Well, we're continuing in Philippines
this week. But things are happening in the
world. Things grow ever more concerning. Increasingly, I find myself getting
angry with the news. I hear the talk of net zero,
and all the discussions at COP27, and the rantings of the Just
Stop Oil organization. and the broken economics of the
world in which we live and all the deceitful politics and the
agenda of big pharmaceutical industry dictating our healthcare
for immense profit and what we were told about COVID and the
things that they did to us with lockdowns and vaccines and masks
and all of these things and how untrustworthy is the mainstream
media and all of these things are inclined to make you, you
know, from the whole spectrum of humanity, but even amongst
believers. It makes you mad. It makes you angry. And then,
God's Spirit shines a text into your heart that enables you to
see through the lens of God's truth and his eternal purposes. And it calms all of that anger
concerning the things of this fallen world. The text in particular,
I was looking and I thought, well, I can't really find a message
I think's that relevant to us. It's just, the last part of chapter
two is about good ministry, and that is a good thing, and about
Paul's situation, yes, that's all very good. It shows it's
from a real person to real people in real situations. But then
we go on into chapter 3, which is so rich, and he says, finally,
because I think when he wrote it, he intended that this be
the final thing he was going to say. And he says, finally,
my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. in the situation
that you're in, then rejoice in the Lord. Nine times, I think
it is, in the Philippian epistle, Paul speaks of rejoicing. Now remember where he was. He
was under house arrest in Rome. It was in the final two years
of his life. He'd appealed to Caesar, and
he'd gone there, and for sure he was going to die at the hands
of Nero, I think it was. There was no question he was
going to die. He kept writing, I long to come and see you, but
he knew really that as time went on it was getting nearer to the
time that his race, his run on this earth would be finished,
and he'd been taken to glory, to be with Christ, which is far
better. Here he is in a terrible situation, facing certain death.
He could have complained of injustice, because it was undoubtedly unjust.
He'd done nothing worthy of death, as Felix and Agrippa both testified. He's done nothing worthy of death.
He could have campaigned for his freedom and got all of his
friends to write to people of influence to say this is severe. You know, Rome is meant to have
a good system of justice, an upright system of justice, but
look what's happening to Paul. This is totally wrong. You can
imagine it, can't you? The sort of documentaries that
would be on today. But rather, Rather than that,
he rests happy in God. He writes to the Philippians,
exhorting them. You know, we're talking about
1970 years ago, something like that. Exhorting them to rejoice
in the Lord, not to be dismayed. They had their difficulties.
They had their frustrations. They were frustrated regarding
Paul's situation. They were so grieved that he
was going to be put to death. But he says, rejoice in the Lord. And so God's Spirit applies to
His Word to us today. The same message comes through
to us today. However angry things appear to
make us in our flesh, we must rise above it and see what the
purpose of God is in all of this. Everybody, don't get me wrong,
everybody likes to be happy. Everybody likes to laugh. Don't think that we're too pious
to do that. I remember a meal at Doris and Henry Mahan's house
in Ashland, Kentucky, 31 years ago, and there were several friends.
round the table and what a lovely evening it was warm air drifting
through the window and the conversation and oh boy did we laugh we laughed
till our sides ached with all sorts of things it's good it's
good it's good that is very very good but contrast that with what
people in general seek happiness in, with what Christ's people
seek happiness in. You know, you look at the television
and you look at the things that seem to make people happy and
switch them on and you think, oh, how empty, how futile, how Unsatisfying. How, what broken
cisterns, trying to hold water and they can hold no water. Think
first of all of some of the things that the world seeks joy in. What does the world seek joy
in? People in general, people who are not believers, people
who do not seek the truth of God. What do they seek joy in?
They seek joy in possessions, don't they? Possessions? You
know what Jesus said in Luke chapter 12 and verse 15, it's
recorded there, he said, beware of covetousness, wanting things,
wanting possessions. He said, for a man's life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Oh, what
wise words. Are they not? A man's life doesn't
consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. You see
of people who win ridiculous amounts of money playing lotteries
and other gambling and other ways of becoming rich, And all
of this money they think is going to satisfy them, and it's going
to give them the happiest life, and all of their dreams will
come true. And the advertising is all around this, you must
play the lottery because all of your dreams will come true.
