Well, as I said, it's good to
be here. It's always good to gather with
the Lord's people, rejoice in our great Savior. And we have a Savior who shall not fail. Now through life we go through
things and we have failures, troubles, trials, And each week
we come here to worship our King, to worship our King, to worship
our mighty Lord. And as I said, this is an oasis.
This is an oasis for God's people to come here and hear about Christ. We're not here to hear about
what we can do to make our lives better, are we? Right? Because those of us who came
out of religion, we had enough of that. But we're here to hear
about our savior. We're here to hear about the
one who shall not fail. The one who is king of kings
and lord of lords. The one who brings great joy
to our hearts. We want to hear about him. We
want to hear about his grace. We want to hear about his mercy. And oh, oh, that the Holy Spirit
of God, every time the scriptures are preached, oh, that he would
illuminate them for us, that he would teach us. That's our
hope. We want to see Jesus. We want
to see Christ. And without him revealing him
to us, we would never know him. But oh, the joy it brings us
when we come in out of the world to meet together. and to hear
about Him. Turn with me, if you would, to
Isaiah chapter 42. And remember this, our God is
not at a distance, beloved. He's not at a distance. He's
in heaven, but our God is ever with us, comforting us, comforting
us, and sustaining us through this life. Isaiah chapter 42. verses 1 to 4. Behold my servant
whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have
put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. This is speaking of Christ. He shall not cry nor lift up
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. We're gonna see
in this morning's message where he just disappears into a multitude
of people. He just walks, he heals someone
and then he just goes into a multitude of people. He was just a, nothing
in him stood out on the outside. He looked just like any of us,
a human being, a man. But yet inside, he was God in
the flesh. God, the God-man mediator, walking
amongst men. A bruised reed shall he not break,
and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth
judgment unto truth. Look at this. Here's our text.
These four little words. We'll read the whole verse. He
shall not fail. He shall not fail. It's, I love that. I love these
little words, shall, all, he shall not. There's no question.
It's not a question of whether, you know, and we've talked about
this, where folks say, well, Christ made you savable. No,
no. He shall not fail. What he set
out to accomplish, to do, he shall not fail. He shall not
fail. See, our hope is not in our doing.
Our hope is in what he's done, what Christ what Christ has done.
He shall not fail. What a tremendous statement.
He shall not fail nor be discouraged. And think of all through his
life, all the the the the everyone who was in religion turned against
him, didn't. All the high ups in religion,
all the they all turned against him. Think of how we would be
discouraged if people treated us the way they treated Christ.
He was not discouraged. He was on a mission. He shall
not fail. He shall not fail. Till he have set judgment in
the earth, and the isles wait for his law. So what comfort
we have here, what comfort we have for the believer in Christ,
what comfort, that it is decreed by God that the Lord Jesus Christ
shall redeem his people from their sins, and he shall not
fail. He shall not fail. This was appointed and decreed
by God in eternity. And this is one of the many promises
that we as believers have in scripture. Second Peter 1.4 says
this, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises given unto us, that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is
in the world through lust. Now, God appointed a time when
Christ would come into this world, right? It was appointed by God
for Christ to come in at a certain time, and he came in at that
time. Turn with me, if you would, to
Galatians. He appointed the time, He appointed
the place where the Lord Jesus Christ would die for His people,
accomplishing their salvation. He appointed the time of His
birth. God appointed the time of His death. Look at Galatians
4, verses 4 and 5. God appointed the time when Christ
would come into this world. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman made under
the law. He's a man just like us. Human. To redeem them that were under
the law, there we are. There's his elect. To redeem,
to purchase them. And remember the promise in Isaiah
as we're reading this, he shall not fail. To purchase them, he
shall not fail. to redeem them that were under
the law that we might receive the adoption of sons adopted
by God. And in John 17, verse four, I'll
just read this, but if you want to turn there, you can, but I'll
read this. So he God appointed the time
when Christ would be born and he appointed the time of his
death to. All by appointment, all by decree of God, John 17,
verse four, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do. Finished the work. As one old commentator said,
weaving the perfect robe of righteousness for his people. Wonderful. How did he do that? By obeying the law in our place.
See, not only did he did he die a substitutionary death, he also
lived a substitutionary life. He did that which we could not
do. He fulfilled the law of God. For his people, he's sinless.
