Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 26. Isaiah 26. This morning
I got up. and had this passage of scripture
on my mind, verse 3, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. The Lord has called every pastor
that he's called to comfort the sheep of God,
to comfort God's people. And I know that not only in this
congregation, I know that there are many congregations, just
like the two that I just mentioned, where trials, troubles, and heartache
are there. And God's people need to be comforted. They need comfort. The Lord has
ordained the comfort of His people. That's what the prophet Isaiah
penned in Isaiah 40, verse 1 and 2. This is the Lord speaking. He said, Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, saith your God. Speak comfortably. to Jerusalem. Actually, that speak comfortably,
it means speak to the heart. And as I was thinking on that,
it's in the margin, that's the interpretation, that's the meaning
of that, speak to the heart. And I thought, now how does a
man speak to the heart of God's people? He can't. But I tell you what he can do.
He can speak the words that the Lord has ordained. And the Spirit
of God can speak to the heart of God's people. Cry unto her. Now here's some
words of comfort. Cry unto her that her warfare
is accomplished. And here's what I want to say
from the Word of God. The battle of the salvation of
your soul, you that know Him, is over. The battle is over. And you've been delivered from
sin. You've been delivered from the
penalty of sin. All of the enemies of your soul have
been conquered by the captain of your salvation, and they're
under his feet. The Lord said, you tell my people
that her iniquity is pardoned. that all of her sins, past, present,
and future, are blotted out. All of them. The future too? The future too. There's not going
to come a day, as long as you're in this world, that you're not
going to be plagued with the presence of sin. Now listen to
me. You comfort my people and you
tell them, though she knows that we don't sin, that grace may
abound. God's people war against that
old man within. There's a battle that's going
on. But listen, the Lord, by the blood of Christ, by His own
precious blood, past, present, and future, they're pardoned. They're atoned for. What does
that mean? They're covered. They're under
the blood. Forgiven. And God already has remembered
them no more. Already, Carl. Whatever we're
going to do, and we know we're going to do it, and it grieves
us knowing we're going to do it. We're going to have disrespectful
thoughts toward Him. We're going to have disrespectful
thoughts toward each other. And already, We're grieved over
what we know we are, but already I'm going to tell you something.
Almighty God's forgotten them. Forgotten them. For she hath
received of the Lord's hand double a folding over. See my hand? See my hand? She's received of the Lord's
hand. double, a folding for all of her sins. Christ has abundantly
supplied all of her need, her need of redemption, her need
of comfort, need of peace by His precious blood. Now I want
us to just look for just a few minutes at Isaiah chapter 26 and just consider the first four
verses of Isaiah 26, and I pray that the Lord might grant us
some comfort tonight, that the Lord might speak to us. I need
to hear from Him. Now listen, the scripture declares,
in that day. Isaiah wrote often that, you
know, those three words, in that day. What day is that? Well, I know this. In the day of our regeneration
first, I know this. I mean, there was a start of
our realization of comfort. There was a beginning of when
we realized that we needed some comfort in that day. I tell you
this, not only in the day of our initial enlightenment, eyes
being opened, ears being opened, mouth being opened to see and
hear and declare what He's done for us. How about right now? How about this day? In that day? How about in that day of the
second coming of Christ? How about in that day? In that
day! In that glorious day! shall this song be sung in the
land of Judah. In that day in which the Spirit
of God has instructed us, and taught us, and settled us, God's
people have a song that they sing. Here it is, here's this
new song. This song shall be sung. This song is the song of a new
heart. This is the song of the people
of God in that spiritual land. This spiritual city, this freedom
that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we sing, I told you
a moment ago about us singing. Look at Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians 5. Verse 18 to 21. And be not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves
in songs and hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord. I was thinking about those songs
we just We're singing. Oh, one that comes to my mind
right now, that dying thief, rejoice to see. Oh, rejoice to see the Lord. And
there may I, though vile as he, wash all of my sins away. There's
a fountain. filled with blood, drawn from
Emmanuel's veins. Sinners, not that willed themselves,
but are plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty
stains. These precious songs that we
read, these songs, singing unto yourself, singing in your heart,
that glorious melody of God's grace, God's peace, God's comfort,
in that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. Listen to this verse. We have a strong city. We have a strong city. Who is that city? Who is the
city of refuge? Who is the mighty God? Who is the haven of rest? This
is the city that Abraham and all like him look for. You that know him, let me ask
you this. Is it not a joy to you to sing
this song? Let me sing about my strong city. Let me sing about Him who is
my refuge. That city that all God's people,
like Abraham, look for because it has foundations. That's the stability of any building,
the foundation. Now what is the foundation? of our city in which we live,
our haven of rest. It's the Lord himself, God's
eternal counsel, God's promise, God's word, God's purpose, God's
will. A city that has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God. This is what we're resting in.