And then you read of them that it didn't satisfy. It was broken
cisterns. It held no water. The person's
life did not consist, they found, in the abundance of the things
which they possessed, or in the money that they got to buy the
possessions, or if not, with a big win, in a really good career,
to earn lots of money with which to buy possessions, and to live
where you want to live, in the kind of house you want to live
in, decorated and furnished and equipped to the standard you
want, and in liberty, liberty, oh how we rejoice the world,
in liberty to go where I want and when I want. In political
power, how many seek political power to do the things that they
want to do, under the guise of trying to do it for the good
of everybody in general? Oh, they want justice, don't
they? How many of these groups do you see pleading for justice? Justice? They don't know the
meaning of the word justice. Looking out for safety and health
in all things, to keep me comfortable, in experiences that will make
my life rich, in travel and entertainment, in comfort, in family, in friends. All of these things are the things
that the world seeks joy in. I'll tell you something else
it seeks joy in. And this is according to God's Word. It seeks
joy in freedom from God's Word. Look at Revelation chapter 11.
Revelation chapter 11. And verse 10, you see, the picture
is of the two witnesses of God, which I believe are the church
and its ministers, the people and the preachers, the two witnesses.
And they've preached powerfully against this sinful world. And
the power of the beast comes and They overcome the witnesses
and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie
in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom
and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And the people
and the kindred and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead
bodies to be put in graves. Is that not what it feels? It
certainly feels like that in the United Kingdom. that our society
is rejoicing over the fact that the gospel, that thing that restricted
freedom so much, oh we've done away with that, they that dwell
upon the earth, verse 10, shall rejoice over them. The fact that
the word of God is not being preached to them anymore. And
shall make merry, and shall send gifts to one another, because
these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
What did they torment them with? They tormented them with the
truth of God, the truth about the righteousness of God, and
the justice of God, and that God is angry with the wicked
every day. This is what they tormented them
with, but now they're lying dead in the street, and they're rejoicing
over them, and saying, that's what the world rejoices in, freedom,
freedom from God's Word. You see all of these things,
possessions and money and all of that, they seem so permanent
and yet we know they're so fleeting, they're so temporary. Paul writes
to the Corinthians, he says in verse 18 of chapter 4 of 2nd
Corinthians, we look not at the things which are seen, this stuff
all around us, solid stuff, but the things which are not seen,
not sensed with physical sense. For the things which are seen,
the things which are sensed with physical senses of sight, taste,
smell, hearing, are temporal, they're temporary, they're passing
away, they're not permanent. But the things which are not
seen, the things of the Spirit of God, these things are eternal,
these things go on. There was that man Jesus told
the parable. He'd had such a rich harvest that he pulled down his
barns and built much bigger in order to store all of his prosperity
so that he could have a good life and a long life forevermore. And God said to him, you fool,
this night your soul shall be required of you. Then who shall
these things be? You see, they're not permanent.
They're passing away. Things seem good to people. People
in general, look, there is a way that seems right to a man, says
Proverbs a couple of times, Proverbs 14 verse 12. A way that seems
right, but the end thereof is the way of death. That's the
end of it. What about you? And I'm not talking
to people in general, particularly believer. What about you? Do
you not like these things that bring joy to the flesh? I know
you do. You know that you do. Of course
we do. And there's nothing inherently wrong with these things that
bring joy to the flesh. Possessions, money, career, liberty,
safety, health, comfort, travel, family and friends. Paul said
in Romans 14 verse 4, he said, I'm convinced, I'm persuaded,
there's nothing unclean of itself. But if they take the place in
the affections that belongs to the Lord and to Him alone, then
that is a way of peril to the soul. That is peril to the soul. Life doesn't consist in the abundance
of the things that you possess. Paul says to the Philippians,
and by God's Word and His Spirit today, he says it to us. Don't
get angry with the situation for them, with Paul's situation,
with the injustice of the Roman Empire and what it was doing
to him, with the ill health of Epaphroditus who'd been their
pastor. No, don't get angry with those
things. Us, he says, don't get angry with the increasing evil
of the Revelation 13 kingdom of Satan and his beasts that
we're living in today. You read Revelation 13 again
and you see the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth,
And you look at the metaphorical language there, and there's all
sorts of symbolism, but it speaks of this evil world in which we
live, where there is no truth, where there is nothing other
than technological wizardry, but there is no truth. No, he
says, don't get mad with that. Don't get angry with that. Don't
get frustrated with that. Rather, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord in this situation. Why are believers exhorted to
rejoice? It's because of what we read
in Nehemiah chapter 8. I've got quite a lot of texts
this morning, but I think we can work our way through them.
