Turn back to Acts chapter 7.
While you're turning there, we will not have services this Wednesday
night. Tonight, I'm going to try to
preach on long-suffering and forbearance. The Harry's, Paul and Kelly,
are going to have a cookout this Friday at 3.30, and everybody's
invited. Peggy Moore's dad died yesterday,
and everybody remembered that family. We don't have the funeral
arrangements yet, but you'll be emailed as soon as we find
out. Look back in Acts chapter 7. The last part of verse 45 and
the first part of verse 46, we read, the days of David who
found favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the
God of Jacob. I've entitled this message, David
found favor before God. Now the word favor in our text
is the word that is usually translated grace. David found grace in the
eyes of the Lord. David found favor. David found grace before God. We could just as easily translate
Ephesians 2.8, by grace are you saved. We could translate that
by favor are you saved. Now I am interested in having
God's favor. I want God's favor. Don't you? I greatly desire to
have God's favor. And if you and I have God's favor,
we'll have it the same way David did. David found favor before
God. Oh, I want it to be said, Todd
found favor before God. And everybody in here, I hope
this is your desire that you will find favor, grace before
God. Now, as far as the sons of Adam
go, and that is everybody except the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
the son of Mary, who is the son of God. I'm just talking about
all the sons of Adam in the scriptures. Other than Abraham, I would think
David is the most significant figure in the scriptures as far
as men go, sons of Adam. After all, Christ is called what? The son of David. Son of David, have mercy upon
me. Christ came through the line
of David and his name means beloved. And one of the things I love
about David is he gives us so many beautiful types of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I think of David and Goliath.
What a type of the gospel. If David wins, which there wasn't
any doubt that he was going to, it wasn't up in the air, maybe
Goliath would defeat him. No, God's hand was on David. David killed a lion and a bear
with his bare hands, according to the scripture. Supernatural
power came upon him and he wasn't going to have a hard time with
Goliath. If David wins, you know who else wins? All of Israel. What a beautiful type of the
gospel, David, our great savior. Now, with regard to David, many
of David's sins and flaws are recorded in the scripture. And
there's a reason for that. David, like you and I, was a
sinful man. There are many instances regarding
his sexual sin. He committed murder, cold-blooded,
premeditated murder. He was guilty of a terrible abuse
of power. He had anger issues. He was vengeful. He was proud. In many instances,
he played the hypocrite. You can read much about that
in his life. His last sin recorded was his
pride in numbering the people and 70,000 people died as a result
of his sin. He could be deceitful. He could
be fearful. He could be unbelieving. Sound
like anybody you know? How often in the Psalms does
he write down exactly what you and I feel? And he expresses
it better than we can. David, the sweet Psalmist of
Israel. I love his last words in 2 Samuel
23 5. These be the last words of David. Although my house be not so with
God. Israel was a mess. His own home
was a great mess. You know, it's even his kids
gave him so much trouble. He had all these multiplied wives.
I believe Abigail was a believer. I'm not sure about the rest of
them. I guess Bathsheba was, but he had so much trouble in
his home. His kids were rebels. Although
my house, me not so with God, it was a mess. And I have no
doubt he was talking about this house. Although my house be not
so with God. And every believer knows what
he means when he says that. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. Ordered in all things and sure And this is all my salvation. This covenant ordered in all
things ensure this is all my salvation and it's all my desire. I don't even wish for anything
else. And then he ends with this curious statement, although he
make it not to grow. Now, what did he mean by that?
Although he make it not to grow. Well, I know this, all my salvation's
in that covenant. It doesn't get any better than
that. There's nothing to grow in. It's perfect. And I think he's also speaking
of his own experience. He's saying, this is all my salvation. I sure don't feel good about
myself and what I am in and of myself. Although he make it not
to grow, but He found favor or grace with God, and these flaws
and sins are a reminder to us that salvation really is by grace. It had to be that way with David,
and it has to be that way with me and you. Now, someone could
think, and I know people have thought, perhaps you've even
thought it, how could a real believer commit such sins? If you think that, you're blind
to yourself. You're blind to yourself. Yes,
David committed these great sins and there's no excuse for them.
