Well, it's good to see you. I'm
gonna ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book
of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 30. Proverbs chapter 30. I'd like
to look at one portion. 31st verse. We've recently considered our
Lord as we've been going through the last or next to last book
of Proverbs. And I've told many of you, I
haven't been in this book off and on, not ever, but off and
on since 09. I felt as though that as we got
closer to the end, it would go faster. I looked at this 30th
chapter a few weeks ago and thought, well, I'll deal with the last
eight, 10 verses. Well, the closer I got to the
end, the closer we're getting to the end, the more it seems
the deeper it gets. For that, I'm thankful. I'm thankful
that the Lord would not leave us to ourselves to take this
precious book. This book was inspired of God.
This is God speaking. Once we realize by the grace
of God that this is God speaking, I pray that I might have a heart
and an ear to want to hear, Mitch. I want to hear. I need to hear
what God has to say. Well, we looked at this last
book a few weeks ago, and we considered in the 30th verse,
the scripture says, a line, verse 29 says, there'll be three things
which go well, which run well. Yea, four are
comely, four are beautiful in their going. A lion, verse 30
says, which is strongest among beasts and turneth not away for
any. As we said a few weeks ago, is
there any believer that cannot hear those words? He looks past a natural line. Now, we all know, as I said,
I know a line is strong. I've never had to deal with one
personally, but just what I've seen on TV seems to be that he
can hold his own. But that animal was used of the
Lord to set forth in picture, in type, the lion of the tribe
of Judah. We looked in verse 31. We looked at the first three
words, a greyhound, a greyhound. Scripture says this greyhound. We looked at that greyhound being
a picture. You look in the margin, it says
a horse. Heard about the loins. Said last
time, I said, we think about a greyhound being a dog, and
we all know what a greyhound dog looks like, it's just a dog.
But that's not what the scripture is setting forth. It's the Lord
Jesus Christ, the war horse, he who is gird about the loins
by the Father, with all power, the scripture declares, As thou hast given me, this is
what the Lord Jesus Christ said to his father in the high priestly
prayer. As thou hast given me all power
to give eternal life to as many as he, the father, had given
him. What beauty is set forth being
girt about. Well, today we want to consider
the next part of this 31st. I'm just going to deal with words
in this next part of verse 31 that is comely and beautiful
and majestic to the believer and honoring to the Lord. It
says, and he goat, also, and he goat also. Now, I looked up
the definition of the he goat. The he goat, that title there,
he goat, only mentioned four times in all of the scriptures,
the he goat. And by definition, it refers
to one, I found that that butts with his head like that, he butts,
are given to budding, that's what the he-goat. And Strong's
concordance describes him to be this he-goat with a long beard,
one that walks very gravely, one that walks in a stately manner,
before the flock. Just remind, just get it in your
mind, here's this he-goat. He didn't make himself a he-goat,
he was born that way. He walks, he just assumes by
nature, the regular goat, the regular he-goat. He just assumes
by nature, by his nature being what he is, leadership. He walks among the flock as one
with distinction, and this male goat, this he-goat, he possesses
the attitude of direction, one which is an example for the rest
of the flock, and The Lord spoke to Jeremiah. I want you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah
chapter 50. Jeremiah 50. I want you to listen
how the Lord was pleased to use this he goat. Now remember what
a he goat is. It's one that exhibits leadership,
direction, wisdom. Jeremiah chapter 50. Let's just
read verses four to eight. And here's the Lord, now he's
speaking to Jeremiah, and he says, in those days, and in that
time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and
the children of Judah, together, going and weeping. They shall
go and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion
with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, let us join ourselves
to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.
My people have been lost. Sheep, their shepherds, have
caused them to go astray. They have turned them away from
the mountains. They have gone from the mountains
to hill. They have forgotten their resting
place. All that found them have devoured
them. And their adversaries said, we
offend not because they have sinned against the Lord, the
habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.
Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land
of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flock. Now this is what Jeremiah was
telling, this is what the Lord was telling Jeremiah. And every
believer that has been called out of darkness understands this. Before we heard the truth, of
the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. We were like those
that were spoken of here in Jeremiah. The Lord told him, he said, my
people, they're walking around in darkness and blindness. I
want you, Jeremiah, to be a he-goat to them. I want you to show them
the way. You show them the truth. that
is in me. You show them the hope that they
have in me. That's what a he-goat was. It
was one that budded, one that moved with distinction, one that
showed the way of safety, this he-goat. And the Lord told Jeremiah,
that's where I want you to be. A natural, naturally speaking,
a he-goat is one in the flock that just is the director. He's
the one that just naturally, humanly speaking, leads and guides. But there's, in this world, the
Lord told Jeremiah, He said, you be a he-goat, you be a one. That's a picture of God's pastors.
But you know what the pastors do? The pastors who are said
to be he-goats, directors, to the people, they point to the
number one he-goat, the one who is the boss, the one who is the
leader, the one who is in charge. That's what they do. So here's
this he-goat being spoken of that brings God's people, through
the sound of the gospel, to the Lord Jesus Christ. The John the Baptist. I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to John chapter one. John chapter one. I thought about this this morning
as I was going over my notes. I've told you this before. Somebody
asked me, said, how long does it take you to prepare a message? I said, well, just about time
I get up to stand to preach it. That's about the time. I was
looking at that just this morning. And as I thought about what I
was getting ready to preach on this he-goat, one that is the
director, the leader, the guide, I thought about what was said
about John the Baptist. John chapter one, verse six to
eight. Listen to this. There was a man
sent from God. whose name was John, the same
came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through
him might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not,
has received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name. What John did, John
the Baptist did, he bore witness of the true light. That's what
the he-goat did. But the more I was reading in
this he-goat, I kept seeing the calling of the he-goat as a preacher,
and he speaks only of the true and living ego. Whoa, what a
picture is set forth of the Lord's people in need of direction. We need him who is the true and
living and powerful ego. That's what the Lord moved in
the writer of Proverbs to pen. He said, this is what's comely.
This is what's beautiful. This is what is lovely to God's
people. He go. Oh, how I thank the Lord
for the calling of any man to point the people to Christ. This
is this is why we need we need pastors. I'll give you pastors
after my heart. I thank God, I told you this
before, how thankful I am that God sent me a pastor that would
point me to the Lord Jesus. I needed, according to these
scriptures, I need a he-goat, I need one that would tell me
about Christ, who is my God, who is my God, my leader. We find ourselves straying. This
is what happened there whenever the Lord was speaking through
Jeremiah. He told him, he said, my people have erred. There's
an erring, there's a nature about us to just walk contrary to the
dictates of our Lord and our God. And you know how the Lord
draws His people back to Him? He sends them a preacher. to tell them about Him who is
their life, a he-goat, alive and well in the presence of God's
people. Oh, when we feel the sorrow,
we're going through stuff, we're going through things that are
hard in this world. I need one to lift me up. I need one that'll be my God. I need one that is my hope of
glory. And God sends a preacher, a he-goat. It was so hard for me because
I know when we preach the gospel, we are going to be, we're going
to be taught the gospel of God's grace through a preacher. That's
how God does it. Oh, but God forbid that any preacher
should ever look to himself as being that one which in his own
foolish mind says, these people need me. Those that God's called
to the ministry, let me tell you how they see themselves as
the weakest, most frail, most unworthy man. The one that is
in need of being taught. I think about Jeremiah, when
the Lord called him to preach, Jeremiah said, I'm just a child.
How can I do this? Who's worthy? Who's worthy of
this? Moses, he called. Moses said,
I can't even talk. I don't know. Something, he had
a speech impediment. I don't even know how to talk.