You don't need to follow them all. But Nehemiah chapter 8.
And they'd all come together and they'd built a big pulpit
and the building of the walls of Jerusalem was completed and
the temple was completed. And Ezra the scribe stood up
on a pulpit of wood and they preached. They gave the sense
of the word of God. The people, when they heard the
Word, they were made to understand the reading, verse 8. And Nehemiah,
verse 9 of chapter 8, Nehemiah, which is the Tershatha, and Ezra
the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people,
said unto the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God.
Mourn not, nor weep. Why is he telling them not to
weep? For all the people wept when they heard the words of
the law. They heard God's word, and it cut them to the heart,
and they wept because of what they were before the goodness
and sovereignty and justice of God. But he said, Don't mourn
or weep. This day is holy. He said to
them, Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet,
enjoy the things of this life. Send portions to them for whom
nothing is prepared, for this day is holy unto the Lord. Neither
be ye sorry, now this is it, for the joy of the Lord is your
strength. Why are believers exhorted to
rejoice? Joy of the Lord is your strength. Rejoicing in the Lord
is your strength. Rejoicing in the Lord is your
life vigour. Joie de vivre. It's the thing
that ticks the box and makes you live and makes you go. Knowing
God is the thing. Knowing God. Psalm 16 verse 11
says this, Thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence
is fullness of joy. This world which seeks after
joy in everything other than the living God, God says to his
people, thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence
is fullness of joy. At thy right hand, at God's right
hand, there are pleasures for evermore. Contrast that with
the world's view. I have got seven reasons this
morning for believers to rejoice in the Lord. Seven reasons. You
can probably think of many others, and I'm sure others more skilled
than me can think of better applied ones, but here we go. Seven reasons
for believers to rejoice in the Lord. And the first one I have
is this. It's the very being of God, that there is a God in
a world that tries not to believe, that blinds itself to the truth
that is all around, the creation that screams that there is a
God all around. They did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, so they made up theories and silly, foolish
ideas that there is no God. But no, the being of God is the
foundational reason for rejoicing in God. Hebrews 11 verse 6, He
that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Do you diligently seek
Him? He rewards those who diligently seek Him. You see, as the old
catechism said, man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy
Him forever. Did you hear that? To glorify
God. Oh yes, that's a very religious
thing to do. No, to enjoy God forever. To enjoy Him forever. All my questions of life. of
consciousness, of my eternal destiny, they all find an answer
in God who is the very being of God. I rejoice in the fact
that all of my questions of life and consciousness and eternal
destiny find an answer in God. As Thomas said, looking at Christ,
the risen Christ, when the Spirit shined that light into his heart,
my Lord and my God. Here is my God, all to know Him. Materialistic rationalism can
never satisfy the soul of man. It can never satisfy. You know
they say, oh we're very happy with our theory of evolution.
Do you know that's a far bigger leap of blind faith than any
trust in God. It really is. Far bigger. Dumb
physical forces can't design and execute the multiple complexity
we see all around us. They can't. This is what they
claim. Blind, dumb physical forces produced
what we see of multiple complexity. They can't do it. But God did. But God did. How do you know?
How do you know? Hebrews 11 verse 2. Through faith. Through faith,
we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. And that truth is only given
to those whom the Holy Spirit chooses to give it to. The natural
man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They're
foolishness to him. Neither can he know them. Why? They're spiritually
discerned. So then, To possess God and to
know that I am possessed of Him is the number one reason for
rejoicing in the Lord. In Jeremiah and many other places,
32 verse 38, God speaks of, they shall be my people and I will
be their God. To know God, to know that I am
possessed of Him, to know that He is possessed of me by faith. You know, we often say that some
of the Arminian-type choruses or choruses sung in Arminian
circles are so light on doctrine. And there was one I remember
we used to sing, He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and He talks with me along life's narrow way.