But I'm thankful for the honesty of scriptures and pointing out
the flaws of this man. And yet this man is called by
God a man. after mine own heart. Says that in both the Old Testament
and the New Testament. A man whose heart beats with
mine. A man who, what's important to
me, that's what's important to him. It has something to do with
having the mind of Christ. David, what a special man. I'm so thankful for him. Now, he It's first mentioned
in the book of Ruth, David was the great grandson of Boaz and
Ruth, and God spake of him and his kingship before he was ever
made king. Would you turn with me for a
moment to 1 Samuel 13? David found favor before God. Now this was after Saul had offered
a sacrifice without a priest. And because of this, his kingdom
and his kingship was taken away by the Lord. Do you see, that's
an act of presumption to think that I can come into God's presence
apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. That's exactly what Saul was
doing. And Saul tells him, you've blown it. You're in trouble. You're going to lose your position
as king. And then he says in verse 13,
and Samuel said to Saul, thou hast done foolishly. Thou hast
not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded
thee. For now would the Lord have established thy kingdom
upon Israel forever. But now thy kingdom should not
continue, because he offered a sacrifice without a priest.
He failed to wait for Samuel to offer it. Samuel was the priest.
And that represents, remember, don't miss this. At all times,
the only way I can come into God's presence is through my
great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. And God will not speak
to nor be spoken to apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's
what these Old Testament priests represented. And Saul thought,
well, I can come in to God's presence without a priest and
I can offer up a sacrifice. Well, we see what God thinks
of that because he loses his kingdom over that. Now verse
14, but now thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought
him a man after his own heart. Now I can't think of a greater
commendation that a man after his own heart And the Lord had
commanded him to be captain over his people because thou has not
kept that which the Lord commanded thee. Now, David didn't know
anything about this at the time, but turn to first Samuel chapter
16. Now this is after Saul had been
rejected and it bothered Samuel. Samuel loves Saul. Now look in
verse one. And the Lord Said unto Samuel,
how long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected
him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and
go, and I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have
provided me a king among your sons. I love this. David is the
king of God's providing. The children of Israel, they
liked Saul because he was tall and good looking. Surely he's
going to be a great king, but he was rejected by the Lord.
And the Lord said, I've provided this king. Let's go and read. Samuel said, well, how can I
go? If Saul hear it, he'll kill me. And the Lord said, take an
heifer with thee and say, I'm come to sacrifice to the Lord
and call Jesse to the sacrifice. That was David's father. And
I'll show thee what thou shall do. And thou shalt anoint unto
me, him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the
Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled
at his coming, and said, comest thou peaceably? And he said,
peaceably. I am come to sacrifice unto the
Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come
with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his
sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass,
when they had come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, surely the
Lord's anointed is before him. Now he looked at Eliab, and Eliab
big and strong and good looking and surely this fellow will be
the one who God will anoint king. Samuel was sure of it. But the
Lord said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance or on the
height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not as man
seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance. but the Lord
looketh upon the heart. You see, David was given a heart
that the Lord was pleased with. Then called, then Jesse called
Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, neither
hath the Lord chosen this. The Lord hadn't chosen him. Then
Jesse made Shammah to pass by and he said, neither hath the
Lord chosen this. And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before
Samuel, and Samuel said unto Jesse, the Lord hath not chosen
these. Now, Jesse was sure of one thing. He wouldn't be David.
He was sure of that. He didn't even have David come
to the sacrifice. He had his other seven sons come,
but there are two things the Lord says of these seven sons.
The Lord has refused them, and the Lord hadn't chosen them.
That's the language. The Lord refused him. Because God is holy. And whatever
he does is right. Whatever he does is just. Whatever
he does is true. Now, I can't explain everything
the Lord does. I don't feel any need to. Whatever
he does is right. Whatever he does is just. Whatever he does
is true. But I know this about David's brothers. The Lord looked
on their heart, and he refused them. You see, the scripture
says, this scripture from Romans 9, 11, for the children being
not yet born. It's talking about two brothers.
