Open your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 89. We'll be reading one verse in Psalm 89. It'll be verse 18. One verse, Psalm 18. The scripture proclaims this about our great God. And what a wonderful comfort this can be, this verse, for God's people. It'd be good for us to burn it into our hearts and to remember this verse daily. Here is what the scripture says in Psalm 89 verse 18. For the Lord, that's Jehovah, for the Lord is our defense, and the Holy One of Israel is our King. Marvel at this verse, beloved. It tells us that God is our defender, that God is our King. We shall not fear what man can do to us, because God is our King. And so let we, beloved of God, who are the redeemed of the Lord, born again by the Holy Spirit of God, as the Lord has given to his people a great defender. Look at this, marvel, rejoice. God himself, the Father, has given to us God the Son, who is our defender and our King. And he wasn't just king when he came to this earth. No, beloved, he was king of kings and lord of lords before he even came to this world. He came into this world born of a woman, perfect, sinless, spotless, lived a perfect life for his people, shed his blood to redeem his people from all their sins. And because he led that perfect life, We are clothed in His perfect righteousness, so we're saved by His blood and righteousness, beloved. And then He was buried, and on the third day He rose again. The King rose! Oh my, where is He right now? Well, He's seated at the right hand of the Father, right now. And we have a King! We have a Defender. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh my! My! And he's a great defender who has confronted and destroyed all our enemies. Think of it, the enemy of death is gone. We're gonna die in the flesh. Everyone's going to. But we who are the redeemed, when we die, the sting of death is gone. We go to glory to be with the Lord forever because he purchased us with his precious blood. It's wonderful. And he's our defender. No matter what comes against us in this world, he watches over us. He's our defender. Do you remember in the old times, the armies would have a champion, a champion, and they would go forth sometimes so the armies wouldn't fight. The champions would go forth and fight so that the armies wouldn't have to fight. Our champion has defeated all our enemies, beloved. He's defeated our sin, right? He subdued the wrath of God against us. He purchased us with His precious blood. The law that has claimed upon us has been fulfilled in our room and place by the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, and think of this. The Lord Jesus Christ is our appointed defender. Who appointed Him? God Himself. God the Father appointed God the Son to be the defender and the King of His people. Sinner friend, behold the Lord Jesus Christ. Redeemed of the Lord, behold, the Lord Jesus Christ. God says, whom I uphold, mine elect. See, we're all chosen in Christ. Oh, my. Mine elect, and whom my soul delighteth. God delights in Christ, beloved. And therefore, he delights in all who are in Christ. Isn't that wonderful? Oh, it's wonderful. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42, 1. Oh, my. You know, we do not yet see the complete destruction and triumph of the last enemy, which is death. Yet we have been given an abiding hope, beloved. What a hope we have in Christ. What a hope. We have an abiding hope in the certainty of Christ's triumph. In the certainty of Christ's triumph over even this formable foe, death. He defeated death, beloved. Oh, my. Why? for his people. And you know how we know he defeated death? He's risen. He's risen from the grave. He's risen, beloved, from the dead. And he became the first fruits of them that sleep, i.e., that abide in physical death awaiting the day of resurrection. Therefore, we don't sorrow. No, we don't sorrow as as those who do not have hope what a hope we have in christ for when we die Our bodies will go into the ground and our soul will go back up to the lord Oh my and we'll be with him forever. And then when he comes back Then we'll get our glorified bodies beloved. Oh My it'll be wonderful and think of this beloved of god beloved of the lord jesus christ The Lord Jesus Christ has gladly taken up the mantle as our champion, as our champion from the beginning. It says of him going to the crucifixion that he went to the crucifixion for the joy that was set before him. Why? He's redeeming his people from all their sins. He did it joyfully. Oh my, what pain and agony he suffered, but yet he did it joyfully to save his people from their sins. Now that's, that's a king. That's a king like no other king. This king, the king of glory, gives his life for his people. Never heard of an earthly king doing that, have you? No, but this king. This is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Listen to this. I have laid help upon one, capital one, that is mighty. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's mighty to save. He's mighty to save anyone who comes to him, anyone who comes to him. He comes to God through him. He'll not turn one away. He never has. I have laid help upon one that is mighty. I have exalted one, again, capital chosen out of the people. That's Christ. Christ is 100% man and 100% God. He's God incarnated in the flesh. He's the God-man. My. I have found David my servant, i.e., he who is the seed of David. Christ is the seed of David. With my holy oil have I anointed him, with whom my hand shall be established, mine arm also shall strengthen him. God strengthens our champion. While he was on this earth, God strengthens our champion. Oh my. The enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him. Psalm 89 verses 19 to 23. And then, God's defense of his people. Do you know that God's defense of we who are his people, and even those lost sheep out there who do not know Christ yet, but who he will save, God's defense of his people is complete and sure. Isn't that wonderful? Listen to this scripture. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? This is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ as our defender. If God before us, who can be against us? Let people say whatever they want. I had some fellow today, this week, call me a false prophet. I said to him, I said, you're wrong. You're wrong. He said, oh, you're a false prophet. And he must have said it 15 times. And then I said to him today, I saw him again today, and I said, you going to apologize for calling me that? I got nothing to apologize. That's a religious Pharisee, beloved. And this is a religious man. And you know why he hates what I preach? Because I preach the sovereign grace of God in Christ alone, through Christ alone. That's why. I preached that it's not a man's works, but it's all of grace. If you're ever saved, it's all of grace. And he absolutely hates that. And this is a man who professes to know Christ. Oh, my. I said, I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid for you. And then he said, well, you're going to go into condemnation. No, I won't. You know why? Because if God be for us, who can be against us? No one. Oh my, isn't this wonderful? He that spared not his own son. See, God the Father didn't spare Christ. He sent him to die. What mercy, what love, what grace God has for his people that he sent his only son to die in our room and place. The sinless one dying for sinners. Oh, is there greater love than this? No, the world's never seen greater love than this, beloved. My, Oh, 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? Who shall lay any charge to God's elect? See, that guy said, well, you're a false preacher. Who will bring any charge to God's elect? I'm saved by God. I'm saved by grace. I'm saved by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Say whatever you want. I'm going to keep preaching the gospel. I'm gonna keep preaching Christ as the only savior of sinners. As the only savior of sinners. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's life? It is God that justifies. Hallelujah. We've been justified by God himself. God himself has justified those for whom Christ died for. My, therefore, if God, who's almighty, who's above all things, if he's justified us, who can bring any charge against us? No one, no one, oh my. And since we've been given eyes to see God's defense of his people, which is Christ, the word of God incarnate, we now gladly own him as our king, don't we? Because he's our defender, because he saved us from our sins, we gladly own him. He's my king, he's my lord, he's my savior. My, he's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. Isn't that wonderful, beloved? We worship Him, and we bow before Him. It is God and God alone who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and has brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. The gospel is the good news for sinners that Christ died for sinners. The problem is you can't find sinners anymore. People won't admit they're sinners. But I'll tell you what, if God ever gets a hold of you, you're going to call out and say, I'm a sinner and I need to be saved. You're going to see yourself full of sin. And that's how I see myself right now, even as a saved man. But praise God, all my sins have been forgiven. Is it so for you? If it's not, cast yourself upon Christ. Cry out to Him. Say, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. That's what we've done as God's people. That's all we've done. We just look to the crucified one. We look to his blood and righteousness. He's the only Savior of sinners. Listen to this. For the Lord is our judge. That Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. Isaiah 33, 22. I'm going to read that again. That's a wonderful verse. Listen to this. For the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. And he has, beloved. Praise his mighty name. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was king before he was sent into this world to save us from our sins. He was king when he came into this world to save us from our sins. And he's king evermore. He rose from the grave, and he's king of kings and Lord of lords, seated on the right hand of the Father right now, interceding for his people. Isn't that wonderful? He's our defender. Even in glory, he's our defender. He's our king. My! The scriptures declare of Christ that he is king and the son of God. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree the Lord has said unto me. For thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. and the outermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Psalm chapter two, verses six to nine. Oh my, isn't it amazing that the body of Christ, the elect of God are made of Jews and Gentiles. Oh my. And it is the Almighty. Remember who saved us. Remember who's our king. Remember who's our defender. It is the Almighty. The Almighty Son of God. The word of God, the scripture says in John chapter one, who came to save his people from their sins. How? Through his blood and righteousness. Oh my, therefore what a privilege. What a privilege it is given to the sons of God to behold him. For we who are God's people called the sons of God, for us to behold him as king, to behold him as a reigning king. clothed in his majesty, and it is he who is the Redeemer of his people, the Savior of his people. And I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat on it with a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he came forth conquering them to conquer Revelation 6 too." That's Christ. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever. There's our King, beloved. We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and was and art to come, because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power and has reigned. Revelation 11, verses 15 to 17. This is the one who is mighty to save. The Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, the Messiah sent by God to save his people from their sin. This is the believer's king. This is the believer's defender. Praise his mighty name. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, and He saves His people from all their sins. He's already done it through His blood and righteousness 2,000 years ago. Cast yourself upon Him. He's the only one who can save sinners, the only one, because He's God. He's God incarnate in the flesh. Amen and amen.