He's perfect. So what does this tell us when
he's finished the work and when he died on the cross, he cried,
it's finished. He finished it. Remember the promise? He shall
not fail. He shall not fail. And notice
how we're just receivers. He shall not fail. He had a work
to do. He must accomplish that. And
he shall not fail, beloved. Turn with me, if you would, to
Isaiah chapter 46. What God decrees, what God decrees
It shall come to pass. I was talking with a dear saint
this week and who's who's about to go through some things and
we were talking and you know we always get apprehensive and
we get anxious when when we either have to go through surgeries
or or whatever we have to do in life and I said isn't it comforting
to know that God You know, what's going to happen on one day? God
knows what's going to happen with you on the next day. So if you're going to go through
something on Wednesday, he knows your Thursday. Look at this in Isaiah 46 verses
9 to 11. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God. And there is none else. There's
none else. I am God, and there is none like
me. And look at this, beloved, declaring the end from the beginning. How does he know what our tomorrows
hold? Because he knows the end from the beginning. And this
is our God. This is the one who redeemed
his people from their sins. And he's not a distant God. I'll
never leave you nor forsake you, he said. Never. and from ancient times of things
that are not yet done. He's God, he already knows what's
gonna happen. Saying my counsel shall stand,
what he decrees shall stand. And no one's gonna change it. See, I often think in religion,
and I'm speaking, whenever I say that, guys, don't think I'm being
condescending because I came out of that. I came out of that. I'm not being condescending,
I often in awe wonder how I even thought like that. But that was
my natural mind thinking this way. And so please, if I come
across ever condescending, I don't mean to be that way. But I often
time when I was in religion, and as I look back now, I think,
boy, my God couldn't really do anything then. Unless I let him. But he wasn't really God. Because
the God of the Bible says this, in the end from the beginning
and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand, shall shall stand. There's a shell
again shall stand. It's not going to be thwarted
by man. It's not going to be moved by man. It shall stand. What
God decrees shall come to pass. It's marvelous. It gives us great
comfort because we know if we're safe, we're kept. And he will
keep his people, he will. And I'll do all my pleasure.
See, God does whatever he wills. Man speaks of his will. I remember
speaking of my free will before when I was in religion, but little
did I know my will was bound to my nature until God saved
me. But God does what, there's only
really one free will in the whole universe, and that's God. He
can do whatever he pleases. Whatever he pleases to do. He's
so far above us. And this is the one whose scripture
says, shall not fail. Shall not fail. God knows the
end from the beginning. Calling the ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country.
Yea, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
What God speaks will happen. We'll see that in the message
this morning. He said something to someone and it happens right
away. Also bring it the past I have
purposed it and I will also do it God has a purpose in the plan
to save his people from their sins and christ came into the
world and he did it He shall not fail. He redeemed his people
from their sins Oh, what a great god God already knows what's
going to happen to you and I tomorrow And if we tarry in this world
the next day and the next day and the next day and the next
day It's marvelous For however long this world continues
on, He knows what will happen in the tomorrows. He knows the end from the beginning.
And this, as I said, it brings the saints great comfort. Great
comfort. Great comfort for us. Him being delivered by the terminate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken Him by wicked
hands and crucified and slain. The crucifixion wasn't an accident.
It was purposed by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. Do you remember reading in scripture,
you read, Christ was on his way to the
cross. I always mention it to Brother John. Henry Mahan has
a magnificent sermon on this text. And he was on his way to
be crucified. He looked at those women and
he said, wait not for me. Why did you say that? He shall
not fail. He must redeem his people from
their sins, he must. Not for me. Yeah, I'm in Lord's
going to accomplish what he must do. Oh, it's marvelous. He is able to save to the uttermost
and come unto God by him, seeing the ever live it to make intercession
for them. In the word uttermost in Hebrews, that's in Hebrews
725. The word uttermost in Hebrews
means completely. Wherefore, he is also the same
to completely. Completely. Then that come on
to God by him. Oh, he came to save sinners,
he shall not fail, and he saves him. He saves him. He did all that we needed for
our salvation. And he did not fail. He did not
fail. So let's look at some points
quickly. Some points that we can see that he did not fail. Number one, he did not fail to
fulfill every type, picture, prophecy and promise recorded
in the Old Testament of him. He did not fail. The Old Testament
pictured and prophesied the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the Passover
lamb in Exodus. He's a scapegoat bearing away
our sins. He's the altar, he's the sacrifice,
and he's the mercy seat of God. He is prophet, he's priest, and
he's king of his people. The ark which Noah built pictured
Christ. All who were in the ark were
saved. all outside perished. Adam and Eve were clothed by
the death of another whose blood was shed to cover their nakedness.
We who believe are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and
cleansed because of his blood being shed on Calvary Street
for the remission of our sins. Without the shed and the blood,
there's no remission, no payment for sins. Christ is the seed
of the woman in Genesis 3. In Joshua 5, he appears as the
captain of the Lord's host. In Ruth, Boaz pictures Christ,
our kinsman redeemer. In Job, he is the redeemer who
is coming. In Psalms, he's our great shepherd. He's our shield. He's our strength. He's our rock. He's our deliverer. He delivers us from our sins.