to the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." As it's
written, Jacob, one of the brothers, have I loved. And Esau, the other
brother, have I hated. And that's God speaking. And
these other brothers were Esau's. Now somebody says, well, how
can he hate Esau? That seems unfair. That doesn't
seem right. Now, wait a minute. Do you know
Esau was willing to sell his relationship with God for a bowl
of soup? That's how valuable God was to
Esau. He didn't care anything about
God. He didn't have any love for God. He didn't have any respect
for God. He didn't care one thing about
it. And God was just. in withholding His affection
and His favor and His grace and His love for me. He's just. Just
like it'd be just if He did that to me. Just like it'd be just
if He did that to you. Don't be saying, well, how could
that be? How could God do that? I understand
how He could do it. God's holy. God's just. God's right. What I'm amazed
about is his love to Jacob, that deceitful, sinful man. As a matter of fact, Lord willing,
next week we're going to consider that phrase, the God of Jacob,
the God of Jacob. And these brothers were Esau's
and David was Jacob, that God had mercy on, that God had favor
toward. Now let's go and read Again,
verse 10, again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, the Lord hath not chosen these. And
Samuel said unto Jesse, are these all thy children? And he said,
well, there remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keeps
the sheep. I mean, he was sure that wouldn't be the one. And
Samuel said unto Jesse, send and fetch him, for we will not
sit down till he come hither. And he sent and brought him in.
Now he was ruddy and with all of the beautiful countenance
and goodly to look on. And the Lord said, arise and
anoint him. For this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of
oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the spirit
of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. This one who God had favor toward. Now, I want you to turn with
me to Genesis chapter six. Genesis chapter six, verse five. This is one of the most important
verses in the scripture. That's how much I want to emphasize
this verse. Verse five, and God saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now, he's not even talking about
the works. He's talking about what goes on in the heart, the
thoughts, the imaginations of his heart. And look what God
says regarding man, Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil, nonstop. Nonstop. Now, question. Was David
included in that bunch? Well, sure he was. Hold your
finger there and turn with me for a moment to Psalm 14. Hold
your finger there in Genesis 6. We're going to go right back
there, but I want you to see David's testimony. And this psalm is actually repeated
twice, Psalm 14 and Psalm 53. So important it was that God
put it in the psalms twice, same psalm. Now, notice it says a
psalm of David to the chief musician, a psalm of David, Psalm 14. The
fool has said in his heart, There is no God. Now, notice there
is is in italics. It was placed there by the translators.
And they make it sound like it's a fool who is an atheist. And I would agree with that.
Somebody that is an atheist has rejected reason and logic, and
it's not defensible intellectually. Indeed, if someone is an atheist,
they're willingly so, and they are foolish in that belief. They try to come across as intellectuals
and so on, but it's not intellectual. It's foolish. But that's not
really what David is saying. He says, the fool has said in
his heart, no, God. No. Known everything about God. I don't agree. I don't like that.
Now look what he says, they are corrupt. They have done abominable
works. There's none that doeth good.
The Lord looked down from heaven. That's something, the Lord looked
down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any
that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside. They're all together become filthy.
There's none that doeth good. No, not one. And you can be sure
David's including himself in that group. Now back to Genesis
chapter 6. Verse 5, And God saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And
he repented the Lord that he made man on the earth, and he
grieved him in his heart. And the Lord said, I'll destroy
man whom I've created from the face of the earth, both man and
beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air. For
it repenteth me that I've made them. But Noah found grace. Noah found favor in the eyes
of the Lord. And that's the same thing as
David. David found favor. David found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. And this is the first time grace
is mentioned in the scripture. And if you want to understand
what grace means, listen real carefully. Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. Now here's the question, was
Noah included in that group in verse five? Was Noah somehow
a cut above the rest? He was more spiritually, he had
greater spirituality and he was more concerned about walking
with God and tried to be obedient. He was different than everybody
else. No, Noah was included in verse five. But Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. Now look what verse nine says.
