. It's
his responsibility. Just feed. Are you a sheepie? Just feed. Quit trying to save
yourself. Just feed. That's what he's ordained
for us to do. Feed. Feed. Feed alone, feed together, but
feed. Feed on providential experience
and feed on the word, but feed. feed on the glory and the knowledge
and understanding at least in some degree that He's the Almighty
Sovereign of heaven and earth and none can stay His hand or
say unto Him, what doest thou? He's taking care of us as He
sees fit. The Son shall shepherd, and this
is what he says, as the Father knoweth me, even so I know the
Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Now, if and since
we know he did do that, Roy Jr., he did, he laid down his life
for us as his sheep, how shall God not with him also freely
give us all things? If you don't have it, you didn't
need it. If you need it, you'll get it. in his good time. If you ever said, I need this,
and you need it right now, but you don't have it, you were wrong. You were just wrong. Did you ever have something and
God snatched it away and you said, but I have to have that? No, you don't. He'll show you,
you don't have to have that. He said, the cattle on a thousand
hills are mine. And he also said, we are accounted
as sheep for what? The slaughter. Somebody says,
why? Because he's gonna show I'm the
one that saves my sheep. I, even I. That lets me know,
Philip, it means nobody else is gonna do it. They can't do
it. The sheep can't do it. The enemies
of the truth certainly aren't going to do it. This world is not geared toward
trying to get us all to know God. I don't care what the History
Channel puts on. And Morgan Freeman. And look at it, God's people
are joined to God in the person of the Son. Now look at it. And
verse 24, and I, the Lord, will be their God. and my servant David, a prince
among them. Not a prince, notice, not over. Though we certainly have places
to say, Mason, that's certainly true, but he's not just a prince
over us, he's a prince where? Among. Isn't that something? Do you
think about that? Yes, he's over me, but he's also
among me. As a matter of fact, He is Christ
in me. The hope of glory. Did not Paul
say, the Spirit of God, His Spirit bears witness with our spirit
that we are the children of God. He sent His Son into our hearts.
We cry, Abba, Father! And that lets us know what? We're
heirs of God. And what? Joint heirs with Jesus
Christ. He's among His people. How often
I forget that. You know, I don't always, but
I often, Joe, remember he's over me. I don't, not always. There are times I think I even
lose sight of that. But Mason's over, I know he's
over me, but how often I forget that he's among me, you know?
We come here and we declare how He is over us. God bless, you
know, over all. God bless forever. Amen. And
rightfully so. But let us remember, He's the
one that came down and became us. Gave His life for us. Sent His Spirit into our hearts
where now we can cry out to God, Papa. Papa. Papa. And then I turn around
and think God's mad at me. If God's mad at me, I wouldn't
know him as I know him today. If God was mad at me, I could
not know him as he truly is. I could not know me as the diseased
sheep that I am. And let me tell you, that's the
two things that God teaches every one of his sheep, who he is and
who they are. They're diseased and he's the
Savior's shepherd. And that's where he begins with
all of us. Now there's a lot more to learn about him and about
ourselves. But that's where we all begin.
We begin to see him for who he is and we begin to see ourselves
for who we are. Here's number three. God has
swore this by unilateral, and I remember the first time I ever
heard that was from Earl Cochran, by unilateral covenant design. And I will make with them a covenant
of peace. He did not say it, we'll make
a covenant together. No, that's right. That's exactly
right. God said, I will make with them
a covenant of peace. And if you read what Paul said,
Hebrews chapter 6 verses 10 through 20. He said God means so much
To show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel
that he confirmed it by swearing on it In that way he's teaching
go back and read it God swear on it saying surely blessing
I will I will bless you and for everyone that has fled for refuge
fled to Jesus for refuge God says I did this for you You know that election thing
that scares me it ought to scare you But the election don't save
you Joe said it and it's the truth You're saved when the Shepherd
causes you to flee to him. I He said, we have fled for refuge. Who do I need refuge from? First
of all, right here. Right here. My own worst enemy
is me. But I also have enemies out here
too. Don't forget them, don't turn your eyes on them either,
because they'll shove you, they'll shoulder you, they'll gore you.
They will do their best to keep you away from the truth, and
it may seem to succeed at times. But he's the good shepherd. He's
looking out. Even, Neil, if you're caught
in the mouth of the lion, he'll come and rescue you out of the
mouth of the lion. He can determine whether the
lion even touches you, or if he gets a good bite on you, he'll
make him let go in his good time. Will he not? Yes, he will. He's sworn it by unilateral covenant
decree. And here's the fourth thing.
This cannot be separated from Christ's gospel. Now look, and
I will make with them a covenant of peace, and I will cause the
evil beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell safely
in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. Do we think this is
talking now? Maybe this is talking about the
thousand years, and we're gonna go out and camp out in the trees. Now folks, I'm a pre-millennialist.
I believe Christ will come back before the thousand year period
spoken of in the book. But all of this is symbolical,
metaphorical, okay? And look, and I will make, I
will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing.
And I will cause the shower to come down in his season. There
shall be showers of blessing. You wanted to hear Paul's words
about this peace? He said Jesus Christ came in Ephesians 2, look
at it, verses 11 through 22 sometime. He came and made peace. Right? But he also did what else about
peace? Come on, anybody know it? He
came and made peace, but what else did he do? He preached peace. You see, everyone for whom peace
was made, that same peace will be preached to them, and they'll
respond to it. They'll rest in it. They'll glory
in it. They'll believe it. They'll rejoice
in it. That's what Paul says about this
piece. Here's Paul's words about those showers of blessings. According
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.