We're resting in that Almighty God had been pleased to put us
in our strong city. And listen to this verse right
here. Salvation will God appoint for
walls and bulwarks. You know, they're talking about
building a wall down on the bottom part of the United States. Good. Good. That's good. But I'm going to tell you something
that's better. Let me tell you about the salvation and the walls
of our city. Look at the reading of it. Salvation is not an event. Old Simeon said, Lord, Mine eyes
has seen thy salvation. Who was he looking at? He was
looking at the Lord Jesus Christ. What does this verse say? Salvation
Christ will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. For walls and for
the entrenchments of the surrounding of the protection we're hedged
in. by the will and purpose of Almighty
God. The very foundation of our city,
Christ, is by appointment. He's called us into Him who is
the servant of Jehovah. He was appointed our salvation. He was appointed as our salvation
in electing grace according to God's everlasting covenant. And
listen, it's unchangeable. He's immutable. All of these
things are ordered. They're all sure. His righteousness,
our salvation, the wall himself of the city, the bulwark of our city, his righteousness
is our security from all charges and all condemnations. And his
death has delivered us by that precious shed blood from the
damning power of sand. And listen to this. He ever liveth. right now to make intercession
for us. You know what I'm so thankful
for? It's right now that God Almighty would not charge me
with my very thoughts right now. That God would not charge me
with what I'm thinking. I'm so thankful for that. I'm
so thankful that the Lord prays for me ever liveth to make intercession. He has a continual audience with
Jehovah. He's even at the right hand of
God on behalf of his people. This is the song. In that day
shall this song be sung in Judah. We have a strong city. Who is
he? He's the mighty God. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. And then listen to
this verse here. Verse 2. Open ye the gates that
the righteous nation, which keepeth the truth, which keepeth truths,
may enter in. You know who's speaking? Salvation is speaking himself.
That's what salvation is speaking. Hold your place right there.
Turn to Matthew 25. Matthew 25, verse 31. I've got some comfort for God's
people. Matthew 25 verse 31, When the
Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels
with Him. You know that's going to be a
wonderful day. It's going to be over, Neil. We're not going
to have any more of this mess. It's going to be over. When the
Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. The
scriptures declare before him shall be gathered all nations,
and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divided
his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, goats on his left. I just, in my mind's eye,
I just, I don't know, as I see that, Pat, I just imagine He's
just going to divide them up. Then shall the king say unto
them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father. You
know what he's doing right here? He's saying the same thing said
in Isaiah 26. Come ye blessed of my father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. Isaiah 26 verse 2, open ye the gates. that the righteous nation which
keepeth the truth may enter in. Here's the manifestation of his
eternal will, promise, and purpose to God's people. The calling
of them out of this world into the glorious light of his presence. Christ himself, in their realization
of Him. Job said, I'm going to see Him
with these eyes. I'm going to see God. John said,
we're going to be like Him. We're going to know Him. Be like
He is. And their realization of their
calling and what we've been preaching and what God's people are believing
right now is actually going to happen. We're going to actually enter
in. Enter in to that which was prepared for you from before
the foundation of the world. What is that going to be like?
I don't know. Scripture says, eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man that which God's
prepared for them that love him. But I can tell you this. As we
continue through this world and we go through the trials and
tribulations and aches and the pains and the sufferings and
stuff like this, there's coming a day very, very soon. It's going to be over. It's going
to be over. And Almighty God who has promised,
I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to forsake you.
He's going to show us when he says, you open the gates. You
let these in. You let them in. that the scripture
declares. Thou, verse 3, shall keep him
in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he
trusteth in thee. Thou will keep him in peace,
peace, peace with God. through the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That peace that is given by God,
received by God's people, and they believe it. They believe
it. They hear what the Lord says. They believe it. They rest, and
they're settled. And that word from the Lord,
that song that they sing, that God's given them a heart for,
they rest. Thou shalt wilt, thou wilt keep. I'm so glad we're not keeping
ourselves. I just can't do it. I just can't
do it. I get so discouraged. I get down,
you know, Kevin, I just... You get so tired. You're just
tired, aren't you? And I'm so thankful for this
promise right here. I'm so thankful it doesn't say,
those that keep themselves in peace. Well, I'm thinking I don't
have any hope then, because I just don't have that ability. But
thou will keep him in perfect peace. I realize that when these
trials and tribulations come, you know why they come? To cause
us to cry out to the Lord. We call on Him. That's why they're
sent. If they weren't sent, if we didn't
have the trials and tribulations, now let's just be honest, would
we really call? No, but don't you find it Imperative. I started to say easy. That wasn't
the word. I knew that wasn't the right word. But imperative.
Don't you find it imperative? How imperative is it for you
that know Him? How imperative is it to call
on the Lord and just bare your heart to Him and just be honest
with Him? I've said this before. You might
as well just be honest. He knows. Just be honest. Lord, I've got
this trouble. Lord, I'm suffering here. Lord,
hear my prayer for Christ's sake. Lord, don't turn away. You promised. You promised me you'd never leave
me. You promised me you wouldn't forsake me. You promised that.
And Lord, your word is so. You don't go back on your word.