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations. And Noah walked with God. Now, do you see that description
of Noah? Just, perfectly righteous. Perfect. That's the word without
blemish. It's used to describe the sacrificial
animals. Remember the sacrificial animals
had to be without blemish. Undefiled. Perfect before God. Now how could someone that's
described in verse 5, whose imagination, everything that goes through
the imagination of his heart is only evil continually. How
can somebody like that be described as righteous and perfect? Verse
8 explains it. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That's what grace does. Grace
takes a man like that man described in verse 5, which describes me
and you. And it makes that man God's favor,
God's grace. This is why I'm, oh, I desire
to have his favor. God's favor, God's grace takes
a man like that man described in verse five and makes him righteous,
just, undefiled, without blemish before God. Now, listen to this statement. God's favor, God's grace is God's,
is God loving you and making a difference between you and
those who are not the object of his grace. What do you think
of that? That's what God's grace is. It is God loving you and making
a difference between you and those who are not the objects
of his grace. Grace. is the difference between
the saved and the lost. God's favor. Somebody goes to
hell, never had God's favor. Somebody that's saved has God's
favor. Turn to first Corinthians chapter Paul quotes this from Exodus
11, verse 7, where God said, against the children of Israel
shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast, so that
you may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
Israel and the Egyptians. God had favor toward one, and
he did not have favor toward the other. And somebody says,
well, how can that be fair? I wish we could think of it that
way. Fair as hell, okay? Fair as hell. If God gives me
and you what we deserve, if he is fair with us, he will send
us to hell, period. And to start questioning God's
fairness, what we're doing, we're becoming God's judge. We're sitting
in judgment on God and saying, I don't agree with that. Since
when is somebody like me or you capable of sitting in judgment
on the God of glory? Oh, that we would just get rid
of that kind of thinking. How could that be fair? Whatever
God does is right, holy, just, and true. Let God be true, and
every man a liar. Amen? Amen. Now, look here in
1 Corinthians 4, verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ
from another? Now, if you're a believer, you
do differ. You've got a heart that the natural man doesn't
have. God gave it to you. You have perfect righteousness.
God gave it to you. You're in Christ. God made the
difference. He's the one who made the difference.
He made the difference in eternal election when he chose you. to
be His. He made the difference in redemption
when Christ died for your sins and put them away and made you
perfect before God. He makes the difference in regeneration
when the Holy Spirit comes and takes the Word and gives you
a new heart to believe, to receive. God made the difference, not
you. God makes the difference. Who makes you to differ from
another, and what do you have that you didn't receive, that
God just gave it to you? If you receive grace, it's because
God gave it to you. And if you don't receive grace,
He never gave it to you. You see, God's grace is not an
offer. He doesn't offer you grace. It's up to you to take it. Here's
my offer. I'm offering you forgiveness,
grace. I'm offering you all these things. And it's up to you to
receive it or reject it. What you need to do, you need
to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior and accept his
grace. You know, when I hear stuff like
that, it just, I hate it. As if God's up to your acceptance
or rejection. He's God. It's not, the issue
is not, will you accept him? The issue is, will he accept
you for Christ's sake? That is the issue. God's grace is a gift with no
strings attached. And if you don't have it, he
never gave it to you. And if he gave it to you, you have it.
It's called the gift of grace in Romans 5, 17. It's a gift.
It's a free gift. It's not trying to get you to
do something. It's not an offer. It's a gift.
If you've received it, it's because he gave it to you. I think of
that scripture, we love him because he first loved us. You see, God's
love is not gonna be unreciprocated. Everybody he loves will love
him in return. We love Him. And we do. We love
Him. We love His character. We love
His attributes. We love His Word. We love His
way of saving. We love Him. And we know this.
It's because He first loved us. We received His grace because
He gave it to us. You know, I think it's amazing
the way people, well, at least I received it. Like there's some
kind of merit in that. Like that's the action of salvation. You're a reception. You've got
to receive it. If he gives it to you, you'll receive it. And
if you don't receive it, he never gave it to you. Now, the grace
David had, David found grace before the Lord. David found
favor before the Lord. That favor, that grace was eternal
grace. eternal grace. You know what
that means? That means this grace was given
David before he was born and before the creation of the universe. Second Timothy 1.9, he saved
us. He 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. Now, everything every believer
has was given to them before the foundation of the world.
Now, this is who God is. He's eternal. He's eternal. Everything He does is eternal.