And according to what? Blessed us with what? All. All spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ. You see, The things that I need,
they are mine in Christ. And yes, there is the election
there, but don't you ever forget there's also the redemption.
It follows that, does it not? Because the election wouldn't
mean anything apart from that redemption and forgiveness of
sins. And let me tell you, don't forget
the redemption of sin, the redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
What comes, what does Paul mention after that? Also, you heard the
good news and you believed it. That's who this is for. For God
so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever,
what? Believeth in Him. That's where
it's all finally zeroed down. That whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. Folks, we're sleeping right
in the middle of the woods. Wild beasts all around. All around,
are they not? And the only reason we're still
here, safe and sound today, because God Almighty's protecting us
from them. One of these days, he may loose
one or two of them, Joe, but that's his business, is it not?
Whether I die of old age in the wilderness, or whether a beast
grabs ahold of me and tears on me, that's his business. And
the showers shall come, what, down in its season. Right? In its season. It's not always
rain. and we best be glad. Because
we couldn't handle, it ain't that rain is ever bad, we just
couldn't handle all that rain all the time. We would probably
become so self-centered, so complacent, would we not? It comes down how? In its season. In its season. When you need it, God'll give
it to you. When I need it, God'll give it
to me. John sums up these evil beasts, these woods, and these
wilderness with this one. I want you to think about this.
1 John, he sums it up this way. 1 John chapter 4 and verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because
as He is, so are we. Is that where he stops? No, that
would be glorious, would it not? But look at what he says. Because as he is so are we where
in this world So Joe every bit of trouble that
came Christ's way was because God ordained it to come his way
For up for the purpose of glorified and honoring God was it not?
Every trouble that comes my way Mac is for the purpose and the
honor and the glory of God. Amen As He is, so are we. And that just hit me the other
day when I was studying. So are we in this world. So Ezekiel then would sum it
up this way. And the tree and the field shall
yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. Let
me tell you, every one of God's people gonna have the fruit God
ordained for them to have. Joe just read it to us. and they shall be safe in their
land. Now, they're safe where? In their land. Now, if you try
to sneak across the border, you may have trouble. Yeah, there
you go, Neil. You will have trouble. Sneak
across the border, try to straddle the line. No, you'll get hurt. You'll get a foot bit off. And
shall know that I am the Lord. See, that's why I say they're
gonna know it. It's not just they wake up one day and find,
oh, I'm one of the elect, I'm going to heaven now, or I'm in
heaven. They're going to know it while they're in the woods,
in the forest, you know? And they shall know that I am
the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered
them out of the hand of those that serve themselves of them.
They shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall
the beast of the land devour them, but they shall dwell safely
and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them
a plant of renown. And they shall be no more consumed
with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen
anymore. Thus shall they know that I,
the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, even the house
of Israel, are my people, saith, who is it again? The what? The
Lord God. And ye, my flock, the flock of
my pasture, are men. Ain't you glad he was talking
about men and women here? Huh? He wasn't talking about
some special group of creatures out here somewhere. He talking
about men. And ye my flock, the flock of my pastor are men. But
here's the glory, and I am your God. Why? Because he said he would
be. Christ has done and is doing everything it's going to take
to secure all of that. I am your God, saith what? The Lord God. And people say,
but you're a fatalist. Well, let me tell you, if this
is fatalism, I'll be that. Now, it's not fatalism. It's not whatever's going to
happen will happen even if it don't happen. I mean, that's
kind of stupid. And people say, well, if it's supposed to happen,
it'll happen. Well, of course, that's stupid
to say anything else. God Almighty is ordained, I'm
going to save my people. And no matter what we see with
physical eyes. So here's the problem. We look
at it with our physical sight. We approach these things often
with our physical emotions, and we can't see those things. Right? We look at it in circumstances,
and we don't see those things. Right? It's to see it by the
eye of faith. is to believe that God is doing
what he decreed he would do even when you can't see it around
you. I'm not waiting for the thousand years to come to experience
that. If that's not mine now, it won't
be mine in no thousand years. Because let me tell you something,
this time, the time between his first coming and his second coming
means more than anything else. Remember what I told you before?
All that's to happen in the future is meaningless apart from what's
happening between the first and second advent. See? Joe, if he didn't come and die
for me, all of that stuff out there when he comes back again
will be nothing but my condemnation. But whatever else, or whatever
all that other stuff is from the time he comes back again,
Philip, till he winds it up in the eternal state, that's all
for his glory and our good, if we're one of his sheep. Is it
not? I can't lay it all out, here's
when this happens, here's when that happens, but I'll tell you
what, here's when God saved his sheep, when Christ died on that
tree. And here's when you feed on him
as the shepherd, when he sends his gospel to you. He gives you
life by his spirit and he converts you by his gospel. You'll feed
on that for the rest of your life. And you'll be glad to have
it so. Father, teach us by these things. Comfort
us by these things in spite of our circumstances. In spite of
what we see around us and even more what we see yet within us
in our flesh. Comfort us by that truth. I ask
it in Christ's name.