And there are many, many, many more pictures and types and shadows
which all point to Christ. And the scriptures declare that
this is true. Turn with me if you would to
Luke chapter 24. And I'll read John 5, 39, which
says, Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have
eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. And remember,
when he said scriptures there, they only had the Old Testament. Search the scriptures, they testify
of me, he says. Luke 24 says this, starting in
verse 25 to 27. Then he said unto them, O fools,
and slow a heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
And as I said, remember, they only had the Old Testament at
this time, Luke 24, 25. And then 26 says, ought not Christ to
have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? So it
was prophesied that Christ must die for his people. Isaiah did
it in 53. It's all through the Old Testament.
And look at this beautiful. In beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in the scriptures all the
things concerning himself. I once talked to an older preacher,
older, wiser preacher, and said, oh, could you imagine being a
fly on the wall to hear that? And he says, we have it all right
here. I thought, oh, man, that's so true. Oh, goodness. So Christ did not
fail to fulfill all the Old Testament scriptures which spoke of him.
And he shall not fail, beloved. He shall not fail. He could not.
And he didn't. The second point is Isaiah 42,
21. It says this. The Lord is well
pleased for His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law
and make it honorable. He did not fail to honor and
magnify and exalt the holy law of God for His covenant people. The law of God must be satisfied
and must be honored. Christ fulfills the law in our
place. That which we could never do.
And he says this in Matthew 517. Think that I am not come to destroy
the law of the prophets. I am come not to destroy, but
to fulfill. To fulfill it. Now he's sinless. Oh, but he's fulfilling the law
for his people. Think of that. How amazing is
that? How amazing is the love of Christ that he would come
to earth and suffer what he suffered and die on a cross in the room
instead of his people? How amazing is the love of God
to his people? How amazing it is. He established
a perfect righteousness for his people. Perfect. There is no
flaws in it. And he did this for folks who
cannot fulfill the law. For sinners. He shall not fail. And He did all this for all of
us that are here. Think of this. For all of us
here who are believers, He did all this before we were even
born. It's magnificent. He shall not
fail. What mercy? Turn, if you would,
over to Isaiah 61, verse 10. He establishes perfect righteousness
and then he imputes it to his people. And may we rest, may we just
rest in the fact that he has established this. He did this.
He shall not fail. And he did not fail. He did not. Although we fail constantly,
he did not fail. Isaiah 61, verse 10. I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord my soul, shall be joyful in my God. Why? For he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness. As a bridegroom, decketh himself
with ornaments, as a bride adorneth herself with jewels. What mercy,
what mercy? He did not fail. And the last
point I'd like to look at is he did not fail to make a complete
atonement for the sins of his covenant people. In the everlasting covenant,
God gave him a people. And he redeemed them. And he
did not fail. He didn't fail. He didn't leave
anything up to us. Had nothing for us to do, is
it? He did it all. It's finished. That means it's ended, right?
Nothing to be added? And scripture declares. He shall not fail. He didn't
fail. He paid everything, every single
thing that God demanded. If you're a believer, every single
thing that God demanded for your sin. He paid it all. He did it. It's wonderful. What mercy? Can
we even can we even fathom the mercy of God in Christ that he
that he died in our room instead? And we often sing that song,
Jesus paid it all. But think of the debt of sin
each one of us owed before God's law and justice. Is it a wonder why we sing for
joy? He did it. He shall not fail. He did it
before we were even born. He shall not fail. Jesus Christ, the great savior
of sinners, has made complete atonement for the sins of his
people. Now, that does not give us a license right to walk out
the door and go crazy and do whatever we want, does it? No,
we're going to look at that earlier in the next message too. It's
the love of Christ that constrains us from sin. We're still sinners,
but we hate the sin. We hate how we used to be. We
don't want to be like that again. And it's His love that constrains
us. But remember this, beloved of God. He put away the sins
of His people by the sacrifice of Himself, and He did not fail.
He did not fail. Turn a few words over to Hebrews. Hebrews 9.26, and then put your
finger in Hebrews 2, and then we're closed with that. The sinless, spotless lamb of
God gives his life for for his people to to satisfy God's wrath
and justice in our place. Look at this in Hebrews 926.
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world.
But now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put
away. Put away. Brother John, I were
talking about the scapegoat, right? Off he went. Off he went to a place where he'd not be
seen to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He died on Calvary's
cross and he did not fail. And then over over to Hebrews
chapter two. Why did he do this? Why did he
do this for sinners like us? Because he is a faithful and
merciful high priest. Hebrews 217. Wherefore, in all
things that behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
he was he was man, he was God in the flesh, fully man and fully
God. He might be a merciful and faithful high priest and things
pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. What
a great God. And beloved, he didn't fail.
He didn't. He did. It's accomplished. Greater love hath no man than
this. Greater love hath no man than this, and the man lay down
his life for his friend. The good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep. The good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep as a sacrifice for their sins. And he did not
fail. He made full atonement. And here's
the good news. God is satisfied. He's satisfied
with the sacrifice of Christ. Let us rest, rest and repose
in our great Savior.