Let's open this morning's service
with hymn number 24 from your Spiral Gospel Hymn book. And let's all stand together.
Number 24, Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness. We love to call you by that name,
our Savior Christ Jesus. Jehovah Sidkenu, The God-man
lived for us, bringing eternal righteousness, which God imputes
to us. Jehovah Sidkenu, our substitute
who died. Your blood has put away our sin,
and we are justified. Jehovah Sidkenu, Your love has
won our praise. Trusting your blood and righteousness,
we're saved by your free grace. Jehovah Sidkenu, we stand in
you alone. Our only fitness before God is
in our Lord, His Son. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness. Christ Jesus, you alone we call,
the Lord our righteousness. Please be seated. Good morning. A lot of blessing. We have an advocate,
one who stands before God on behalf of his people and presents
himself for their righteousness. What peace, what comfort, what
hope. We have no righteousness whatsoever outside of him. That
him is such a blessing. We're going to be in the fourth
chapter of Philippians this morning, if you'd like to turn with me
there in your Bibles. We've been going verse by verse
through the Psalms and through Zechariah, but the Lord showed
me something in this passage of Scripture this week that I
thought would be helpful and a blessing to you as it was to
me. And so I'm hopeful that we'll
be encouraged. A few announcements before we
get started. Hugo texted me this morning and
asked that we pray for his uncle who's having open heart surgery
today, I think now, up in New York. So I told him that we would. Zobey's mom, Mary, who normally
sits over in that area, has been in the hospital for the last
three days, and she's hopefully going home today. By way of our building project,
we've contracted the engineers this week, and so that work is
underway, and we should have some plans in the next week or
two. So it's an exciting time. We're looking forward to that.
Also on the back table near the door, there's some updated copies
of the church list, if you'd like to pick up one of those
and take it with you, all right? Okay, let's ask the Lord's blessings
on our time together. Our gracious and merciful Heavenly
Father, We have great hope and knowing
that. Though in and of ourselves, we
have nothing but sin and no righteousness whatsoever. That we have a successful
savior. An advocate. One who stands in
our stead before the and presents himself on our behalf. Lord,
we know that you're pleased with him. And we ask that you would
cause us to be to be satisfied, to be pleased. We pray that you
would give us faith to rest all the hope of our salvation. On
our Lord Jesus Christ, thy dear son. Our Savior. Father, we do pray this morning
for Hugo's uncle and ask that you would direct the hands of
the surgeons and. Enable them to. perform a successful surgery
and Lord that you would open the door of opportunity for you
go to speak to him about the. Thank you for the strength that
you've given to Mary and pray Lord that you will continue to
give her a full recovery. We thank you for enabling us
to be able to provide the space for our children and
for our fellowship. And Lord, we pray that you would
give us wisdom and give us generosity as we support the work of your
gospel. We ask it in Christ's name, amen. In the Proverbs, we read, Lean
not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge
Him, and He shall direct thy path. Scripture says that knowledge
puffeth up. Man gets a little understanding
about something, he gets a little knowledge about something, and
he gets proud and becomes confident. in himself with that knowledge. Truth is, our knowledge is very,
very limited in everything. In everything. Now, whatever
degree of knowledge we do have gives us a sense of confidence
and that we understand something and yet, The more that knowledge is challenged, the less confidence we have and
the more unsure of ourselves we become. I can speak by personal
testimony that the older I get, the less confident I become in
myself. Scripture was read, Noah, that
you read it this morning in the study, that we are the circumcision
which worship God in the spirit. We rejoice in Christ Jesus and
we have no confidence in the flesh. Our flesh is prone to take confidence
in itself, but Truth is, the Lord's merciful to us if He's
gracious to show us our weakness, our dependence, our need for
Him. The confidence in ourself will
wane and our confidence in Him will strengthen. That's why Paul
said, when I'm weak, then I'm strong. For my strength is made
His strength is made perfect in my weakness. You've heard me quote over the
years many times Philippians chapter 4 verse 7, and the peace of God which passeth
all understanding. I learned something this week
about this word passeth. In another place, it is translated
higher. And so we could read this verse
and say, the peace of God is higher than all understanding. In another place, it's translated
better. So we could say that this verse
translated means The peace of God is better than all understanding. In another place, it's translated
excellency. The peace of God has excellency
over all understanding. As limited as understanding is, Peace of God surpasses, it surpasses
any and all understanding. As I said, understanding has
a sense of control to it. If we understand something, we
have power over it. If you understand electricity,
you can work with it. If you don't understand it, you
better not mess with it. It'll hurt you. so understanding
gives you a sense of of uh... feeling safe uh... if you understand something you're
not intimidated by it we often say there is fear in the unknown
in the unknown truth is that for me and you Everything's unknown. Everything's unknown. We can't
know the hand of God. We don't know what he's doing.