And everything we have was given us in Christ Jesus before the
foundation of the world. Paul said, according as he has
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Eternal grace. You know, this is so glorious. I've been loved eternally. I've been given grace eternally. There's nothing I can do in time
to mess it up. I'm complete in Christ Jesus. Oh, the eternal nature of His
grace. This is who God is. This is in
accordance with the character and attributes of God. He's the
eternal God. He never responds. He never thinks,
I think I'll do this. Everything is according to His
eternal purpose. Paul called it the eternal purpose,
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, God's favor, David
found favor before God, David found grace before God. Listen
to this. This grace is sovereign discriminating race. And I use
the word discriminating so you'll know what I mean because most
of the time when we hear the word discrimination we think,
well that's evil. And it is. To discriminate and give somebody
preference or favor because of the color of their skin or because
of their gender or whatever other reason, men discriminate with. One of the things I love about
the gospel is the gospel is the one place where discrimination
is not allowed. You're all one in Christ Jesus. There's no male
or female, bond or free, Greek or Jew. You're all one in Christ. But as far as God's grace goes,
God is sovereign in the dispensation of His grace. He gives it to
whom He will. We've already looked at that scripture regarding Jacob
and Esau. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. I'm not going to apologize for
God saying I hate Esau because whatever God does is right and
he's just. His hatred's not like our hatred. It's not a vindicative
evil the way we are. It's with regard to what is right,
just, holy, and true. But he discriminated with David. He passed by David's brothers,
didn't he? Scripture says he refused them and he didn't choose
them. But he chose David. His grace. Listen to this. David
found grace. David found favor before the
Lord. God's grace is always saving. I love this. It's always saving.
It's not an offer. Here, it's up to you to accept
it or reject it. If you reject it, you won't be saved. God's
grace is not an offer. By grace are you saved. I've already quoted the scripture.
David said in 2nd Samuel 23 5, although my house be not so with
God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant ordered
in all things and sure. And this is all my salvation and all my desire, though he
makes it not to grow. It's always saving. Somebody
says, but can't we reject grace? Can't we reject grace? Often
you're an unbeliever, you do, you don't believe it, but if
God gives you grace, you can't reject it. It's irresistible,
it's invincible, and there's nothing you can do to reject
it. God's grace is omnipotent, it's all powerful. Turn with
me real quick to Romans chapter five. I mentioned this, I think it was
Wednesday night. Romans chapter five, verse 20. Moreover, the
law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto death. Now, hold on. Sin reigned unto
death. Somebody says, I'm gonna say
no to death. I'm gonna reject death. I'm not
gonna die. Yeah, you will. I mean, there's
nothing you can do to stop death. Nothing you can do to prevent
death. You will die. Everybody in this room, unless
the Lord comes back first, you're going to die. Now, if the doctor
told you tomorrow you went to the doctor's appointment and
he said, you're going to die, you'd be so alarmed. Well, the
Bible tells you that ahead of that, doesn't it? You're going
to die. That's for sure. And there's nothing you can do
to prevent it. that as sin has reigned unto
death, you can't say no to death in the precise same manner, even
so might grace reign. You can't say no to grace. If
God is going to have grace toward you and have favor toward you,
you're going to have it. He's going to overcome you and
give you his grace and give you a heart to believe. His grace
is always All, our Lord said this, listen to this, John 6,
37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. There's somebody in this room
thinking, well, if that's the case, don't need to worry. I mean, if he's going to draw
me, he will. That attitude is just wrong. You know what your attitude should
be? Lord, draw me. Draw me to yourself. Bring me
to yourself. Not some kind of fatalistic,
well, what will be, will be. That's just as wrong as it can
be. Yeah, what will be, will be. But it's better than saying
what will be, won't be. What will be, will be. That's
true. But if you're not asking the Lord to save you, anybody
that He calls, they're going to call on His name. Lord, save
me. Look down in mercy upon me, reveal
yourself to me. But his grace is invincible and
irresistible. And God's grace does not operate
in the realm of works. You put any condition that you
need to meet before grace can operate, it's no longer grace. Let me read you this scripture
from Romans 11, 6. You can turn there if you want, but I'll just
read it. Romans 11.6 says, if by grace, it's no more works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, it's no
more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. Works and grace
exclude each other. They can't not mutually exist
and coexist in harmony. One is the enemy of the other. If I would summarize probably
