I want to read a passage of scripture,
Exodus 33 verses 18 and 19. This is a passage of scripture
that we've read so many times, I've quoted so many times. And before I begin, before I read
this scripture, I want to just tell you how I truly believe the Lord brought
this passage of scripture, this message. I want to preach on
the will of God. That's the title of my message,
the will of God. And a few nights ago, during
the night, I woke up. There was an incident that happened
and it was concerning a will. a will, right out of a will,
last testament will. And during the night I was thinking
on this situation as it was. And the whole ball of wax came
down to this. It was whether or not I could
find or one of my brothers or sisters could find the original
will of my mother. I'll tell you what I'm thinking
about. We all had copies. And during the night, I just
kept thinking about it. You try to talk to yourself and
you try to tell yourself, this is enough. Just go on to sleep. That never works. Never works. I would think about, I don't
know if I can find it. I don't know where it is. What
do you do? Why is it needful? I got up the next morning and
I was thinking about that. And as I began to think on that,
the Lord brought this message to my heart right here. Through
that, I think about that passage, all things. I lost a lot of sleep,
a lot of sleep that night. All things work together for
good. To them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. And through that struggle that
I had that evening, and we did find it, we did find it. But
through that struggle, the Lord brought this message to my heart
and I want to share it with you. Exodus 33, verses 18 and 19. And he that is Moses said, I
beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he that is the Lord said,
I will make all my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before thee. and will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
Now, continuing my thought process from that night of restlessness,
I would just say, humanly speaking, the wisest thing that any of
us could do in this world, if you've got any kind of assets
or you've got any kind of something that's going to be left to somebody
else. The wisest thing that we could do, humanly speaking, is
to make sure you put down on a piece of paper, a will, what
you want. What you want. What your desire
is. And have it notarized. Make it
legal. Because with the preparation
of a well-prepared will, Misunderstandings or misrepresentations
of things or how things should be handled at least is somewhat
eliminated. There's always problems, humanly
speaking. But with a will, a lot of those
problems are erased, taken care of. It's important. Now here's
my first point. Almighty God has a will. Now His will is found totally
in Himself. In Himself. God has a will. I
just read it. Moses said, show me your glory. Show me your glory. The Spirit of God moved upon
the Apostle Paul to quote that passage of Scripture. I want
you to hold your place right there and turn to Romans 9. Again,
we've read this, but this is pertinent. Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. When Moses asked him, show me
your glory. Starting in verse 15. This is what the Lord said to
him when he said, show me your glory. Here was the Spirit of
God moving upon Paul to give us some understanding of what
God was saying. Whenever Moses said, show me
your glory, here was the Lord showing his glory. He saith to
Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. And all of these things were
said that, in verse 23, that he might make known the riches
of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared
unto glory. When you look at the interpretation
in Romans chapter 9 of glory, Let me tell you what the root
word is. I've told you this before. What the root word of that word
glory is, is to think. To desire. Moses asked the Lord, show me
your desire. Show me your will. Show me your glory. Show me what
you think. Show me what you think. Here's the written will of God.
This is the scriptures. Almighty God has a will in himself. How do I know what it is? Here it is, right here. God has
a will. A will that's written down. These
holy scriptures, it's not a book written by men, penned by men,
but the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man.
I've heard people say this, well you know the Bible, that was
written by men. It was penned by men. The scripture
says, the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Is this book the inerrant Word
of God? Yes. Men can try to say what
they will, but I'm telling you, this is it. These scriptures,
the written will of God, We know the truth and the surety of God's
eternal covenant of grace. God has a will. How do we know
what it is? This book. This book. God in
old times spake unto the prophets. He spake through the prophets.
The prophets are gone. The visions are gone. What do
we got? We got this book right here.