We have such limited understanding when it comes to his work, when
it comes to his glory. And so he's told us here, my
peace. surpasses, is better than, is
more excellent than, is better. You may want to pursue understanding
in order for you to feel safe, but there's something better
than understanding. And that's the peace of God. That's the
peace of God. Now that's what this verse means.
I never really saw that before. How much do we understand about
ourselves? We are a contradiction to ourselves, aren't we? The
child of God, he hates his sin and yet at the same time he's
drawn to it. The child of God hates this world. He really does. When he's reflecting
on the gospel, on Christ, on his hope in glory, he sees the
vanity of this world and yet at the same time he's enticed
by it. The child of God is so turned
off by pharisaical, hypocritical, self-righteous religion, and
yet at the same time, he sees that hypocrite, that self-righteousness
in himself. Oh, wretched man that I am. When
I would do good, evil is ever present. Well, I don't understand
myself. You know what? It's okay, because there's something
better than understanding. There's something better than
understanding. It's the peace of God. The peace of God surpasses
understanding. The peace of God is more excellent
than all understanding. What do we understand about God? What do we understand about holiness?
Beyond our comprehension, isn't it? What do we understand about
sinlessness? Ah, we believe in faith that
one day we're going to, we're going to shed this body of flesh
and we're going to be without sin. And what a glorious thought
that is. But what that means, what that
means is beyond our understanding. You know what? It's okay. Because
there's something better than understanding. There's something
that surpasses understanding. There's something that's more
excellent than understanding. It's called the peace of God.
I can rest in Him even when I don't understand. We believe that our God is sovereign, that from the most minute molecule
in creation, to the galaxies that are cast like pinwheels
into the universe. Our God is in sovereign control
over all things. And he's working all things after
the counsel of his own perfect will. We believe that, but what
do we understand about that? We can't control our own little
world, our own little circumstances. We've got no power. We've got
no sovereignty over those things. But it's okay that we don't understand
sovereignty because there's something better than understanding. It's
called the peace of God. It surpasses all understanding. We believe that our God is immutable.
Immutable. The same yesterday, today, and
forever. Nothing's ever been added to
him. Nothing's ever been taken away from him. He's never learned
anything. He possesses all things within
himself. What does that mean? What? Everything we know of changes. Everything changes. We're changing. The world is changing. Everything
is changing. What understanding do we really
have of immutability? It's okay that we don't understand
it because there's something better than understanding. There's
something that surpasses understanding. There's something greater than
understanding. It's the peace of God. Omnipotence, the possessing of all power. so that he does whatsoever he
wills with the armies of heaven and with all the inhabitants
of the earth. And no man can stay his hand,
can hold back his hand or say unto him, call him into question
and say, what doest thou? Job called him into question,
didn't he? And then God described the Leviathan to Job and said,
Job, you can't even control that. And that's a creature of mine.
How are you going to control me? And Job responded by saying,
oh, I spoke without knowledge. I had heard of thee by the hearing
of mine ear, but now mine eyes have seen thee, and I repent
in dust and ashes. Something better than understanding. We all pursue understanding. We want to get a handle on everything,
don't we? But there's something better.
Why do we do that? Because if we understand something,
if we can get a hold of it, then we feel safe with it. We can
control it. There's power in understanding,
isn't there? But there's something better
than understanding. There's something greater than understanding, and
there's something that surpasses understanding. You see, that's
a fleshly desire that we have to possess power, to be in control,
to understand our circumstances and understand ourselves and
understand God. But God is saying here to me
and you, there's something much better than understanding. Don't
rely on understanding. Because the truth is, with all
the understanding that you have, it's minute. compared to the understanding
that I have. Turn with me to Ecclesiastes
Chapter 3. Ecclesiastes Chapter 3. This
is the wisest man that ever lived. This is a man who had great understanding. I'm sure that he had a whole
lot more understanding than I have. Oh, there's no comparison. And I'm speaking of Solomon.