95, 99% of the preaching that's going on this morning, it's that
God loves you and Christ died for you and wants to save you. But it's up to your acceptance
or rejection of him that will determine your state in heaven
or hell. That puts salvation in your hand. That is salvation by works. There's not a drop of gospel
in that message. Somebody else says, well, true,
salvation's by grace, but you can become better. by your works,
by your self-denial, by your Scripture reading, by your prayer,
by your witnessing, by your suppressing the flesh. And I'm all for all
those things. I'm not saying don't do that,
but if you think that you become better, more holy, and less sinful
by the things you do, because you do these, that's just works
in race clothing. That's all it is. It's a denial
that Christ is all in salvation. There's other folks who at the
end of salvation, well, true salvation is by grace. But you
can earn a higher reward in heaven by your works. You can have a
better place than somebody else by what you do. That's works. That's all it is. Men are going
to try to get work somewhere in salvation, but the Bible excludes
it. You see, Scripture says, talking
about David finding favor before God, his grace, justifies the
sinner. His grace justifies the sinner
being justified freely. That means there's nothing you
did to get this being justified freely by his grace. And this is what God's grace
does. Grace makes me to stand before
God, having never sinned. Let me repeat that. That's what
justification is. Justification makes me stand
before God, having never sinned. That is what grace did for David
and every other believer. I think of what Paul quotes David,
even as David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom
the Lord imputes righteousness. without their works, saying,
blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. And this justification by grace
was provided through the redeeming work of Christ. being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. You see, this is all according
to righteousness. Christ bore my sin. It became His sin. He became
guilty of it, and that's why God's wrath came down upon Him.
And now my sin is no more. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, yet for your
sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might be
rich. This grace is where forgiveness
comes from. In whom we have redemption through
His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace. This is where regeneration comes
from. Turn with me for just a moment
to Titus chapter 3, verse 5. Titus 3, verse 5. Not by works
of righteousness, which we have done, But according to His mercy,
He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing
of the Holy Ghost. Now that means everything in
my experience. Faith, repentance, love for Christ, good works,
whatever it may be, is a result of His regenerating grace. It's Him giving me life, putting
life where there was not life before. I love the scripture,
Ephesians 1, 6, He hath made us accepted. Literally, He hath
graced us. He hath favored us. Well, I want
to have God's acceptance, don't you? I want to have God's favor. Well, He hath made us accepted.
He hath made us graced in the beloved, the hope we have for
judgment day. I'm preaching too long, so I'm
closing this up. Ephesians, The hope we have for
judgment's day is, according to Paul, he hath given us a good
hope through grace. Now, one last scripture, 1 Corinthians
15. This is the favor that David experienced, that Noah experienced,
that every believer experienced. And this is the motto of every
believer. Verse 10. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. I am a sinner. And the only reason I know that
is because of the grace of God. No unbeliever considers themselves
a sinner. Oh, they commit sins. They do
bad things. But everything they consider is behavioral. They
don't understand that I'm sin before God. The only reason I
know that's because of the grace of God. But not only am I a sinner,
I'm a justified sinner. And that's by the grace of God.
I'm a redeemed sinner, and that's by the grace of God. I'm a regenerated
sinner, that's by the grace of God. I'm a preserved sinner,
and that's by the grace of God. I am what I am, whatever it is
I am. I am what I am by the grace of
God. Every believer says amen to that. And the last thing that's recorded
about David in that passage in Acts chapter seven is he desired
to build God a house. He desired. And you know, the
Lord told him, no, he said, you're a bloody man. Your son Solomon's
going to build the house. We'll consider that in a couple
of weeks. But the desire, where there's grace, there's desire. Desire for Christ. You know that
same words translated begged, craved, required, wherever God
does a work of grace in that person's heart, there will be
this desire. Let's pray. Lord, in Christ's name, Save
us by your grace. Cause us to have the same favor
that David did. And Lord, cause us to be gracious
people for Christ's sake. Lord, how we thank you for your
grace. How we thank you for your favor. For Christ's sake, we
cause your favor to be extended to each person here according
to your will. For the glory of thy son. How we thank you. Oh, how we
thank you that salvation is by grace. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.