You see, that's it. Actually, there's profound truth
in there. to know God, that He's my God. He walks with me and
He talks with me. Anyway, time is flying so we
must go on. The second one, and I'm going
to be very brief with these, the second one is God's sovereign
power. The reason to rejoice in God,
not only is there a God who we know and we possess, but he's
a God of sovereign power. Do you get frustrated with organizations
who sell you goods and services and then they fail to deliver?
They're impotent to deliver, they're unreliable in what they
do. Look what a heathen king said about the God of the universe,
about 2,600 years ago, I'm guessing now.
Yes, about that. About 2,600 years ago, something
like that. In Daniel chapter 4 and verse 35. Daniel chapter
4 and verse 35. Do you know who's speaking here?
Well, look at verse 34 at the start of it. At the end of the
days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and
mine understanding returned unto me. God had taken his understanding
away to teach him what he was. the most powerful man in the
world, was made like the cattle of the field, and he ate grass,
and his hair and his nails grew long, and his understanding returned,
and he blessed the Most High. And I praised and honored him
that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and
his kingdom, not mine, his kingdom, is from generation to generation.
Now listen to what he says about this God. This is a heathen king,
who I believe, came to know the truth of the living God. He said,
all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven. And among
the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, what doest thou? This is Nebuchadnezzar's testimony
concerning the sovereign power of God. Do you know that our
God is the same today? He changes not. He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever, and He is a cause of rejoicing. Here's the cause of rejoicing.
You see, our God will do all his will. Don't worry about this
world. Don't worry about the Revelation
13 kingdom of this world that we're in now. Don't worry about
the way in which he tries to suppress the truth of God. If
God before us, says Romans 8 31, if this God that Nebuchadnezzar
testified about before us, who or what can be against us? Who
or what can be against us? If God is on your side, there
is no higher or greater power. There is no bigger, bigger power. If He's for us, what can be against
us? Answer, absolutely nothing. For
whatever man might do to us, God will take his people to be
with him in eternal glory. And for that reason, a psalm
I often quote, it was the verse before Psalm 5 that we read at
the start, Psalm 4 verse 8, I will both lay me down in peace and
sleep for thou Lord only, make us me to dwell in safety. God
exists, but God is sovereign. Now here's a third one, a third
one. God's righteousness. This is
a reason for rejoicing. Rejoice in the Lord, why? Because
there is a righteous God in heaven. What you say, sinners rejoicing
in perfect holiness? Sinners rejoicing in a God who
is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity? Yes. In a world of
evil, in the Revelation 13 world of this kingdom of Satan on this
earth, There is a God who is righteous and perfectly holy. Since the fall, Satan has been
seeking to establish a worldwide utopia with no regard for God's
holiness and justice. That's the basis of the kingdom
of this world, the kingdom of Satan. But rejoice! There is
a standard of absolute purity, and that standard is God Himself.
He who dwells in unapproachable light is perfectly pure. There
is an absolute, unchanging standard of utter moral righteousness. 1 Timothy 6.16 says about God,
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can
approach unto, He is strictly just. We read that he is angry
with the wicked every day, that God must punish sin, that the
soul that sins, it shall die. In Exodus 34 and verse 7, we
read this about God. about his righteousness. Exodus
34 and verse 7. Well, the Lord passed by and
proclaimed the name of the Lord, and the Lord passed by before
Moses and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
for thousands, for giving iniquity and transgression and sin, and
that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children
unto the third and fourth generation. This is God who is holy. The
Lord will by no means clear the guilty. People lament the failure
of justice in our society. It gets worse. In the UK today,
you know, the policing, the application of laws, the making of laws has
become so corrupt and evil and so ineffective, but Rejoice in
this. God is just. God is unchanging. God is righteous and just. All
evil will be repaid with justice by God. What is it that he says? He says not for us to get angry
about it and take vengeance. He says vengeance is mine. I
will repay, says the Lord. So that was the third one, God's
righteousness. And you might say, well, that
leaves me worried because I know I'm not righteous, and that's
true. But number four, why should I rejoice in the Lord? Because
he is a God of grace and mercy and love. That's what we just
read in Exodus 34. He's a God of grace and mercy
and love, forgiving sins. He delights in mercy. We rejoice
in God's justice, that there is a God of justice, an absolute
standard. But you know that you're guilty
and deserving of hell apart from the fact that He is declared. He is a God of grace and of mercy
and love. He is, as Isaiah 45, 21 says,
He is a just God and a Savior. And that is echoed in Romans
3, 26. He is the just and the justifier of him who believes
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He doesn't corrupt His perfect
justice in any way in saving sinners from their sins by the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He delights in mercy. I'd like
you to turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and the first six verses of