This is what we've got. This is all we've got. That's
all we need. God has a will. And through this
written book, this will, the will of Almighty God, we know
the surety of salvation unto a people of God's choosing. The
Spirit of God moved upon Paul to write to a man named Timothy. He was writing to Timothy. But
the Spirit of God was speaking to all God's people. And here's
what the Spirit of God, in writing down the will of the Lord, the
will of God, He said, Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner. Don't be ashamed of these scriptures. Be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us
and 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. How would we know the
will of the Lord? How would we know without these
scriptures? How would we know the riches
of His glory? How would we know what He thinks? Who can know the mind of the
Lord? The Lord reveals it to us. So I know the Lord's got
a will in Himself, and it's written down. It's penned. The Spirit of God in absolute
wisdom, mercy, compassion, had men write it down. And here we
are today, and we are in agreement. God's people are in agreement
with this will right here. I'll tell you something else
about a will. Humanly speaking, all the beneficiaries and the
blessings and the benefits of the beneficiaries are written
down in the will. You get a will, go through all
the stipulations. Who are they? I can tell you
who's in my mama's will. I can tell you who it is. It's
me and my brother and my two sisters. That's only four. There's only
four. That's it. Everybody that has a will, they
got the beneficiaries, they got the people. Who is this talking
about? And it's got the benefits to
them. All their possessions, whatever. The beneficiaries and the benefits. The Lord has done that. Got a
will, He's written it down. Now realizing that we're never
in this life for sure, going to perceive the fullness of the
blessings that the beneficiaries of God
are going to receive. We know something of the benefits
because we see through a glass darkly. But for sure, I can tell
you who the beneficiaries are of God's will. I can tell you
who they are. They're the remnant according to election. They're
the chosen people of God. And here's the description. You
know, whenever I make sure, I sat down and I was making out my
will and Glenn's got, you know, and we were doing that. And on
these wills, it's got the kids' names. It's got their dresses. It's got their socials. I think it's got socials. Maybe
it doesn't have socials. But I tell you what, it's telling them exactly
who it is. You know what I'm saying? It's exactly who they
are. Girls, it's got their Got their
maiden name in there, and then their married name. This is who
they are. This is who they are. God's beneficiaries. Let me tell you who they are.
God put them in this book, right here. 1 Corinthians 1, 26, 27. For you see your calling, brethren.
Here's the description of the beneficiaries of God. How that
not many wise men after the flesh Not many mighty, not many noble
are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things that are mighty. And the
base things, the low born is what that means, the dregs of
society. You know every believer that's
hearing this right here says, yep, that's me, that's me. The base things of the world
and things that are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not to bring to naught things that are. That's what
a believer says. That describes me. I'm not wise
in myself. I'm not mighty in myself. I am. I'm just a poor, helpless sinner. Just the dregs. I'm a sinner. But that's who Christ came to
save. It came to save sinners. Paul
said, of whom I'm chief. Listen to this description. James
2, 5. Hearken, my beloved brethren. Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which
He hath promised to them that love Him? Here's what a believer
says. I don't love Him as I ought.
I admit that. I don't love Him as I shall.
But I love Him. I love Him. I don't think upon
him as I should, but I think on him. 1 Peter 2, 9 and 10, but you're
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him
who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Paul
said in 2 Thessalonians 2.13, we're bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord. Because God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief for the truth. So I know that there's
some beneficiaries. And they're written down in this
book right here. Who are they? They're the poor. They're the
despised. They're the base, the weak. That's
who they are. That describes them. And they're
made to know that, and they believe it. They believe it. They don't
look to themselves. They don't, mm-mm, no. And how
about the benefits? How about the benefits? You got
a will. It's going to tell you what the one that's going to
be leaving the beneficiaries, it's going to state what they
got, what they got coming. The Lord's done that. Turn with
me to Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, all to the saints set apart once. the sanctified ones in Christ
Jesus, which are at Ephesus, to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Here's the benefits. Grace to
you. The grace of God. God's grace. And peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. What a benefit. What a benefit. What do you have? What are you
getting? What do you got right now? I tell you what I got. God's
been gracious to me. And I have peace with him. Through the blood of Christ.
That's what I got. That's what I got. I've been
pleased to show favor to this unworthy vessel. Verse 3, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Oh, we bless and thank the Lord God who has invoked spiritual
blessings. I'm thankful I've got something
to eat today. I'm thankful I've got something
to put on. I'm thankful. I'm thankful I've got got a car,
got a house to go get in and out of the weather. I'm thankful
for that. But I tell you what, I thank God for these spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. What are they? What
are those spiritual blessings? Well, look at verse 4. Here it
is. According as He hath chosen us
in Him, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. It matters not whether or not
I'm without blame before others. You just don't know. I just kept
it secret. You just hadn't found out yet.