But God used him to call his people unto himself. No flesh
should glory in his presence. That's comely. That's beautiful
to find a man that God has called to tell sinners of the mighty
Savior. Oh, it does not grieve our hearts. It does not grieve our hearts
to see ourselves as unworthy. how thankful we are. I know how man by nature is.
He wants to build up everybody and make everybody feel good.
Everybody feel wonderful, like there's something. God forbid
that almighty God would ever leave me or any other preachers
themselves to think that there's something when they're nothing. I need a he-goat to direct me
to him who is the true and living he-goat. Oh, how merciful the
Lord is to needy creatures like us. The Lord chastens his people
in kindness and long-suffering and mercy. He places within them
a heart, a desire to ask the way. That's what happened in
Jeremiah. The Lord had told him, he said,
my people, he said, they're wayward. They're way worth it. I'm going to send them a preacher
and recover them. I need to fellowship with him. I need to be taught. He raises
up these men that are called of God and comforts the sheep
with the declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same message,
now some of you have sat here a long time. I've only been here
just 22 years. Some of you have been here all
your life. Let me ask you something. The message that you've heard
all your life here, has it ever changed? There's only been one
message that's ever been preached here. The Lord Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. That's the message of God's he-goats. The egos, the directors, the
pastors, they point to Him alone. The message that God used to
call His people out the first time out of the sin of darkness
and unbelief, that's the same message that soothes your heart
right now. We never go on into bigger and
better things. It just gets sweeter as we see
Him. continually points his people
to himself. All these under shepherds, God's
pastors, they speak of him as their living God, choosing the
true in their hearts, choosing to follow after because God's
made them willing in the day of his power to lead his people. Oh, how gently I think about
this, this was another one of those things when I was writing
this morning. I think about how the Lord had
called a man named Peter, and you remember now what the he
go, you look up the definition, get a chance, go back and look
up the definition of he go, and you're gonna see what it means.
It means to butt, it means that head butt. And I thought about what happened
whenever Peter, now this is Peter now, this is an apostle, and
one called of God, one gifted to preach the gospel. Peter was
a man just like me or you. He was a frail creature of the
dust. And whenever the Lord was pleased teach him something about himself. Whenever the Lord would gently
give him a butt, not a hard ram, you know, break his legs, just
a little, just a butt, just a butt, a butt of the head. The Lord
had told him, he said, before the cock crows twice, You're gonna deny me three times.
And Peter said it ain't gonna happen. Now, those over there, now they'll
forsake you. But you can count on me. I guarantee
you when the going gets rough, the rough, Peter thought of himself,
to get going, but you can, you know. Well, after he denied the
Lord that third time, one of the writers of the gospel said,
and the Lord just looked at him, and I thought about that goat,
that he goat that just budged, just a little, little reminder
of the frailty of this flesh, the he goat, oh, the beauty.
of one that loves his people, cared for his people, eternally
chosen them in Christ. Oh, how gently did he deal with
me and you that know him. How about that prodigal, that
prodigal son? Give me what's coming to me.
Give me what's coming. I can handle it. I can handle
it. And he went and he wasted all
of his money on riotous living. Scripture says, and this is the
calling of every believer, that has spent all they had on riotous
living, you know. A believer's not gonna say, oh,
well, that was him, that was the prodigal, you'd never caught
me doing that. Well, good for you, I did. I did. Scripture says, he came to himself. He came to himself. Oh, I think
by the grace of God that the Lord would give me a heart to
come to myself by grace. Not through my own power, but
through the power of the preaching of the gospel. He came to himself. God blessed that word and just
that little gentle but. And that's what it was. A gentle
butt, hard on the flesh, but all the nudging. You that know
him, let me ask you something. You feel the gentleness. It hurts the flesh. It stings
the flesh. But when we think we're so capable,
so able, so worthy, And the Lord gives us the butt,
gives us the butt of that ego, came to himself. Oh, the Lord is the only refuge
of a sinner. False religion will say, come
to your baptism, come to the pool, come to the
water, to be saved. Or I tell you what else you can
do. Come to the day or the hour that
you prayed the sinner's prayer. That's what religion says. Come
to what you've done. Scripture never proclaims salvation
to be obtained by something that you did. You're resting in something
that you've done, that you've accomplished. If the Lord does not come to
you in mercy and power and cause you to see the fallacy, the weakness,
the impotence of looking to yourself, the Lord Jesus Christ said, I
am the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life.