Ephesians chapter 2, just for a moment, to show that here we
have a God who is a God of grace and mercy and love, and why we
should delight, rejoice in the Lord. You, hath he quickened,
you believer, If you're believing in him, hearing what Paul says
here, you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. That killed your relationship
with God. It never was. It was killed at
the fall, dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past
you walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air. Who's that? That's Satan. the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Believer,
is that not your testimony? That's what you were, that's
what in the flesh you are, that's what you remain, you're not getting
better in the flesh, that's what you are. But God, But God, who
is rich in mercy, why is he rich in mercy? For his great love,
wherewith he loved us. When did he love us? When did
he start loving us? I have loved you, he says through Jeremiah
to his people, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Was
there ever a time, well, eternity is outside of time, but was there
ever a time when God did not love his people with a love so
strong that he would save them from their sins? No, of course
not. He loved us with this great love. Even when, when, when did
he love us in this way? When we became good, when we
decided to follow him? No! when we were dead in sins. He's quickened us together with
Christ. He's made us alive as He raised
Christ from the dead, so has He raised His people from the
dead in Him. By whose grace? By the grace
of Christ you are saved. You are saved by what He did.
For the justice of God is maintained, is established, is confirmed
and not violated in any way. And He has raised us up together
with Christ, and made us sit together with Christ in heavenly
places, in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. Do you see the blessing that
there is in him? He delights in mercy, in saving
sinners who justly deserve hell. His great love wherewith he loved
us. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. How can a holy
God be for us? You know, if God be for us, Who
can be against us? How can a holy God be for us? How can He love that which He
can't abide? You know, we're sin. In our flesh,
we're altogether sin. He's a purer eyes than to behold
iniquity. He cannot look upon sin. Never
mind condone it and sweep it under the carpet. It must deserve
its just punishment. How can he be gracious without
violating holiness and justice? Here's the fifth point. Here's
the fifth reason I have for rejoicing in Christ Jesus. The fifth reason
is this, the effectual salvation that he accomplished. And I want
you to turn again to Romans chapter 3 and verse 19. We'll read down
to verse 26. But this is why, this is the
reason for rejoicing. How is it that God's grace, mercy,
and love can be applied to us? Because effectual salvation has
been accomplished. Now we know, says Paul to the
Romans in verse 19 of chapter three, that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law. This is
the perfect righteousness and justice of God. that every mouth
may be stopped. We've got no excuse. We've got
nothing that we can plead in our favor. And all the world
become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, the things that I try to do, shall no flesh be justified
in His sight, whatever I try to do. For by the law, this is
what it's for, is the knowledge of sin. The law makes it clear,
if it was ever unclear, that sin is a reality and that God
must punish it. But now, The righteousness of
God without law is manifested. Being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, it's not as if it's a new thing, because all
throughout the law and the prophets, the Old Testament, this righteousness
of God without the law is manifested. You say, what's all the Old Testament
sacrifices and animal sacrifices and priesthood and all that for?
It's to show how God redeems his people from the curse of
the law in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the pattern, it's the blueprint
for that which Christ accomplished. Verse 22, even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith, listen, of Jesus Christ. The righteousness
of God is not by your faith in Jesus Christ. The righteousness
of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ. that which he accomplished
faithfully, and to all and upon all them that believe. For there
is no difference. It's by faith that we apprehend
it, that we grasp it, that we capture it. but it's the faith
of Jesus Christ that accomplishes it. All his people have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, but they're all freely justified
by his grace, through the redemption, the payment of the penalty that
is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation,
a turning away of anger, as soothing the anger of God against sin
through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for
the remission of sins that are past, the sins under the old
covenant, according to the law, the sins of which were condemned
according to the law, through the forbearance of God. To declare,
I say, at this time, His righteousness that he, here it is again, reflecting
Isaiah 45, 21, that he might be just and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus. In Christ, infinite God made
man, Christ, that's who he is, he's infinite God made man, God
contracted to a span, though he was equal with God, thought
it not robbery, He thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, as we read in Philippians chapter
2. In him God's justice is perfectly
maintained. The sin of his people receives
its just wages. It is paid for. Chosen sinners
are made the righteousness of God in Christ. They're fitted
for the kingdom of God. He has made us meat for the kingdom
of God. And therefore, this is a cause
of rejoicing, is it not? The supreme cause of rejoicing.