But before God, He's chosen us in Him that we should be holy. Sacred! Sacred! Before God! Blameless! Before Him! Blameless! No blame! What a blessing! Verses 5-7,
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace." God set the bounds of His mercy and compassion toward
His elect before time. All this was settled. foreordained
his people to be adopted. They were his children. He said,
I chose you to be my child. I chose you. I adopted you. Predestinated
you to the adoption of children. Now are we the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know this. When he shall appear, we're going
to be like him. Wow. What a benefit! We'll be like Him and we'll know
Him as He is. What a benefit! What a benefit! Verse 8 to 12, wherein He hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known
unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure
which He hath purposed in Himself. that in the dispensation of the
fullness of time, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even in him
in whom also we've obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise
of his glory who first trusted in Christ." All that God's done
for his people according to His grace and mercy. He did it according
to His wisdom and understanding. And then made known to us what
He did. He told us. His pleasure to gather
together in Christ all His people in one in heaven and in earth. We the predestined ones that
have obtained an inheritance. What is that inheritance? Well,
I can tell you this. I know this according to the
scriptures. I know God's our shield and our exceeding great
reward. I know that. We'll be with Him. We'll be in glory. Somebody says, well, what's it
going to be like? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know, but
I tell you this. Whatever it is, it's going to
be more than I can imagine, more than I can figure out. I don't
know. But just to know that by the
grace of God, and how do I know I've got a part in this? I believe
Him. I believe Him. I believe Him.
He that hath a Son hath life. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. I believe Him. I believe that Almighty God has
done something for me I couldn't do for myself. I believe Him.
I believe Him. I want to believe Him more. I want to. But I believe
Him. So I know this, God has a will.
I know He's got a will. And that will has been written
down. I know it's written down. I'm reading it. I'm reading it. And I know that it has beneficiaries. I know it does. And I know it's
got a setting forth of the benefits. I understand. We don't understand
the fullness. I know that. We do see through a glass darkly.
I know that. But I know they're there. I know
they're so. He's got this will that's been
written down. And I'm telling you, it's valid.
It's valid. Whenever I have something, I
got to have it notarized, ratified, established by law. This is right. This is true. Somebody, a notary
is going to put a stamp on that. I attest. I sat there. I watched
me sign that. That's him. I know it's him.
I looked at his driver's license. That's him. Yeah, he really signed
it. It's notarized right there. This
book has been ratified. It's so, it's so. How do you
know it's so? On the last night, on the very
night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus cried, ate with his disciples,
ate that last supper. And after he'd eaten the bread,
he took the cup. Now listen to what
he said. This is 1 Corinthians 11.25.
We always read this when we have the Lord's Supper. It says, he
took the cup when he had supped, saying, this cup, and what did
it represent? His blood. He said, this cup
is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as often as you drink
it in remembrance of me. Now what did he mean in closing? What did he mean? I'm told you,
God's got a will. This will is written down. This
will has beneficiaries. This will has got the benefits
of the beneficiaries written in it. God's pleasure. It's written
down. And this book, this will right
here, is ratified. This is right. This is so. God
says it's so. God says it's so. How do we know? God said it is. The old covenant
of the law was confirmed, was ratified to be soul according
to God's Word by the blood of bulls and goats. I've got scripture
on that. Exodus chapter 24 verse 8, And
Moses took the blood of bulls and goats and sprinkled it on
the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the
Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. The old covenant
of the law. It was ratified, said to be so,
by the blood of bulls and goats. But the Lord Jesus Christ said
concerning the New Testament, and I'm not talking about these
books that we read and we call the New Testament, which they
are, they're the revelation of the Christ who has come. But
the New Testament, when the Lord said this is the New Testament
in my blood, what did he mean? What he was saying was the will
or the covenant of God's free and eternal grace established
totally upon Christ and His finished work at Calvary. That work, that
covenant that shall never be replaced. That's what he's saying,
this new covenant. The revelation of that covenant. was established and confirmed
not by the blood of bulls and goats, but here's the ratification
of this will. Here's the will. The beneficiaries,
the benefits, and it's sealed. How? The blood of Christ. The
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God said, when I see the blood,
There's a stamp. There's the indelibly inscribed
stamp. When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. God has a will. God's got a people. God's told them there are benefits
in him. And he sealed it with the blood
of his son. Lord, bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake. Amen.