No man cometh unto the father, but by me. All the scriptures set forth
the beauty, all of our need of the he-goat. Our need of being
told of our need of a savior, a God, a director. Titus, turn
with you. I'm gonna begin to wrap this
up. Titus. Chapter 3. That is chapter 3. Verses 5 to 7. Here's what a
believer hears when he feels the gentle nudging of the Lord
who is the he goat, the butter, the butter. not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. And
being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. Ephesians, Ephesians chapter
2. Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 9. Now this is what it's going to
take. It's going to take the gentle,
merciful butting of the he-goat himself to teach us this. And you at the quicken, Ephesians
2. who were dead in trespasses and
sins. Do you know that an unbeliever,
one born in Adam, he doesn't believe he's dead in trespasses
and sins. Believes he's got a free will. I'm not dead. I can choose. I've told you before, I can remember
so many times thinking to myself, now this is foolish, but I'll
go ahead and admit it. and you that know Him, you can,
in your heart, you'll agree with me. I remember coming up and
hearing men tell me, now all you got to do is pray the sinner's
prayer, and God wants to save you, and you just let Him save
you. Pray this prayer. And they even told me what to
say. And I, I believed them, I believed them. But there was
a point at me that said, I'm not quite ready to do this. I've still got some fun things
that I want to do, you know, before. You at the Quicken who were dead
in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past you walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit, that now worketh in the children
of disobedience. among whom also we all had our
conversations. Times passed in the lust of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, wrathful
children against God. But God, who is rich in mercy,
For his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ. By grace,
you're saved. That's raised us up together
and made us sit together 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, for
by grace, or you're saved. I thought it was by my works.
I thought it was by my actions. I thought it was by my baptism.
I thought it was by my, you know, my good deeds. No. For by grace are you saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God. Not of works. lest any man should
boast. You know, isn't it amazing to witness how people that don't
believe the gospel, they can read these words right here,
and this shows you the blindness of man's heart. Not of works. Not of works. Why? lest any man should boast. Somebody
said, I never boasted. Yes, you did. Yes, you did. I've been a good Christian. I've
been faithful. I go to church. I pay my tithe. I treat people kindly, not of
works, lest any man should boast. And then lastly, Philippians
chapter three. Philippians chapter three, verses
one to three. With this, I'll close. Paul the
apostle was moved to say concerning man by nature, finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you to me.
Indeed, it's not grievous, but for you it's safe Beware of dogs,
beware of evil workers, beware of concision. For we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. Man by nature has confidence
in the flesh. You know what I need for the
Lord to do for me? The same thing I needed for him
to do for me from the beginning. Come to me as the he-goat, the
guide, the director, the one who walks with dignity. That's
the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And come to me in mercy, compassion, and butt me, steer me, direct
me. How did I come to hear the gospel
of the grace of God the first time? The Lord directed me, put
me under a pastor, a pastor that would tell me the truth. And
from the day that the Lord was pleased to put me under a pastor
has been teaching me. You think, well, I learned everything
the first week I was, no, you didn't. No, you didn't. Not a believer in this congregation
this morning that doesn't need the he-goat to direct us again. Why? Because we are prone to
wonder. Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave
the God I love. I need a he-goat. I need one
that is powerful to direct my heart back to him. Lord, thank
you for setting forth in these scriptures and move Edgar, the
man that penned these words, to say, this is lovely, this
is lovely, this is beautiful, the he goat. Lord, let it be
so today in my heart, for Christ's sake.