Rejoice greatly. Rejoice greatly. That's what
Zechariah prophesied of Christ coming riding on the ass and
the colt of an ass into Jerusalem. Rejoice greatly, behold your
king comes to you, meek and lowly and riding upon an ass. He's
bringing good tidings of great joy, of sin paid for. When he
was born, the angel appeared to the shepherds and said, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this
day in the city of David, Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be the sign unto you. And the swaddling clothes
and all of that. Go and have a look. And then
all of a sudden, there appeared with that angel a multitude of
the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Is that
not a reason to rejoice in the Lord? He accomplished it, why? For the joy that was set before
Him. He did it for the joy set before Him. In Revelation chapter
12 and verse 9, here we read about Him coming down to earth
and then accomplishing His purpose, and then the result of that in
heaven was this, verse 9, The great dragon was cast out, that
old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world. He was cast out into the earth,
and his angels were cast out with him. You wonder why the
place is like it is today? That's why. And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength,
and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For
the accuser of our brethren, that's Satan, is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night, and said they weren't
fit to be in heaven, but now Christ has accomplished it. And
they overcame him. Those who He accused, they overcame
Him. How did they overcome Him? Did they fight against this wicked
world? No, they did it by the blood of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony. And they loved not their lives
unto death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens. He shall not fail,
it says in Isaiah 42. And He did not fail. Rejoice! Rejoice! Jesus said to the disciples,
don't rejoice because the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice because
your names are written in heaven. The deed is done. The covenant
is made. The guarantee is there. What
He has done has guaranteed your place in heaven. Who shall question
your right to go there? Who shall bring any charge to
God's elect? Paul asks that question in Romans
8. Christ has died. No one can. Satan can't. None
of his demons can. Your passage to heaven has been
paid in full. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. And then we'll close very quickly. Number six, God's benign thoughts. And I know I read this out very
often, but Jeremiah chapter 29. Where have I put that one? Jeremiah chapter 29. Hold on.
I'll just turn over to it. But he says this, I could almost
remember it without looking it up. Jeremiah 29, God says this
to his people. Jeremiah 29, verse 11, that's
it. For I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, saith the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not
of evil to give you an expected end. This God, who exists, who
is sovereign, who is the absolute standard of righteousness, who
is a God of mercy, grace, and love, who has accomplished effectual
salvation for his people. Oh, how high and holy and mighty
is this God. And yet, he says to you, if you
believe him. Do you believe him? He says this
to you. This God, who is so distant and
vast above the limits of the universe, He says, I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. Maybe you acknowledge God
as creator, as distant, as the one responsible for intelligent
design that we see all around us, but this is personal. Almighty
God intends eternal good for you, believer. You, little you,
little me. Individually, this vast God intends
eternal good for you. Whatever evil happens in this
world, God Supreme cares for you. As Peter wrote, 1 Peter
5, verse 7, he says to his people, cast all your care upon him. Why? You, believer, cast all
of your worries upon God. Why? because He cares for you. And then finally, number seven,
safekeeping in Him. This is going to be very quick,
because I think it's so self-explanatory. Do you remember the first verse
that we looked at in Philippians for a message? It was Philippians
chapter 1 and verse 6. Being confident of this very
thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ. He'll keep you safe to the very
end. God never leaves unfinished something
he intends to complete. We are completely unreliable.
I can't depend on myself, can you? But he is utterly dependable. You know what he said Jesus said
this in John chapter 10 and verse 20. He said, My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them
eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. Nobody's going to take them from
God. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my
Father are one. God will not let anybody take
any power, of Satan or of hell, he will not let any of that take
any of his people out of his hand. There it is, safekeeping
in him. No doubt, there are many more
than seven reasons. And others might be able to find
them. But how much more abiding, soul-satisfying,
comforting, soothing is that child of God versus the world's
evil, this world's evil, and the things that this world seeks
after. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. He said
finally, but it won't be grievous to repeat some things. And we'll
go on to that next time. Amen.