But Solomon, as the preacher representing the Lord Jesus Christ,
is now speaking of the one who has all understanding, and look
what he says. Verse 9, or verse 10 of Ecclesiastes
chapter 3, I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons
of men to be exercised in it. God puts us in these circumstances
and he travails our soul with a lack of understanding to be
exercised in it. What is the purpose of the exercise? What is the purpose of the exercise
that God gives us, causing us to see our lack of understanding,
our lack of ability, our lack of power? What is the goal? What is He exercising us to what
end? I'll tell you what it is, to
see that there's something better than understanding. There's something
greater than understanding. There's something that surpasses
understanding. He's exercising our souls in
order to get us not to lean on our understanding, but in all
of our ways to acknowledge Him and trust Him to direct our path. He hath made everything beautiful
in His time. Let me tell you when we're going
to have understanding. When you and I draw our last
breath, we shed this flesh and we're
given a resurrected body and we see him as he is and be made
like him. Now everything's going to be
beautiful in that time. In the meantime, we're going to have
to rely on the peace of God. In the meantime, our understanding
is going to be very limited. In the meantime, God's going
to exercise us. He's going to cause us to see
how limited our understanding of ourselves is, how limited
our understanding of God is, how limited our understanding
of our circumstances is. Who understands why things happen
the way they happen? What is it that God's doing? We go through a difficult time,
what do we say? Why? Why? What are we trying to do?
We're trying to get understanding so we can get power over those
circumstances, so we can control our lives. And God says, no,
I'm not going to answer that question. I'm going to exercise
you with these things in order that you rely upon me for your
peace, not on your power. Not on your power. He has made everything beautiful
in His time. Also, He has set the world in
their heart so that no man can find out the work of God that
He maketh from the beginning to the end." You can't figure
it out. You don't know what God's doing.
But that's the very point. That's the very point. Your inability
to understand the purpose and ways of God forces you to look
for something that's better than understanding. What's better than understanding?
Peace of God. It surpasses all understanding. Look at verse 14. I know. Now here's something I understand. Here's something I've got some
knowledge of. I don't know how much I understand it. Whatsoever
God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it. God doeth it that men should
fear before Him. God's doing this. Why is He doing it? So that we can be like Job and
call God into question and demand that He hear our complaints? Or so that we can bow before
Him and fear Him and trust Him and rely upon Him. For the peace
of God surpasses all understanding. Child of God, don't spend your
life trying to figure things out. You're not going to figure
it out. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. What is that? That's to look
to Christ. You don't have any righteousness. To seek first
the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these other things will
be added unto you in His time. In His time. Verse 15, that which hath been
is now, and that which is to be hath already been, and God
required that which is past. You know what that verse is saying?
That this thing we call space-time that we live in is a created
thing just for us. God doesn't live in space-time.
He did. He did for 33 years. He was made
a man, came in the likeness of sinful flesh. Child of God, our
God is outside of this thing that we call space-time. He's
not limited by time nor by space. He's completely outside of it. What do we understand about substitution? What do we understand about satisfaction? We believe it. We believe it. We believe that the Lord Jesus
Christ is our only substitute before God. We believe that He's
satisfied the demands of God's justice and that God is satisfied
with Him as all our righteousness. What do we understand about it? Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3, thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace who has full understanding of
all their circumstances. Is that what that verse says?
No. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
thee. Oh, there's something better
than understanding. This fleshly need that we have to be in power,
to be in control, God is saying to me and you, there's something
better than all understanding. It's the peace of God. It's being
able to rest in Him. It's being able to rely upon
Him. Colossians chapter 3 verse 15
says, let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Go back with me to Philippians
chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. This passage begins in verse
4. Rejoice in the Lord. Now I know that God in His time
and in His good providence in his mercy sometimes sends very,
very difficult circumstances to the lives of his children. I'm so thankful the Lord doesn't
say, rejoice in your circumstances. And again, I say rejoice. He
said rejoice in the Lord. In other words, look beyond your
circumstances to the one who's controlling your circumstances.
Look beyond yourself, look beyond your understanding and rejoice
in Him. We have reason to rejoice in
Him. We are the circumcision which rejoice in Christ Jesus
and have no confidence in the flesh. Rejoice in Him. Be thankful in all things for
all things are the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I know I didn't quote that verse exactly like it's written in
the scriptures, but that's what it means. That's what it means. All things are the will of God
in Christ Jesus concerning you. Rejoice in him. Say, well, I'm having a hard
time rejoicing. Again, I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. All things in moderation. Don't
be given to extremes. emotional extremes where when
everything's going well, you're way up here on the mountaintop
and when things are not going so good, you're way down here
and you're given to your feelings and your emotions. That's what
the Lord's saying. Let your moderation be known unto all men. Why? Because
the Lord's at hand. He's doing this. He's in control
of this. But the extreme swings that we
have in our emotions, it's just another testimony of our need
to be in control, isn't it? Be careful for nothing. That word careful means anxious.