Thou will keep him in peace, peace. Who's mine. Lord, keep me. Keep my mind.
Lord, I've got an old man that just wants to stray And just,
you know, but Lord, if you keep my heart, you keep my mind fixed,
that new mind, that new spirit. Lord, you gave me that heart.
I never had a heart to call on you before. Everything was going
fine as far as I knew, but now it seems like troubles without,
troubles within. But Lord, this is what you promised. And I'm just asking you, would
you keep me in perfect peace? Whose mind has stayed on you
because you've given me a heart, Lord, to trust you. I want to
trust you. I know that our trusting is not
the reason of our peace. I know our trusting is not the
reason of our peace, because I'm telling you, reason of our
peace and we wouldn't have any. But it's the evidence of God
keeping our mind in peace. Believers don't trust in themselves. They don't trust in themselves
for their righteousness, for their comfort, for their peace.
We're just sheep, as I've said before, just ignorant sheep that
needs a shepherd. I need to hear His voice, I need
His direction, I need His rod and His staff to comfort me,
guide me, direct me, steer me, move me. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in
Thee. And then the last verse, trust
ye in the Lord. Trust ye in the Lord. What did He just command us to
do? Rest your weight upon. Rest all your weight upon. You know why I'm standing on
this raised portion of this floor right here? You know why? I don't
even worry about it. You know why? Because I trust
that it's going to, you know, I trust whenever this thing was
built, you know, that there was enough lumber put in it. It's
never failed yet. Every time I've ever stood here,
it's never cracked or anything like that. Oh, but to trust my
soul, to trust my eternal soul to the Lord, that's a miracle
of God's grace. That's holy ground. That's holy
ground to be able to trust God. to have a mind, a heart, a will,
to trust ye in the Lord. Trust in Him. Trust Him. Fear, fear was ushered in when
Adam sinned against God. When sin came in, turn to Genesis
3, there was no trust. That's what happened. There was
fear. There was no trust. In Genesis chapter 3, verse 7
to 10, The scripture says, Genesis 3, 7, and the eyes of them both,
when they ate, it will happen, were open. They knew that they
were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together, made themselves
aprons. Now let me tell you what I just
read. They didn't trust God. They didn't trust God. What did
they do? Well, they sewed fig leaves together. That's what every man by nature
is going to do. He's going to do whatever he
thinks is going to hide himself, hide his nakedness before God. They heard the voice of the Lord
walking in the garden of the cool of the day. Adam and his
wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst
the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto
Adam and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden. I was afraid. because I was naked and I hid
myself. I feared. Now I know I've been
deceived. Now I know. Now I know I'm exposed to death
that you promised. Now I know that punishment is
due because of what I've done. Now I'm afraid. man before the fall walked in
peace, trust with God, and by fear, by sin, I'm sorry, he now
fears. He trusts himself like Adam did. He trusts himself that he's able.
He trusts himself that he's righteous. He trusts in the arm of his flesh.
He trusts in what he can perceive. Scripture says, Psalm 20, verse
7, some trust in chariots and some in horses. But God's people
do this, they trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. How long?
Forever. Forever. Doesn't it rejoice your
heart because you know that what God has given you now Peace. Because He's given you faith
to believe Christ. Believe God. And He's never going
to take that away. He'll never take it away from
you. We'll trust Him in glory. We
just won't see Him by faith anymore. We'll see Him by sight. Faith. Faith is going to give way. Faith
is going to give way to sight. Faith right now is the evidence
of things that are not seen. But in that day, we'll see Him
as He is. Trust ye in the Lord forever, because for in the Lord Jehovah
is everlasting strength. Christ is the Lord. and the fullness of the Lord
bodily. Trust Him who is, who was, and
who is to come, the self-existent, eternal, immutable God in whom
is found the fullness of the Godhead. He is our righteousness. He is our wisdom. He's our sanctification and our
redemption. He's our refuge. And I do know
that because of the body of our death that's within, I know that
it's going to plague us again. It's going to remind us. Yeah,
but now listen, all that stuff was good and fine that he was
saying. while y'all were there in church.
I know that was all good and fine, but now you're back to
reality now. Now remember your situation.
Remember your... Lord, help me when I struggle
with myself and I war within. Lord, you promise you'll keep
me in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on you. Lord, stay
my mind on you. Lord, help me. I can't even do
that. Lord, you said without you I can do nothing. Lord, would
you keep my mind? Lord, when I fear, when I start
thinking about things that I've heard, things that I've seen,
things that doctors have told me, when I start thinking about
those things, Lord, would you remind me of that which you've
done for me? You're my city of refuge. I know the avenger of death would
desire to take me, kill me. In the Old Testament, the one
who had killed someone unawares, he got inside the city of refuge
and he was safe until the judge died. Until that one presiding
over died. How long do you think we'll be
safe in our city of refuge? He who ever liveth to make intercession
for us. We need some comfort, don't we?
I pray that God grant to us some peace and some comfort and do
it for Christ's sake and for our good. Amen.