Don't be anxious about anything, but in all things. God's philosophy
is not the world's loss was world's loss we don't worry be happy
that's a world's loss for you know God's philosophy is don't
worry pray you feel anxiety coming you feel like you you're out
of control you don't understand your circumstances you don't
understand yourself you don't understand the world you don't
understand God there's something better than understanding it's
called the peace of God and you're going to get it through prayer
Come before Him praying with supplication. Let Him know what
you need. That's what the word supplication
means. With thanksgiving, let Him know that you believe that
He's in control of these things and you're thankful to Him. Let your requests be known unto
God. You know, we're so prone to,
we can't control something, we try to get somebody else to control
it, don't we? And we call in the army and we
get our friends and our spouses and our other people to help
us to get control of this situation. And what's God saying? Let your
requests be known unto God and the peace of God, which is better
than understanding. will keep your heart and your
mind in Christ Jesus. There's no place that's safe
like that. Why do we want to be in control? Why do we want
to have understanding? So that we can feel safe. But
it's a false safety. Because however much understanding
we have, it's not what we need. There's something better than
understanding. It's the peace of God. Go before
him in prayer and he will provide for you that which you are seeking
in a fleshly manner. Finally, brethren, this goes back to that Isaiah
26 passage. God will keep them in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on thee. And now the Lord's gonna tell
us what to do with these confused minds that we all have. We're
confused, aren't we? We're confused about ourselves.
We're confused about God. We're confused about our circumstances.
We're confused about the world. We lack so much understanding. God will give them perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee. Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true, true. We're going to deal with that
in the second hour more in detail. The truth of the gospel of God's
free grace is a person. He said, I am the way, I am the
truth. He told Pilate, he said, for
this cause came I into the world that I might bear witness unto
the truth, and they that are of the truth, they hear my voice.
The only one truth. So what is the Lord saying? Look
to me, I know what I'm doing. I've got this all figured out. I know that's a bad way to put
it, isn't it? Because God would never figure out anything. I
know, I know what's happening. I've got it. I know who I am. I know who you are. I know what
your circumstances are. I've got the world. You can't
figure it out, but I've got it. I've got it. Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, Whatsoever things are honorable, are honest,
that's the word is honorable, is the word there. Also translated
reverend or grave or venerable, that which is to be worshipped.
So the Lord says, that which is true and that which is honest,
that which is to be worshipped. Rejoice in Christ Jesus. Come before Him with singing,
worship Him. You don't understand what's happening.
I don't understand what's happening. Any more than we understand ourselves. But the power is not ours. It's
not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
It's not our power. It's not our controlling things. Whatsoever things are just. Oh, there's one justifier. There's one who is just and justifier of him which believeth. Whatsoever things are pure. How are we going to reflect on
anything that's pure? That means immaculate. sinless,
perfect, clean, holy. What is the Lord telling us?
You want the peace of God? You've got to give up trying
to be in control. You've got to give up leaning
on your own understanding because that's not going to get you the
peace of God. That might give you a worldly peace. That might
give you some temporal peace, but It's not going to give you
that which surpasses understanding. There's something better than
understanding. Pursue that. Pursue that. Whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are acceptable, whatsoever things are pleasing,
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is lovely. Oh, He is. He's comely. He's beautiful. He's holy. He's strong. He's
acceptable to God. He's put away the sins of his
people. Whatsoever things are of good
report. Now that word report means fame. There's a lot of
fame in this world in there. A lot of stars in this world,
a lot of pride. There's only one that has fame
before God. This is my beloved son in him. I'm well pleased I have put him
on my throne. In my holy hill. Kiss the sun
lest he be angry. If there be any virtue. That's
moral goodness. Moral goodness. We want to be
outwardly moral. We want to be outwardly good.
We consider the corruption of our flesh and our thoughts and
our hearts. There's but one that's morally
good. Why call us now mean good? Isn't that what the Lord said
to that rich young ruler? There's but one good and that's God.
It's God. Paul said in me that is in my
flesh that dwelleth no good thing. So when the Lord tells us to
think on these things, he's telling us to reflect upon the goodness
of God. The goodness of God. If there
be any praise, any praise. Oh, he gets all praise, doesn't
he? Think. Think. That word also is translated
impute or reckon. Consider it to be so. Think on
these things. You want the peace of God? Want the peace of God? You're
not going to get it through understanding. Not going to get it through understanding. Peace of God is better than understanding. surpasses understanding, more
excellent than all understanding. All right, let's take a break. Okay.